ã€ŠI Woke Up as the Villainã€‹


 Chapter 1

    <h4>Chapter 1 </h4>

    <strong>Prologue</strong>

    In the middle of a quiet pub, Choi Yu-Seong sat across from the man drinking from a beer mug, staring. When he had first seen the man, he had no words to say other than the fact that the man was dang handsome.

    Even though he was a man, his jawline was fine to the extent that it could be described as ''elegant,'' and his ck eyes were so deep and mesmerizing they could easily draw women in.

    And his physique?

    Aside from his broad wide shoulders, his tight leather jacket couldn¡¯t hide his solid chest and abs.

    Why such interest in the same gender, you ask?

    It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    This guy¡ªeven his name was handsome¡ªwas the main character of [The Modern Master Returns] a web novel that Yu-Seong had enjoyed reading until a few nights ago.

    And now, the main character in the novel was in front of him as an actual living, breathing person. It was impossible to be unfazed.

    What was Yu-Seong talking about? He was talking about a story that some would call a clich¨¦.

    <i>¡®It means I awoke inside the novel.¡¯</i>

    As a character, his role was to be manipted by the handsome returner, Kim Do-Jin, to help murder his own father, be neglected by Do-Jin, then be cast out of his family, and end up as a snack for the monsters inside a ''Rift''. He was a viin whose life was doomed to be a tragedy.

    Again, clich¨¦, but now that he was the viin in this cliched story, he was about to go insane.

    <i>¡®How the hell am I going to solve this¡­¡¯</i>

    After sighing heavily a couple of times, Yu-Seong recalled when he had woken up as the viin a few days ago.

    <strong>Chapter 1</strong>

    Choi Yu-Seong was an orphan. However, he had never felt awkward about being an orphan, because his parents had died when he was four, which was as far back as he could remember.

    But that didn¡¯t mean he was ignorant about reality. Rather, he knew it all too well.

    Perhaps some would say that he was an ingenious kid. That was why he had escaped from his rotten orphanage when he was twelve. After that, he had sessfully paved his way forward as he paid for his own college tuition and even got epted to the country¡¯s best game firm, NX Soft, at the age of 28.

    He had been?able to achieve all of this because he had?never let his disadvantages as an orphan bog him down. People who knew him well often described him as a tenacious man, which wasn¡¯t wrong.

    At the age of thirteen, when he should have been living a normal life with his parents, he had already devised his n to fight against society and carried it out. It hadn''t been easy at a young age. But this was how he was able to lead a decent life despite being an orphan. He was proud of his life.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    The mirror showed a handsome man that looked ten years younger than his actual age. Yu-Seong stroked his cheek as an awkward smile hung on his lips.

    Awkward, but familiar. Although he wanted to deny it, the man looking back in the mirror was definitely Yu-Seong himself.

    "...But why the sudden change?"

    That was his first doubt.

    <i>''Let''s slowly piece this together.''</i>

    Yu-Seong recalled what happenedst night.

    He had been pulling an all-nighter for the grand reveal of a new game when he had decided to have a cup of coffee while enjoying thetest chapter of his favorite novel, [The Modern Master Returns], in an effort to stay up.?Without realizing it, he had probably fallen asleep.

    But the scene he encountered when he woke up wasn''t the familiar lounge, nor was it the small ten pyeong studio he lived in.

    As Yu-Seong looked away from the mirror and checked his room, his lips curiously twitched. <i>''It seems to be asrge as a medium-sized apartment.¡¯?</i>And this was only a single bedroom. He felt strange at first but soon realized that it wasn''t a big deal.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong. A 20-year-old young man, and the heir to the Comet Group, one of thergest conglomerates of Korea.¡¯</i>

    It wasn''t that hard to figure out who he was by going through his memories. Of course, he did experience horrible pain when he woke up, but that was better than not being able to remember who he was. It would¡¯ve been difficult if he didn¡¯t know his own identity.

    Yu-Seong, had the same name as the novel character, Choi Yu-Seong. And he had just transformed from yesterday''s orphan into the immensely wealthy heir to a conglomerate.

    "Hmm... Rags to riches, in just one night."

    Groaning slightly, he shook his head with a faint smile. His actual emotions were different from what his response would lead someone to believe.

    He had lived a lonely life with no family to depend on. No economic freedom, continuous nagging from his boss, and spontaneous all-nighters that were certainly tough to deal with. However, he also gained confidence from his hard work and was satisfied that he managed to achieve his life goals.

    But all of a sudden, everything had disappeared. Although his economic status had gotten better, it wasn¡¯t something to bepletely happy about. Also, a critical problem remained.

    <i>''Let¡¯s see. Today is October 21, 2029. It''s ten years after the year 2019 that I remember.''</i>

    Unlike Yu-Seong''s original Earth, this Earth contained beings that only existed in movies or novels, such as monsters, the Rifts, and yers. Even though the two worlds could be deemed aspletely different, the overall setting was familiar to Yu-Seong.

    <i>''...It''s the background of [The Modern Master Returns.]''</i>

    It was something he could easily tell just by digging through his memories about the novel.

    The only reason he had gone over it, again and again, was that he wanted to confirm this seemingly impossible reality. What had happened was literally something straight out of a novel or a movie. And the main character of the script was Yu-Seong himself.

    He spent two hours on his chair trying to ept this new reality.

    ¡°Haha¡­!¡± Then he burst intoughter and nodded. After epting everything that happened, his conclusion was simple.

    ¡°I¡¯m in big trouble!¡±

    Yu-Seong¡¯s role in the novel was a viin who tormented the weak and someone who would be abandoned after being used by the main character.

    What a terrific role to wake up in. The easiest way to avoid all that catastrophe was already in front of him.

    <i>¡®Not befriending the returner Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    But what could he do? By the time he had woken up as Choi Yu-Seong, this rascal had already be so close to Kim Do-Jin that one could mistake them as brothers.

    <i>¡®This would be around chapter 15 of book 1 in the novel¡­¡¯</i>

    If only he had started 10 chapters earlier¡­ then he would¡¯ve been able to avoid their rtionship somehow. But it was toote to cry over spilled milk.

    The returner Kim Do-Jin wanted to murder Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s father, Choi Woo-Jae, the head of the Comet group and the sworn enemy who had killed his father when he was a child. And Do-Jin had chosen Yu-Seong to be a stepping stone to that goal. Yu-Seong, a fool who knew nothing, had fallen for Kim Do-Jin¡¯s ttery.

    <i>¡®I must keep my distance from Do-Jin by any means.¡¯</i>The closer he got, the more dangerous Do-Jin would be. But this wasn¡¯t something to decide easily. After all, it was a matter of life or death.

    He had felt satisfied when Choi Yu-Seong had been made a fool of and abandoned in the novel, but now, he wanted to hit himself for thinking that back then. <i>¡®If I get swayed, I¡¯m dead meat.¡¯</i>

    So he had to cut ties with Kim Do-Jin somehow. But how?

    Several options immediately came to mind. The first one, which was to kill the returner before he gained strength using the money and power of his wealthy family, was quickly erased.

    <i>''This world will one day have to face the Demon King''s arrival.''</i>

    And if it followed the original novel''s plot, Do-Jin would be given the heroic role to stop the Demon King and save the world. So if he wasn¡¯t there, then who on earth would be able to stop the Demon King?

    <i>''I''d prefer to keep this world alive.''</i>

    Therefore, the best, and the most realistic, solution for Yu-Seong was already determined.

    <i>''Turn away from him''</i>

    Whether Do-Jin contacted or visited him, Yu-Seong would ignore him. At the very least, he would start keeping his distance from Do-Jin as much as possible from now on.

    "Whew..."

    He sighed in relief after sorting things out. Although Yu-Seong was said to be cool-headed and shrewd since his orphanhood,prehending and epting his own death was a hard task even for himself.

    <i>''I hope the situation turns favorably but...''</i>

    If not, he needed to have backup ns ready. Choi Yu-Seong had never been this grateful for his innate ability to keep calm under pressure.

    ¡°If I panic and get careless, I won''t survive.¡±

    Do-Jin, despite his young looks, was actually a cunning 50-year-old snake with over 30 years of umted experience.

    Even the tiniest mistake would result in the snake biting him in the back.

    <i>''Let''s drift away calmly, one step at a time.''</i>

    Actually, Kim Do-Jin wasn¡¯t the only problem. Choi Yu-Seong was the ninth child of the Comet group. This meant that regardless of Do-Jin''s existence, his status couldn''t be considered perfectly secure.

    Hence, there were various problems lying ahead. While his life hadpletely changed from when he went to work for a paycheck, therger framework hasn''t altered much.

    As an attempt to brighten the situation, Yu-Seong realized he remembered [Modern Master Returns] quite well. It was almost as if he was reading the novel right now. <i>''This might be temporary. I should record this in my cell phone as much as possible.''</i>

    After all, the greatest weapon Yu-Seong had now was the future he read in the original novel. If he didn¡¯t write down what he knew because he was afraid someone would somehow read his notes, it would be the same as avoiding the streets because he was afraid of getting into a car ident.

    <i>''I must write down as much information while I can still remember.''</i>

    Why?

    <i>''I have to survive.''</i>

    Although his environment, appearance, and everything else he knew in his life had vanished, he didn''t want to die.

    Even though everything hadpletely changed, his desire remained the same as it had when he entered society at a young age in his original life¡ªhe wanted to live.

    * * *

    After pondering for over an hour for a way to survive, Yu-Seong called in the two siblings that served him as his direct secretaries.

    "Jin Do-Yoon."

    "Yes, young master." The young man nodded sternly. Jin Do-Yoon was barely over twenty and had dark, distinct body lines that gave a masculine impression despite his skinny physique.

    <i>''22 years old. A level 70 yer with B-rank physique. Estimated maximum potential to be S-rank. The only person to side with the troublemaker Choi Yu-Seong.''</i>

    Do-Yoon could be categorized as a faithful and straightforward man. A talented man who failed to blossom as he died protecting the rascal Choi Yu-Seong even to his death. On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong had never acknowledged his loyalty, and even disliked Do-Yoon for being a disturbing annoyance.

    Of course, the present Yu-Seong held him in high regard and thought he was reliable. Having positive emotions toward Do-Yoon couldn''t be helped. Then he nced at the short woman about 160cm tall standing next to Do-Yoon.

    <i>''Jin Yu-Ri. 20 years old. A level 20 yer with A-rank sorcery ability. Estimated maximum potential to be S-rank. Sister of Jin Do-Yoon.''</i>

    Her eyes were twinkling with curiosity and she was wondering why Yu-Seong had suddenly called them. When he saw her eyes, he felt a simr but slightly different emotion from when he looked at her brother.

    <i>''She¡¯s just as loyal as her brother in standing by Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s side till the end, but¡­ she¡¯s different.¡¯?</i>

    Possessing greater potential than Do-Yoon, she was absolutely different from her rigid older brother. She was flexible in her thinking and was adept in leading people. Perhaps that''s why the viin Choi Yu-Seong followed her words even without realizing it.

    "Yu-Ri."

    "Why are you being so serious right now?" Tilting her head slightly, she asked back with her glittering eyes. An action that was possible only because she knew he had a weak spot for her. In fact, the other women inside this house generally didn¡¯t want to have eye contact with Choi Yu-Seong.

    Despite Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri having entirely conflicting personalities, Yu-Seong believed that their response to his following words would be the same.

    <i>''They won''t believe it.¡¯</i>

    That was why Yu-Seong decided to tell them slowly but clearly, pausing every breath.

    "I''m nning to meet my father."

    "What?" Jin Do-Yoon eximed as he thought he misheard what Yu-Seong said. It was surprising considering his usual reticence.

    "I will be preparing to leave, so get in touch with the main house. It''s 10 a.m. now, so getting there around 6 p.m. would be perfect, don''t you think?"

    "Yu-Seong oppa, are you serious?" Yu-Ri asked.

    "Yes. Why would I be joking?"

    At first nce, it would seem like an ordinary scene in which a son was going to meet his father. But no, the parent-child rtionship in this family was far from normal. Perhaps that was why Choi Woo-Jae as a father was both revered and feared by his children.

    Naturally, the troublemaker Choi Yu-Seong never attempted to go and visit him. After all, his misdeeds would get him scolded as soon as they met. But now, Choi Yu-Seong was suddenly nning to see his father, of his own will.

    "What¡¯s gotten into you?"

    "I have a favor to ask."

    Choi Yu-Seong''s cid answer to Yu-Ri''s question only caused their faces to stiffen.

    He had a favor to ask of Choi Woo-Jae. As mentioned before, the parent-child rtionship in this family was abnormal in many ways. Asking for a favor from the master of the house who wielded wealth and fame in each hand and gave out a small portion only to those he preferred was insane, particrly so since Choi Yu-Seong had never done anything pleasing. It was like walking into a lion¡¯s den.

    The confused siblings exchanged looks as they tried toprehend Yu-Seong''s intention but they couldn¡¯t figure anything out. After all, the Choi Yu-Seong they knew was a loose cannon.

    "What are you doing? Start preparing."

    "...Understood."

    "I''ll make the call to the master¡¯s mansion."

    The siblings reluctantly nodded and left. As Yu-Seong was left alone in his room, he took out his phone that he had been writing his notes on for thest hour.

    How to survive in a novel with myself as the foolish viin:

    Step one.

    "Start by gathering a number of supporters."

    1. Pyeong is a Korean unit of measurement for area and floor space. 1 pyeong is about 3.31 square meters or 35.58 square feet.

    2. Not actually a snake, but metaphorically. Someone who¡¯s sly and crafty

 Chapter 2

    <h4>Chapter 2 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong had hoped for dinner, but the appointment with his father was made for lunch. Naturally, the atmosphere in the house was bound to be busy .

    <i>''Even so, it would only be me and the Jin siblings that are busy...''</i>

    Since Yu-Seong said he would skip breakfast and eat lunch outside, the twodies who managed the house had less work.

    Although there were only two hours left until he had to be at the Yeonhui-dong luxury mansion where his parents lived, it was fortunately not that far from the Hannam vige luxury viplex where he lived.

    <i>''30 minutes seem to be enough, since it''s not rush hour.''</i>

    But arriving at the exact appointment time didn¡¯t seem appropriate either.

    "We shall head out right away, young master."

    "Thanks."

    "...No problem."

    Leaving the house around 11 o''clock, Yu-Seong sat in the back seat of the car Jin Do-Yoon had readied. He was in a strange mood as he stared at the back of Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s head as she sat in the passenger seat.

    <i>¡®Even if Choi Yu-Seong is a little neglected among his family, he lives in a luxury vi worth more than 5 billion won, rides in the same car brand as the Italian president, has a B-rank yer as his driver, and as a precaution, an A-rank yer for escort.¡¯</i>

    In addition, there were about five more extravagant cars owned by Choi Yu-Seong in his vi¡¯s garage. This was a luxury like no other.

    Besides the fact he could die if he made the slightest mistake, his life was perfect.

    <i>''That''s the problem, though.''</i>

    What was the point of having everything? They were futile objects that would be useless when one passed away.

    <i>''I don''t need any of this, so let''s just focus on living a long life.''</i>

    He decided to forget about his previous life. What was the point of mulling over it when he couldn¡¯t go back?

    Instead, Choi Yu-Seong decided to devote himself to his present life and aim for his primary goal: survival. In terms of property alone, he, as an orphan, would have been greatly satisfied even with only a quarter of what Choi Yu-Seong had.

    "Um... May I ask what you will be requesting?"

    Perhaps she felt Choi Yu-Seong''s gaze? Yu-Ri looked straight ahead from the front seat as she carefully questioned Choi Yu-Seong.

    "Oh, it¡¯s nothing special. I just wanted to say that I want to be on good terms with them from now on."

    "...Sir?"

    Yu-Ri was bewildered, while Do-Yoon broke character in surprise and identally stepped on the pedal a bit too hard.

    "I''m his son and he''s my father. Is it strange to ask such a thing?"

    "Generally¡­."

    "Understood, young master."

    Do-Yoon cut Yu-Ri off. If Choi Yu-Seong did not want to reveal what his intentions were, the siblings did not have the right to ask further.

    Jin Yu-Ri repeatedly frowned and smoothed her forehead as she stared straight ahead, but she couldn¡¯t press the issue after Jin Do-Yoon had shut her up.

    "That¡¯s it. It''s really nothing. I was just thinking, and it urred to me that I was living too carelessly, and I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what my father would think of me living my life like this¡­ and I felt apologetic.¡±

    <i>Vrrooom-!</i>

    "Oppa!"

    Yu-Ri raised her voice as the engine''s rotation speed abruptly increased. Do Yoon hurriedly took his foot off the pedal and turned red with embarrassment.

    "I, I''m sorry, young master."

    "Whoa... Please be a little more careful," Yu-Seong said after a brief moment of surprise.

    "As you wish."

    Yu-Seong patted his chest as he calmed himself before replying with a nonchnt shrug. "Thank you."

    The siblings briefly exchanged looks.

    <i>''Thank you?''</i>

    <i>¡®I heard that correctly, right, oppa?¡¯</i>

    That wasn''t something that the infamous rascal would say.

    The Jin siblings carefully nced at Choi Yu-Seong with doubt in their eyes. Today, Choi Yu-Seong was acting extremely different from the rascal they knew.

    * * *

    Yu-Seong and his group entered the luxury mansion with high walls decorated with leaves and a ground floor area of more than seventeen thousand square feet.

    "It''s been a while, young master."

    The person greeting them was the nanny Choi Yu-Seong had treated like his own mother when he had been younger. Despite being over sixty years old and having gray hair and curly wrinkles, she was as elegant as ever.

    <i>''Come to think of it, this rascal also didn''t have a mother since childhood.''</i>

    Unlike his other brothers'' mothers, Choi Yu-Seong''s had passed away rather early. He remembered it to be an ident, and considering that there weren''t any peculiarities throughout the first part of the novel, his memory was probably correct.

    Perhaps that was why Choi Yu-Seong''s emotions towards his nanny were rather odd.

    "How have you been? I''m sorry I couldn''t see you often."

    These were not empty words.

    Even in the rascal''s memories, his nanny had always been warm towards him and was someone whom he wanted to protect, but the rascal Choi Yu-Seong simply did not have the courage to visit his family and carry out his desire to protect her.

    "There is nothing to be sorry for. I''m just grateful that you''ve grown up so well, young master. But what should we do? I''m sure you would like to dine... However, the master ordered me to skip lunch and bring you to his office right away..."

    "If that''s his order, I should obey it."

    "You must be starving... Since food is already prepared,e to the kitchen after your meeting. You can''t leave with an empty stomach now that you finally visited home."

    "I will."

    Choi Yu-Seong smiled brightly as he entered the spacious mansion and walked down the long hallway.

    Almost like an attic, Choi Woo-Jae''s office was located in the quietest and deepest part of the first floor. In a way, it seemed humble for the chairman of a conglomerate.

    Of course, the majority of those who were summoned to his study did not have such impression. In fact, the doorway located in a dim corner almost felt like the entrance to a demon¡¯sir.

    <i>Gulp</i>

    Even though he hade of his own volition, Yu-Seong was no different.

    <i>''I thought it would be okay...''</i>

    Now that he had to open the dark and gloomy wooden door, he felt his body stiffening up. The original Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s fear was deeply engraved in him.

    <i>¡®Let''s do this.¡¯</i>

    He had alreadye this far. There would be no point if he backed out now just because he was scared.

    <i>''Think rationally. After all, I ... probably understand Woo-Jae better than the original Choi Yu-Seong did.¡¯?</i>

    Recalling what Woo-Jae was like in the novel, Yu-Seong slowed his breathing before softly knocking on the thick wooden door.

    "Come in alone."

    As if Woo-Jae had been waiting for him, a baritone voice spoke tersely.

    <i>''There''s nothing to be nervous about.''</i>

    There were few people in this family¡ªno, in this entire world that would be as reliable to have at his side as Woo-Jae would be.

    Eyes sparkling with passion, Yu-Seong turned the doorknob and entered.

    * * *

    Simply put, Woo Jae, the chairman of the Comet Group, was a self-made man.

    Some would question what kind of difficulties someone born into a wealthy family like him would''ve had to ovee, but Choi Woo-Jae was special. When the group was shaken due to the economic crisis, he forcefully removed his maternal uncle from power and took over as the head of the group at the young age of 35.

    Since then, he suppressed resistance and rumors and elevated the Comet Group with his strong leadership and charisma. Everyone clearly knew that without Woo-Jae, Comet wouldn''t have been able to achieve its reputation as a conglomerate.

    And now, Comet had be a hyper-conglomerate with annual sales of over 350 trillion won and an operating profit of over 30 trillion won.

    That was why a rascal like Choi Yu-Seong could pour money down the drain.

    Although this happened in the novel, the fact that he had carried out such legendary achievements remained unchanged. And most importantly, Woo-Jae was no longer a fictional character.

    <i>''He''s real.''</i>

    The moment Yu-Seong stepped through the doorway and entered Woo-Jae''s office, he felt like he waspletely isted from the outside world.

    <i>''Even the smell itself is different.''</i>

    Was it because of the plethora of books that made the office look like a library?

    The scent of old paper tingled his nose. The next thing that caught his eye was a long window that reflected the sun and Woo-Jae that sat in front of it.

    He had a really small figure. Nevertheless, his presence did not match his physique.

    From the moment Yu-Seong saw Woo-Jae, he felt as if thetter''s presence was in every corner of his office. It was as if a huge beast was curled up inside a small den called ''office''.

    <i>¡®Calm down. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡¯</i>

    Without even feeling the cold sweat dripping down his back, Yu-Seong regained his breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s been three years.¡±

    The first person to break the ice was Woo-Jae.

    Choi Yu-Seong had been neen when Choi Woo-Jae had ordered him to be independent. He hadn¡¯t returned home even once until now, at the age of twenty-one. Yet now, he had suddenlye to visit Woo-Jae.

    He wondered whether he should be thankful that Woo-Jae had spoken first despite the history between them.

    Yu-Seong shook his head and peered into Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes. As he has been quick-witted ever since childhood, with some difficulty, he was able to interpret the emotions hidden inside Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes.

    <i>¡®Curiosity... and rage.¡¯</i>

    Luckily, the situation wasn¡¯t as terrible as he had expected.

    Curiosity meant that Woo-Jae was somewhat interested, while the rage could be interpreted in two ways. One was disappointment towards his son, a rascal, that created trouble after bing independent.

    <i>¡®Or, maybe, sadness towards his son that hasn¡¯t shown his face for a long time.¡¯</i>

    Either way was okay.

    Come to think of it, Woo-Jae had never stopped his support for his son, even though thetter had caused countless problems up until the end of the novel.

    ¡®It seemed unnatural considering the plot.¡¯

    In fact, the novel [Modern Master Returns] that he had woken up in contained many holes within the plot settings. Nevertheless, he had been able to finish the first part of the novel because it had been amusing, despite the ws within the setting and storyline.

    <i>¡®Thank god.¡¯</i>

    Facing the novel¡¯s character Choi Woo-Jae right in front of him, Yu-Seong was d that he had been able to finish the novel. He just needed to choose his words carefully based on that information.

    While Yu-Seong was carefully thinking, Woo-Jae continued to speak.

    ¡°Seeing how you¡¯re spending money liberally, I doubt money¡¯s the problem. You won¡¯t need any talented personnel since you don¡¯t do anything that would require them. Then, perhaps, have you visited to gain honor?¡±

    Was he asking, or just speaking to himself?

    Listening to Woo-Jae¡¯s cryptic words, Yu-Seong decided to cut to the chase¡ªthey were ying baseball, and he was about to throw a fastball.

    ¡°I came here to ask you a favor.¡±

    ¡°Figured so.¡±

    Woo-Jae shortly clicked his tongue and nodded inly. He knew better than anyone else that his children wouldn¡¯t visit him in the first ce unless they needed a favor.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of helping you with thepany.¡±

    The second pitch was a curve. If he honestly told his father that he hade to improve their rtionship, wouldn¡¯t Woo-Jae¡¯s reaction be simr to that of the Jin siblings?

    Meeting him through work would undoubtedly improve their connection.

    <i>¡®After all, they haven¡¯t met for three years even though they''re only thirty minutes apart.¡¯</i>

    The idiom ¡®out of sight, out of mind¡¯ was certainly true, and the reversed version of it also was.

    ¡°Nonsense. What do you really want?¡±

    ¡°...This really is everything.¡±

    Of the two emotions in Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes, curiosity slowly began to fade. Instead, anger filled the remaining space.

    Was it possible to somehow make Woo-Jae feel some kind of fondness toward him?

    <i>¡®I better choose my next pitch carefully.''</i>

    Feeling the chill in his backbone from the icy atmosphere, Yu-Seong gulped and chose his best pitch among the options he had prepared.

 Chapter 3

    <h4>Chapter 3 </h4>

    Choi Woo-Jae was different from ordinary people in many ways.

    Apart from simply being the chairman of a conglomerate, he was not bound by what people usually consideredmon sense. For example, he had more than five wives.

    Of course, not all of them were married to him at the same time. Five was the sum of his previous and current rtionships. Including Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s mother, Woo-Jae had a total of six wives and had children with every one of them. He officially had ten children.

    Many rumors spected the possibility of him hiding more children. For this reason, the media sometimes criticized his morality, but his attitude toward it was always consistent.

    <i>I can¡¯t help my innate superiority.</i>

    Regardless of what the media said, or how they insulted him, Woo-Jae¡¯s expression remained the same and there was no change in his behavior whatsoever.

    That was why, in the distant future, Woo-Jae would say this whileughing as he died because of Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>Even if I die, the Comet Group will continue on and you will have to live the rest of your life trembling in fear.</i>

    Kim Do-Jin would dismiss Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s words as those of a third-rate viin and kill him instantly. However, in the first part of the novel that Choi Yu-Seong had read, the Comet group really did turn out to be one of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s arch enemies that disturbed his work.

    <i>¡®After all, of the ten children, every one except for Choi Yu-Seong was quite talented¡­¡¯¡¯</i>

    Later, Kim Do-Jin would understand Woo-Jae¡¯sst words and grit his teeth in anger, but he would nevertheless fail to tear down the Comet Group that solidified its defense after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s death. The biggest reason, in fact, was that he couldn¡¯t destroy thepany that served as thergest pir of the country¡¯s economy.

    Anyhow, the scenario featuring the Comet Group had be the biggest frustration for the [Modern Master Returns] readers and had evoked a lot ofints.

    <i>¡®In the end, the important thing was that the Comet Group was an organization capable of interfering with someone who had gone back in time.¡¯</i>

    And Choi Woo-Jae was the one who hadid the foundation for the Comet Group. It would have been impossible for Kim Do-Jin to assassinate him if Choi Yu-Seong had not been manipted like a fool and led him directly to Choi Woo-Jae.

    Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s children, who would torment Kim Do-Jin in the future, feared and respected their father.

    Choi Woo-Jae prioritized neither money, nor influence. What he valued most was talented people.

    He once said that only outstanding individuals were irreceable assets, and that was why he had produced ten children.

    <i>¡®Ten wasn¡¯t enough. He said he would give birth to a hundred if he could.¡¯</i>

    He wanted hispany to be inherited by his most outstanding child.

    Woo-Jae¡¯s thoughts were somewhat based on his narcissistic personality, as he believed that his lineage symbolized the most talented human beings.

    In a way, he wasn¡¯tpletely wrong. Choi Yu-Seong''s nine siblings were all talented enough to irritate Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Even a misfit like this guy had clever people by his side, like Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri.</i>

    Faced with such rage, Yu-Seong tried to ignore his pounding heart and establish Woo-Jae¡¯s character in his head.

    Choi Woo-Jae loved talented and ambitious people; not to mention, he had a narcissistic side that believed his offspring had to be like himself.

    Therefore, it was not that difficult for Yu-Seong to choose his third pitch.

    ¡°After I adapt to thepany, I want to be your sessor.¡±

    In a way, it was a curveball, but it wasn¡¯t a pitch where the ball would fly out of the strike zone. Rather, it was a pitch that urately hit the center of the zone.

    Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s thick, gray eyebrows twitched, confirming Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Ha¡­!¡±

    Woo-Jae clicked his tongue, and his mouth suddenly twisted. At first nce, his distorted expression seemed to disy greater rage, but there was a flicker of a new emotion.

    <i>¡®Rage and¡­¡¯</i>

    It was iprehensible.

    Yu-Seong gulped and clenched his fist. He hadn''t expected that he would be able to read Choi Woo-Jae in the first ce. Choi Woo-Jae was about sixty, a leader of his time, and a level 80 S-rank yer who was considered to be one of the top five in South Korea. From the start, he was in a totally different leaguepared to Choi Yu-Seong.

    ¡°My sessor? Do you know what you¡¯re even talking about?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m willing to risk my life.¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t be able to take his words lightly.

    <i>¡®After all, I¡¯m actually risking my life.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was the only person considered to be ipetent and was hated or ignored by the majority of his siblings for being a failure.

    Yu-Seong had more problems stacked in front of him than just the returner Kim Do-Jin.

    In fact, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s defection was due to the bullying of his siblings in the [Modern Master Returns] novel. So if he didn¡¯t do anything now, he would end up going through the same things as the original character.

    Of course, Yu-Seong had no intention of bing a pitiful fool like Choi Yu-Seong in the novel. That was why he hade to see Choi Woo-Jae, the father whom even his other siblings feared, of his own volition¡ªhe hade to show his desperate ambition.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    Knowing what Choi Yu-Seong was like, Woo-Jae asked for the reason. His eyes were unreadable, but Yu-Seong felt the air bing heavier and more somber as it pressed down heavily upon him. A pressure that was not only pushing his shoulders down, but also his knees. Even now, he was filled with the desire to run out of this room and im that it was a joke. But it was clear that this was thest thing he should do.

    ¡°Because I want to survive.¡±

    The fourth pitch was a fastball once more. Choi Woo-Jae raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°Do you mean that someone¡¯s trying to kill you?¡±

    ¡°If I stay the same, won¡¯t I suffocate to death? My brothers and sisters won¡¯t just sit there and leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae stroked his chin.

    ¡°And an ipetent like me would be crushed without even being able to challenge them. I¡¯ve considered running away¡­ But in the end, ants can¡¯t avoid human fingers, can they?¡±

    That was how the original Choi Yu-Seong felt and the reason why he wandered around acting like a rascal. It was also the reason why he relied on Kim Do-Jin, since thetter was the only one that appreciated him¡ªalthough that too turned out to be a lie.

    That was the nature of Choi Yu-Seong. He hadn¡¯t been appreciated by his family and he hadn''t been able withstand the increasing suffocation. There was no way Choi Woo-Jae was unaware of this, but he was still had some doubts. As if he knew that the rascal and ipetent Choi Yu-Seong could not easily change, he stared at his son with deep eyes as he tried to read thetter''s thoughts.

    ¡°You¡¯ve always lived as you pleased, but now you¡¯re suddenly trying to change?¡±

    Snorting, Woo-Jae, shook his head.

    ¡°People do not change easily. If you are born to be an ant, it is only right to be an ant.¡±

    Yu-Seong¡¯s body stiffened like a mouse in front of a snake after hearing Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s deration that resembled a judge¡¯s ruling. The sharpness of his words was as sharp as a serpent¡¯s fang while his eyes gleamed like that of a predator who spotted prey.

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but be afraid.

    <i>¡®This is a test.¡¯</i>

    However, now he could see that Woo-Jae didn¡¯t mean it. In contrast to his surprisingly cool-headed attitude to others, he had a kind of religious-like devotion towards his own blood. He wasn¡¯t <i>really?</i>telling Choi Yu-Seong to live as an ant.

    Yu-Seong decided to throw his fifth pitch, considering it to be hisst. He had to change his opponent¡¯s mind with this.

    If Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s suspicion is the batter, then he needs to drag the batter out of the batter¡¯s box.

    ¡°Who decided that my destiny was an ant?¡±

    Woo-Jae¡¯s thick eyebrows twitched once again.

    ¡°What if I did?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll change your decision.¡±

    ¡°How dare you¡­¡±

    Unlike his intimidating response that was spoken as a reflex, his tone didn¡¯t seem that serious. Rather, it contained a stronger scent of amusement.

    ¡°How are you going to do that? You <i>are</i> ipetent.¡±

    ¡°I am right now, but there is no reason to be that way my entire life. As a chairman¡ªno, as a father, you lent me many things. There were soldiers, weapons, and supplies. If life was a war, then the only thing Icked was myself. I can change it. I won¡¯t live as an ant. And if possible¡­¡±

    Before uttering his next words, Yu-Seong unintentionally sighed.

    ¡°I want to live as a giant rather than an ordinary person.¡±

    Ambition.

    Throwing his fifth pitch, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes unconsciously gleamed with passionate fire.

    He had been born an orphan and lived with a bit of satisfaction, but that wasn¡¯t all there was to Yu-Seong. As he faced Choi Woo-Jae and expressed his thoughts one by one, he felt like he was realizing parts of himself that he himself had not known existed. If possible, he desired to live fully satisfied rather than just a bit.

    Come to think of it, he had not once entertained that level of obsession. He simply hadn''t gotten the chance.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡±

    Choi Woo-Jaeughed. It was very low and short, but he clearlyughed.

    At that moment, the pressure in the office disappeared in an instant. Yu-Seong¡¯s stifled breath and dizzy head stabilized quickly.

    ¡°Phew¡­¡±

    He sighed long and deeply. He hadn¡¯t realized it, but his whole body was soaked with cold sweat as if he had taken a bath in it. His hair was wet and his clothes were stuck to his body. Surprised by his own state, Yu-Seong quickly tried to smoothen out his expression, but Choi Woo-Jae didn¡¯t seem to care much.

    ¡°I don¡¯t n on counting on an empty bluff. Get out.¡±

    Was it a sess or failure?

    Before he could get the answer to his question, Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to bow and leave the room as he was ordered.

    ***

    After washing his sweat-soaked body and eating the meal his nanny prepared, Choi Yu-Seong was about to leave the main house when a middle-aged man in a suit approached him.

    Of course, Choi Yu-Seong knew who he was.

    <i>¡®Kim Pil-Doo.¡¯</i>

    He was the chief secretary at the Comet Group¡¯s chairman¡¯s office and Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s right-hand man. Excluding Woo-Jae¡¯s children, he was considered to be the most simr to Choi Woo-Jae.

    He held out a wooden box the size of an adult man¡¯s palm, offering it to Yu-Seong without any greetings.

    ¡°A gift from the president.¡±

    That was it.

    Kim Pil-Doo went into the house, while Yu-Seong, Ji Do-Yoon, and Jin Yu-Ri were shown their way out by the nanny.

    But all throughout the ride back to his house, Yu-Seong¡¯s heart continued to pound.

    <i>¡®Father gave me a present.¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s praise was extremely rare, and gifts were even more difficult to earn.

    He was a greedy person and he did not share his property easily, even with his own children. However, Choi Woo-Jae had now given him a present.

    This was a new experience for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®As a matter of fact, everything I¡¯ve ever had is something my father can take away whenever he pleases.¡¯</i>

    That was why Yu-Seong had phrased what he owned as ''borrowed'' in his conversation with Woo-Jae. But a gift was different. The item Woo-Jae gave as a gift strictly belonged to Yu-Seong. Even in the possible worst-case scenario, Choi Woo-Jae would not take away his gift.

    In other words, the wooden box was now Yu-Seong¡¯s only property.

    Woo-Jae¡¯s attitude was still cold, considering that he didn¡¯t show his face even when Yu-Seong left his house. But that didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t have any expectations. The present he had just received was proof of that.

    <i>¡®Then¡­ I better not let him down.¡¯</i>

    Was he<i>?</i>confident?

    <i>¡®It goes without saying.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled as he stroked the wooden box he was given.

 Chapter 4

    <h4>Chapter 4 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong was left wondering as he left Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s study. Had he seeded, or had he failed?

    But as he was in the car, heading home, he knew the answer.

    <i>¡®I guess it¡¯s half a sess.¡¯</i>

    At the very least, it was clear that he had seeded in making Choi Woo-Jae look forward to what he would do next. But it was Woo-Jae¡¯sst words that were important.

    <i>¡®Prove that it¡¯s not just empty words.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps that was the real intention behind his gift.

    <i>¡®No, I¡¯m certain that was it.¡¯</i>

    The intent was for him to show how he would change through what he was given and the present he had just received.

    If he only got excited and relieved by Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s gift, then the expectations he¡¯d worked hard to build up in Choi Woo-Jae would have disappeared like candlelight snuffed out by the wind. In other words, the gift was a test by Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not going to make this first gift myst.¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t the slightest bit unhappy with Woo-Jae¡¯s attitude. This was his first step in restoring his rtionship with Woo-Jae.

    Like the saying ¡®well begun is half done,¡¯ the fact that he was moving forward was important.

    <i>¡®But I shouldn¡¯t get careless. Considering Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t test me himself. Kim Pil-Doo¡­ It¡¯s highly likely that he¡¯ll be the one to test me.¡¯</i>

    Frowning, Yu-Seong was organizing his thoughts when he heard the siblings calling him.

    ¡°I¡¯m really surprised, young master.¡±

    ¡°A gift from the chairman! That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    As if proving that they were siblings, their eyes and expressions disyed the same emotion. The only difference was that Yu-Ri¡¯s cheeks were red with excitement, while Do-Yoon expressed the same emotion to a greater degree as his shoulders slightly trembled. The way he was tightly gripping the handle seemed a bit adorable as well.

    <i>¡®Happy¡­ No, more like... amazed?¡¯</i>

    The fact that Do-Yoon was amazed as if an infant had spoken their first words seemed overly dramatic, but Yu-Seong¡¯s hard expression melted away at that sight. Although he had a lot to think about, such as the fact he was being tested or that he had to do better now, it was an undeniable truth that Choi Woo-Jae had just given him a present.

    ¡°If I¡¯m being honest, young master, my heart skipped a beat when you came out of the study. I thought you got in big trouble¡­¡±

    Soaking with sweat, pale, and stumbling, Yu-Seong had been in such bad shape when he had left the study that it had been difficult to talk to him. That was why Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri had chosen to support him from behind without saying a word.

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong¡¯s breathing had stabilized quickly and although he still had a hard expression, his face had regained more color half an hourter. By the time they were leaving the main house, Kim Pil-Doo had given him the present from Choi Woo-Jae.

    At that point, the siblings felt like what they had been worrying about actually turned into something rewarding.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask what you discussed with the chairman?¡± Jin Yu-Ri asked with sparkling eyes full of curiosity and excitement.

    <i>''She is definitely different from her brother.''</i>

    She was inquisitive and tried to identify her current situation. Considering her keen insight, it was highly likely that Jin Yu-Ri would be Yu-Seong¡¯s most reliable ally in everything he would do in the future.

    ¡°...I said I didn¡¯t want to die.¡±

    Yu-Seong responded to her honestly.

    The siblings were undoubtedly excited, but for a split second, a sad look shed across their faces. They knew better than anyone else how meaningful Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s short words were. Although he seemed like a lucky and blessed rascal, his life wasn¡¯t as sweet as it appeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to ask you two to continue helping me as you have done until now.¡±

    Yu-Seong smiled softly as he read the sincerity in their eyes. If Choi Woo-Jae was a distant ally, the Jin siblings were already his close allies.

    That was why Yu-Seong believed that he should tell them his true feelings.

    ¡°...Of course.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll risk my life to follow you.¡±

    The two looked at Yu-Seong trustingly, with no intention of resisting.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s a relief.¡¯</i>

    He had woken up in a remote world, but he wasn''t alone. He didn¡¯t have to carry all the burden alone.

    Although Yu-Seong had a firm personality and knew the original novel¡¯s plot, he wasn¡¯t a perfect human being.

    <i>¡®It won¡¯t be a problem to rest a little.¡¯</i>

    As all the tension left his body, Yu-Seong gradually fell asleep as he finally rxed.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­going to sleep just a bit. Wake me up when we arrive.¡±

    He drifted into sleep right after his words, tightly holding onto the wooden box he had received from Woo-Jae.

    ¡°Get some rest, young master. You worked hard.¡±

    Yu-Ri smiled softly and covered Yu-Seong with the nket she had.

    ¡°I can¡¯tprehend the situation, since it¡¯s so sudden, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It seems the young master has changed.¡±

    Yu-Ri looked toward Do-Yoon and smiled with her eyes.

    ¡°You feel great, don¡¯t you?"

    ¡°...It goes without saying.¡±

    ¡°Shall we have a celebration partyter?¡±

    ¡°All right. My treat.¡±

    ¡°Not gonna happen! I feel just as delighted as you.¡±

    <i>''I wish Choi Yu-Seong keeps being just like today.''?</i>

    The Jin siblings had the same thought with a deep smile on their lips. Even now, these two had no idea that Yu-Seong¡¯s change had merely begun to take root.

    * * *

    In the main house of the Choi family that Choi Yu-Seong had just left, Choi Woo-Jae was still in his office, surrounded byplete silence. Sitting on the edge of his desk, he held the tea cup Kim Pil-Doo gave him and brought his nose close to the steam.

    ¡°The scent is quite good.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s brewed with alteine tea leaves acquired from a sixth-ss dungeon, sir. It <i>should</i> taste and smell great, but with how much it costs, it''s actually rather subpar.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to have a good fragrance. The value of alteine tea lies in its rarity. It¡¯s obvious why people buy this kind of thing.¡±

    Woo-Jae frowned slightly as he took a sip to moisten his throat.

    ¡°It¡¯s bitter. I¡¯d rather have some citron tea.¡±

    ¡°The older you get sir, the more you seem to be wanting sweets.¡±

    ¡°30 years ago, I believed that I had to enjoy the bitterness to be mature, but now I disagree. Why taste something bitter when you could taste something sweet?¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae smiled faintly and, after tossing the tea away, ced the teacup down.

    ¡°You are being contradictory, sir. Didn¡¯t you give a gift to Yu-Seong?¡±

    Woo-Jae¡¯s lips and eyes rose peculiarly at Kim Pil-Doo¡¯s question. He seemed angry at first nce, but in a way, he also looked like he was smiling.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he my son?¡±

    ¡°You have ten of them, sir.¡±

    ¡°So what if I do? Every single one of them is the apple of my eye.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll only taste bitterness in the end, sir.¡±

    Having brewed for himself the same alteine tea as Woo-Jae, Pil-Doo brought the teacup to his mouth before tilting his head, seemingly confused.

    ¡°Are you trying the bitterness once again, sir?¡±

    ¡°As I said, I like sweet things.¡±

    Woo-Jae shook his head firmly as he responded.

    Pil-doo¡¯s eyes faintly gleamed through the steam from his tea. He had been crossing the line and retreating multiple times in their previous conversation. After all, most of his questions were nothing short of an interrogation.

    However, Choi Woo-Jae wasn''t angry in the slightest. Instead, he seemed rather pleased.

    Pil-Doo was confident that he had been by Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s side the longest.

    ¡°...Sir, you must think that the kid is going to exceed my expectations.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­,¡± Woo-Jaeughed and evaded his question. ¡°From the beginning, it was impossible for him to be entirely ipetent. He¡¯s born between me and ¡®her.¡¯ If you only evaluated lineage among my children, his descent is as good as Ji-Ho¡¯s. Rather than his behavior just now, it was his actions until now that were iprehensible.¡±

    He spoke of two people that hadn''t been spoken of in a long time¡ªYu-Seong¡¯s mother, and Woo-Jae''s eldest son, Choi Ji-Ho.

    Pil-Doo¡¯s eyes became cold.

    He knew very little about Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s mother, who had already passed away.

    On the other hand, he knew quite a lot about Choi Ji-Ho. Although Ji-Ho was now in the hospital due to a tragic ident, he would definitely have seeded Choi Woo-Jae if he had grown up normally. Even though he was no longer part of thepetition to be Woo-Jae¡¯s sessor, there were still quite a few supporters of Jin-Ho within thepany, thanks to his outstanding charisma and character.

    Honestly, Pil-Doo thought it was absurd that Woo-Jae wasparing such a person as Ji-Ho to the rascal Yu-Seong. Even if Yu-Seong surpassed his expectations, Pil-Doo didn¡¯t think the kid would win against Ji-Ho. The only thing Yu-Seong would be able topete in was¡­

    <i>''Once again, lineagees out.''</i>

    It might be what Woo-Jae wanted, since he was so weirdly obsessed with blood.

    ¡°Be cautious. I can see what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°...My apologies, sir.¡±

    ¡°Well, I keep you by my side because that¡¯s one of the things I like about you. You still believe you can beat my children and be my sessor, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be impossible if you gave me a chance.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to give or not. If my children can¡¯t even handle you, they don¡¯t deserve to seed me in the first ce.¡±

    Pil-Doo smiled in response to the ambiguous words that could be interpreted as either apliment or an insult. He understood the meaning behind those ambiguous words that others wouldn¡¯t easily understand.

    ¡°I¡¯m ttered.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, keep an eye on Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Should I observe him or protect him?¡±

    Woo-Jae had given Yu-Seong a present. This wasn¡¯t something to be taken lightly. Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s brothers and sisters, who paid attention to Woo-Jae¡¯s actions, would hear the news right away. There was no way they would stay still.

    The Choi Yu-Seong they ridiculed and belittled had received a present. Considering that some of his siblings haven¡¯t yet received a gift from Choi Woo-Jae, it was a shocking situation. Naturally, not all of them would just let Choi Yu-Seong be.

    ¡°Protection? That¡¯s nonsense. He should take care of himself with his own strength. He should taste the bitterness of life, unlike an aged person like me, don¡¯t you think?¡±

    Woo-Jae stood up from his seat and shook his head with a smirk.

    * * *

    Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want to taste the bitterness.

    After he returned home, he headed to his room and vowed thus while staring at the gift from Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®Since I have a chance to achieve a real-life rags-to-riches story, I want to live only tasting sweetness.¡¯</i>

    If someone told him that one had to experience hardships to truly understand life, he would have proudly raised his middle finger and shouted, <i>¡®You do the hard work if you want! I want to live an easy andfortable life.¡¯</i>

    He already suffered hardships as an orphan. Even after waking up as Choi Yu-Seong, who was born to a rich family, his life still wasn¡¯t a bed of roses. What was the point of trying to push through every obstacle?

    ¡°I want to go easy. Come on.¡±

    Yu-Seong breathed out lightly and opened the lid of the wooden box he had received from Woo-Jae. As he checked its contents, a smile appeared on his face.

    ¡°As expected.¡±

    The gift inside the box was something that he had expected and wanted. It was a purple stone the size of a child¡¯s palm.

    Choi Yu-Seong already knew what this stone was. It was unique and easily recognizable.

    "The Awakening Stone.¡±

    There were Rifts in this world that were also known as ''dungeons''. The creatures that lived inside those dungeons were called monsters, monsters that brought both danger and opportunity to Earth.

    There was one simple reason why a dungeon that had dangerous monsters could be an opportunity for humans.

    <i>¡®It contributes to the development of the Earth.¡¯</i>

    Sadly, nothing brought progress quite like war did. The dungeons within the Rifts, the battle for survival against monsters, and its resulting by-products hadpletely changed the paradigm of human civilization.

    Those who stood at the center of that battlefield weremonly known as yers.

    <i>¡®Normally, most people Awaken their powers naturally.¡¯</i>

    Five years before the beginning of the [Modern Master Returns] novel, the Awakening Stone had first been discovered as a dungeon by-product. This stone, as its name suggested, had the ability to Awaken supernatural powers in a human being.

    It was simply a revolution.

    Originally, the Awakening urred randomly, due to an inexplicable phenomenon, after the Rifts had appeared.

    However, in this world where yers were already highly valued, an object that could artificially initiate the Awakening now appeared. Many research institutes over the globe immediately began studying the Awakening Stone.

    Their main objective was clear¡ªmass production of the Awakening Stone that could produce yers.

    If they seeded, it meant that they would be able to acquire an army of yers that no other military force could stand against. This was viewed as a top priority by nations, as it could decide national power.

    However, five yearster, the research had seen no progress.

    <i>¡®In about five years, a genius scientist will eventually discover the mechanism of the Awakening Stone in a U.S. research institute.¡¯</i>

    And three yearster, the U.S. would solidify its position as the world¡¯s superpower by mass-producing the Awakening Stone for the first time. Of course, this was quite literally a story of the distant future.

    <i>¡®I¡¯d be a fool just to sit around and watch.¡¯</i>

    Crisis and opportunity came together. There was nothing more appropriate than this expression in Yu-Seong¡¯s current situation.

    <i>¡®Although I may seem like I¡¯m in a bad position, it¡¯s not that bad as long as I can do something about it.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was an heir to a conglomerate. And again, he knew the future.

    <i>¡®Just wait, you American genius scientist.¡¯</i>

    He was ready to outrun the scientist as soon as he was prepared.

    Yu-Seong''s tongue peeked out as he licked his lips.

 Chapter 5

    <h4>Chapter 5 </h4>

    That was the end of Choi Yu-Seong recalling the genius scientist that would extraordinarily change this world¡¯s history. It was a distant future that had left at least five years, no, eight years until practical use.

    <i>¡®I must survive until then.¡¯</i>

    The original Choi Yu-Seong had died before even one year had passed, let alone eight years. He had to be able to reach the future first.

    <i>¡®I hope I¡¯m lucky.¡¯</i>

    A strange tension filled Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes as he picked up the Awakening Stone in front of him.

    The Awakening Stone could transform an ordinary person into a yer. But it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that person would be an ¡®outstanding¡¯ yer.

    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what rank I start with.¡¯</i>

    It would be nice if he was talented enough to get a head start as an E-rank, but that would be too much to expect considering the original Choi Yu-Seong had been abandoned as a viin in the novel. So it was okay if he started at the lowest rank, F.

    <i>¡®After all, once I max out my level, I can raise my rank.¡¯</i>

    This was one of the somewhat unique settings of [Modern Master Returns]. If one reached the maximum level within a rank, they were qualified to move on to the next rank. Of course, it wasn¡¯t free.

    <i>¡®I have to go through the rank-up quest.</i>¡¯

    Nobody knew beforehand what the rank-up quest,monly known as the ¡®promotion evaluation,¡¯ would involve. It was a unique setting of the system that gave different missions to each yer.

    But that was a matter forter.

    <i>¡®The skill is key.¡¯</i>

    The main skill that a yer could receive came from an incredibly vast range. There were even a variety of skills usable in daily life, such as cooking and cleaning. Of course, it all depended on how the skill was used, and one could be a truly great yer even with such a skill, but that wasn¡¯t the kind Choi Yu-Seong wanted.

    <i>¡®An extraordinary skill would be nice, but¡­¡¯</i>

    He would be satisfied if the Awakening Stone at least gave him a skill he could use for protection.

    As if stroking a magicmp, Yu-Seong stroked the Awakening Stone about three times and desperately said, ¡°I beg you.¡±

    That was enough for a prayer.

    He couldn¡¯t waste any more time. If he hesitated to use the precious Awakening Stone, his greedy siblings would notice and steal it from him.

    Therefore, he immediately swallowed the stone, big as it was, with the water he had prepared. Then, his eyes opened widely as his body exploded with unexpected pain.

    ¡°ARGHH!!!¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help but scream. It was as if his whole body was being poked by needles, but somehow, he still felt likeughing at the same time.

    Although probably a superstition, there was a saying regarding the Awakening in the [Modern Master Returns] novel¡ªthe greater the pain, the better the reward. All the characters who yed a big role in the novel also experienced terrible pain during their Awakening.

    <i>¡®Just like now.¡¯</i>

    This was why Yu-Seong was able to smile through the intolerable pain when the Jin siblings rushed into his room and were shocked by him rolling around.

    <i>¡®Don¡¯t worry, guys.¡¯</i>

    After all, he felt as if he had won the lottery.

    With thatst thought, he passed out.

    * * *

    It had been half a day since Yu-Seong suddenly rolled around screaming and eventually passed out. It was a dumbfounding situation for a normal person, but it looked different from the perspective of the Jin siblings, who had already experienced the Awakening. Yu-Seong had lost his consciousness in a contradictory state of pain and happiness, but right before that, a bright blue light had shed from within his body.

    It was a clear sign of the Awakening. Therefore, they could only wait for Yu-Seong toplete the process and wake up from his Awakening.

    The Jin siblings waited in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s room. Do-Yoon repeatedly stroked his lips, nced at the tightly closed door, reached out with his hand, and then put it down with a restless look.

    ¡°What are you doing oppa?¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri sat by the window in front of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s room and spoke as she gave Jin Do-Yoon a somewhat pathetic look.

    ¡°The young master is sleeping too long.¡±

    Half a day was surely too long.

    Generally, people cked out for about an hour after the Awakening, so it wasn¡¯t strange to be worried since Yu-Seong had been sleeping for much longer than that.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t get up for about three hours either, oppa.¡±

    Do-Yoon had experienced the Awakening before his sister and like Yu-Seong, he had also passed out after screaming and slept for exactly three hours.

    ¡°You were the same, but 15 hours is different,¡± her brother responded.

    Yu-Ri also knew that. ¡°It sure is different. It¡¯s notmon, but there are always special cases.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t strange to say that the duration of unconsciousness proportionally reflected the ability earned from the Awakening.

    ¡°Are you saying that the young master is an Irregr?¡±

    Surprised, Jin Do-Yoon asked Jin Yu-Ri who spoke indifferently.

    Irregr.

    This term usually referred to a somewhat abnormal being, but in this hierarchic world where special people gathered, it only meant one thing¡ªawe and respect toward those that were exceptional even among the yers who possessed extraordinary abilities.

    Every one of those who turned out to be an Irregr gained enormous fame due to their abilities.

    "It''s quite possible that the young master is an Irregr, considering how long he¡¯s been sleeping." Yu-Ri was the voice of reason.

    Do-Yoon strongly bit his lower lip.

    Irregrs definitely became powerful if they survived, but surviving was difficult. This current situation, for example, showed the first obstacle an Irregr had to ovee.

    "...80 percent of Irregrs never wake up after their Awakening."

    "I know." Yu-Ri was not stupid. She was actually much smarter than her brother Do-Yoon.

    Because he knew that fact as well, he clenched his fist as he asked, "Objectively speaking, how much of a chance does our young master have to wake up?"

    "In a probability game with only two options, the answer is always set: five to five. Why¡¯re you even asking?"

    "You''re being so cold-hearted..."

    Do-Yoon wanted to argue but then shut his mouth. He also knew that it was a silly question. Yu-Ri spoke coldly, but she couldn¡¯t hide the fact she was also shaken as her eyes wavered. She felt the same as Do-Yoon.

    How could she possibly leave Choi Yu-Seong? They had stayed by Choi Yu-Seong''s side even though he was the family troublemaker and was called ¡°human trash¡±. But for him to die futilely like this when he had just started to change? She didn¡¯t want to imagine that.

    "I''m sorry."

    "It''s okay, oppa. It''s not like I can''t understand how you feel."

    Yu-Ri shook her head briefly at her brother¡¯s apology. Then suddenly, she stopped moving. At the same time, Do-Jin turned his head; his expression hardened. They sensed two people that had suddenly appeared across the long corridor. They were extremely familiar and equally unpleasant guests to this house. Even more so now, since this was a time when Choi Yu-Seong''s stability was the top priority.

    "Shit."

    Yu-Ri cursed from the bottom of her heart. Do-Yoon didn''t say anything but he also clenched his fist with a determined expression on his face.

    ncing at the siblings, a rxed-looking young man smiled arrogantly.

    "Young master Choi Min-Seok."

    Do-Yoon slightly bowed as he stepped forward and addressed the man.

    The twenty-one-year-old man, just recently turned adult, slightly raised his left hand and spoke as if he was Choi Woo-Jae.

    "No greetings necessary. Where''s Yu-Seong?"

    In fact, Min-Seok visited Yu-Seong more frequently than anyone else in the Choi family. Of course, it wasn''t with good intentions.

    He had the typical characteristic of acting weak in front of the powerful and mighty when facing the weak. He often got on Choi Woo-Jae''s nerves as he bullied other students during middle and high school.

    He didn''t cause any big trouble since he was scared of his other siblings and his father, but he still had that wicked root inside of him. He enjoyed picking on Yu-Seong, the only person in his family that was weaker than him.

    There was no particr reason. Excluding Yu-Seong, everyone agreed that Min-Seok was the family''s worst troublemaker. He suffered from an inferiorityplex and wanted to ensure that he wasn''t at the bottom of his family.

    Choi Min-Seok was the person the Jin siblings hated the most.

    He always targeted Yu-Seong because he failed to ovee his inferiorityplex. Viciously tormenting Yu-Seong, his inferior, left him with satisfaction, since Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t say anything because he was abandoned by the family.

    That very Choi Min-Seok had suddenlye to visit Yu-Seong. He hadn''t shown up for a while, since he was in college, yet now he had shown up, right at the worst time possible.

    As mentioned before, Yu-Seong needed to be as stabilized as possible.

    <i>¡®Is this a coincidence?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri nced at Choi Min-Seok who was tantly staring at Yu-Seong¡¯s room. Min-Seok pretended to be rxed but his eyes reflected his ambition and greed.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m positive.¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok knew that Yu-Seong had received the Awakening Stone.

    Again, almost everything of the Choi family belonged to the chairman Choi Woo-Jae. That was why Yu-Seong¡¯s siblings didn¡¯t try to take what he borrowed from Choi Woo-Jae.

    It was obvious. After all, wanting Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s property amounted to nothing more than wishing for an early death.

    What about a gift from Choi Woo-Jae, then?

    That solely belonged to Yu-Seong. Anyone could take it away if they so wished.

    Choi Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t say a word even if the person who stole Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s Awakening Stone brought it in front of him and bragged about it. Rather, Yu-Seong would be lucky if Choi Woo-Jae didn¡¯t mock him for losing a precious gift.

    Min-Seok knew this as well which was why he woulde to Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s home without hesitation. Someone told him about the stone.

    Not Choi Woo-Jae. He didn¡¯t like to be involved in these kinds of childish pranks.

    <i>¡®Kim Pil-Doo.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri grit her teeth and then spoke. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, young master Choi Min-Seok. Can I speak to you for a moment if it¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Jin Yu-Ri.¡±

    Min-Seok had been frowning at Do-Yoon who was subtly blocking the doorway to Yu-Seong¡¯s room, but then he turned his gaze towards her. ¡°Considering your polite attitude, it seems what I heard is really true, huh? Yu-Seong did actually get an Awakening Stone.¡±

    ¡°An Awakening Stone? I¡¯ve never heard about such a thing¡­How would I, as a worker, know what my superiors are doing?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y dumb. I heard the news. What did you do with the Awakening Stone?¡±

    He was talking confidently as if he wasn¡¯t guessing, but was full of certainty. Yu-Ri was quite displeased about this, but nevertheless she continued on calmly.

    As Choi Min-Seok said, deception no longer worked, but it did buy them a little more time.

    ¡°It¡¯s already gone.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me that the coward Choi Yu-Seong already swallowed the Awakening Stone?¡±

    Whether inrge or small amounts, pain always followed in the process of the Awakening. That was why Min-Seok thought that the coward, Yu-Seong, wouldn¡¯t be able to decide what to do with the stone and would only keep it.

    Min-Seok¡¯s expression changed right away.

    ¡°I wanted to go the easy way but that¡¯s not the case.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t undo what¡¯s already been absorbed.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll know for sure once we cut Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s stomach.¡±

    ¡°What the¡­¡±

    Yu-Ri¡¯s mouth dropped at Min-Seok¡¯s cold words before she quickly closed it.

    What did she expect? Since the two were brothers only in name, did she expect some kind of brotherly bond, even if it¡¯s tiny like a speck of dust?

    Nonsense.

    Min-Seok was only worried that Yu-Seong, his only inferior in the family, would change through the Awakening. That was why he tried to take away the Awakening Stone, and if that was impossible, he was willing to murder Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®No.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri started thinking rapidly. She had to figure out a way to stop Choi Min-Seok while keeping Yu-Seong out of trouble.

    Looking at Yu-Ri coldly, Min-Seok smirked and approached the door to Yu-Seong¡¯s room. Do-Yoon stood in front of the doorway and shook his head.

    ¡°You cannot enter.¡± Do-Yoon denied Min-Seok entry.

    ¡°A pet dog shouldn''t bark at its owner. Move.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You know this won¡¯t change anything, do you?¡±

    ¡°It would be best if you returned for today.¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­ Park Jin-Hyo.¡±

    After a long sigh from Min-Seok, the bulky Park Jin-Hyo came forward. He was Choi Min-Seok¡¯s right-hand man and also a Physical-Reinforcement type yer who was roughly two meters tall and was extremely muscr like Do-Yoon was..

    ¡°Move.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°This is the young master¡¯s order.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Park Jin-Hyo threatened Do-Yoon as he red ferociously.

    ¡°How foolish.¡±

    Right after Min-Seok¡¯s remarks, Jin-Hyo swung his fist that was the size of a man¡¯s head.

    <i>Thwap-!</i>

    Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s body swayed as his face jerked sideways. However, his feet stayed where they were without moving a single millimeter.

    Wiping off the blood flowing from his lips, Do-Yoon nced at Min-Seok, who stood behind Park Jin-Hyo.

    ¡°The young master needs to be stabilized right now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not up to you to decide, dog.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really not going to back off, huh? I guess we¡¯ll be cleaning up another body today. Park Jin-Hyo, you don¡¯t have to pull your punches worrying you might kill <i>that</i>.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    A golden aura red out from Jin-Hyo¡¯s body as Min-Seokughed coldly. It was a phenomenon that urred when a yer used their skill.

    He started to throw punches at Jin Do-Yoon that were much harder and rougher-sounding.

    Do-Yoon didn¡¯t even try to avoid a single punch. Even though he too was a yer, he didn¡¯t use any skills and just let himself be beaten up. If he evaded one of them, then it could affect Yu-Seong who was unconscious inside the room. It could also be used as an excuse for Min-Seok to attack Yu-Seong once he woke up.

    Watching the situation, Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes gleamed as she bit her lower lip.

    <i>¡®If I kill Choi Min-Seok right now¡­¡¯</i>

    There would be a big problem. Choi Yu-Seong would probably be okay, but it would be difficult for the Jin siblings to set foot in this society ever again. Choi Woo-Jae would never sit on his hands if one of his family pets killed one of his children.

    But she couldn¡¯t just sit there and watch. It was better than everyone dying here.

    Havinge to a decision, Jin Yu-Ri was just about to act when she heard something¡ªthe sound of someone rushing in. Yu-Ri and Min-Seok looked at Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s locked room at the same time.

    On the other side of the door, a loud voice echoed.

    ¡°Take cover, you idiot!¡±

    <i>Whoosh-!</i>

    That moment, the continuous punching ceased. Do-Yoon smiled as he ducked falteringly to avoid the attack.

    ¡°Young master¡­¡± he spoke in a voice so small that no one but himself could have heard it.

    The door burst open. It wasChoi Yu-Seong.

    With clothes in disarray, he stood in front of the door and looked at Do-Yoon, who was smiling with bloody teeth.

    Then, he red fiercely to Park Jin-Hyo who looked perplexed.

    ¡°You gori punk, how dare you put your hands on my man?¡±

 Chapter 6

    <h4>Chapter 6 </h4>

    Nobody had expected Choi Yu-Seong to justsh out like that, but it wasn''t something out of the ordinary either. Although it seemed that he had changed in a single day, he was, after all, Yu-Seong¡ªthe rascal of the family, a scoundrel, and an authoritative boss. Wasn''t it Yu-Seong''s specialty to say what he wanted, regardless if it was appropriate or not?

    This time, the only difference was that those on the receiving end of the verbal assault had never experienced that from Yu-Seong.

    Choi Min-Seok''s face stiffened rapidly. Having been mocked, Park Jin-Hyo¡¯s face was no different. He turned ming red, as if he were an active volcano that could erupt at any moment.

    But Yu-Seong''s aggressive speech didn''t stop there.

    "Hey, gori. Get down on your knees and apologize right now."

    "...?!"

    Astonished, everyone in the hallway focused on Yu-Seong.

    "Are you deaf? Get down on your knees."

    Although small, his voice contained inexplicable dignity.

    <i>''Things seem to turn out weird¡­¡¯</i>

    Jin-Hyo tried to ignore the fact that the atmosphere suddenly changed. After all, his opponent was nothing but the rascal Yu-Seong.

    Even so, since Yu-Seong is part of the Choi family, Jin-Hyo didn''t want to engage with Yu-Seong directly. Jin-Hyo''s eyes naturally turned to Min-Seok.

    "Yu-Seong, don¡¯t be cocky ande here.¡±

    As if responding to Jin-Hyo''s dilemma, Min-Seok gestured at Yu-Seong with an arrogant expression. Purple energy flowing out from Min-Seok''s palm surrounded Yu-Seong like water vapor.

    "Oh..."

    Unable to respond to the dumbfounding situation Jin Yu-Ri could only groan as she stared at Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong''s eyes were already dull as the purple energy surrounded him as if it were paint being spread on a canvas.

    Yu-Seong was trapped in hypnotism, Min-Seok''s best skill. There was no way Yu-Seong could resist the hypnotism cast by a D-rank, level 60 yer like Min-Seok.

    Rather, it had an even greater impact on Choi Yu-Seong than on other people, as he had a weak mentality.

    In the end, as always, Yu-Seong would kneel in front of Min-Seok, sobbing with his snoting out, as he begged for mercy and fell into despair because of the nightmare he was hypnotized into. But the moment Min-Seok smiled creepily as he imagined the near future, the purple energy that had taken over Yu-Seong''s eyes vanished.

    Yu-Seong stared at Min-Seok, eyes now sparkling.

    "Hmm...?"

    Min-Seok looked bewildered.

    "Min-Seok."

    Yu-Seong called him calmly.

    "What did you just call me?"

    Yu-Seong always called Min-Seok in a ttering way to create a good impression of himself.

    But now, Yu-Seong was confidently calling him by his full name. The whole situation left Min-Seok confused.

    "Are you sure you can handle the consequences of barging into someone else''s house and causing a fuss?"

    Yu-Seong continued with a low and deep tone. Eyes wide with surprise, Min-Seok tried to hypnotize Yu-Seong again. The illusions appeared in front of Yu-Seong again, but he pretended he didn''t see them.

    "If you think I got the Awakening Stone by pure luck, that would be extremely foolish of you..."

    Smiling with clear hostility, Yu-Seong red at Min-Seok. Doubt shed across Min-Seok''s face for a moment.

    <i>''Yeah, he couldn''t be this cocky without any support.''</i>

    But the problem was that Min-Seok couldn''t guess who had Yu-Seong''s back and also knew that Yu-Seong wouldn''t tell him if he asked.

    <i>''You''re caught in a trap before you even knew it...''</i>

    Although Yu-Seong was ring coldly at Min-Seok, Yu-Seong was smiling inside as he could see Min-Seok eagerly trying toe up with an answer.

    Refusing to back down from Yu-Seong, Min-Seok red back at Yu-Seong.

    "I really don¡¯t understand where all your confidence ising from. You dare rebel against your older brother?"

    Min-Seok couldn''t understand why Yu-Seong was suddenly so confident, but Min-Seok had an ace up his sleeve. Which was why he didn''t back down when they were going face to face.

    Although Yu-Seong was definitely under the influence of the skill, his eyes didn''t show it. He wasn''t scared or confused; it was as if he didn''t know fear itself.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s face was calm, even as he gritted his teeth fighting against the dizzying hypnotism that caused his heart to pound from the pain.

    <i>''From the very beginning...''</i>

    Min-Seok had no chance of winning this fight. Why? Because even though Min-Seok was a part of the talented Choi family and had great potential, he was only a twenty-one-year-old college student. On top of that, as if he was a delicate flower in a greenhouse, Min-Seok was carefully protected in dungeons because of his Mind Control ability.

    Then how about Yu-Seong? Yu-Seong had grown up in a different world as an orphan, and he had to ovee countless obstacles in order to adapt to society. In other words, this was like a fight between an amateur and a professional boxer.

    In addition, Yu-Seong had already experienced something simr to Min-Seok''s hypnotism.

    <i>''Choi Woo-Jae.''</i>

    It was just yesterday that he had experienced it. Min-Seok''s hypnotism felt cutepared to Woo-Jae''s aura, which pressured Yu-Seong like he was drowning in a swamp.

    In the end, Min-Seok stopped staring and slightly turned away from Yu-Seong. That was the turning point. Yu-Seong decided to use the trump card that popped inside his head.

    "You seem to be running a business under the radar... What would father and our second sister say if they found out?"

    "...!!"

    Bewildered, Min-Seok and Jin Yu-Ri looked at Yu-Seong with widened eyes.

    <i>''How did he find out?''</i>

    Although the two thought of the same thing, Min-Seok was much more surprised. Only a few people knew that he was dealing drugs throughout Gangnam clubs.

    <i>''Who told Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok started to think rapidly. Naturally, he was too focused on his other things as he didn¡¯t notice his hypnosis was beginning to fade.

    "Think carefully. Who in the world would tell me this besides our family?"

    Unconsciously being swayed by Yu-Seong, Min-Seok bit his lower lip as he almost tried to refute Yu-Seong''s words. Only one person in his family knew that he was involved in drug dealing.

    <i>''Did the sixth brother...? No, it can''t be.''</i>

    Choi Byung-Chan, the sixth of the Choi siblings, was the person Min-Seok relied on the most. <i>That</i> Byung-Chan had betrayed Min-Seok to partner up with a mere Yu-Seong?

    Min-Seok thought that it was impossible, but he couldn''t help the idea clouding his brain. Yu-Seong grinned wickedly as he looked at Min-Seok.

    <i>''Originally, Choi Min-Seok would be arrested for drug dealing and promoting prostitution one year from now.''</i>

    This information was revealed by Kim Do-Jin, a regressor in [The Modern Master Returns] when he took care of the gangsters working for Min-Seok. Because of this, the Comet Group was also hit hard. Besides his behavior as a rascal, this was actually one of the biggest incidents that weakened Woo-Jae''s power.

    <i>''He wouldn''t be running any prostitution rings now, though.''</i> Yu-Seong thought inwardly.

    But Min-Seok already had a lot of trouble with drug dealing alone. Since his trust towards Byung-Chan had also been weakened, he couldn''t hide his emotions even if he tried.

    <i>''The hypnosis stopped.''</i>

    The horrible illusions in front of Yu-Seong vanished. Then, Min-Seok looked at Yu-Seong as if he was trying to confirm onest thing to resolve his confusion. Without hesitation, Yu-Seong responded by staring right at him.

    None of them were backing off, but Min-Seok had no way to stand against Yu-Seong as the hypnosis was over. Min-Seok was tense. It was as if he was in front of a beast.

    <i>''What the hell is going on right now?!¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok wanted to scream, but considering his opponent was merely Yu-Seong, his pride didn''t let him.

    "Who... Who the hell are you?"

    Even as his heart was pounding ferociously and his forehead was covered in sweat, he tried to deny reality as he questioned Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®You can''t be the stupid Choi Yu-Seong I know!¡¯</i>

    The Yu-Seong standing in front of him was entirely different from the Yu-Seong he knew.

    "Can''t you see? If I''m not Choi Yu-Seong, who am I?"

    Fully regaining a state of rxation, Yu-Seong shrugged and asked back.

    "You''re lying."

    Although Min-Seok tried to deny the situation, nothing changed. This was like a dream to Min-Seok.

    It was taking his all to suppress his iprehensible emotions. But there was no doubt that it was Yu-Seong himself standing in front of Min-Seok.

    <i>''How would he know?''</i>

    There was no way Min-Seok would have guessed that Choi Yu-Seong, a reader of the novel from another world, had woken up as the Yu-Seong of this world. Yu-Seong wouldn''t have believed it if he didn''t experience it himself.

    "Ahem..."

    Just when Min-Seok dry coughed and turned his gaze downward, unable to continue to meet his eyes, Yu-Seong stepped forward and stomped.

    <i>Thump-!</i>

    Surprised by the sound, Min-Seok stumbled backward.

    "Pfft..."

    Yu-Riughed. Jin-Hyo nced at Min-Seok with bewilderment.

    But the highlight of this scene was the message box that clearly floated above the hallway.

    - The Oldest Hunter is watching yer Choi Yu-Seong with interest. Five Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Oldest Hunterughs at yer Choi Min-Seok.

    The appearance of a god.

    A message from a god, known to be a yer''s greatest sponsor, was something that every yer in this world wished for desperately. Considering that gods only paid attention to the extremely talented few, it was astonishing that one of those gods was interested in and even sponsored Yu-Seong.

    Although the number of points wasn''t thatrge, that itself carried extraordinary significance. Something like this was extremely, extremely rare. This would only happen in one in a million¡ªno, one in ten million cases.

    The godughed at Min-Seok at the same time, which was broadcasted to everyone in the scene. This meant that Min-Seok had also been noticed by a god, but in a different way.

    Putting these two situations together, what they had just experienced was something that had never happened before.

    Min-Seok''s face reddened as he had never been this embarrassed in his entire life; he could no longer keep hisposure. Possessed with rage, Min-Seok screamed.

    "Park Jin-Hyo! Kill that bastard!"

    "I beg your pardon...?"

    "I''ll take full responsibility, kill Yu-Seong right now!"

    Hesitation was reflected in Park Jin-Hyo''s eyes. If he killed Yu-Seong, Min-Seok would take responsibility for him?

    Easier said than done.

    Since Min-Seok was part of the Choi family, he wouldn''t die even in the worst-case scenario, but Park Jin-Hyo and his rtives may actually disappear from the face of the Earth.

    Min-Seok''s eyes turned bloodshot with rage as he noticed Jin-Hyo''s hesitation.

    "Jin-Hyo! Who was it that let your sister get a job in the Comet Group!"

    Jin-Hyo bit his lower lip as Min-Seok shouted at him.

    <i>''Either way, I''m going to die.''</i>

    Since Jin-Hyo hadn''t experienced Woo-Jae yet, the person he currently feared the most was Min-Seok. Min-Seok knew everything about him¡ªhis misconduct, his crimes, his family, everything. Thinking about it differently, Jin-Hyo also knew various weaknesses of Min-Seok, but that wasn''t enough to go against a member of the Choi family.

    If he was going to die either way, then he would rather dieter. Coming to a decision, Jin-Hyo no longer hesitated.

    He swung his fist directly at Yu-Seong.

    Even though Jin-Hyo''s attack was about to reach him, Yu-Seong didn''t even blink. Instead, Yu-Seong spoke quietly as he confidently faced the attack.

    "Do you really think that''ll work? Try me."

    <i>Thump-!</i>

    With a heavy sound, Jin-Hyo''s fist was blocked. In front of Yu-Seong, who was speaking with his hands in his pockets, Jin Do-Yoon had transformed into a werewolf and blocked Jin-Hyo with one arm.

    "If you touch the young master, you die."

    His voice resembled the growling of a wolf. Although Do-Yoon was full of scars and bleeding, Jin-Hyo trembled at the threatening aura of Jin Do-Yoon.

    <i>''Their gaze...it''s just...''</i>

    It wasn''t just Jin Do-Yoon that stared at Jin-Hyo sharply. From the back of Do-Yoon, Yu-Seong was staring indifferently with hard eyes, his mouth was the only part that was smiling.

    Jin-Hyo was terrified. He now knew why Min-Seok stumbled backward after going face-to-face with Yu-Seong. Naturally, Jin-Hyo could feel the cold sweat running down his back.

    <i>''Th, This is what it means to be a member of the Choi family...''</i>

    Although the Comet Group was currentlypeting for second ce among Koreanpanies, the Choi family was powerful enough to eventually put the Comet Group on top.

    Jin-Hyo was now trembling in fear. Yu-Seong clearly wasn''t the rascal and coward that Jin-Hyo knew. He wanted to retrieve his hand immediately; in fact, he wanted to run away.

    "Park Jin-Hyoooo-!"

    Jin-Hyo regained consciousness through Min-Seok''s scream. Jin-Hyo was scared, but he realized he would die all the same if he ran away.

    "Aghhhhhh-!"

    With a reddish aura radiating from his body, Jin-Hyo invoked his full power.

    However, even though Jin-Hyo poured in more strength, as disyed by his bulging muscles and popped veins, Jin Do-Yoon didn''t budge.

    <i>''After all, they''re in a totally different league.''</i>

    Yu-Seong thought that it was obvious.

    "You can''t do anything, huh? Mr. Gori."

    Jin-Hyo was a C-rank, level 50 yer. Considering his young age, he possessed great potential. His powers were suitable to serve as the right-hand man of a member of the Choi family. Unfortunately, he was no match for Jin Do-Yoon. ording to the novel, thetter could even equally fight with Kim Do-Jin, who would be the greatest yer in the future.

    <i>''Jin Do-Yoon is already level 70.''</i>

    They were literally on a different level.

    Yu-Seong grinned wickedly as he stood behind Jin Do-Yoon, one of his few partners in this world.

    "Jin Do-Yoon, don''t you think you need to repay him for what you received? I''ll take full responsibility so don''t worry."

    "...Yes, sir."

    His voice sounded like the growl of a beast. Do-Yoon struck Jin-Hyo''s chin with his palm.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    Jin-Hyo flew into the air and crashed down as his eyes turned white. One-hit KO.

    <i>''A totally different level for sure.''</i>

    Smilingfortably, Yu-Seong turned towards Min-Seok.

    "Choi Yu-Seong, do you think you''ll be okay after what you''ve done? If you think you can bear the consequences of..."

    Min-Seok suddenly felt a chill around his neck. Shivering, he noticed that Yu-Ri was holding something cold and hard right at his throat.

    "It seems the person who has to bear the consequences is you, young master Min-Seok."

    "You...You dare try to kill me?"

    <i>Gulp.</i>

    At the same time that Min-Seok swallowed hard, a clicking sound resonated.

    "Nah, why would I kill you, sir?"

    Yu-Ri smiled with her eyes as a familiar voice echoed in the hallway.

    [Park Jin-Hyo! Kill that bastard!]

    [I beg your pardon...?]

    [I''ll take full responsibility, so kill Yu-Seong right now!]

    Min-Seok and Jin-Hyo''s conversation had been recorded.

    "But since the chairman dislikes his children trying to kill each other like this... I''m not sure how he''ll react when he hears the recording."

    "Ur...Urgh..."

    Min-Seok groaned as he realized he hadn¡¯t been mistaken¡ªthat sound recorder really was a steel de pressing against his throat.

    "You can keep quiet about what happened today, right, sir?

    Min-Seok nodded slightly as he bit his lower lip.

 Chapter 7

    <h4>Chapter 7 </h4>

    After the rather abrupt incident with Choi Min-Seok was over, Jin Do-Yoon soon returned to his daily routine, as he only took a day to recover from his wounds. It was thanks to the outstanding recovery that physical-reinforcement type yers had.

    Meanwhile, Jin Yu-Ri went to Yu-Seong, asking what she should do with the voice recording.

    "Just keep it for now. It won¡¯t be of any help if I brought it to my father. He¡¯d probably mock me saying I¡¯m just a useless kid whining to an adult for help because I can¡¯t handle it myself.¡± Choi Yu-Seong responded.

    If he was going to attack, then he had to do it perfectly, like thrusting a knife squarely into a chest.

    "Plus, with just that, the punishment Choi Min-Seok would receive would only be a severe scolding. Although he isn''t a beast, he''ll be wild if he''s cornered. So we¡¯ll save the recording and collect more intelligence. The data we umte will be a sharp knife that will cut Choi Min-Seok''s heart out when the timees. Oh, andstly, you don''t have to ask these kinds of questions. Haven¡¯t you already reached the same conclusion?"

    Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes sparkled at Yu-Seong''sst remarks and nodded silently.

    <i>''He has definitely changed. He¡¯s be extremely clever.''</i>

    In this current situation, Yu-Seong in the past would follow one of these two options. He either would have been delighted that he had Min-Seok¡¯s weakness in his hand, in which case he would¡¯ve run off to boast while tattling at the same time to Choi Woo-Jae, or he would¡¯ve been too scared to do anything.

    Recently, he seemed to have changed, and now he was even demonstrating keen insight. This was no simple coincidence.

    <i>''How much more are you nning on surprising me, young master... ?¡¯</i>

    Except for resetting Yu-Ri''s expectations of himself through these short conversations, Yu-Seong normally spent the majority of his day sleeping. Nevertheless, he didn''t make the Jin siblings too nervous, as he asionally woke up and ate.

    But that was it. Yu-Seong didn''t try to push himself. He also tried to forget all his concerns due to the fact that he woke up inside the novel.

    <i>''Adequate rest is important.''</i>

    A lot had happened after he had first woken up as Yu-Seong. He had to relieve the stress that umted from his recent busy days. If he only moved forward, it would be exhausting even for the stubborn Yu-Seong.

    Three days passed like that.

    After Yu-Seong finished the break he set for himself, he smiled peculiarly at the half-transparent window that floated in front of him.

    ¡ºName: Yu-Seong

    Age: 20

    Type: All-Rounder

    Rank: E

    Level: 1

    Special Skills: Star Factor E, Fusion E

    General Skills: Stylish F, Eye of Replication E

    Current Inactivated Skill Slots: 5¡»

    "Interesting."

    To begin with, he became an all-rounder, one of the three types: Physical, Psychic, and All-rounder. The [Modern Master Returns] novel exined the All-rounder as a <i>''jack of all trades, master of none.''</i>

    After all, only one All-rounder was included in the world''s top ten yers. And even that yer was ranked tenth.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong wasn''t disappointed. Hadn¡¯t he originally considered it to be a sess if he could even be an ordinary yer? Setting his type aside, there actually were more positive aspects.

    <i>''Two special skills and two general skills.''</i>

    Super rookies that shocked the world usually had a minimum of seven initial skills. Yu-Seong seemed somewhatckingpared to them, considering that he only had four. However, Yu-Seong clearly recognized the advantages of his status.

    <i>¡®First off, I have two special skills.¡¯</i>

    Even the greatest yer in the world had only one special skill. It was natural considering that special skills were a literal representation of the uniqueness of a person. As such, although the special skill could develop or change, there was no yer in the original novel that possessed two of them. Yu-Seong was the only one who had two special skills.

    <i>¡®Star Factor and Fusion.¡¯</i>

    This was extremely peculiar, as even the main character of the novel, Kim Do-Jin, only had one special skill.

    Using his experience in his original world as an employee in a gamepany that designed the level system, Yu-Seong easily came up with a reason toprehend the current situation.

    <i>''This is a unique phenomenon that triggered because I woke up in Yu-Seong¡¯s body.¡¯</i>

    As a result, the system of the Awakening identified two souls inside Yu-Seong. It was a bug, or to put it positively, a hidden piece. Perhaps that was why his pain during the Awakening was exceptionally terrible.

    What had happened wasn¡¯t entirely strange.

    <i>¡®As expected, the [Modern Master Returns] has a lot of holes in its setting.¡¯</i>

    Ever since Yu-Seong met Choi Woo-Jae, he acknowledged that there were a lot of settings in the [Modern Master Returns] novel, a mass-produced fantasy novel suggested by its cliche title, that misses important settings except for those surrounding its main character Kim Do-Jin.

    Considering Yu-Seong woke up inside a world based on that novel, what he was going through wasn¡¯t that strange.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±

    He couldn¡¯t help butugh. Although he was dumbfounded by theck of plot consistency when he read the novel, that w ironically benefited him now.

    The first benefit was that he had two special skills. There was a saying that one special skill was better than a hundred general ones. Special skills were <i>that</i> powerful. In addition, Yu-Seong clearly realized that this world had various ¡®plot holes¡¯.

    <i>¡®I can obtain a lot of unexpected benefits if I use my skills well.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had earned both realistic assets and useful intelligence at the same time. He couldn¡¯t help smiling in this evidently favorable condition.

    Of course, he had to learn about the skills in detail in order to use that intelligence to its full potential. Fortunately, this was a field that the previous game designer Yu-Seong was most confident in.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s start with Star Factor.¡¯</i>

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor E

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (0/100).

    Current eleration rate +0%¡»

    Yu-Seong had confidently checked the exnation, but then a look of bewilderment shed across his face.

    <i>¡®Does¡­ it wants me to be an attention seeker?¡¯</i>

    Star Factor was a skill that could only grow if he cultivated attention-seeking behavior.

    But why bother getting attention from someone? Considering that Yu-Seong had been rather busy just trying to survive in his original world, he had never thought of something like this. He was a bit dumbfounded, but besides that, the effect itself was terrific enough for it to be deemed as a special skill.

    <i>¡®Since the original setting said that more experience points are required to level up as a yer¡¯s rank increases, this skill would be extraordinarily effective.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s starting rank was E. Compared to normal yers who started from rank F, he had an extremely good starting point. However, as mentioned before, rank wasn¡¯t that important.

    <i>¡®After all, I can always rank up once I reach the max level for the E rank.¡¯</i>

    Of course, those who start with a higher rank tend to have better skill sets, but it wasn¡¯t an uncrossable gap, and the Star Factor skillpletely covered the shorings of a low starting rank and even provided additional potential for development.

    <i>¡®As long as I can get a lot of attention.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes glistened. Didn¡¯t he have a ton of ways to do that? In fact, he was in the perfect position for it. The ninth son of the Comet Group, the rascal child of a wealthy family. How could anyone dislike a topic like him?

    Therefore, Yu-Seong received attention all the time anyway. There was no one better than him for journalists who hunted for gossip. In a way, Yu-Seong was practically already a celebrity. Now that he had the Star Factor skill, he could make very good use of it.

    <i>¡®Although it¡¯s a little embarrassing, it¡¯s totally bearable for efficiency¡¯s sake. Come to think of it, this special skill, Star Factor, really does fit Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    Was it because Yu-Seong had been shunned and berated at home since childhood?

    Yu-Seong was exactly the type of person who longed for the attention of others like a child. He couldn¡¯t remember ever wanting it before, since there were so many things going on, but now he realized that this was the reason why Yu-Seong had be such a rascal.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll fulfill your dream of getting attention.¡¯</i>

    He then moved on to the second special skill, Fusion. Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes sparkled much more than when he read the Star Factor skill.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, Fusion E

    Except for the user¡¯s initial skills, it can fuse any two general skills into a new one. The features of the newly-created skill will change depending on the user¡¯s luck. The skills used for fusion cannot be reused.

    This skill provides five additional inactivated skill slots. Once this skill levels up to a higher rank, more slots be avable. The user can freely delete or overwrite the skills listed in the inactivated skill slots that can be used for fusion.¡»

    ¡®<i>So this means I have to manipte what I¡¯ve got to its fullest, huh?¡¯</i>

    This skill possessed endless potential. For Yu-Seong, who designed the level system when he worked at the gamepany, this skill was perfectly suitable.

    The downside, of course, was that this skill was useless by itself. But after he read all the details for the skills Stylish and Eye of Replication, the two general skills, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t hide his excitement.

    <i>¡®My skill set is so solid!¡¯</i>

    ording to his n, he could start right away.

    How to survive in a novel with myself as the foolish viin:

    Step two.

    <i>¡®Be strong enough to endure this dangerous world.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong jumped out of his seat and immediately headed out.

    * * *

    After Yu-Seong left his room, he posted a job recruitment notice.

    [The first hundred yers to demonstrate a skill below E rank will be paid one million won]

    With this somewhat provocative phrase, Yu-Seong¡¯s face was printed in the background of the notice. And this was advertised on the most popr forum site in Korea. Less than an hourter, provocative articles poured out from every media outlet about Yu-Seong¡¯s job posting.

    * Why did the ninth kid of the Choi family, Choi Yu-Seong, post such an absurd job ad?

    * Yu-Seong, what are you up to this time?

    * Yu-Seong¡ªFull of money, mine to use.

    * Now I¡¯m a yer! An Interview with Choi Yu-Seong?

    It didn¡¯t matter whether the articles were true or not.

    What mattered was that Yu-Seong would pay the first hundred applicants one million won for simply demonstrating a skill below E rank, and that this provocative statement was posted in the main banner of thergest portal site.

    As mentioned, Yu-Seong was as famous as a celebrity. It was just that his fame mostly came from hate, so he basically had more haters than fans. People couldn¡¯t understand why Yu-Seong did this. Of course, the response wasn¡¯t good.

    - The fool that always drank and wreaked havoc is now putting on a show.

    - An abrupt job recruitment? And the Comet Group let him do that?

    - Isn¡¯t that practically embezzlement, since that money would being out of the Comet Group ounts?

    - But this really is a damn good opportunity. We don¡¯t need to demonstratebat skills, do we? It¡¯s an easy one million won by simply showing any kind of skill.

    ©» I already submitted the application form lol.

    ©» Completely agreed.

    ©» Nah, I don¡¯t buy it. It¡¯s probably a scam Yu-Seong doing stupid stuff.

    ©» I can¡¯t believe someone¡¯s actually buying this.

    - But is it real that Choi Yu-Seong became a yer?

    As Yu-Seong sat down and read thements below the Inte articles,plicated emotions shed across his face.

    <i>¡®They say ¡®where there¡¯s smoke, there¡¯s fire,¡¯ but that doesn¡¯t seem to be true these days.¡¯</i>

    Although he did post the job recruitment and paid a lot of money for advertisement, he had never met anyone or given any interviews. In other words, the articles that stated that he had be a yer or embezzledpany money were made up by reporters. But even though many people repeated the rumors about him, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t care.

    <i>¡®Well, I knew that I had a bad reputation anyway.¡¯</i>

    He could change that little by little. Since Yu-Seong was born as an orphan and adapted to the rough modern society, his mentality was strong enough that he wasn¡¯t affected by some hatefulments.

    Instead, he focused on the half-transparent window in front of him.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, Star Factor E

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (20/100).

    Current eleration rate +30%¡»

    The figure changed drastically in just one day.

    <i>¡®The level of attention for the additional ability increased by 20 percent while the eleration rate also increased by 30 percent. Sweet.¡¯</i>

    Wasn¡¯t this proof that he was the center of attention? Thus, to Yu-Seong it didn¡¯t matter if others cursed or disparaged him. After all, the numbers in front of him were making him very happy.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m okay as long as the people aren¡¯t ignoring me.¡¯</i>

    There was a reason why celebrities said that anti-fans were also fans. On the other hand, the Jin siblings looked incredibly mad as they read thements by his side.

    ¡°Young master, I can¡¯t take it anymore. I¡¯ll call the forum headquarters for the information of the users whomented, and sue them all.¡±

    ¡°Oppa, I¡¯ll do it myself since you take too long with these kinds of things. I¡¯m pissed off.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright so leave it as it is. You guys said you would trust me and leave everything to me.

    Yu-Seong waved them off; he had his ns. Of course, since he was also human, he did prefer hearingpliments rather than curses.

    <i>¡®It would be fun to gradually change the public¡¯s perception of me.¡¯</i>

    For that, he had to endure it for a while, even if he felt bad.

    ¡°I understand. Anyways, we already have over two hundred applicants. Should I only ept the first one hundred as the recruit stated?¡±

    ¡°No, just call in all two hundred.¡±

    The more skills he saw, the better leveling graph he could create. There was no need to save money.

    <i>¡®I already have a lot of money.¡¯</i>

    Although thements on the Inte spected embezzlement or that he used his family¡¯s money, the expenditures for this advertisement were funded solely from Yu-Seong¡¯s own assets.

    <i>¡®I never imagined Yu-Seong to be this rich.¡¯</i>

    As he was checking his personal bank ount to figure out how he should move forward with his n, he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.

    He had much more money than he thought he would have. It was unlikely that Choi Woo-Jae gave Yu-Seong this much allowance. There were so many zeros that he gave up counting them.

    Yu-Seong must have gotten this money from somewhere. It was just that the original novel never exined where it came from.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have an answer soon since I told Jin Yu-Ri to figure it out.¡¯</i>

    When he had asked why he had so much money, even the Jin siblings, who were his closest allies, had said that they didn''t know about the money. Yu-Seong realized once again how much the original novel omitted important details.

    Anyway, Yu-Seong was using the money well, and there was no reason for him to refrain from doing so.

    ¡°When should I tell them toe?¡±

    At Yu-Ri¡¯s question, Yu-Seong stood up and responded calmly.

    ¡°Tell them toe tomorrow.¡±

    Why bother dragging this out? Those who couldn¡¯te because of their schedule would unfortunately be eliminated.

    1. The Korean sentence used was ¡®??? ??, ??? ??¡¯ which could be directly tranted as ¡®Up to par at best, if not, a yer with a ragbag of skills.¡¯

 Chapter 8

    <h4>Chapter 8 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong had arge house with many empty rooms. In one of those rooms, there was a long desk and three chairs, and he sat in the middle chair. Naturally, Jin Yu-Ri sat on his left while Jin Do-Yoon stood on his right with his arms crossed.

    "You''re not going to sit?"

    "If I sit down, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t quickly respond to unexpected situations, sir."

    Do-Yoon said this with a determined look that seemed like he was even willing to take a bullet for Yu-Seong if an applicant tried to shoot him. Yu-Seong wanted to respond but kept his mouth shut. He knew that Do-Yoon wasn''t going to listen even if he told him to calm down.

    "Anyways, Yu-Seong oppa, how''s your condition?"

    "Perfect."

    Yu-Seong answered as he raised his thumb.

    "A skill can be activated an unlimited number of times, but it definitely consumes your mana. Since you don''t know how it feels yet, then even if it¡¯s the middle of the test, you should stop if you feel you''re overdoing yourself, okay?" She cautioned him.

    Every skill consumed mana by default, but the total amount of mana one possessed was unknown, unless the yer measured it themself.

    <i>''And the result of that measurement isn¡¯t perfectly urate either.''</i>

    Yu-Ri''s concern for Yu-Seong was quite understandable. Before he posted the job ad, Yu-Seong had told the Jin siblings about his skill set and how he was nning to use it.

    There was no reason not to tell them. The Jin siblings were the only people that Yu-Seong could trust to have his back. Why doubt them when he already knew that, in the original novel, they had stood by his side until his death? It was better to share things with them honestly and let them help.

    That was why the siblings passively followed Yu-Seong¡¯s lead even as he organized this sudden and weird event. Even if Yu-Seong had a lot of money, the fastidious Yu-Ri wouldn''t have allowed him to do something like that if he hadn¡¯t exined his motives.

    <i>''It''s not like I have an oilfield that endlessly produces money.''</i>

    The more money, the better, because once it was spent, it was gone.

    He could and would spend two hundred million in one day without batting an eyelid if needed, but that did not mean he could just spend it indiscriminately. He had to use it efficiently. In that sense, Yu-Seong and the Jin siblings didn''t consider this event to be a waste of money.

    <i>''Instead, the benefits greatly outweigh the cost.''</i>

    The half-transparent window that disyed the yer profile floated in front of the pleased Yu-Seong. Although Star Factor was certainly an attractive skill, he was more focused on his second special skill, Fusion, and his general skill, Eye of Replication. He was confident that he could use them more skillfully than Star Factor.

    <i>''Let''s check it again.''</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly scanned through the skill descriptions of Fusion and the Eye of Replication.

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Eye of Replication E

    Cannot be used for Fusion.

    The user can copy a skill of a lower rank. The usage count and effectiveness of the copied skill varies ording to its rank.

    After copying a skill, this skill cannot be used on the same person or to copy the same skill for three months.¡»

    Truthfully, when Yu-Seong had first seen his skill set, the Eye of Replication was the only skill that he hadn¡¯t been that curious about.

    <i>''After all, I already knew about this skill.''</i>

    The Eye of Replication appeared early in the original novel as the viin Jack the Clown possessed it. The readers thought it to be an unfortunate skill, as it couldn''t blossom to its full potential because of its excessive penalties.

    <i>''It certainly is extraordinary in that it copies others'' skills right away.''</i>

    This was especially effective when the skill was used against powerful yers like Kim Do-Jin. The problem, however, was that excessive penalties were attached to it to bnce out its ridiculous effect. It had many disadvantages as the usage count and capacity of that copied skill was limited, not to mention, it was also hard to reuse it against the same person.

    <i>''Jack the Clown''s Eye of Replication was B-rank.''</i>

    Jack the Clown was able to copy the same B-rank skill to seventy percent of its fullest capacity and could use the copied skill ten times. Yu-Seong wouldn''t be that different, although his skill was now E-rank.

    <i>''Fusion and Eye of Replication.''</i>

    Both skills had something inmon¡ªthey possessed great potential but had penalties to bnce it out. In a way, they could be considered fool¡¯s gold.

    However, after confirming the two skills, Yu-Seong had devised a n.

    <i>''Fusion is useless on its own. It has to be fueled by other skills. Fortunately, I have the Eye of Replication.''</i>

    The skills copied by the Eye of Replication had penalties limiting usage, capacity, and recharge time to recopy. On the bright side, the fundamental disadvantage of Fusion could be solved by the Eye of Replication. As for the disadvantages the Eye of Replication had? The solution was simple.

    <i>''I canbine the copied, limited skills with Fusion.''</i>

    What if he could eliminate all the weaknesses and limitations of the copied skills by fusing them? In that case, nothing more needed to be said.

    <i>''Jackpot.''</i>

    He could even create an ultimate skill fusion that would shock even the blessed main character, Do-Jin. That was why Yu-Seong had immediately called in the Jin siblings the day before to confirm his hypothesis. He had asked them to demonstrate two E-rank skills that hadn¡¯t ranked up due tock of usage. And as a result¡­

    Yu-Seong nced at his ''fifth'' skill that hadn¡¯t existed until the previous morning.

    ¡ºSkill, Fancy Disco E

    Can be used for Fusion.

    Once used, shes of light are added to every action of the user for five minutes¡»

    <i>''Jackpot!''</i>

    This was more than enoughpensation for the terrible pain that he had endured during the Awakening.

    <i>''There''s no usage count limitation.''</i>

    It also didn¡¯t say anywhere that the capacity of the skill had decreased. Moreover, this skill could be used for another Fusion. In other words, the setbacks for both Fusion and Eye of Replication were gone.

    With this, Yu-Seong had infinite potential. That was why, yesterday, he had clenched his fist and cheered even though the Jin siblings were in front of him.

    "Yesterday was really shocking. I never knew there would be such easy ways to circumvent the problems with these skills."

    When Jin Yu-Ri saw Yu-Seong smiling at the walls, she smiled somewhat dejectedly as she realized his ns. Her eyes were full of awe at the sight of Yu-Seong.

    "I got lucky."

    "This isn''t luck, sir. If I was in your situation, I would never have thought of what you had in mind."

    It was when Yu-Seong was shrugging his shoulders and trying to be modest at Jin Do-Yoon''spliments when a middle-aged woman, the housekeeper responsible for Yu-Seong''s food, carefully knocked on the door and spoke.

    "The applicants have all arrived."

    "Ah, tell them toe in."

    Her role today was escorting the applicants.

    * * *

    The interview¡ªno, the job of copying low-rank skills started at ten in the morning.

    ¡°Wee. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here.¡±

    Yu-Seong charmingly greeted the yers entering the room. Although the majority of the yers that were entering had somewhat nervous and tense expressions and were a little disconcerted by his greetings, they soon smiled back at him.

    Their attitude was natural. After all, the Choi Yu-Seong they knew was a snob. They didn¡¯t know why he had announced this peculiar event, but warm greetings aside, they had thought they would be lucky if Yu-Seong didn¡¯t mock them.

    Everybody who came here had the same thought: they could earn a million won without putting in any effort. It was worth it, even if Yu-Seong mocked them. That was why yers with pride or powerful abilities didn¡¯te to the event.

    However, that didn¡¯t matter much to Yu-Seong, as he only needed skills under E-rank. The yers who chose money instead of pride would realize that he wasn¡¯t what the news or magazines described him to be.

    ¡°Thank you for demonstrating your precious skills.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t anything difficult, they had simply demonstrated their E-rank skill, but he thanked each person after they were done. Even if the applicant considered the skill to be useless, Yu-Seong¡¯s attitude was the same.

    Everyone reacted differently to his attitude.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all for money, so no need to thank me.¡±

    ¡°Call me whenever you want to watch it again.¡±

    However, their response was always on the grateful side, whether they were enthusiastic about it or not. By the end of the morning session, Yu-Seong had met a good number of applicants and only a few of them still doubted him or grumbled as they left.

    ¡°Let¡¯s continue after lunch,¡± Yu-Seong announced.

    Since his house had arge front yard, it wasn¡¯t that hard to call some hotel chefs to set up a buffet. The yers were suspicious about the chefs showing up this early, but they hadn¡¯t put much thought into it. The majority of them thought that Yu-Seong was just showing off his money.

    They weren¡¯t entirely wrong.

    ¡°You can have lunch in the yard. There won¡¯t be any fees, so the young master would like everyone to enjoy a meal.¡±

    As the housekeeper that served as their guide today gave this announcement, the yers, who had been waiting bored out of their minds, smiled brightly.

    ¡°So he was flexing for us, huh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I ate this well.¡±

    .

    Since the meal was prepared to suit everybody, even considering therge number of people, nobody was dissatisfied: barbeque, various skewers including shrimp and ms, and a sweet yet intensely vored kimchi stew with neatly trimmed seafood by its side.

    Among them were yers who had already demonstrated their skills and were waiting for their friends. After some beer, they began to talk loudly.

    ¡°Hey hey, isn¡¯t it true that Choi Yu-Seong has suddenly be a new person?¡±

    ¡°New person my ass. It¡¯s just weird that he''s behaving like a pushover.¡±

    The second young man snickered at the words of the first young man, who seemed to be around twenty.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s like the aura of Choi Yu-Seong changed all of a sudden. I went in earlier, right? He¡¯s got a different atmospherepared to what he was like previously. What do you call it, charisma?¡±

    ¡°Charisma¡­ha.¡±

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯m serious.¡±

    ¡°Stop making a fuss. He¡¯s not going to pay you more because you ttered him for his free lunch. Well, I do like the buffet, though. It¡¯s nice how I could eat delicious food and get paid just by demonstrating an insignificant skill. Ha ha¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re driving me nuts.¡±

    This was the type of conversation that could be heard everywhere throughout lunch. The people like the first young man were mostly those who had met Yu-Seong in the morning and those who were still waiting for their turn were like the second young man. Of course, those who still hadn¡¯t met Yu-Seong also started to doubt their thoughts as everyone was talking about the same thing.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong is really a changed man?¡¯</i>

    Nonsense.

    The second young man smirked and finished his beer.

    * * *

    Right after lunch was over, the second young man was the first person to meet Yu-Seong among the yers who waited for the afternoon session. His emotions were conflicting as he entered.

    <i>¡®Did Choi Yu-Seong really change?¡¯</i>

    He was half expectant and half concerned.

    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if I¡¯m overreacting.¡¯</i>

    After all, he was here to earn a million won by getting mocked by Yu-Seong. But after he entered and demonstrated his skill, his expression looked somewhat nk as he left the room.

    ¡°Hey hey, how was it? I¡¯m correct, right? Wasn¡¯t Choi Yu-Seong kind of different?¡±

    Moving forward, the second young man nodded as if he was possessed by something.

    ¡°Was it because he¡¯s handsome? Some female yers got a crush on him just by seeing his face. Perhaps that¡¯s why he feels different.¡±

    The first young man tried to exin how Yu-Seong was different from the rascal broadcasted by the media. But the second young man had already summarized the atmosphere Yu-Seong gave off in one word.

    ¡°...Dignity.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but that¡¯s how I felt. For some reason, he seems to be dignified¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°To put it simply¡­¡±

    The young men, looking at each other, smiled mysteriously and spoke at the same time.

    ¡°He¡¯s cool, even from a guy¡¯s point of view.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dope.¡±

    They had slight goosebumps as they recalled their meeting with Yu-Seong.

    * * *

    After the afternoon session started, Do-Yoon¡¯s lips twitched as he crossed his arms and overheard the conversations outside the room.

    <i>¡®You feel that good?¡¯</i>

    ncing at Do-Yoon, who was smiling somewhat foolishly, Yu-Ri also grinned. Although the E-rank Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t hear anything, the Jin siblings could clearly hear the applicants¡¯ conversations outside the room thanks to their high rank. They couldn¡¯t help it.

    What was happening seemed rather trivial, but sadly, the Jin siblings had never heard anything resembling apliment about Yu-Seong. Until today¡ªno, until this event, everyone had the same opinion about Yu-Seong: rascal, outrageous scumbag, ipetent snob who relied on family for support.

    And this was understandable considering the number of alcohol bottles that Yu-Seong had shattered was uncountable. The same went for the number of wrecked bars and clubs, and even quarrels with the police.

    When anti-Japanese sentiments had peaked throughout Korea, he had even smashed a Japanese car with a baseball bat just because he didn¡¯t like it.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not clear if he was being patriotic or just wanted to vent his anger.¡¯</i>

    Although some praised Yu-Seong for what they considered was his first good deed, this was also hard to be considered rational. So naturally, the Jin siblings had faced a lot of hardship due to Yu-Seong.

    But now, Yu-Seong was showing actual change. The Jin siblings felt that transition more than ever, and now others were sensing the same thing as well. His image and reputation were changing.

    This was a huge event not only for Yu-Seong, but also for Yu-Ri.

    <i>¡®If things turn out like this¡­ It seems to be okay to make some changes to the n.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri smiled faintly, as the ns she had devised for Yu-Seong always put his survival as the top priority.

    Everything seemed peaceful then.

    * * *

    Why did the saying ¡®the calm before the storm¡¯ always prove to be correct? An incident broke out while everyone was enjoying the peaceful and joyful atmosphere.

    In arge room simr to the reception room, a man came inside who had an unparalleled aurapared to other yers who came as groups.

    His eyebrows were thick and ck, and his indifferent eyes scanned his surroundings. The corner of his red lips, which even men found attractive, twitched.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong,¡± he spoke.

    Although Yu-Seong had never seen him in person or heard his voice, he couldn¡¯t possibly be unaware of that man.

    ¡°...Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    The main character of the original novel [Modern Master Returns] and also a handsome regressor with an even more handsome name.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you responding to any of my messages?¡±

    Do-Jin asked sharply as he looked at Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 9

    <h4>Chapter 9 </h4>

    Why wasn¡¯t Choi Yu-Seong taking Kim Do-Jin¡¯s calls? Forget about answering such a question, it was Yu-Seong who wanted to question Do-Jin instead.

    <i>¡®Why the hell would I contact you when I already know you¡¯re going to use me to kill Choi Woo-Jae and then abandon me?¡¯</i>

    Of course, he didn¡¯t actually say this out loud.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy.¡±

    Although he answered with a smile, he thought it was a pathetic excuse, even for him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been busy?¡±

    Do-Jin¡¯s red lips twitched as he looked outside. He didn¡¯t say anything, but it was obvious what he thought.

    <i>¡®He probably wants to ask me why I would have time to leisurely watch others¡¯ skills if I¡¯m that busy.¡¯</i>

    Nevertheless, Do-Jin couldn¡¯t say that out loud.

    <i>¡®Well, whatever the situation, Do-Jin came all the way here to see me. It means I¡¯m just that important to him.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought calmly. Do-Jin needed him in order to murder Woo-Jae and take revenge. Considering this fact, Yu-Seong could afford to act somewhat boldly. After all, Do-Jin¡¯s eyebrows were twitching, but he wasn¡¯t showing any violent emotions.

    ¡°Understandable.¡±

    Do-Jin¡¯s response was rather soft.

    ¡°Although¡­ As I¡¯ve repeatedly said to you, Choi Yu-Seong, I am quite fond of you. So much so, that if you dodge my contacts for a long time like this, I would be very much¡­ disappointed.¡±

    Yu-Seong sighed with relief as the conversation was proceeding as he expected.

    <i>¡®As I thought¡­ He isn¡¯t pushing me on it.¡¯</i>

    In a way, this was one of the more terrifying aspects of the original novel¡¯s main character. Although Do-Jin was a prideful man with sharp eyes and an overwhelming aura, he wasn¡¯t just an aggressive figure like his appearance suggested. He was capable of cutting out any emotions, including his pride, to achieve his goal. And now, said goal was ¡®be closer to Yu-Seong by any means necessary¡¯.

    <i>¡®Even if he¡¯s a returner, he¡¯s going to need some time to regain his strength.¡¯</i>

    Even if he regained his strength, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to reach Woo-Jae. It was the same as trying to break into a castle fortified with high walls and iron barricades.

    He didn¡¯t know all the details, but Yu-Seong was sure that Woo-Jae didn¡¯t reveal everything he had. It was clear that Do-Jin also recognized that somewhat instinctively. Deciding to use the foolish and prideful Yu-Seong first was Do-Jin¡¯s instinct of identifying an easy path to reach his goal.

    <i>¡®Of course, if that doesn¡¯t seem to work out, he¡¯s going to reset everything and start over.¡¯</i>

    This was another scary aspect of Do-Jin. If his initial n failed, he was decisive and skillful enough to reset everything and create an entirely new situation.

    That was why Yu-Seong still had toy low. He had somehow managed to deal with the awkward encounter today, but there was no way this conversation would end easily.

    Do-Jin¡¯s obsession with Yu-Seong was clear, in that he even visited Yu-Seong¡¯s house. It was evident that Do-Jin wouldn¡¯t leave until he had a satisfactory answer from him.

    <i>¡®This isn¡¯t good. I should¡¯ve naturally drifted away from Kim Do-Jin</i>¡­¡¯

    However, difficulties weren¡¯t usually solved as easily as one wished. Smiling bitterly, Yu-Seong avoided the silent returner¡¯s ck eyes that disyed none of Do-Jin¡¯s current thoughts.

    <i>¡®Would he just leave if I ask? Probably not, huh?¡¯</i>

    Strangely enough, even though Yu-Seong apparently had the upper hand, it felt like he was a rat cornered by a cat. He didn¡¯t know how to escape this situation.

    As Kim Do-Jin stared at Yu-Seong with probing eyes, Jin Do-Yoon stepped forward to block his gaze. Although Do-Jin frowned at the interruption, he soon softened his expression.

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin, there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for you to be here, right?¡± Highly wary of Do-Jin, Jin Yu-Ri didn¡¯t miss the opportunity provided by her brother.

    To some, it was unclear why Yu-Ri was questioning Do-Jin. It hadn¡¯t been long since he had returned to Earth after being a hero in another universe, but Do-Jin was famous in a different way from Yu-Seong. Everyone talked about how handsome he was, his gentlemanly manners¡ªwhich he kept only for the sake of appearance¡ª, how he had Awakened at the E rank, and how he had ten initial skills.

    He was even recognized by the Sword Master, one of the world¡¯s top rankers. The media already paid attention to Do-Jin on both a national and international scale. The Korean government also expressed their stance, namely that they absolutely supported his growth. In other words, he was a super rookie <i>and?</i>a celebrity. He had the respect and love of not only ordinary citizens, but also yers.

    That was why the foolish Yu-Seong had been blown away when Do-Jin hadplimented him without scorn. As an attention seeker, how could Yu-Seong not like the idea of bing friends with the great Do-Jin? For Yu-Seong, this was another thing to brag about.

    Of course, the Jin siblings repeatedly warned Yu-Seong of Do-Jin¡¯s unexpected ttery, but the Yu-Seong in the past had simply ignored their warnings. But the current Yu-Seong was different. Therefore, he was very grateful for the Jin siblings standing up for him.

    <i>¡®Buy me a little more time.¡¯</i>

    Considering Do-Jin¡¯s various aspects, he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent to beat. He was a professional that had ovee all sorts of hardships while spending thirty years in another universe.

    <i>¡®With his plot armor as the main character, he¡¯s much more dangerous.¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong was catching his breath, Do-Jin remained silent, as if he was pondering over something. Yu-Ri continued.

    "If there''s nothing to say, it would be appreciated if you¡¯d leave. There are many people waiting."

    "So I can only visit when I have something to say?"

    "Why are you being stubborn? It¡¯s like you are a little kid. I don¡¯t understand why you are acting this way.¡±

    "I just want to speak with Choi Yu-Seong."

    "You¡¯ve been trying to contact him a lottely."

    It seemed the confrontation was going to go on for a while until Do-Jin spoke.

    "...Choi Yu-Seong, you really did be a yer, huh?"

    Do-Jin¡¯s question was direct. Although Jin Yu-Ri could''ve been shocked by his knowledge, her expression didn¡¯t change.

    Instead, it was Jin Do-Yoon, who wasn''t taking part in the conversation, that shortly showed agitation. And even though Do-Jin was looking at Yu-Ri, he took that as confirmation

    "I guess I''m correct."

    "..."

    The brief silence that followed was deafening.

    Do-Jin was different from Choi Min-Seok. Nobody had a reason to provide Yu-Seong''s information to Do-Jin. Do-Jin only had several clues to confirm Yu-Seong''s Awakening.

    <i>''He''s a monster.''</i>

    Yu-Ri was barely able to calm down her pounding heart.

    "Didn''t your other siblingse and visit you? For example...yes, Choi Min-Seok."

    Do-Jin''s follow-up question was just as sharp as before. It was as if he had a hidden surveince camera that followed Yu-Seong. Yu-Ri thought they¡¯d give too much away to Do-Jin if the conversation continued this way.

    "...But why have you been talking down to us since you arrived?"

    She frowned as she criticized his manner of speaking, showing that offense <i>had</i> been taken.

    "Because I wasn''t talking to you. Weren''t you listening until now, Choi Yu-Seong?"

    "...I sure am listening."

    Yu-Seong entered the conversation. "Both of you, please step aside. I''ll talk with him."

    "But, sir..."

    Do-Yoon nced at Yu-Seong with concern, but he eventually nodded slowly and stepped back. On the other hand, Yu-Ri looked at Yu-Seong apologetically, but her eyes showed the trust she had in him.

    <i>''Did she realize that I wanted her to buy me some time?"</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled with amazement at Yu-Ri''s quick thinking. While Do-Yoon looked at Yu-Seong with a guilty expression over his mistake, it wasn''t that big of a problem.

    "After all, everyone will soon realize that I became a yer..."

    Yu-Seong stroked his chin as he intentionally spoke out loud to make sure the Jin siblings and Do-Jin heard him clearly.

    As the hindrance in front of him was dismissed by Yu-Seong, Do-Jin openly started to observe him. It didn''t feel that bad.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin scanning me this openly means that he still regards me as insignificant.''</i>

    Do-Jin''s appearance today was certainly unexpected. But did that mean he was more fearsome of an opponentpared to Choi Woo-Jae?

    Do-Jin was a hero that saved an alternate universe and would one day kill not only Woo-Jae but also countless viins and monsters that threatened this world. He sure was an extraordinary figure, if one read the stories about him.

    <i>''Of course. He''s the main character.''</i>

    But that was precisely why Yu-Seong thought it would be easier to handle Do-Jin than Woo-Jae.

    <i>''I know Do-Jin very well.''</i>

    Yu-Seong had watched over Do-Jin longer than anyone in this world, based on the novel [Modern Master Returns].

    Yu-Seong¡¯s initial disconcertment had all but disappeared. Indeed, the Do-Jin in the future would have ovee hardships even more perilous and cruel than when he was a hero in an alternate universe and, ultimately, would have be iparably strong and far more indifferent. But the Do-Jin <i>now?</i>was not remotely that perfect being. Rather, perhaps due to the aftermath of exploring a different world, he had developed some weaknesses. Although he was a difficult person to handle, it wasn''t entirely impossible.

    "I''m going to ask again. Why didn''t you respond to my messages? Also...if you''ve be a yer, it would''ve been nice if you had told me about it."

    "I told you. I was busy."

    "But a simple message would''ve been..."

    "It''s been only two days since I went through the Awakening."

    It was actually four days since the Awakening, but there was no way Do-Jin would know since he couldn¡¯t read minds and see if a person was lying.

    ¡°I had to learn about my abilities and n how I¡¯m going to handle them. Isn¡¯t it normal for a person to be busy when dealing with that?¡±

    ¡°You¡­nned?¡± Do-Jin asked¡ªand unknowingly made a mistake.

    Although Yu-Seong wasughing inwardly, he responded with a serious face.

    ¡°Hey, what do you mean by that? Do you mean I¡¯m not the type of person that¡¯s capable of making a n?¡±

    Some could say he was being childish, but what were they going to do about it? The man in front of Yu-Seong was the returner, Do-Jin, and the only weapon Yu-Seong could use against him was their peculiar rtionship, which Yu-Seong knew everything about.

    ¡°Did you think so poorly of me?¡±

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t raise his voice, but he spoke as if he was highly offended. Do-Jin¡¯s expression stiffened even more. His cold eyes now didn¡¯t reflect any emotion at all. He was dry and indifferent.

    Staring into Do-Jin¡¯s ck eyes, Yu-Seong prayed inside.

    <i>¡®Please don¡¯t get mad right now, I beg you.¡¯</i>

    If Do-Jin went on a rampage, then Yu-Seong could lose his life. Of course, Do-Jin would probably be risking his life as well. After all, he was still in the middle of regaining his full powers that were lost when he returned from another universe.

    But aren¡¯t all main characters like this?

    <i>¡®He would find a way somehow.¡¯</i>

    Luck and fate always took the side of the main character. However, since it would be hard to kill Yu-Seong when the Jin siblings were guarding him right now, the shrewd Do-Jin would rather wait until Yu-Seong was alone.

    Anyways, it would have been bad if Do-Jin left angrily. So although he preferred not to, Yu-Seong thought that he had to maintain a certain distance from Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t have enough strength yet.¡¯</i>

    That was why he had to continue to speak. His eyes didn¡¯t betray the fear he felt inside. He desperately calmed his pounding heart, the same way he had done when he was facing Woo-Jae.

    He knew one thing. Considering that Do-Jin approached Yu-Seong intentionally, Do-Jin wasn¡¯t able to turn his back on him.

    <i>¡®But is that always true?¡¯</i>

    As mentioned, Do-Jin was capable of resetting everything and generating a situation more favorable to him. Groaning inwardly, Yu-Seong used his trump card.

    ¡°My fatherplimented me recently. I told him it might be thanks to you¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong lied through his teeth. It wasn¡¯t a total lie¡ªhe had gotten the present from Choi Woo-Jae because he actually did receive some recognition from Woo-Jae.

    Do-Jin pondered over what Yu-Seong said. Was it a simple coincidence that Yu-Seong suddenly became a yer?

    It was highly possible that Woo-Jae was involved in this. Therefore, Do-Jin didn¡¯t take long to think of the Awakening Stone. Nowadays, the Awakening Stone wasn¡¯t something one could acquire just because they had the money, but¡­.

    Trying to figure out what was true and what was not, Do-Jin formed the most usible scenario in his head. The name of that scenario was undoubtedly ¡®hope.¡¯

    There was only one thing left for Yu-Seong to do¡ªto act like the rascal Yu-Seong would do. Instead of appearing rational and calcted, as Do-Jin expected, he had to speak as if he was the king of the world and better than Do-Jin.

    ¡°It was my mistake. You were just a liar that considered me trash, just like everyone else. Get out of my face. You¡¯re no different from all the other losers that are only interested in my money and family.¡±

    His voice trembled as he spoke. Truthfully, it was because he was scared as he said it out loud, but the message was delivered clearly to Do-Jin and the Jin siblings.

    <i>¡®The young master¡¯s really angry.¡¯</i>

    Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri looked at Yu-Seong wide-eyed. At the same time, Do-Jin, who had been staring at Yu-Seong indifferently the whole time, turned silently and walked out of the room. Yu-Seong¡¯s mind raced in an instant.

    <i>¡®What? He¡¯s just leaving? Should I chase after him?¡¯</i>

    That wasn¡¯t possible. For his safety, it was better to drift away from Do-Jin like this and stay close to the Jin siblings. While he was greatly confused by Do-Jin¡¯s actions, Yu-Seong sighed.

    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Do-Jin let go of the doorknob and ran back to face Yu-Seong, his expression still indifferent.

    ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t understand what you were going through.¡±

    The returner had just said something that no one had expected to hear from him. Hearing that, Yu-Seong almost screamed from joy. Of course, he didn¡¯t express it either.

    <i>¡®I have to pretend like I¡¯m not afraid of anything. Yes, just like Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong mimicked Do-Jin¡¯s indifferent expression and tilted his head arrogantly. Do-Jin frowned as he looked at Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡°Yeah dude, I¡¯m the rascal Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    Although he wasn¡¯t a rascal himself, the body of the previous Yu-Seong remembered perfectly how to do things. It was natural that he was confident in his ability to go wild.

    ¡°I¡¯ll reach out to youter. And when I do, I hope you respond. If not¡­¡±

    Do-Jin didn¡¯t finish his sentence. Instead, he turned to Yu-Seong, his eyes glinting dangerously. Although Yu-Seong didn¡¯t say anything back, he stiffened as if he were prey in front of a hungry snake.

    <i>¡®That asshole¡¯s really pissed off.¡¯</i>

    In the [Modern Master Returns] novel Yu-Seong woke up in, the author described Do-Jin the same way repeatedly.

    [Enraged as he was, Kim Do-Jin smiled, his eyes glinting with danger.]

    When Do-Jin was really angry, he didn¡¯t frown or disy his emotions, he didn¡¯t even seem interested.

    ¡°I would be extremely disappointed, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    Imagining what Do-Jin would say if he got disappointed, Yu-Seong gulped unconsciously.

    ¡°It depends on what you do.¡±

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong¡¯s words still came out smoothly. Do-Jin snorted and turned away.

    <i>¡®Damn it. I didn¡¯t want to look nervous.¡¯</i>

    Had Kim Do-Jin noticed?

    Although Yu-Seong was worried, his concern onlysted briefly. Instead, he stopped Do-Jin from heading out.

    ¡°Just a second.¡±

    ¡°...What is it?¡± Still frowning, Do-Jin turned to Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I said, it depends on what you do,¡± Yu-Seong repeated himself.

    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Why are you acting like you don¡¯t know anything? Didn¡¯t youe here at least knowing what we¡¯re doing right now?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Do-Jin looked confused. But then, his eyes narrowed, as if he had realized something. Yu-Seong beamed and shouted inwardly.

    <i>¡®Give me the amazing skills a main character would have.¡¯</i>

    He was the rascal Yu-Seong and also a reader that had finished the original novel. Moreover, he never held back from pulling various tricks or stunts.

    And that was how Choi Yu-Seong won this round against the returner who had saved another universe.

    1. Korea speaks differently ording to the person one is talking to. If one is talking to an elderly or a respected person, they have to talk differentlypared to when the interlocutor is a kid

 Chapter 10

    <h4>Chapter 10 </h4>

    After Kim Do-Jin left, Choi Yu-Seong smiled goofily for the remainder of the time.

    He¡¯d only watched roughly 60 applicants demonstrate their abilities, until the time Do-Jin visited, and only copied the skills that he thought were useful and didn¡¯t ovep with others.

    He used Fusion cautiously. Although he was in a good condition, he could face the consequences of mana shortage, as Jin Yu-Ri warned him.

    It would be nice if he could see how much mana he had, like in a game, but reality didn''t work that way. There were many cases where yers actually passed out or even died because they used too much mana, without knowing how much they had. So it couldn''t hurt to be careful.

    In the end, Yu-Seong learned one skill from the morning¡¯s demonstrations.

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Spark E

    Can be used with Fusion.

    Spark attacks targets within two meters with a strong electric attack. Its strength increases the closer the target is to the user.¡»

    Fused from two F-rank skills, Friction and sh, Spark was worth taking up one of Yu-Seong¡¯s five additional skill slots. It was extremely efficient because of its long range of two meters and befitting its electric nature, it could temporarily paralyze the target even if it failed to damage the target.

    In the end, however, it failed to ovee the innate limitations an attack skill had. Yu-Seong required skills that were useful for surviving rather than attacking, like skills that enabled users to dodge instantly or protected the mind. Even if they were low-ranked, simply possessing these kinds of skills were highly valued by yers.

    That was why nobody showed skills like these in the showcase that Yu-Seong opened. After all, Yu-Seong lived in a world where it was normal for a yer to always have a trump card hidden up their sleeve just in case.

    But the skill that Do-Jin demonstrated in annoyance, as if it was nothing special, was exactly the type of skill.

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Insight E

    Can be used with Fusion.

    Once activated, the yer is no longer affected by illusions cast by a skill of a lower rank.

    Once activated, the yer¡¯s tension is resolved.

    Once activated, the yer''s concentration is enhanced.

    Once activated, the yer can use this skill to see a fraction of the target yer¡¯s information if the target is of a lower rank than the yer. The range of information varies ording to skill rank. However, it may be blocked by other types of mind barrier skills the target possesses.

    A penalty is imposed as it is a copied skill.

    Usage count: 8

    This skill can only resist illusions cast by a skill lower than E-rank.

    The effect of tension resolution and concentration enhancement decreases to 70 percent.

    There will be limitations to viewing the target''s yer information.¡»

    What was there to say? This skill was more superb than any other E-rank skill as it was a skill the main character had. Although the penalties lessened its effects, it was still too good on its own that Yu-Seong didn''t want to fuse it with another skill.

    <i>''It''s pointless to hide that I''m a yer when Kim Do-Jin already has this skill.''</i>

    Insight was the skill Do-Jin often used in the original novel [Modern Master Returns]. Using this, Do-Jin could determine if his opponent was a yer. If he wasn¡¯t able to see yer information, then it meant that the opponent had a mind barrier skill, which would make him a yer.

    If Do-Jin wanted to figure out if Yu-Seong actually became a yer, then he could''ve done it whenever he wanted. yers who used this skill stood out, as they would appear to have a fire inside their eyes once it was activated.

    Do-Jin was able to notice that Yu-Seong was a yer without using Insight. He probably didn''t want Yu-Seong to be hostile toward him for using it.

    When Yu-Seong asked him to demonstrate a skill, he activated Insight as it was a chance for Do-Jin to confirm Yu-Seong''s yer information.

    <i>''It was Kim Do-Jin''s way of figuring out what types of abilities I had.''</i>

    He was the shrewd returner who was determined to not leave empty-handed. In other words, Do-Jin eventually learned a fraction of Yu-Seong''s abilities as a yer.

    <i>''How much did he see? He wouldn''t have seen everything since the skill rank is low, but...''</i>

    Anyways, it wasn''t great that a dangerous figure like Do-Jin was able to learn information about him.

    <i>''I wouldn''t have been able to copy Insight if it wasn''t for him using it. I guess I did what I had to do in order to get the skill from Kim Do-Jin.''</i>

    It was a shame that Insight was an active skill and not an inactive, passive skill, as Yu-Seong could only copy active skills using the Eye-of-Replication. In addition, Insight was very useful despite the penalties.

    <i>''I can fuse Insight when I acquire a skill that''s equally valuable to it.''</i>

    Rather than having it lose value by fusing it with a skill not as valuable, he would wait until the right time.

    <i>''If the effects of Insight develop by fusing it advantageously...''</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t imagine how great the skill would possibly be. Imagining it changing into something better was a lot to expect.

    After all, considering Insight was copied from the main character of the novel, it already was an astounding ability. People always say to dream big though.

    After an hour passed since Do-Jin''s abrupt visit and Yu-Seong obtaining an incredible skill packed with amazing abilities like the mind barrier, Yu-Seong decided what to fill for his third skill slot. That was why he couldn''t help smiling the entire time.

    <i>''At this rate, I might fill all five slots with extremely satisfying skills.''</i>

    He was on the verge of acquiring the five necessary skills for his leveling n in just a day.

    He didn''t even expect anything like this to happen, but as he was making more progress throughout the afternoon, Yu-Seong naturally started bing hopeful.

    However, as always, the world was more than ready to remind those who wanted too much how cruel it could be. It was five in the evening, with only three applicants left, when Yu-Seong looked downcastpared to his hopeful behavior at the beginning of the afternoon session. He no longer smiled as his expectations were dashed.

    <i>''It was too much to ask from the start.''</i>

    After all, he considered it to be sessful today if he attained three skills, and since he even obtained Do-Jin''s Insight skill, it was definitely a sess. Yu-Seong decided to take it easy and called in all three applicants together.

    The three were from different groups: a man in his fifties with a belly so big that it was hard to believe he was a yer, a young girl whose sses and hair covered roughly half of her face, and a young man that wore a shirt and a tie as if he was applying for somepany interview.

    He had the slightest hope, but nothing caught his eye.

    The man in his fifties demonstrated an F-rank skill called Gluttony that made it somewhat harder to be full from eating, the girl who he couldn''t even recall her face properly also showed an F-rank skill called Sweat nd-Contraction, and the business-like young man boasted his E-rank skill Sanitation-Maintenance.

    <i>''That man could be a legendary food fighter if he upgrades his Gluttony skill. Sweat nd-Contraction and Sanitation-Maintenance seem simr but they are slightly different... They are not the kind of skill I''d use.''</i>

    Although the end was quite disappointing, Yu-Seong still thanked the applicants with a smile and spread his notes out where he recorded the skills and names of the applicants that came today.

    He might have missed something now, but think of a great skillbinationter. Since it didn''t matter whether he visited the person or paid them more toe to him, Yu-Seong had written down all the skills and names just in case.

    "You did great today, oppa."

    "You really did, young master."

    Looking at Yu-Seong scanning through his notebook, Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon spoke.

    "You two also did great, starting from early this morning."

    Turning away from the notebook to brightly respond to the Jin siblings, Yu-Seong spotted something unbelievable that shed across his eyes.

    "Chae Ye-Ryeong?"

    "I beg your pardon?"

    Having no time to answer Do-Yoon¡¯s question, Yu-Seong quickly scanned his notebook. After rapidly going through the name in his notebook, Yu-Seong¡¯s index finger stopped at thest line.

    <i>¡®E-rank skill Sweat nd-Contraction, possessed by Chae Ye-Ryeong.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t mistaken what he had seen. She was the yer that had an ordinary skill, covered half of her face as if she was shy, and wasn¡¯t particrly noteworthy.

    ¡°Oh my god.¡±

    Because of the tiring interview, his concentration dropped and Yu-Seong overlooked her, but he shouldn''t have done that.

    <i>¡®The Sorceress of the Flood, Chae Ye-Ryeong!¡¯</i>

    It was a peculiar name that he had only seen once in the original novel, but her episode was not insignificant. Chae Ye-Ryeong, a somewhat ipetent yer, experienced a second Awakening for some reason and became a powerful cmity that threatened the world a few yearster.

    The rest of the story was simple. Do-Jin and his party fought the Sorceress of the Flood to save the world and eventually killed her. As always, even the strongest viin couldn¡¯t beat the main character¡¯s mighty party.

    Since Ye-Ryeong was described to be one of the strongest viins in the novel, she appeared towards the end of the novel. The original novel hadn''t mentioned what Ye-Ryeong was doing in this current period of time in the novel, but now, she appeared in front of Yu-Seong.

    Of course, since the world wasrge and there were various people, she could just have the same name as Chae Ye-Ryeong, but what if she was the real Ye-Ryeong?

    <i>¡®I would be a fool to let her go.¡¯</i>

    Ye-Ryeong, in the novel, was described as a character that was corrupted. Despite difficult circumstances, she raised her siblings on her own with a kind heart. The original novel only exined briefly why she became that way.

    <i>¡®I can stop it.¡¯</i>

    The incident that corrupted her might not happen if Yu-Seong interfered. Therefore, there was only one thing that mattered to Yu-Seong right now.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s that Chae Ye-Ryeong is still a good person.¡¯</i>

    She was a precious treasure that couldn¡¯t bepared to a simple skill that was right before him. Should he just simply watch while Kim Do-Jin got rid of her since she¡¯ll turn out to be a threat in the future? Nonsense.

    <i>¡®I can convince her to join me.¡¯</i>

    The Choi Yu-Seong now wasn¡¯t the original Choi Yu-Seong in the novel. This meant he could alter the story.

    ¡°How long ago did thest three applicants leave?¡±

    Wearing his jacket, Yu-Seong stood up and asked the Jin siblings.

    ¡°About five minutes ago. Why do you ask, sir?¡±

    ¡°I need to find them.¡±

    ¡°What? You mean right now?¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Although Yu-Ri asked again as she was surprised, Do-Yoon immediately headed out to fulfill Yu-Seong¡¯s orders.

    <i>¡®They couldn¡¯t have gotten far away.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong shouted at the bewildered Yu-Ri as he headed out.

    ¡°If you find them, call me right away!¡±

    Before Yu-Ri could respond to him, Yu-Seong hurriedly left the room.

    <i>¡®I mean¡­ you could just call them.¡¯</i>

    Alone in the room, Yu-Ri calmed down and picked up the phone.

    * * *

    Yu-Seong ran through the streets; He only thought about Ye-Ryeong and meeting her.

    <i>¡®I should¡¯ve known immediately when I saw her name¡­¡¯</i>

    Of the three paths diverging from the streets under the hill-side road leading to his house, he picked the road on his right. Fortunately, he soon encountered a young girl walking in his direction with half her face covered.

    <i>¡®Chae Ye-Ryeong!¡¯</i>

    Almost shouting out her name, Yu-Seong suppressed his emotions and approached her.

    ¡°Oh¡­!¡±

    Eyes widened with surprise, Ye-Ryeong spoke out loud as she noticed Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I received your call. I was on my way to heading back.¡±

    Yu-Seong looked like he couldn¡¯t understand what she said.

    It was true he was searching for her, but he never recalled calling her. As if Ye-Ryeong read his mind, she smiled and exined the situation.

    ¡°I received a call. That you, sir, were looking for me. The voice seemed to be the unnie that sat next to you.¡±

    ¡°I always make things more difficult.¡±

    Although Yu-Seong always considered himself to be thoroughly prepared and strategic before he woke up in the novel, he sometimes made these sorts of mistakes. It was a sloppy part of himself that he admitted to having.

    Reaching out to Ye-Ryeong would have been extremely easy. She was a yer that came to Yu-Seong¡¯s house to demonstrate her skill. Yu-Seong had her contact information just in case. If he just thought about it for a second, he would¡¯ve done the same thing as Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Anyways, what is it that you wanted to see me for?¡± She tilted her head as she asked in a clear voice.

    She was very short, maybe about 160cm tall? Although he initially thought that she wasn¡¯t confident because she covered half her face, that seemed to be a mistake.

    Yu-Seong paused shortly to find the right answer to Ye-Ryeong¡¯s question.

    <i>¡®Should I tell her that I came to ask her to join me?¡¯</i>

    No. There was something that had to be done before that. He needed to first confirm whether she was actually the Sorceress of the Flood in the novel. But how?

    ¡°Um¡­ Well¡­¡±

    Flustered, Yu-Seong rapidly thought. Then, an idea to use a skill he acquired today shed across his mind.

    <i>¡®Insight!¡¯</i>

    He activated the skill right away, originally possessed by Do-Jin, the main character of [Modern Master Returns].

    A blue me shimmered inside his eyes. Quivering shortly, Ye-Ryeong stepped back as if she was scared by his sudden change, but Yu-Seong didn¡¯t have the time to deal with that.

    ¡ºName: ???

    Age: ??

    Personality: ??

    Condition: ??

    Skills: ??

    This yer possesses an unidentifiable powerful potential skill.

    Information is limited due to skill rank.¡»

    A powerful potential skill that is unidentifiable.

    That was the only sentence that Yu-Seong could actually confirm, but it was more than enough. Considering Insight had the ability to see through the essence of the world, it almost never used descriptions like ¡®powerful¡¯ in the yer information it disyed, more so for a yer that was only an F-rank.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m positive. This girl¡­is the Sorceress of the Flood.¡¯</i>

    1. Unnie is a term used in Korea for calling an older sister in a friendly way

 Chapter 11

    <h4>Chapter 11 </h4>

    The majority of Koreans thought poorly of Choi Yu-Seong. He was regarded as an unlikeable rascal, someone who abused their power and wealth, and a disgrace to their country.

    Although most thought poorly of him, there was one good thing about him that no one could deny: his looks. With long arms and legs, a small face, and a tall height of 183cm, he resembled a supermodel. Because Yu-Seong¡¯s pale skin was soft and unblemished, despite drinking every night, Yu-Seong even received offers from cosmeticpanies to star in advertisements.

    Although he wasn¡¯t muscr, he had a nice body that wasn¡¯t too fat or too skinny. Some would say he held a rude and hostile demeanor because he was always frowning, but that he also gave the impression of an elegant young noble.

    The public referred to such Yu-Seong as a thorny rose or the devil. After all, the devil¡¯s temptations appeal to us in a more attractive way than God¡¯s.

    For Chae Ye-Ryeong, this was the first time she saw Yu-Seong smiling brightly. The Yu-Seong she originally knew was always frowning in the news or on TV. The Yu-Seong that smiled in the interview room today seemed to be standing on formalities and looked rather tired.

    Was that why? Yu-Seong looked different than before.

    <i>¡®...He really is handsome.¡¯</i>

    Without realizing it, her hair-covered cheeks slightly reddened. She was surprised when Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes shimmered with a blue me, but forgot about the surprise soon after.

    <i>¡®So it was true that Yu-Seong-nim became a yer.¡¯</i>

    She easily epted this fact after she saw Yu-Seong in person. While Ye-Ryeong was thinking through her encounter with him, he wasing up with a n to persuade her to join him.

    ¡°Ms. Ye-Ryeong, don¡¯t you need a job?¡±

    Yu-Seong felt strange as he said this out loud. His voice was somewhat tense as this was the first time he proposed anything like this.

    But he didn¡¯t think she would refuse. She wasn¡¯t the head of the family for nothing. Although she was 19 years old, she had three younger siblings to take care of. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t attend school. Considering her circumstances, he didn¡¯t think she would decline a job offer. Her visit to his interview today was also perhaps because she saw a way to easily earn arge sum of money.

    ¡°...I already have a part-time job.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    Yu-Seong tried to respond airily when she broke his confidence without trying.

    <i>¡®Oh, is that so? What the hell are you doing, idiot.¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong was thinking that and wanting to hit himself in the head at the same time, Ye-Ryeong put her hands together and bowed and bowed to him.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you for the offer. If I quit my part-time job, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    Even though the character details of the original novel stated that her parents disappeared when she was ten, she was still very polite.

    ¡°Is that all, sir?¡±

    ¡°Not quite. Um¡­ So what I¡¯m asking is, are you inclined to actually have a regr job instead of a part-time job.¡±

    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±

    ¡°I mean, a part-time job isn¡¯t a regr job. If you ept my offer, you will be hired as a permanent worker, with benefits that also cover your insurance.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Although Yu-Seong considered it to be a decent offer, Ye-Ryeong still didn¡¯t seem that interested. Nevertheless, he wasn¡¯t discouraged.

    <i>¡®She¡­ seems to be wanting something.¡¯</i>

    Her eyes covered under her hair reflected her curiosity. She wasn¡¯t simply the polite girl he thought her to be.

    ¡°You will be paid sufficiently.¡±

    ¡°How much?¡±

    As expected, this was what she was really curious about.

    ¡°For a year¡­would 80 million won be enough?¡±

    80 million won was more than enough to live off of in this world. In fact, people who are at least a deputy manager in arge firm could only earn this kind of money.

    ¡°It¡¯s not the normal amount of money a drop-out 19-year-old F-ranked nonbat yer like me would receive. You¡¯re not going to make me do anything illegal, are you?¡±

    Tilting her head with doubt, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s hair slid down. Looking at her curious but suspicionced big eyes beneath her curtain of hair, he thought she was quite cute.

    ¡°I assure you there will be nothing illegal.¡±

    He might ask her to undergo the Awakening again, but there was no need to say anything questionable right now. He decided to first build her trust.

    ¡°It seems suspicious.¡±

    ¡°We will sign an official employment document that is legally binding. If you want, you can hire awyer to go through it. I will provide you with the expenses.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    Listening to Ye-Ryeong speak bluntly with surprise, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t disy any change in his expression. This is because he also knew the conditions he offered were difficult to believe. In such circumstances, he thought that showing a somewhat formal and trustworthy face was much better than talking eloquently.

    ¡°It won¡¯t work even if you put up that kind of face.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bummer,¡± Yu-Seong responded.

    ¡°Why are you being so nice to me?¡±

    As expected, she wouldn¡¯t be convinced he was just giving her a decent job offer. Yu-Seong decided to tell her the truth.

    ¡°You probably won¡¯t believe me ¡­ But Ms. Ye-Ryeong, you have an extremely special ability that you, yourself, don''t even know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±

    Ye-Ryeong¡¯s eyes narrowed beneath her hair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. I¡¯m telling the truth. Actually, as you may know, I have be a yer. You saw the blue mes in my eyes, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­so was the me some sort of foreseeing ability¡±, Ye-Ryeong asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly like that, but it is very simr.¡±

    As always, a lie has to have a kernel of truth inside it.

    ¡°From what I see, You are very special. No one noticed it right now, but you¡¯re like a diamond in the rough. So investing 80 million won a year to recruit you would never be a waste of money.¡±

    Recalling that the original novel showed Ye-Ryeong was equally matched with Kim Do-Jin in singlebat, Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t regret making an offer worth a hundred times more than the 80 million.

    His voice became more sincere as he started to tell the truth. And this time, Ye-Ryeong sensed the honesty.

    <i>¡®I have that kind of potential?¡¯</i>

    She still didn¡¯t trust himpletely. Although she was lucky enough to be a yer, she was an F-rank and had weird skills like Sweat nd-Contraction that would harm only herself if misused. But she wasn¡¯t sad about it.

    After all, she never actually had any good lucke her way before.

    She was satisfied with her F-rank status, as her stamina and strength increased and chronic illnesses disappeared. Even though she couldn¡¯t be an amazing yer and do extraordinary things, she was thankful, as she was able to sleep less and work more.

    But now, Yu-Seong told her that she had hidden potential. This time, he didn¡¯t urge Ye-Ryeong, who was still contemting his offer. She still showed doubt in her face, but the reason was different this time.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not me that she can¡¯t trust; it¡¯s herself.¡¯</i>

    If someone like Yu-Seong, who didn¡¯t know her personally, kept on about it more, wouldn¡¯t it be obvious that she would think he was trying to scam her? It was up to Ye-Ryeong to choose.

    And truthfully, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He had enough time to watch over her and seek another opportunity. And after pondering for five minutes without moving from the ce she was standing, she bent her head downwards.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    She rejected his offer? Thinking that it couldn¡¯t be helped, Yu-Seong tried to nod.

    But Ye-Ryeong continued her words more quickly than he could respond.

    ¡°I was taking a while to answer because I had a lot on my mind.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    <i>¡®So this was what her apology was for?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong naturally smiled as he once again realized she was a really polite girl.

    ¡°Then do you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t give you a definitive answer right now. But I am really considering it. Although you said I possessed potential, I never recognized that and¡­¡±

    She was clearly a clever girl, but she was also a minor that was facing an unexpected situation. Even if she was considering taking the offer, she would obviously be confused to think of the right words to say and would find it difficult to calm her racing mind.

    But Yu-Seong didn¡¯t press her.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s understandable she¡¯s taken aback.¡¯</i>

    He was simply thankful that she said she was considering it positively.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to give me an answer right now. I¡¯ll give you my number, so call meter after you think it over. If you will give me your email, I¡¯ll send you the contract first. You can take a look at it and call me whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    ¡°Oh, would that be okay?¡±

    Answering brightly, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s long bangs slid to the side and revealed her entire face as she raised her head. Her passionate eyes sparkled like gems. Thinking that she was quite cute, Yu-Seong smiled, this time without any intentions, and nodded.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Then I¡¯ll check your email and reply to you as soon as I can!¡±

    Ye-Ryeong thanked him by repeatedly bowing her head. Looking at her, Yu-Seong smiled inwardly.

    <i>¡®Bingo.¡¯</i>

    Weren¡¯t there always some cases when one knew something would be sessful before even knowing how things would end?

    Ye-Ryeong would probably ept his offer. In fact, two days after he sent the contract, he was able to confirm his assumption when Ye-Ryeong visited him in person. That was the moment when Yu-Seong hired the future EX-rank yer, the Sorceress of the Flood.

    * * *

    Shrieking horribly, a huge monster that was taller than a man by at least three heads swung his iron club toward the ground. A part of the ground caved in with arge noise.

    Although it moved quickly despite its massive size, the monster swinging the club didn¡¯t achieve its goal. It tried to eagerly crush an annoying human but failed as the human vanished into thin air. If the human had been hit by the club, a bloody, horrific corpse should be lying in the crater. It was confused by theck of the corpse.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    An indifferent voice that resembled a de spoke. After identifying its target, the huge monster frowned and looked up. Standing upside down on the dungeon¡¯s ceiling was Do-Jin, pointing his sword like an arrow.

    ¡°Orc Warchief, Krutak¡±

    <i>Krrrraa-!</i>

    Iparably more powerful than ordinary orks, the orc warchief howled at the ceiling.

    Although the orc warchief was believed to be only able to be knocked down by an attack team of at least ten D-rank yers that are over level 80, Do-Jin wasn¡¯t fazed as he faced it alone. There were two reasons why.

    First, Do-Jin hadplete faith in his skills. He had no doubt that he could match ten yers with the same rank and level as himself.

    Whereas the first reason was enough, he also had a second one. He had already experienced the named monster, Orc Warchief Krutak, in another universe, where he was even weaker than he was now.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s weird how monsters that died in the other universe are appearing here on Earth as dungeon monsters¡­¡¯</i>

    For Do-Jin, who had already beaten them and returned to Earth, it wasn¡¯t anything problematic. They simply became a delicious source of experience points for him to level up.

    The moment Kurtak threw his club at Do-Jin, he moved away and dashed forward.

    <i>Swoooosh-!</i>

    After stepping into an extremely small gap that almost burned him due to its friction, the club crashed into the hard ceiling. The ceiling crashed down with a thundering noise of the rocks raining like hail. Frowning at the falling stones, Krutak covered his face with his outstretched hand. Although the rocks continuously fell, it barely had any effect on Krutak''s solid palm.

    During the split second Krutak removed the hand that was blocking the falling stones, a silver sh sparked. Sensing the chill and then erupting into ming pain, Krutak¡¯s world went ck as he could not see.

    <i>Kuuaaaa-!</i>

    Do-Jin licked his lips with the tip of his tongue as he jumped down to avoid Krutak, who was struggling with a bloody wound to both of his eyes. A blue me shimmered within Do-Jin¡¯s eyes.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s over.¡¯</i>

    To Do-Jin who could read his opponent¡¯s movements by Insight, Krutak was just arge target as it leaped around blindly with no eyesight. First, Do-Jin severed the Achilles tendon that wasn¡¯t covered by muscles and then broke all of Kurtak¡¯s bones as he kneeled. When Krutak fell down with nothing to rely on to help him stand, he started squirming desperately. Do-Jin struck a blow on the back of Kutak¡¯s neck, close to his brain. After that, Do-Jin sat on the dead Krutak¡¯s head as he wiped the blue blood that sttered on his face with his left hand. It was when he was catching his breath that a message appeared:

    - The Lord of Seocho is amazed at yer Do-Jin¡¯s battle. 35 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Friend of Thunder and Hammerughs with joy at yer Do-Jin¡¯s battle with Kurtak. 700 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Crying Witch of Grief watches yer Do-Jin. 200 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Green Spring of the East eye¡¯s sparkle. 380 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Cold Wind of the West puffs its smoking pipe while looking at yer Do-Jin. 350 Karma points have been sponsored.

    The messages from the gods flooded in incessantly. Everyone paid attention to Do-Jin¡ªfrom gods that were cautious to dere themselves because of their high-ss to low-ss gods that weren''t able to express themselves.

    <i>¡®Hmm¡­ A god.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin shortly thought of those somewhat disparate existences and snorted.

    <i>¡®There were also gods in the continent of Aliode.¡¯</i>

    Although they had many skills, they were extremely useless, weak, and unable to solve their problem themselves. That was why Do-Jin was summoned to those worlds. And as he was forced to travel across dimensions to defeat the Devil Lord, he could finally triumph only after suffering terrible wounds and being left covered with scars.

    Of course, the gods back then and the ones that sent him messages now were entirely different. But that didn¡¯t mean Do-Jin¡¯s opinion toward gods changed drastically.

    <i>¡®Gods weren¡¯t mighty as we thought them to be.¡¯</i>

    Also, they were extremely indifferent to people¡¯s wishes and valued their own safety more than anything. For example, the fact that they weren¡¯t helpful right now when Do-Jin wanted to rip Woo-Jae apart to pieces was proof.

    <i>¡®Even Choi Yu-Seong is more useful than them.¡¯</i>

    Then, Do-Jin¡¯s lips twitched as he recalled meeting Yu-Seong at his house a few days ago.

    <i>¡®He sure took a swipe at me.¡¯</i>

    It was unbelievable that he was made a fool by a brat that was barely 20 years old, but Do-Jin didn¡¯t mind it at all. He could undergo any kind of humiliation if he could use Yu-Seong to exact revenge for his family. This persistence itself was how Do-Jin was able to survive in an alternate universe and return home safely.

    One of the gods that helped him return to Earth had told him that revenge was only a futile act that would only lead to more revenge, and wished Do-Jin would live peacefully once he returned to Earth. Unfortunately, that was impossible.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t stand it.¡¯</i>

    Every time he saw Woo-Jae appearing on the front page of the newspaper or magazine, his heart ached. The face of his dead father would appear in his head, whispering to him as a vengeful ghost would do.

    <i>¡®Kill him.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin wanted to do just that. He hoped he could soon lead a peaceful life after he saw Woo-Jae¡¯s blood dripping from his hand. He wanted that badly.

    * * *

    A month has passed since Yu-Seong hired Ye-Ryeong.

    Although she was nervous and excited for her first day at work¡ªand determined to leave if she was ordered to do something she felt ufortable doing¡ªher job was basically the same as the other housekeepers for Yu-Seong¡¯s house. She was shocked at first, but she did it anyway.

    In the original novel, Ye-Ryeong earned the strength to be named as the Sorceress of the Flood through the re-Awakening. And it wasmon knowledge that one could experience the Awakening again only in extremely special cases.

    But of course, Yu-Seong had no reason to give up on Ye-Ryeong¡¯s re-Awakening just because the present public consensus was that it was impossible. Although not much was known about the re-Awakening at the present time, many secrets were revealed in the future. Yu-Seong, the reader of the original novel, clearly remembered those secrets.

    However, enforced re-Awakening was problematic and a gamble because of the ridiculously high risks associated with it. In fact, the conditions for the re-Awakening were simple. One just had to receive arge shock and take in a massive amount of mana simr to the amount a dungeon break would produce.

    But it was clear that this method could harm the yer unless they were mentally and physically stable. Although Ye-Ryeong possessed the talent to one day ovee all those hardships and be the Sorceress of the Flood, he didn¡¯t want to take the risks.

    If he hurt or killed someone just because he was greedy, then wouldn¡¯t he be fulfilling his role as a viin too well? He definitely didn¡¯t want that to happen. Therefore, he initially gave Ye-Ryeong simple chores so she to get used to everything and rx.

    The only thing that he somewhat forced her to do was, after two weeks she started working for him, to drink a juice brewed by diluting a gray-colored mana stone that was worth over ten million won. Even though Ye-Ryeong was overwhelmed by the price, Yu-Seong first drank it in front of her and then threatened that he wouldn¡¯t pay her if she didn¡¯t drink it. He was actually a little nervous that she might quit instead, but fortunately, that didn¡¯t happen.

    A considerable amount of sry, a stable environment, and the healthy mana stone juice was an investment from him that greatly enhanced her quality of life. Naturally, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s doubt towards Yu-Seong dwindled while gratitude and fondness took its ce.

    Nevertheless, it was Yu-Seong¡¯s life that changed the most dramatically in the first month Ye-Ryeong started to work.

    1. -nim is a Korean suffix that is added at the end of an elder or respected person¡¯s name

    2. Secho is a kingdom of ancient China that existed from BC 206 to BC 278

 Chapter 12

    <h4>Chapter 12 </h4>

    The first perception shift towards Choi Yu-Seong happened close to home. In the beginning, when he first seemed to change, his housekeepers had been half afraid that he would startshing out again, but now, they were much more calm and rxed. Whereas before they had forced a smile and dealt with the outbursts in order to keep their high sry, they now smiled genuinely at him.

    If that was the change close to home, then externally, the yers who visited Yu-Seong''s house spread rumors saying he was a changed man. There were various stories: that he changed from his rascal-like ways, that he was a fool who wanted to show off and waste his money, that even with the rumors he was still very handsome, and that since he seemed to be a changed man, it was fine how he spent his money.

    Among the gossip, there was even talk about Kim Do-Jin, the super-rookie¡ªat least for now¡ªvisiting Yu-Seong''s house. Yu-Seong''s reputation benefited from the stories that painted him and Do-Jin being as close as brothers. After all, Do-Jin was the most popr rookie in Korea.

    Like killing two birds with one stone, Yu-Seong used the new articles implying that he became a yer as an opportunity to both upgrade his reputation and Star-Factor skill. As a result, the level eleration rate attained by Star-Factor increased from 30 to 50 percent in one month. In other words, the efficiency of the skill increased. Considering skills usually became more difficult to upgrade as their ability increased, Star-Factor''s development was extremely rapid.

    However, apart from these kinds of external changes, Yu-Seong also underwent personal changes. This was because his goal wasn''t to merely be a wealthy yer.

    <i>''My goal is to have the ability to stay safe and survive in the future.''</i>

    He could only find happiness once he was sure of his survival. Therefore, it wasn''t a difficult decision for him to somewhat sacrifice his time now to ensure he had timeter on. After all, the concept of ''working to survive'' was quite familiar to him.

    <i>''Butst month was really a pain in the butt.''</i>

    He slept even less than he had when he was on Earth pulling countless all-nighters while working at the gamepany. Instead of sleeping, his entire attention and focus were on training.

    Yes, he did go through the Awakening and got powers, but if that was enough to determine a yer''s strength, then every yer in the same skill rank would be equally powerful.

    However, differences in power clearly existed within the same rank. This was because a yer''s strength was decided not only by their basic profile like skill numbers or the synchronization between skills but was also influenced by countless variables like but not limited to proficiency and experience.

    This difference grewrger as the yer rank increased andYu-Seong believed that fundamentals were one of the biggest factors in determining that difference.

    <i>''The skill that a yer uses and upgrades the most from when he was a lower rank bes the symbol that represents that yer in the future.''</i>

    His thoughts weren¡¯t based on a wild guess; a yer would be foolish to ignore a skill just because it was new, low-ranked, or weak.

    Skills were bound to grow as the yer ranked up and a yer''s proficiency increased. Therefore, it was crucial for a yer topletely understand his skill and train himself to be able to easily use that skill at the drop of a hat.

    That was why Yu-Seong had rented an entire yer training center for the past month and trained with Jin Do-Yoon to master his skills. He was quite satisfied with his results. Even though Yu-Seong threw his sweat-covered shirt aside and gasped ferociously as hey down, he couldn''t stop smiling.

    "How was it? Not bad, huh?"

    "It was far from being bad, young master."

    Standing in front of Yu-Seong without a drop of sweat, Do-Yoon had a weird look on his face. He nced at the tip of his sleeves. Surprisingly, the ends were burning so much that they turned to ash and dispersed into the air.

    This wasn''t something Do-Yoon took lightly. After all, he was a B-rank level 70 physical-reinforcement type yer, and normally, an E-rank all-rounder yer shouldn''t be able to even touch him. But on thest day of the month that Yu-Seong decided to train, he broke the status quo.

    <i>''His talent is on a different level.''</i>

    Yu-Seong had the blood of the Choi family that Woo-Jae always talked about. Perhaps his blood''s special powers had been activated?

    Although Yu-Seong only recently became a yer, Do-Yoon could easily imagine Yu-Seong standing shoulder to shoulder with him in the near future.

    <i>''I should train harder.''</i>

    For Do-Yoon who swore to protect Yu-Seong to his death, he was extremely excited for his master''s potential while also being greatly inspired to work on his own growth. But his training could wait for another day. Right now, he wanted to express his excitement for Yu-Seong''s development by any means.

    "You are the best E-rank yer that I know of, sir."

    "Aren''t I the only E-rank yer?"

    "For now, yes but..."

    "Don''t worry about it. You don''t have to lie just to tter me."

    Yu-Seong had read the original novel to its end, so he would''ve known if Do-Yoon had any other rtionships or friendships. Suddenly, he sprang up and checked the calendar on his phone.

    Finally, he only had to wait one more day.

    His rapid breathing showed that he couldn''t hide his anticipation. After all, from Yu-Seong''s point of view, the training he went through for a month was all for tomorrow.

    "Everyone is going to be amazed."

    "I''m going to make sure of that." Yu-Seong wished this from the bottom of his heart.

    * * *

    What were the ways one could grow as a yer? Although there were many ways, the majority of yers considered leveling up as the main method of increasing their skill rank.

    While a skill¡¯s level would rise if the yer continuously used it, it was too slow. For example, the Eye-of-Replication didn''t level up when Yu-Seong used it all day. It only rose eight levels after a month of intensive training. If he didn''t have the Star-Factor skill to boost the growth, the Eye-of-Replication would currently only have grown five to six levels.

    Leveling up a skill was difficult even when he was at a low level and the skill was low-ranked. In the end, the most efficient way to level up was undoubtedly hunting monsters in the dungeon.

    But exploring dungeons wasn''t open to just any yer. Since there were many nonbatant yers, the country set a standard to prevent them from recklessly risking their lives. To go inside a dungeon, a yer had to be a dungeon explorer who possessed a special license; in other words, a hunter. The exam to be a hunter was officially held three times a month, which were the 10th, 20th, and thest day of the month.

    Yu-Seong picked November 20th for his exam. Since thest month had been filled with painstaking training all for this day, Yu-Seong headed to the Korea yer Association filled with both eagerness and nervousness. Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri also felt the same as they sat in front of the car.

    Do-Yoon wanted to stop Yu-Seong more than anyone else when he dered that he would be a hunter. It was because while hunters received a lot of benefits, they also bore many risks.

    Death.

    A dungeon hunter knew that they might die as a result of always fighting monsters. Do-Yoon was someone who wanted his young master to stay safely in the house, so Yu-Seong''s sudden announcement made him anxious. However, he couldn''t refute Yu-Seong''s argument that it was better than being crushed to death by the cruel treatment of his family as he was pushed around.

    Simr to Choi Min-Seok, members of the Choi family didn¡¯t hesitate to murder others, even if their target was their own family. Yu-Ri, unlike Do-Yoon, didn''t oppose Yu-Seong¡¯s idea as she guessed what Yu-Seong was going to say before he said it out loud. Since Yu-Seong needed to n how to deal with both his family and Do-Jin for his survival, he had no choice but to work hard and today was the day that he would test the fruits of hisbor.

    As everyone hadplicated emotions, the car was unusually quiet as it drove across Seoul Gangbyeon Expressway, reached Yeouido, and entered the Korea yer Association. The entrance of the institution was already very crowded when Yu-Seong arrived.

    Hunters received the most attention and respect from the public because their job was apanied by great danger. Therefore, it was only natural that people were interested in the exam that selected such hunters.

    Various people filled the entrance for different purposes: aspiring yers that had prepared for today like Yu-Seong, scouts from guilds that tried to recruit talented yers, and journalists that were crazy for new stories or rumors.

    "We also called some journalists, right?"

    Yu-Ri nodded at Yu-Seong''s question.

    "Yes. We did as much as we could using our connections, but it won''t be that many."

    Recently, Yu-Seong was craving attention. He always had been like that, but nowadays he has be more outright with it. Since Yu-Ri knew that it was due to the development of the Star-Factor skill, she gathered several journalists working for influential media.

    "Is this them? This is more than a few. There¡¯s a lot more than I thought would show up."

    Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes were wide as he looked out the car window at the group of journalists who were in front of the main entrance that led to the examination hall.

    "No. The journalists I called said that they were waiting in the entrance of the parking lot."

    "Then who are those people here for?

    Yu-Seong''s question was answered by a familiar, smiling face that appeared among the group of journalists.

    "Choi Min-Seok...?"

    The faces of Yu-Seong and the Jin siblings simultaneously contorted when they saw someonepletely unexpected.

    * * *

    Park Jin-Hwan, a reporter from Minguk Broadcast called by Yu-Ri, was annoyed as he waited in the cold weather with the press corps that came for Yu-Seong.

    "What the hell is Choi Min-Seok doing here?"

    His fellow reporter had the same question as him.

    "I don''t know."

    If he knew Min-Seok wasing, he wouldn''t have easily epted Yu-Ri¡¯s request.

    <i>''I was certain there wouldn''t be a bigger story than Choi Yu-Seong...''</i>

    Today''s main issue was Yu-Seong. Although he thought that way and epted Yu-Ri''s call, Min-Seok appeared with more journalists attached to him.

    <i>''I hope he''s here simply for the attention...''</i>

    But Park Jin-Hwan eventually realized that Min-Seok wasn¡¯t here for fun when he overheard others talking about him.

    "They say a new Irregr is born."

    "Lee Jin-Wook?"

    This was new information and a new name. Bewilderment and confusion shed across the eyes of the press corps that had been gathered by Jin-Hwan.

    If an Irregr survived, they grew rapidly. There were only 12 Irregr yers among the entirety of the yers in Korea, and eight of them were hunters that explored dungeons. Of course, every one of them possessed great power and influence. In other words, the appearance of a new Irregr was extraordinary as, no, perhaps much more interesting than the ninth child of the Comet Group, Yu-Seong, applying for the hunters exam.

    "Reporter Park, it doesn¡¯t seem like Choi Yu-Seong is the biggest story today?"

    "So what? Turn our cameras to the new guy?" Jin-Hwan replied, extremely annoyed, as he nced at the man next to Min-Seok who seemed to be in his mid-20s.

    <i>''That guy is Lee Jin-Wook? He''s young.''</i>

    He was an Irregr, on top of that, he was young.

    As the situation just worsened, the fellow reporter who had spoken to him before asked again.

    "No, what I''m saying is, how about we film both of them?"

    It was obvious he was going to film both, but the problem was on whom to focus the article on. Some of the reporters among the press corps even began sneaking out. Jin-Hwan thought that they were foolish.

    "It''s already toote to go there."

    Before they jumped ship to follow a better story, there were other reporters who had already taken pictures using their cell phones, emailed them to headquarters, and made a phone call right away. So even if the deserters eagerly photographed and wrote an amazing story, they were already toote.

    Jin-Hwan thought it was better to film Yu-Seong instead, who often became a headline just by breathing. Of course, filming Yu-Seong would get fewer views than the Irregr that appeared with Min-Seok, the member of the Choi family most simr to Yu-Seong, but what was he going to do?

    "No use crying over spilled milk."

    As Jin-Hwan sighed and looked away, the elevator that came up from the underground parking lot opened.

    "It''s Choi Yu-Seong!"

    Somebody shouted.

    "Did he reallye here for the hunters exam?"

    Between the intentional scream and doubt, Yu-Seong slightly smiled while he bathed in the pouring sunlight as if it was his spotlight. Instinctively taking pictures as he looked at Yu-Seong, Jin-Hwan thought:

    <i>''Damn. He really is freaking handsome. He beats most actors in the looks department.''</i>

    Meanwhile, the reporter that stood next to Jin-Hwan marveled as he couldn''t keep his mouth closed.

    "Wow. Reporter Park, don''t you think this story will blow up if we just take decent photos? The pictures alone look at least ten times better than those guys."

    "Reporter Kim, you''re kidding, right? Ten times seems too small a number..."

    Jin-Hwan chuckled and shook his head as he spoke, "He''s a thousand times better."

    "Damn right. Haha."

    As always, being handsome had its uses.

 Chapter 13

    <h4>Chapter 13 </h4>

    After exiting the elevator, Yu-Seong walked slowly; it wasn¡¯t just to showposure. Since there were a lot of journalists present, this meant he could gain a lot of information. As he walked slowly, he listened carefully and was able to realize what happened without encountering Choi Min-Seok.

    <i>¡®The Irregr, Lee Jin-Wook.¡¯</i>

    He nced at the young man next to Min-Seok. Unlike Yu-Seong, this guy disclosed that he was an Irregr from the start.

    He was in looking. But oddly enough, he seemed to resemble Min-Seok, who was objectively ugly.

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but wonder why. As he looked away from Jin-Wook, he made eye contact with Min-Seok.

    <i>¡®Ah, they both have annoying eyes.¡¯</i>

    For some reason, Yu-Seong also felt the same arrogance from Jin-Wook¡ªa condescending stare that looked down on people.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s my brother, Yu-Seong!¡±

    Shouting, Min-Seok took advantage of the small opportunity their eyes met and waved.

    ¡°He¡¯s being so childish; it¡¯s so clear what he wants to do,¡± Jin-Yuri muttered to herself as she pouted, slightly annoyed.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t ignore him now. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Between the encounter of the Choi brothers and the Irregr between them, the journalists¡¯ eyes sparkled as a juicy story was happening in front of them.

    <i>¡®I have an idea of what he¡¯s up to¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong walked towards Min-Seok and Jin-Wook. Naturally, the journalists made way for him like the Red Sea parting in the story of Moses. Min-Seok was waiting for him in the middle with his arms spread open. If there was a red carpet leading him to Min-Seok, then one could mistake this as some sort of film award show.

    <i>¡®Is this staged or something?¡¯</i>

    If that¡¯s what Min-Seok wanted, then that¡¯s what he would get.

    ¡°My brother, Choi Yu-Seong,¡± Min-Seok spoke loudly as soon as Yu-Seong got to the middle of the crowd, and hugged Yu-Seong as if he was waiting for him.

    ¡°What the hell are you up to?¡± Yu-Seong whispered, as opposed to Min-Seok¡¯s yelling, in Min-Seok''s ears.

    Although Min-Seok¡¯s face stiffened as hisposure broke, he soon regained it and smiled while patting Yu-Seong¡¯s back.

    ¡°Good luck.¡±

    Leaving Yu-Seong with those ambiguous words, Min-Seok stepped away from Yu-Seong and beamed at the press corps as he continued to speak.

    ¡°Today is truly an exciting day. Today is the day when my cherished friend and my beloved brother are applying for the hunter exam together.¡±

    ¡°You must be really looking forward to seeing how Lee Jin-Wook does since he¡¯s an Irregr!¡± A reporter asked Min-Seok.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been two weeks since I¡¯ve gotten to know Jin-Wook, but I am confident that this guy will achieve a high score and meet everybody¡¯s expectations,¡± Min-Seok responded to the reporter.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say about your brother?¡± Another reporter asked Min-Seok.

    ¡°Why would I not? Yu-Seong is also a member of the Choi family. Many of my siblings took the hunter exam, and no one has failed.¡±

    ¡°So are you saying that Mr. Choi Yu-Seong will pass the exam?¡± a reporter questioned.

    ¡°...¡±

    Without answering, Min-Seok showed the brightest smile he could. For someone who didn¡¯t know about Min-Seok and Yu-Seong¡¯s rtionship, it seemed like Min-Seok thought positively about his brother.

    Yu-Seong was dumbfounded as he looked at Min-Seok and the press corps¡¯ interaction.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s so obvious they¡¯re speaking from a script.¡¯</i>

    He wasn¡¯t surprised Min-Seok knew that he applied for today¡¯s exam. After all, Min-Seok was capable of many highly illegal things.

    After Min-Seok¡¯s short speech, the reporters continued asking questions. Interestingly, no one asked Yu-Seong any questions. The focus was on Min-Seok and Jin-Wook.

    Although some people asionally asked Yu-Seong questions, the reporters who asked were soon overshadowed by follow-up questions that took the attention away from him. During the Q&A session, neither Min-Seok nor Jin-Wook looked at Yu-Seong. Even though Yu-Seong was brought into this situation whether he wanted to be or not, Jin-Wook and Min-Seok treated Yu-Seong as if he was only to be seen and not heard.

    Of course, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t n on being humiliated like this. For his Star-Factor skill to work, he had to be the main focus today. The easiest way would be to reveal that he was also an Irregr. If he announced that he, the rascal of the Choi family, was also an Irregr, then he would certainly receive all the attention.

    <i>¡®But I should keep this secret until the end.¡¯</i>

    Technically, Min-Seok was like a speed bump on his way to achieving the goals that he had to ovee. He had a lot more to take care of than just Min-Seok: the other Choi siblings, Kim Do-Jin, and Choi Woo-Jae. Moreover, although it took some time, he remembered who Jin-Wook was.

    .

    ¡°For today¡¯s exam, Mr. Lee Jin-Wook has¡­¡±

    ¡°But the victim¡¯s families would be heartbroken to hear about Mr. Lee Jin-Wook.¡±

    As the questions continued to focus on Jin-Wook, Yu-Seong intentionally spoke loudly. Although Yu-Seong¡¯sment might not reach the press corps, it certainly caught Jin-Wook¡¯s attention, who was standing close to him. Jin-Wook, who had been smiling calmly until now, quickly turned to Yu-Seong. Jin-Wook¡¯s small eyes were wide as his brown eyes fluttered.

    <i>¡®So easy.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Wook was pretty simple. He was easier to handle than Min-Seok. Naturally, the press corps that was looking at Jin-Wook also turned to look at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, we couldn¡¯t hear properly what you just said. Could you please repeat that?!¡±

    Jin-Hwan shouted at Yu-Seung at the top of his lungs. He had been waiting all day for this opportunity as his previous questions had all been ignored by the other press corps members.

    ¡°I was really touched today. I never imagined that Min-Seok hyung-nim would set up an event like this. I want to thank him from the bottom of my heart.¡±

    Min-Seok stared at Yu-Seong, baffled.

    <i>¡®When did I ever say this event was for you?¡¯</i>

    The star of today¡¯s exam was Jin-Wook. But the moment Min-Seok licked his lips with bewilderment, Yu-Seong continued.

    ¡°You asked me to repeat what I said just before, correct?¡±

    ¡°I think I heard something about the families of the victims.¡± Remembering Yu-Seong¡¯s previousments, a reporter who had good hearing asked.

    Although some reporters who were bribed by Min-Seok were flustered and tried to divert their attention by throwing different questions, the majority of the reporters were starving for a scoop and stared at Yu-Seong, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°I¡¯m somewhat reluctant to talk about a friend of my brother, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t think this is something to discuss here.¡± Jin-Wook hurriedly cut Yu-Seong¡¯s response.

    <i>¡®He really is a noob. A guilty conscience needs no usation.¡¯</i>

    Looking like a pack of starved hyenas, the journalists¡¯ eyes became more fierce.

    ¡°What do you mean by victims¡¯ families?!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Lee Jin-Wook, the public has the right to know the truth.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, how did you know about that ?!¡±

    ¡°Please! We need your answer, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    Jin-Wook¡¯s forehead and back began dripping in sweat as he was bombarded with questions. Even if Yu-Seong didn¡¯t say anything more, the reporters would be relentless and find out what Jin-Wook wanted to keep quiet.

    ¡°He seems to need time to think since he also has my hyung-nim¡¯s position to consider.¡±

    Instead of answering the reporters¡¯ questions, Yu-Seong looked at Min-Seok with eyes full of concern. Min-Seok awkwardly smiled and nodded slightly.

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s nothing serious.¡±

    Beaming, Yu-Seong turned to the reporters that were peppering him with questions.

    ¡°Oh, and regarding today¡¯s exam, I don''t have much confidence.¡±

    It was an odd answer but it still aroused curiosity in the reporters. Shutters clicked as they shoved recorders at him with confused eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have any confidence in failing. Of course, a high grade is as good as mine.¡±

    Quoting a famous Go yer in his original Earth, Yu-Seong turned his back. The reporters couldn¡¯t help butment on Yu-Seong¡¯s overflowing confidence.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°What did I just hear?¡±

    Hearing admiration behind him, Yu-Seong walked past Min-Seok slowly.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve made better friends, hyung-nim.¡±

    Min-Seok trembled after hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s whisper. While walking past Min-Seok with Yu-Seong, Jin Yu-Ri snickered, which was meant for only Min-Seok to hear.

    The snapping sound of rapidly clicking shutters was directed at Yu-Seong¡¯s back, as he walked to the main entrance of the association building that held the exam. Some evenmented that Yu-Seong''s neat ck suit enhanced his good looks.

    On the other hand, Min-Seok felt a surge of anger reddening his face. His cowardly little brother was now belittling him.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong seemed a little arrogant, but he¡¯s cool.¡±

    ¡°Is it true that he¡¯s a changed man?¡±

    ¡°He also speaks quite well.¡±

    ¡°He still says the same cheeky things, but it¡¯s kinda different.¡±

    ¡°But what was that with Lee Jin-Wook? Anyone heard of what he was talking about?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like Choi Yu-Seong and Lee Jin-Wook were that close¡­¡±

    The reporters were even talking about Yu-Seong with fondness.

    ¡°Mr. Choi Min-Seok, do you know anything about this?!¡±

    ¡°Please give us an answer, Mr. Lee Jin-Wook!¡±

    ¡°What did he mean about victims¡¯ families?¡±

    ¡°Do you have a criminal record?!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t rmend trying to fool the public.¡±

    In contrast, the reporters sharply closed in around Min-Seok and Jin-Wook.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, Choi Yu-Seong!¡¯</i>

    Gritting his teeth, Min-Seok controlled his emotions as best as possible and turned away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Lee Jin-Wook.¡±

    Barely restraining his urge to curse which would only harm his reputation, Min-Seok took Jin-Wook into the facility that Yu-Seong had just entered.

    * * *

    Jin-Hwan was not frowning deeply and wrinkling his nose as before. Instead, he had a crooked grin on his face now.

    ¡°Reporter Park, don¡¯t you think Choi Yu-Seong was outstanding?¡±

    Excited, a fellow reporter spoke to Jin-Hwan after he finished calling his headquarters.

    ¡°Huh? That was nothing.¡±

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t you see the crowd change their attitude toward Choi Yu-Seong in an instant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I saw that.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s also damn photogenic. Did you see the pictures? There¡¯s nothing to throw away: the press corps parting like the Red Sea when Choi Yu-Seong walked in and when he left to enter the examination office. He¡¯s better-looking than most actors. Look at everybody admiring their pictures. How about you be honest and show some more excitement?¡¯

    It was a good oue in many ways. Yu-Seong stole the spotlight Min-Seok was basking in with Jin-Wook. Also, Jin-Wook''s reputation wasn¡¯t positive after Yu-Seong¡¯s bombshell.

    <i>¡®He seems to havemitted some sort of crime.</i>¡¯

    Although the reporter¡¯s headquarters were looking into it, the information wasn¡¯t readily avable. It meant that someone intentionally hid the information before this event.

    <i>¡®It has to be Choi Min-Seok.¡¯</i>

    It was obvious. Revealing the truth would take several days. So in the end, Yu-Seong had just ovee his speed bump.

    <i>¡®If he doesn¡¯t perform well on the test, everything he did just now will have been for nothing.¡¯</i>

    From Jin-Hwan¡¯s point of view, it was clear that Min-Seok prepared today¡¯s event to mess with Yu-Seong.

    Was Jin-Wook the only thing Min-Seok prepared to achieve his goal? And what if Yu-Seong, unfortunately, failed the exam?

    <i>¡®He would be called the pretentious rascal again.¡¯</i>

    People¡¯s opinions towards Yu-Seong were changing. Every single word Yu-Seong spoke swayed people; it was as if his words were exerting a certain influence on them.

    In the end, Yu-Seong would have to answer for everything he did to draw attention to himself.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s none of my business. Why would I be concerned for Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    Jin-Hwan cleared his head of all distracting thoughts. After all, he and Yu-Seong wereplete strangers to each other. It didn¡¯t matter if Yu-Seong got mocked, fell down, or even got injured.

    <i>¡®I am a reporter.¡¯</i>

    He would be satisfied if Yu-Seong simply provided him with stories that would get a lot of views. After getting back to his job, Jin-Hwan took his equipment and headed to the examination office.

    <i>¡®I should be moving to secure a good spot.¡¯</i>

    Unlike the entrance, only a few of the reporters were allowed to go inside the examination office. Jin-Hwan was one of those lucky few that could enter.

    ¡°While you¡¯re in, text me if you get a scoop!¡±

    Giving a small wave to his fellow reporter, Jin-Hwan entered the facility. But after he entered¡­.

    <i>Vrooom-!</i>

    An expensive-looking sports car made a loud noise as it entered the main gate of the Korea yer Association and then headed towards the underground parking lot. Stopping to see what was causing the noise, the reporters that were in the middle of packing up stopped as their eyes widened at the person driving the car. The reporter who asked for information about what happened in the examination office picked up his phone quickly and sent a message. He couldn¡¯t help it.

    <i>¡®Hey, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s here!¡¯</i>

    Korea¡¯s rising star was at the hunter exam.

 Chapter 14

    <h4>Chapter 14 </h4>

    Unlike the crowded entrance, the Korea yer Association was quiet inside. It became even quieter as Choi Yu-Seong moved to the inner part and eventually, he couldn¡¯t even hear the small talk between the association staff.

    Just as he passed through the first security checkpoint, Jin Yu-Ri asked him, ¡°How did you know about Lee Jin-Wook? I thought this was your first time meeting him.¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me if I said it was my intuition?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the way you want it to be, then that¡¯s what I¡¯ll think,¡± Yu-Ri responded looking slightly bewildered.

    ¡°I have my ways of figuring things out. Just think of it that way.¡±

    Yu-Seong smiled as he shrugged his shoulders. Yu-Ri didn¡¯t continue asking. Like she said, she would trust him since that was what he wanted.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t want to lie, but how could I tell her I knew that by reading a novel?¡¯</i>

    Although the people in this world were vividly alive and breathing, speaking, and showing real emotions right in front of his very eyes, they were originally just characters inside a novel to him.

    Would they believe him if he told them the truth? And even if they did, how much of a shock would that be? He didn¡¯t want to imagine it.

    <i>¡®What¡¯s important is that the world in front of me is my reality.¡¯</i>

    There was no reason for him to act awkwardly or break down just because he was trapped inside an alternate reality based on a novel. For him, this world was now his undeniable reality. Therefore, simr to predicting the future, Yu-Seong recalled the novel¡¯s story.

    In the original novel, [Modern Master Returns], it described Irregrs to be extremely rare. If narrowed down to a small country like Korea, the chance of being an Irregr decreased even more. That was why it was highly possible that Jin-Wook was also a main character in the original novel. However, there was one reason why Yu-Seong took so long to figure him out.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s the viin, Storm.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Wook was a character that was referred to by his infamous viin name more often than his actual name. That was why Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t remember him just by hearing his name.

    <i>¡®He was arrested by the Special Police Force for selling drugs, gang violence, illegal prostitution, and being the head of a viin organization and eventually died.¡¯</i>

    The Special Police Force was a police organization that exclusively took care of viins. Naturally, its members were made up of yers whose identities were ssified. Since this organization dealt with viins, it was natural for them to be more cautious about securing the safety of its members and their rtives.

    Anyways, if he just thought about it a little bit, Jin-Wook was simr to Choi Min-Seok. After all, weren¡¯t the illegal businesses Jin-Wook would promoteter on simr to the ones Min-Seok was currently doing? In other words, the rtionship between them would continue in the novel. However, the novel resolved the incidents regarding Jin-Wook without revealing any kind of connection between those two.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong now witnessed differences from the novel: Jin-Wook was originally a viin that covered his face with a mask, but now he appeared much earlier than expected through a fancy, showy event that was apanied by a squad of reporters.

    <i>¡®The future changed.¡¯</i>

    It was a butterfly effect. Yu-Seong¡¯s changes led to unexpected conflicts with Min-Seok, resulting in an unanticipated appearance by Jin-Wook.

    After remembering about Jin-Wook being Storm, Yu-Seong was unable to think of a n right away. In the novel, the Storm was a viin whomitted countless evil deeds since he was a student. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be unexpected if he actuallymitted any crimes.

    <i>¡®The novel didn¡¯t say what incident there was because of itsck of details, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Considering Jin-Wook¡¯s reactions today, it was certain that his crimes were somewhat severe. To be more urate, he hadn¡¯t answered the press corps¡¯ questions not because he didn¡¯t want to, but because he couldn¡¯t.

    <i>¡®How could I say something when I know nothing.¡¯</i>

    Since a guilty conscience needs no user, Jin-Wook voluntarily provided easy prey for the hyena-like reporters. He was probably in the middle of desperately trying to figure out how Yu-Seong knew about his past. Or, maybe he was being reproached by Min-Seok.

    <i>¡®Anyways, it was clear that Jin-Wook was a powerful yer considering the chief of the Special Police Force, a potential S-rank yer, had to personally arrest Jin-Wook in the future.¡¯</i>

    Even if Jin-Wook had a terrible personality, he was still an Irregr.

    Despite the initial shock, the event Min-Seok set up to humiliate Yu-Seong benefited him in many ways. Yu-Seong had started rumors about Jin-Wook while also mentally attacking a potential rival for today¡¯s exam. For both his Star-Factor skill and his own desires, he was determined to nail the exam.

    After he and the Jin siblings reached the second security checkpoint, the association¡¯s staff stopped them and spoke in a businesslike tone.

    ¡°From now on, only the applicants can enter.¡±

    Although he was speaking to Yu-Seong, a member of the Choi family, the staff spoke confidently. He almost seemed to be proud of working for the yer Association.

    <i>¡®After all, the yer Association in this country is quite strong.¡¯</i>

    Apart from organizations that dealt with public affairs, the yer Association had private ssified groups, like the Special Police Force. Even though the nation acknowledged that, it still approved of the association while the public also had faith in it. Even though the higher-ups of the yer Association might be somewhat corrupted, it was indisputable that its existence deterred the activities of viins.

    ¡°Understood.¡± Yu-Seong nodded and answered.

    ¡°Good luck with the exam,¡± Yu-Ri spoke as she stepped back and waved.

    ¡°You¡¯ll do great, sir,¡± Jin Do-Yoon encouraged Yu-Seong.

    Smiling at them, Yu-Seong passed the second security checkpoint.

    * * *

    Beyond the second security checkpoint, the site for the written test that held a chalkboard in the center was noisier than the outside where the association¡¯s staff was guarding with a serious expression.

    ¡°Hey, did you see the news?¡±

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong said that he couldn¡¯t fail even if he wanted to.¡±

    ¡°He also said that a high score is already as good as his.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also not confident in failing, Haha.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go say that outside in front of the reporters? With confidence.¡±

    ¡°Are you crazy? I¡¯m gonna get cursed out.¡±

    After the security door opened, Yu-Seong, who was tall, had coal-ck hair, and a neat suit, walked through the boisterous crowd.

    ¡°Hey, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°Damn, he¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°Wow, he looks like a work of art.¡±

    About thirty applicants who were waiting for their turn couldn''t take their eyes off Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Now this is a little embarrassing.¡¯</i>

    Smiling awkwardly, Yu-Seong sat in an empty seat. Even then, everyone continued looking at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Look at him smiling. He seems so innocent. Is it because his skin looks like porcin?¡±

    ¡°He looks more handsome than our Timus oppas. I should just be a fan of Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Just keep loving Timus or Thanos or whatever idol you did until now. Choi Yu-Seong may look like an angel, but he¡¯s a devil inside. Don¡¯t forget that, guys.¡±

    ¡°They say he¡¯s a changed man.¡±

    ¡°People don¡¯t change.¡±

    Yu-Seong could especially hear the voices of female applicants talking about him.

    <i>¡®This really is embarrassing.¡¯</i>

    After he woke up as Choi Yu-Seong, his looks were actually the biggest reminders that he was now a different person. Since everyone passing by looked and even screamed at him, it was impossible to forget how different he looked. Fortunately, that attention shifted to Jin-Wook as he entered the exam site after Yu-Seong.

    ¡°It¡¯s Lee Jin-Wook.¡±

    ¡°The Irregr.¡±

    ¡°I heard he''s some sort of criminal.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how good he¡¯ll be.¡±

    Listening to people talking about him being a criminal, Jin-Wook¡¯s face reddened as he red at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°What, do you have a problem?¡± Yu-Seong snorted and replied to Jin-Wook¡¯s re.

    Although Yu-Seong¡¯s words seemed to anger Jin-Wook, he didn¡¯t act foolishly as he had outside.

    <i>¡®I guess he learned from his actions or the fact that I¡¯m from the Choi family might have given him some pause.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Wook drew attention from Yu-Seong and sat in the furthest seat from him. As he did, the security door opened once again and a man wearing ck sunsses and a ck suit entered the room carrying a briefcase. After ncing at Yu-Seong and Jin-Wook, he treated them no differently from the other applicants.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the exam proctor. Who is he?¡¯</i>

    Standing in front of the chalkboard, the man satisfied Yu-Seong¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°Park Cheol-Ho. I am in charge of today¡¯s exam.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    Officially, there were three S-rank yers inside the yer Association. Considering a popr guild in Korea had up to two S-rank yers, the yer Association had more S-rank yers. Being one of those three S-rank yers, Park Cheol-Ho was more famous for his nickname, the Iron Wall.

    <i>¡®The Iron Wall, huh¡­ It¡¯s gonna be hard to y tricks.¡¯</i>

    This was better for Yu-Seong because even if Min-Seok tampered with the exam in other ways, it would be difficult for him to avoid the detection of the strict and obstinate Iron Wall.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s just do like we did in practice.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong calmed his mind, Cheol-Ho pulled out a pile of exam papers and spoke indifferently.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the exam.¡±

    * * *

    The hunter exam generally had three parts.

    The first part was the written exam. Besides fundamental fighting power, a hunter must have various experiences, the know-how, and intelligence since he would actually be entering a dungeon. The written exam was to evaluate whether the applicants had more than basic knowledge about these. Since the pass criterion was over 70, everyone could easily pass as long as they studied.

    Yu-Seong finished the exam in 15 minutes and stood up.

    ¡°Are you done already?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded calmly at Cheol-Ho¡¯s question and submitted his paper that had answers marked on it. Cheol-Ho then passed it to the grading instructor next to him. After checking the paper for less than a minute, the grading instructor looked at Yu-Seong somewhat surprised, and smiled slightly.

    ¡°Pass, perfect score.¡±

    Hearing the news, the applicants that were still taking the exam all looked at Yu-Seong. Although many passed the written exam because an applicant only needed to score a 70, a perfect score was a totally different story. The difficulty of thest five essay questions was so especially difficult that sometimes only a dungeon researcher could solve them. After all, there was even a saying that the true perfect score on the written exam is a 90.

    ¡°Nice. I hope your big talk wasn¡¯t all talk, and you actually have these skills. Pass.¡±

    As Cheol-Ho nodded andplimented Yu-Seong, Yu-Seong slightly bowed and moved on to the next test site by leaving through the door beside the chalkboard.

    <i>¡®I got lucky. I didn¡¯t expect a full score.</i>¡¯

    Acting calm, Yu-Seong exhaled after he went to the second test site. Although he was also quite nervous from the rumors of how difficult the essay questions were, the questions were luckily about the near future that he had read in the original novel.

    Nevertheless, the perfect score was also due to his skills. For one month, he painstakingly trained to master not only actualbat but also theory. Furthermore, for Yu-Seong who grew up in Korea on another Earth, subjects that required memorization was his specialty.

    ¡°Wee. This is the test site to measure the capacity of your ability,¡± A female staff member, wearing a neat white shirt and formal pants, said to him in a stiff tone. She thought that Yu-Seong was nervous as he sighed and moved slowly.

    Compared to the written exam site, this ce was a narrow space with only one staff member holding a pen in front of a desk. Next to her was a punching machine that was usually used in arcades and a bowl of purple water that he hadn¡¯t seen before. Surprisingly, this was the equipment that would measure the power of a yer.

    <i>¡®The first is the written exam, the second is measurement, and the third is the actualbat.¡¯</i>

    Recalling the sequence of the hunter exam, Yu-Seong took his suit off and warmed up.

    ¡°Now you seem more rxed. Since you wrote in your resume that you are an all-rounder, would you prefer the physical strike? Or would you prefer the psychic manifestation?¡±

    The physical strike used the score of the punching machine while the psychic manifestation used the shape and intion of the mana solution inside the bowl. And since this was a test for a hunter license, a high score would obviously be useless if the yer¡¯s ability was unrted tobat orbat assistance.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do both.¡±

    ¡°...I guess it would be possible since you¡¯re an all-rounder.¡±

    However, of the all-rounders that spoke like Yu-Seong, there wasn''t anyone who got a good score.

    ¡°Normally, we advise all-rounders to specialize in one aspect.¡±

    ¡°What if that yer didn¡¯t want to?¡± Yu-Seong asked, rotating his arm in front of the punching machine.

    ¡°...We only advise, not enforce.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll do both.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    The association staff nodded slightly. Since her questions were all based on a formal manual, she wasn¡¯t responsible if he overdid it.

    ¡°You may begin whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

    Exactly one minute had passed after that. The association staff¡¯s eyes widened upon looking at the numbers from the punching machine and the mana solution¡¯s transformation.

    ¡°Is this enough?¡±

    As Yu-Seong asked somewhat breathlessly, the staff gulped and shook her head.

    ¡°The equipment may be malfunctioning¡­Would you be okay to redo it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s not that hard.¡±

    After Yu-Seong smiled and stood in front of the punching machine, a number that was even slightly higher than his first was marked beside his name.

    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable¡­.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t even write the figure properly as her hand that was holding the pen trembled. Although she was known to be calm and poised among the association staff members, herposure was long gone. If she didn¡¯t catch her breath and used her other hand to steady her writing hand, she would¡¯ve made a mistake when writing down his unbelievable results for this important test.

    ¡°Um, can I move on?¡± Yu-Seong asked, looking at her. What was there to say?

    ¡°Pass, you have passed.¡±

    Although she stammered a little, thankfully, her voice didn¡¯t tremble much.

    * * *

    Every applicantpleted the written exam.

    ¡°Good work. I will see you in the next exam.¡±

    Entering the measurement site with thest applicant, Cheol-Ho patted the man¡¯s back that failed the test - he had fallen short of the score requirements. Cheol-Ho tilted his head as he looked at the record book the staff kept. He thought Yu-Seong¡¯s score for the physical and psychic exam was strange.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake. I was also surprised at first and requested that he re-do the test.¡±

    Listening to the somewhat aroused tone of the female staff that pretended to be calm, Cheol-Ho¡¯s lips twitched oddly.

    <i>¡®This guy¡­?¡¯</i>

    Cheol-Ho was one of the people who hated the rascal Yu-Seong the most. But today, it seemed that his opinion wouldpletely shift.

    Cheol-Ho breathed loudly through his nostrils, a habit of his whenever he was in a good mood or excited.

    1. In Korea, a female idol fan usually refers to her favorite male idol group members as oppa. Here, ¡®Timus¡¯ is an idol group

 Chapter 15

    <h4>Chapter 15 </h4>

    After finishing the measurement exam, Lee Jin-Wook moved to his personal waiting room to wait for thebat exam. Clenching his fist, he sat down and red ferociously at the name that appeared above the monitor.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    He called out the name in a deep voice. Jin-Wook was a problem child when he was young. This could be med on his family¡¯s background, as his father was a third-rate gangster while his mother was a prostitute.

    Considering that, he was proud of himself for getting through elementary school through high school. However, he caused a lot of trouble throughout his school days. Elementary school was rtively okay. He¡¯d just hit kids that he didn¡¯t like or go wild if someone annoyed him. If he needed money, he took it from the kids weaker than himself.

    But things changedpletely when he was in middle school. His mother left home while his father abused him after getting drunk. That was when Jin-Wook decided to leave home. Obviously, he needed money, much more than what he had previously. Lunch money taken from kids was no longer the solution.

    That was why he ordered a kid that he bullied since elementary school to steal from his parents¡¯ wallets. The kid refused, but it was fine. After all, the defiance of a weak and scared bullied kid was a good outlet to take his suppressed violence out on. When violence didn¡¯t work, he threatened the kid¡¯s parents and little sister.

    How could he exin the pleasure of watching someone his own age desperately begging him, hands sped together as if he were praying? Jin-Wook felt as if he had be the king of a small world.

    In the end, he had umted quite a lot of money. By the time he realized what it meant to be wealthy in a capitalistic society, he did favors for the kids who were rich and didn¡¯t want to get their hands dirty in exchange for money.

    Then, around his third year in middle school, one of the kids he beat up died. Jin-Wook had been ecstatic to be the king of his small world, but now, he was terrified. He went to the rich kid who requested that he beat up the kid who was now dead. Annoyed, the rich kid made a call and made sure the incident was swept under the rug, but from that day on, Jin-Wook became a servant instead of a king.

    Then, when he entered high school and left to live alone, the kid who had basically been Jin-Wook¡¯s piggy bank since elementary schoolmitted suicide. His suicide note was full of ounts of Jin-Wook¡¯s abuse, his own sorrow, and rage. That note was the spark. After that, students that suffered from Jin-Wook¡¯s bullying started speaking up about his abuse.

    Although it was a scary situation, Jin-Wook thought it was better than when he had actually killed a kid. But this time his king didn¡¯t help him. The king was simply irritated and told him to take care of his problems himself. Jin-Wook eventually went to the juvenile reformatory that he hadn¡¯t gone to even when he killed a person and wasn¡¯t discharged until he was almost an adult.

    It snowed that day. He wondered what he should do, after all, his school life was over.

    After thinking about it, he naturally settled in the back streets and became quite famous. Then, a few yearster, he became a yer. During the time he was still excited about bing a yer, his king visited him.

    <i>¡®Hey, you have work to do.¡¯</i>

    King? Now that Jin-Wook was a yer, he no longer thought of himself as a servant. Heunched himself at his king; it was time he turned the tables.

    But then, powerful yers rushed out from beside his king and brought him to his knees. His head was forced to the rocky ground. It didn¡¯t take long for Jin-Wook to realize how wrong he was.

    <i>¡®It seems the dog forgot his owner just because it grew a little.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Wook wasn¡¯t even worthy of being his king¡¯s servant. He was merely a hunting dog that followed its owner. After being psychologically tortured for several days, he understood his position perfectly and found out what he had to do¡ªhe had to destroy his king¡¯s little brother.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    He had to kill Yu-Seong or at least beat him up beyond recovery. Since thebat test of the hunter exam was thest test before actually entering the dungeon, it was so intense that serious injuries weremonce. Broken legs and arms were normal, and the instructors didn¡¯t interfere until they had to. This was because they thought it was better to be injured now than to be an unprepared yer dying inside the dungeon.

    Of course, it became a different story if one tried to intentionally harm another yer or tried to take his life. Then, the instructors watching the situation would intervene immediately. So before the instructors intervened, Jin-Wook had to fatally injure Yu-Seong while pretending to attack him up to the unclear point that was allowed.

    As Jin-Wook was pulling himself together and simting the battle inside his head, the waiting room¡¯s automatic door opened.

    ¡°Hey, Jin-Wook,¡± Swaggering, his owner Choi Min-Seok called him as if he was calling a neighborhood dog.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°As scheduled, you¡¯re going to face Choi Yu-Seong. You know that, right?¡±

    If his owner said so, then that was the truth. His owner had clearly demonstrated that there was nothing in this world that couldn¡¯t be solved with money.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok if you fail this petty hunter exam. You know what you must do, right?¡±

    ¡°I will not fail you, sir.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re going to lose to that pathetic Choi Yu-Seong but¡­¡± Smacking his lips, Min-Seok pulled out something shiny from his pocket.

    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Jin-Wook doubted what he saw.

    ¡°If you think you¡¯re going to fail, use this.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Jin-Wook was hesitant.

    ¡°What? You have a problem?¡±

    ¡°Would that be okay?¡± Jin-Wook mumbled as if speaking to himself, then he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, sir.¡±

    In the past, Jin-Wook had been the king of a small world, but unlike his younger self, Min-Seok was different. As far as Jin-Wook knew, Min-Seok was a true king that was powerful enough for thisrge world called society.

    ¡°Stop worrying about useless things and just focus on what you have to do. What was your goal again?¡± Min-Seok scolded Jin-Wook

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s death or a permanent injury, sir.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act absent-mindedly as you did before and nail it, Jin-Wook.¡±

    After lightly patting Jin-Wook¡¯s back, Min-Seok headed out through the automatic door.

    <i>¡®What a fool.¡¯</i>

    To Min-Seok, Jin-Wook was like an open book. Jin-Wook believed that he would bail him out regardless of how the incident turned out. That was what he hypnotized Jin-Wook to believe. As a result, Jin-Wook didn¡¯t know how foolish he was.

    <i>¡®Irregr or not, how could he possibly think that he would be safe after attacking a member of the Choi family? Tsk tsk.¡¯?</i>Min-Seok clicked his tongue.

    Jin-Wook was still a child that didn¡¯t know how society worked. If Yu-Seong was disabled, it was highly likely that Choi Woo-Jae himself would get involved. Then, Min-Seok would act as if he had never imagined that Jin-Wook would do such a thing.

    A yer that wandered around being a gangster in the backstreets? Getting rid of someone like him was child¡¯s y. Although Min-Seok would be scolded lightly, if he pretended to be sorry by bursting into tears, Woo-Jae would just lightly punish him and consider the matter closed.

    After making sure Yu-Seong was either dead or disabled, his next target was Jin Yu-Ri.

    <i>¡®How dare she threaten me with my weakness? I¡¯m going to make her never rise against me.¡¯</i>

    After finishing Yu-Seong, a member of his own same family, he thought that getting rid of Yu-Ri would be easy if he just asked his sixth brother, Choi Byeong-Chan, for help. Since Yu-Ri seemed to know a lot of his weaknesses, there were too many risks. Min-Seok could actually get hurt if he tried to get rid of her.

    <i>¡®But it¡¯s a hundred times better than being humiliated by someone like Yu-Seong for the rest of my life!¡¯</i>

    There was one thing Min-Seok was banking on. It was that by the time Yu-Seong was destroyed, he would clearly be more valuable to Woo-Jae since he would still be useful. Although it would be true that he had threatened Yu-Seong, it could be argued that it had been Yu-Seong¡¯s fault for not being able to defend himself. Not only that but he would never be humiliated by Yu-Seong again.

    Of course, if it ever came to light that he used Jin-Wook to kill Yu-Seong, he would be in even more trouble. But he was certain that it would never happen. As said before, killing an imprisoned Jin-Wook in the yer Prison?

    <i>¡®Easier than a piece of cake. Ha ha.¡¯</i>

    Having no clue about Min-Seok¡¯s ns, who was walking out slowly, Jin-Wook was left alone in the waiting room as he red at the monitor in front of him.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    The name was deeply printed on his brain.

    * * *

    Of the more than 30 applicants, only 22 remained until the end, thebat exam.

    <i>¡®An even number. There won¡¯t be any difficulties because of the number of applicants.¡¯</i>

    Applicants that have passed both the written and measurement exams were told to wait in their personal waiting rooms before participating in thebat exam. Yu-Seong sat inside and nodded after looking at the monitor attached to the ceiling that disyed the name and number of the qualified applicants.

    Thebat exam, which was referred to as the main event of the hunter exam, was a sparring match between applicants. But since there were cases where one¡¯s matchup could be an instructor if the number of applicants was an odd number, losing the sparring match didn¡¯t necessarily mean failing the test.

    <i>¡®After all, it¡¯s to confirm whether an applicant is strong enough to survive inside a dungeon.¡¯</i>

    Even if an applicant lost, he would receive a hunter license if he was considered to be capable of working as a hunter. Then why was thebat exam the main event of the hunter exam?

    The applicants and the instructor were the only people in the room during the written and measurement exams. An outsider wouldn¡¯t know about the results until the exam was finished.

    However, thebat exam was different. Therge stadium-like circr arena where the one-on-onebat exam took ce had a high ss wall coated with mana that allowed people to watch the match. Outside that ss wall were many spectators: executives of the association, guild scouters, a select few reporters, and some renowned hunters that visited out of curiosity or for some other personal reasons.

    Although the applicants fought on disy as if they were caged monkeys inside a zoo, it wasn¡¯t necessarily bad for them.

    <i>¡®From an applicant¡¯s point of view, they have no reason to refuse a recruitment from the Association or a renowned guild that could help him grow as a yer.¡¯</i>

    yers wished to be in a simr situation like Kim Do-Jin and be noticed by a top ranker in the audience. After all, once he had been recognized by the Sword master, his fame skyrocketed overnight. Everyone in Korea knew that Do-Jin only yed solo and wasn¡¯t affiliated with any guild, but his potential sry easily exceeded the level of a simple super-rookie.

    <i>¡®China would give anything and everything to Do-Jin if he just immigrated to China.¡¯</i>

    Knowing this, any applicant would naturally want to be recognized during thebat exam and increase their value. After all, one normally risked their life to be a yer for money and fame.

    In the end, thisbat exam was beneficial to all parties: guilds were given the opportunity to spot talented yers and scout them right away, the Association was paid by various organizations and individuals who were willing to watch the event, and the reporters who were always looking for a scoop were able to get a new headline.

    Since this was the most popr event and everyone wanted a ticket to attend, thebat exam became the main event of the hunter exam. Thebat exam applicants were given individual waiting rooms so that the guilds could easily contact a yer that they were interested in before thebat exam started. Everyone was well aware that the guild that reached out to the yer before and after the sparring matches had a higher possibility of recruiting them than those who didn¡¯t.

    Nevertheless, nobody attempted to speak to Yu-Seong. Was it because they thought he wascking? Of course not.

    <i>¡®Of course they want me. Once I join a guild, that guild would be supported by the massive wealth of the Comet Group.¡¯</i>

    The Comet Group was one of the corporations that didn¡¯t add a hunter guild to its affiliates even though it had quite many powerful yers. So acquiring Yu-Seong, the ninth of the Choi family, in this situation meant a lot. Although he might be extremelycking as a hunter, a guild, especially a guild hungry for money, would want him badly.

    However, they also knew that beautiful flowers with a delicate scent were actually more dangerous.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll hurt badly if they get themselves pricked by a thorn when they recklessly try to pick it.</i>¡¯

    Also, if Woo-Jae got involved directly, the degree of risk would be much higher than being pricked by a thorn. Since a massive monster, like Woo-Jae, could swallow the guild entirely, nobody would bother to reach out to him. That was why nobody visited Yu-Seong¡¯s waiting room.

    <i>¡®I even told Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri not toe here.¡¯</i>

    He thought that it was unnecessary to meet them here when they were going to meet after the exam. But while he was feeling slightly anxious, the door of his waiting room opened.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Yu-Seong reacted strangely when he turned to face the door.

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin?¡±

    ¡°Why are you so shocked? Am I not allowed to be here?¡± Do-Jin responded somewhat curtly.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ You have no reason to be here.¡±

    Listening to Yu-Seong¡¯s blunt words, the usually indifferent Do-Jin frowned deeply.

    ¡°I came to see if I could help, but I wasted my time.¡±

    The moment Do-Jin turned away without hesitation, Yu-Seong called him.

    ¡°Oh, could you show me another skill?¡±

    ¡°...It seems you think of me as some sort of fool.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±

    Although Do-Jin might¡¯ve been offended since he didn¡¯t know Yu-Seong¡¯s skills, that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Or do you have some skill that copies abilities?¡± Do-Jin questioned Yu-Seong.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You do.¡±

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It seems like you do.¡±

    ¡°I said, no.¡±

    ¡°You d¡­ No, whatever. I can just believe what I want to believe.¡± As if he thought arguing like this was somewhat embarrassing, Do-Jin sighed and drew a conclusion.

    <i>¡®You keen asshole.¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought to himself.

    What just happened was frightening for Yu-Seong. Do-Jin deduced that just by a few of Yu-Seong¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®He gives me goosebumps to the extent that it¡¯s terrifying. You damn main character.¡¯</i>

    Comining inwardly about how Do-Jin could figure out everything without a foreseeing skill despite being a main character, Yu-Seong pouted.

    ¡°We decided to meet after this exam is over. Why are you here?¡±

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯tpletely ghost Do-Jin after their previous encounter.

    Not only did Yu-Seong promise to respond to Do-Jin¡¯s messages, but he also realized that he couldn¡¯t break away from Do-Jin just by not seeing him. Do-Jin was a stubborn returner that survived in another universe and didn¡¯t give up on his prey easily. So it was impossible to break ties just by staying away from him.

    Looking somewhat curt, Do-Jin pursed his lips as if he was thinking deeply and then spoke.

 Chapter 16

    <h4>Chapter 16 </h4>

    ¡°...Someone tampered with the duel matchups.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It seems to be your brother¡¯s work.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong started to think quickly. Kim Do-Jin was a man of few words, but Yu-Seong knew what it meant.

    <i>¡®Choi Min-Seok wants me to go against Lee Jin-Wook.¡¯</i>

    A chill ran down his spine. Actually, this wasn¡¯t something totally unexpected.

    <i>¡®Yep, Choi Min-Seok wouldn¡¯t rig something like this just to humiliate me.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought it was too naive to believe that Min-Seok wanted to simply humiliate him because of a grudge he was holding from theirst encounter. Min-Seok wasn¡¯t the type of person to just end things at humiliation.

    <i>¡®After all, he tried to murder me.¡¯</i>

    There was no reason not to do the same this time. At the very least, Min-Seok would order Jin-Wook to permanently injure him. Considering how fierce thebat exam was, it waspletely possible for Yu-Seong to be injured. Even if someone prepared perfectly, there was still a death or a fatally injured applicant every two to three years.

    At that moment, the monitor attached to the ceiling changed color and revealed the matchups.

    ¡°Eighth.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong, Lee Jin-Wook.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s lips twitched as he confirmed his turn. A crisis was also an opportunity. Although a duel with Jin-Wook was dangerous, it would also attract a lot of attention. Yu-Seong¡¯s proficiency level for his Star-Factor skill could increase or he could even get the attention of a God as he had before.

    <i>¡®High risk, high return. Low risk, low return.¡¯</i>

    The majority of things in the world were like this. The question was whether someone had the confidence to follow through.

    <i>¡®I should believe in myself.¡¯</i>

    He trusted the time, sweat, and effort he put into this. After all, there wasn¡¯t any way to avoid this. Just as a slight smile was appearing on Yu-Seong¡¯s face, Do-Jin asked.

    ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier for you if you just told the Iron Wall all of this.¡±

    Do-Jin¡¯s eyes observed Yu-Seong sharply. He was like a snake observing its prey.

    <i>¡®Ah, Now I know for sure.¡¯</i>

    Obviously, Do-Jin didn''te just to help Yu-Seong by telling him the information he had acquired. He had sensed a change in Yu-Seong and hade because he wanted to confirm what happened to Yu-Seong.

    It was only natural. After all, Yu-Seong was a member of the Choi family. He was the son of the man Do-Jin wanted to murder¡ªChoi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®They say if you know your enemy and yourself, you can win every battle¡­¡¯</i>

    This meant that if someone had a clear understanding of oneself and their enemy, no battle would be dangerous. There was no way Do-Jin wouldn¡¯t know General Lee Sun-Shin¡¯s famous sayings. Although his confidence was borderline arrogant, he didn¡¯t fight recklessly. If he was one to fight recklessly, then he would never have used Yu-Seong to get to Woo-Jae.

    Maybe it was Yu-Seong who lowered his guard. Just because he had beaten Do-Jin before, he underestimated Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®What should I do?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought he should do something to lower Do-Jin¡¯s guard while also gaining something.

    Seeing him hesitating, Do-Jin snorted, ¡°You¡¯ve changed a lot, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost surprising. Did another soul possess your body?¡±

    Yu-Seong almost screamed at Do-Jin¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not the main character; he¡¯s psychic!¡¯</i>

    It would be fitting if the title of the original novel was ¡®The Foreseeing Returner.¡¯

    ¡°Stop saying such crazy things. I don¡¯t have time to get riled up from such little things. Do you think that I¡¯m not aware of what he¡¯s doing?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Regardless of whether someone tampered with the matchups or not, I¡¯m not going to do anything about it. I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong. Isn¡¯t it clear that there is only so much my hyung-nim can do to me, since we¡¯re both a part of the Choi family?¡±

    Do-Jin red at him like a ferocious viper. Yu-Seong red right back. Although he was scared of Do-Jin¡¯s glistening eyes that seemed deep enough to be able to swallow him up, he didn¡¯t back off.

    ¡°If you¡¯re here to pull some stunts, get out. I don¡¯t like how you¡¯ve been acting recently.¡±

    He firmly ordered Do-Jin to back off. Of course, he could feel his heart pounding with fear. There wasn¡¯t Jin Do-Yoon or Jin Yu-Ri here. What if Do-Yoon lost his mind and decided to kill him?

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t even want to imagine it.¡¯</i>

    He begged inwardly for Do-Jin to not get mad at him. Desperate emotion was visible in his eyes. Silently looking at Yu-Seong, Do-Jin¡¯s expression changed oddly. It was hard to read; he seemed to be bothughing and frowning.

    Perhaps Yu-Seong¡¯s wishes came true? Do-Jin stopped ring daggers at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Interesting. Not bad.¡± After that, Do-Jin turned around. ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±

    Hisst words before leaving were ¡®very¡¯ encouraging.

    * * *

    After leaving Yu-Seong¡¯s waiting room, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes became cold and calcting as he walked down the hallway.

    <i>¡®He became quite clever.¡¯</i>

    Although Do-Jin casually slipped a piece of information, it took less than three minutes for Yu-Seong to rationallye to a conclusion. Even though Yu-Seong pretended to be clueless, it was clear that he knew Min-Seok was going after him. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t back off.

    <i>¡®He always had a death wish.¡¯</i>

    On the day he promised to be brothers with Do-Jin, he had be very drunk and burst into tears, crying that he wanted to die. Despising the world, he thought that dying would be easier for him. He had also screamed that he hated his family for making him this way.

    Was he still like that? No, there were clear differences.

    <i>¡®Now, he wants to live.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was even passionate and energetic now. It was a mysterious phenomenon. Was it possible for a person to change this drastically in a short amount of time? Although it was unbelievable, it sure was interesting.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    Originally, Yu-Seong was a trump card that he wouldter discard as part of his n. But was it necessary? Do-Jin didn¡¯t care if Yu-Seong wanted to live or not, but if he still resented his family, then the fact that he became more clever wasn¡¯t bad for Do-Jin.

    Actually, Yu-Seong¡¯s acting was quite good. Him acting arrogantly without knowing his ce was simr to the Yu-Seong that Do-Jin knew of.

    <i>¡®Even his eyes that wished for my attention were exactly the same as before.¡¯</i>

    The loneliness hidden inside Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes when he ordered him to get out was especially simr. That loneliness was evident even though Yu-Seong was being aggressive. After all, when Yu-Seong first met Do-Jin, Yu-Seong yelled at him but couldn¡¯tpletely push him away as he prated Yu-Seong¡¯s loneliness.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be bad to make him my subordinate.¡±

    If Yu-Seong knew what Do-Jin was thinking, he¡¯d be frightened.

    * * *

    It took a while for Yu-Seong to catch his breath after Do-Jin left the waiting room. Do-Jin saw through him whenever he let his guard down, so ying mind games with him was stressful.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, don¡¯t forget that Kim Do-Jin is the main character¡ªthe most dangerous person in this whole world.¡¯</i>

    And he was a pitiful viin who would get abandoned by Do-Jin. Based on everything from their rtionship in the original novel, he could never beat Do-Jin.

    Catching his breath, Yu-Seong watched the duel between the applicants going before him. Fortunately, his battle was eighth in line, which provided him with a lot of extra time.

    <i>¡®As expected, I would¡¯ve won easily if my matchup wasn¡¯t Lee Jin-Wook.¡¯</i>

    He was certain after watching five duels. His ability was so amazing that it was almost a cheat. The saying that Irregrs became powerful as long as they survived wasn¡¯t a lie.

    Yu-Seong watched the duels for three hours, but even as he watched the 7th duel taking ce, that thought didn¡¯t change. However, there was one yer that he took notice of.

    <i>¡®Was it applicant number 12?¡¯</i>

    Considering that applicant number 12 was a psychic type yer that could transform the ground into metal shapes, Yu-Seong thought that he could¡¯ve passed the exam if he had used his ability more creatively. Unfortunately, that applicantcked the creativity and failed.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s turn finally came.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯</i>

    His mindset was more than ready.

    The moment he stood up, one side of the waiting room wall opened and disyed various weapons as if he was inside a movie. Striding ahead, he firmly grabbed a weapon that he had decided on using before. Although it was made for practice, the grip wasn¡¯t that bad.

    Unconsciously licking his lips with the tip of his tongue, Yu-Seong walked through the automatic door of the waiting room.

    * * *

    Thebat exam site was located at the end of the hallway. Yu-Seong was overwhelmed by the unexpected amount of attention he was receiving as he entered the site that looked simr to the Colosseum in Rome.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s totally different from watching it on the monitor.¡¯</i>

    As always, knowing and experiencing something were two different things. But since he had mentally prepared before arriving, he soon adapted to it. Entering from the opposite side, Jin-Wook seemed no different from him. The two sized each other up quickly.

    Standing on the edge of the arena, the instructor, the Iron Wall Park Cheol-Ho, spoke as he crossed his arms.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, Lee Jin-Wook. You both seem ready.¡±

    Although small, his voice echoed through the entire Colosseum.

    <i>¡®This is an S-rank yer.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt this when he met Woo-Jae, but it was normal to think that yers that are S-rank and above were basically not human.

    ¡°Even if this is a practice duel, fight as if your lives are at stake, fight as if you¡¯re in actualbat. Monsters do not have mercy. Any questions?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°No, sir.¡±

    The former was Yu-Seong while thetter was Jin-Wook. Even though Yu-Seong spoke in a small voice, it seemed that Cheol-Ho heard that clearly. As proof, Cheol-Ho twitched one side of his eyebrows and looked at Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®What? I can¡¯t talk down to you, but you can talk down to me?¡¯</i>

    Regardless of whether Cheol-Ho was an S-rank or an instructor for the exam, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t actually like Cheol-Ho for talking down to him from the start.

    <i>¡®We¡¯re all grownups here; it¡¯s not like we¡¯re in the army.¡¯</i>

    He was the rascal anyway. There was nothing special for him to do what he wanted to do like this.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    After briefly snorting, Cheol-Ho nodded.

    ¡°Begin.¡±

    Waiting for this moment, Jin-Wook made the first move. He had chosen a sword for his weapon. Since it was made for practice, it wasn¡¯t sharp, but it would certainly hurt if it hit Yu-Seong.

    Jin-Wook¡¯s deadliest weapon wasn¡¯t a sword. Although he was far away from Yu-Seong, he kicked off from the ground and used the wind currents to close the distance.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s fast!¡¯</i>

    Unconsciously admiring Jin-Wook¡¯s skill, Yu-Seong spun and lifted his weapon, a long spear. The weapon he used most during his training with Do-Yoon was a pole. The pole he mastered was as if to prepare him to be able to use this spear.

    <i>¡®Block.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s smooth, familiar movements flowed like water as they blocked and pushed aside Jin-Wook¡¯s sword that crashed down on him. Although Jin-Wook¡¯s strokes were heavier than Yu-Seong¡¯s defense, Yu-Seong used skills to bnce them off.

    Remaining calm, Jin-Wooknded on the ground and stretched out his hand. A strong wind that could easily throw a man gushed out from his hand. Yu-Seong didn¡¯t try to brace himself against the wind but let himself be pushed away, rotated a full circle, and stretched out his spear.

    The sharp winding from the other side of the field was caught by the tip of his spear, causing it to vibrate. It would only be possible for Yu-Seong to get rid of this by force if he were a strong physical type yer. Yu-Seong loaded mana in the tip of his spear. Although it was hard to channel mana into a weapon, Yu-Seong was able to do it for a short time on a small part of the weapon. The center of the Wind de Jin-Wook produced was eventually ripped apart and crashed in all directions into the arena walls.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    Dust clouds appeared from explosions resulting from the wind¡¯s impact on the walls.

    <i>¡®If I were caught in that, my neck would break from the whish.¡¯</i>

    Recalling the sharpness of the Wind de that passed by him, Yu-Seong gulped. On the other hand, Jin-Wook frowned when things didn¡¯t go his way.

    Him holding a sword was a decoy from the start. This was to hide the fact that he was a psychic, wind-type yer. But without even looking at him, Yu-Seong stretched out his spear and loaded mana on it as if Yu-Seong already knew that he would use the Wind de.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s going to be the viin, Storm.¡¯</i>

    If Yu-Seong didn¡¯t know this, it would¡¯ve been quite dangerous. However, despite his anxiety, he smiled and provoked Jin-Wook.

    ¡°Min-Seok¡¯s going to be disappointed if this is all you got.¡±

    ¡°...!!¡±

    Heated up, Jin-Wook charged toward Yu-Seong. The Wind de required a lot of time. He was charging like this to buy time until he could use it again.

    Yu-Seong smiled as he looked at Jin-Wook. Then, a blue me zed inside his eyes as he activated Insight. As he concentrated Insight forbat, part of Jin-Wook¡¯s movements appeared like afterimages in front of him. Hisposure was strengthened while his anxiety was relieved adequately.

    Although he was surprised by Jin-Wook¡¯s first strike, there was no reason for him to be surprised the second time. He thrust the spear using its long reach to strike Jin-Wook before he could get close.

    <i>¡®Grab.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Wook spread the wind behind him and easily avoided Yu-Seong¡¯s attack like it was a walk in the park. Although his swordsmanship itself was so poor that it was a joke to even call it swordsmanship, the rest of his senses were certainly refined. It seemed that he also had a lot of skills. He was an Irregr for a reason.

    However, Yu-Seong¡¯s Insight was reading even those movements. That was why he twisted his body and continued his next attack without shock slowing him down.

    <i>¡®Stab.¡¯?</i>

    As the tip of his spear bent like a snake, the long spear handle struck Jin-Wook¡¯s shoulders.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    A sound, pleasing to Yu-Seong, resonated while Jin-Wook¡¯s body stiffened with pain.

    ¡°This attack is going to hurt much more.¡±

    Since it was Jin-Wook that was going to receive this attack, Yu-Seong spoke lightly without conscience and activated the skill.

    <i>¡®Spark.¡¯</i>

    The electricity produced from his spear handle wracked Jin-Wook¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°Grrrraaah-!¡±

    His scream echoed throughout the entire duel stadium.

 Chapter 17

    <h4>Chapter 17 </h4>

    Park Cheol-Ho, one of the Association''s S-rank yers, was called the Iron Wall for two reasons. First, his main ability, Reinforcement, transformed either a part or his entire body into a substance that was at least as hard as iron. The second was because of his cold and indifferent personality which resembled an iron wall.

    Therefore, he could objectively watch the eighth duel of thebat exam between Choi Yu-Seong and Lee Jin-Wook¡ªa fight that was highly anticipated by everyone in the arena. Although both of them had disyed quite outstanding results in their measurement exam, that didn¡¯t mean those results could y a factor in evaluating thebat exam. After all, Cheol-Ho was an instructor who judged unbiasedly based on a person¡¯s performance.

    There were geniuses in every profession of the world; it was no different for the yers. However, one didn''t need to admire or be jealous of those genius yers. After all, this world was unfair as it favored some over others.

    However, that did not mean genius yers had to be given special treatment.

    In the end, the important thing was how effectively they used their talent. Quite frequently, there were cases where those geniuses failed because they didn¡¯t know what their talent was and didn¡¯t use it to their full potential.

    However, beneath his sunsses, Cheol-Ho''s usually indifferent eyes widened soon after the duel started.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong. 0.8 physical type measurement score.''</i>

    A yer could achieve a maximum score of 1 on the punching machine for the hunter exam. And among all-rounder type yers, it was extremely rare for one to score over 0.7, maybe about one in a thousand yers?

    However, Yu-Seong had even scored 0.8 on the psychic type measurement exam as well. Obviously, it was extremely rare for an all-rounder yer to score this high for both types of measurement exams. As a matter of fact, it had happened only three times globally and was the first time for Korea.

    That result was so shocking that even someone like Cheol-Ho, who was used to encountering talented yers, couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. In the end, he came to the conclusion that although Yu-Seong was an all-rounder who specialized in psychic abilities, he had probably honed his physical abilities on his own. Of course, that didn¡¯t change the fact that his score was astonishing.

    But as Cheol-Ho watched the duel, he realized that Yu-Seong hadn¡¯t simply ''trained'' his physical abilities.

    <i>''He learned martial arts.''</i>

    Yu-Seong''s posture when holding the spear, the look in his eyes as he stared at his opponent, and his calcted and elegant movements easily surpassed that of an ordinary person. His skills were particrly noticeable inparison to Jin-Wook who was haphazardly swinging his sword.

    <i>''He¡¯s had at least three years of training, maybe even five years. And all this time, I thought Choi Yu-Seong was just a fool that acted recklessly¡­''</i>

    Since Yu-Seong was on the news once or twice a month for causing trouble, or sometimes causing trouble <i>while</i> he was drunk, Cheol-Ho considered him to be a fool that lived a sheltered life. However, with this fight, his perception of Yu-Seong changed.

    By Cheol-Ho¡¯s standards, Yu-Seong was definitely a genius, but he wasn¡¯t simply a genius.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not a natural born genius but one born from hard work. He¡¯s like a dragon who¡¯s hiding underwater,</i><i>?honing his skills while waiting for the right moment to strike.¡¯?</i>

    Why wouldn''t Yu-Seong disy his skills even as he trained his martial arts skill? Although the Comet Group¡¯s children seemed to live happily without any worries on the outside, all of them actually shouldered grave danger. Since he could be stabbed in the back at any time, Yu-Seong had kept his potential a secret until the very moment he became capable of protecting himself: the moment of his Awakening.

    <i>''He''s extraordinarily calm and rational for his young age.''</i>

    The Iron Wall Park Cheol-Ho was considered to be the most objective and detached when evaluating others, however, he couldn¡¯t help but be astonished by Yu-Seong. He was so impressed that if he found out that Yu-Seong hadn''t actually trained for years but only a month, he would be filled with embarrassment. After all, even though Yu-Seong was a hard worker, he was extremely talented at martial arts. But since Cheol-Ho didn''t know that, he could only judge based on what was happening in front of him.

    <i>''Physicalbat would only lead Lee Jin-Wook to his death.''</i>

    From what Cheol-Ho observed until now, Jin-Wook''s performance was a disgrace to his title of Irregr. Not recognizing his inferiority in closebat against his opponent, Jin-Wook attacked Yu-Seong foolishly and failed to take advantage of the full potential of a psychic-type yer. Jin-Wook''s various wind skills were certainly effective in closebat, but he, unfortunately, met an opponent that outperformed him.

    <i>''If he fails to recognize that, he''s just a strong idiot.''</i> Cheol-Ho thought as he looked at Jin-Wook.

    Even if he gave him a license, Jin-Wook would die in vain in a dungeon. In the end, Cheol-Ho sighed inwardly as he watched Jin-Wook being stabbed by the spear and electrified by the Spark. It was exactly as he expected.

    Nevertheless, Cheol-Ho didn''t stop the duel nor did he feel the need to dere that Jin-Wook lost.

    <i>''Lee Jin-Wook. A wind-type psychic yer who scored a perfect score on the psychic type measurement exam.''</i>

    In some ways, scoring one point in the measurement exam was more difficult than getting a perfect score in the written exam. In other words, scoring a 1 was a totally different levelpared to a 0.8 as if there was an insuperable barrier between them.

    As if proving this, Jin-Wook gritted his teeth through the pain as he activated his Wind Pressure ability with all his might and shoved Yu-Seong''s spear away. Naturally, Yu-Seong couldn''t withstand so much force and spun several times in the air.

    "Choi Yuuu-Seoooong-!"

    Although Jin-Wook¡¯s anger was clear in his raised voice, he didn''t immediately pursue Yu-Seong right away. Instead, he started forming his most powerful weapon, the Wind de, around him.

    <i>''It''s going to be tougher.''?</i>

    Cheol-Ho thought to himself as he unfolded his arms to prepare for any oue. His eyes were sparkling beneath his sunsses.

    * * *

    Even Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but be shocked the moment Jin-Wook¡¯s Wind Pressure tossed him up into the air.

    <i>''Why is it so powerful?''</i>

    He had thought it was only fast, but it was also strong. The wind¡¯s pressure was so powerful that it seemed like a massive giant had suddenly shot up from a crouched position.

    <i>''Did he hold back before?''</i>

    Yu-Seong thought that maybe Jin-Wook had looked down on him and hadn¡¯t used his full powers. However, only one of those assumptions was correct.

    <i>¡®I was going to pretend to do my best while waiting for a chance to cut off his head but¡­¡¯''</i>

    Originally, Jin-Wook had nned on lowering Yu-Seong''s guard by holding back and then striking a critical blow at once. However, he had been shocked by Yu-Seong''s skills and had lost the initiative, leading him to almost lose the fight

    <i>''Let''s give up on closebat. Although he''s an all-rounder, he''s closer to a physical type yer.''</i>

    Unaware that both of Yu-Seong''s measurement scores were 0.8, Jin-Wook made his decision and started to form his wind de. Sensing this while still spinning in midair, Yu-Seong tried to brace himself as fast as he could. The most fearful aspect of the wind de was that it was hard to recognize its shape.

    <i>''A green light shes shortly, but it''s hard to see unless I concentrate.''</i>

    There was a reason why Jin-Wook became such a powerful viin in the future that the head of the Special Police Force had to personally arrest him.

    The wind de flew through the air quicker than Yu-Seong thought it would. Sensing the iing air de, he activated his mana while still in the air.

    <i>''It''s a shame to use this right now, but...''</i>

    It was better than losing a part of his body or getting his head cut off.

    <i>''Skill, Stepping Wind.''</i>

    The moment he activated this skill, Yu-Seong sensed something hard but soft that condensed beneath his feet as he spun in midair. Using that as his foothold, he instantly jumped to the side. Passing narrowly beneath Yu-Seong¡¯s feet, the wind de flew through the air and made a huge noise as it crashed into the Colosseum walls.

    "You used the Stepping Wind?! How?!" Jin-Wook screamed.

    "What? Have you never seen someone that has the same skill as you?"

    Yu-Seong smiled as he braced himself. He had avoided the attack by using the skill he had copied when Jin-Wook had first approached him.

    "Seeing how you''ve got a bunch of unrted skills, guess you really are an all-rou¡­¡±

    Before Jin-Wook could finish his sentence, Yu-Seong abruptly reared back and threw his spear.

    <i>''The Javelin Throw skill?!''</i>

    Surprised by a totally unexpected skill, Jin-Wook dodged using his own Stepping Wind. Yu-Seong instantly closed the distance, retrieved his spear, and pursued Jin-Wook. Same as Jin-Wook, he used Stepping Wind. It was an astonishingly borate n.

    <i>''He''s nothing like what my king told me! I only heard that he was a stupid and cowardly idiot!''</i>

    However, Yu-Seong was able to use his cunning mind to its fullest potential. With his arms wide open, Jin-Wook brought both his hands forwards andunched Wind Pressure once more.

    Although the wind de fit Jin-Wook''s needs for striking lethal blows, it required time for preparation. On the other hand, he could change the time needed for Wind Pressure by altering its power.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    Yu-Seong felt his heart racing as he spun his spear and channeled his mana to stop the Wind Pressure. Despite the long duel, he didn¡¯t feel tired. Instead, he felt his movements bing lighter and his head bing clearer.

    He realized that a portion of his mana was being consumed and another skill was being activated.

    <i>''It''s Stylish!''</i>

    Thest of his four initial skills he earned after the Awakening.

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Stylish F

    Cannot be used with Fusion.

    Additional effects are applied once the user demonstrates acrobatic and cool actions.¡»

    Simr to Star-Factor, this skill was quite fitting for the original Yu-Seong who was an attention seeker. That was why Yu-Seong had picked the spear from the variety of weapons. Since the spear had a long reach and made big, sweeping movements, it seemed stylish from the perspective of the audience. Compared to other weapons, it was easier to activate Stylish just by extending the fight.

    He had felt the same thing several times when he sparred with Jin Do-Yoon using a staff. Once Stylish was activated, his in-battle concentration would increase as his body became light and agile as if it was relieved from all of its fatigue. Also, certain random effects were activated sometimes.

    So as his movements became lighter, pursuing Jin-Wook became much easier. His mana consumption did increase a lot with Stylish also being activated, but he didn''t worry too much about it.

    <i>¡®This is why I¡¯ve been flexing all that money for.¡¯?</i>

    While Yu-Seong ordered Chae Ye-Ryeong to drink the worth ten-million-won gray color manastone juice every day, he hadn¡¯t stood around doing nothing.

    Instead, he drank a thicker, dark gray color manastone juice that was worth 30-million-won every day. He literally spent money as if it grew on trees. As a result, he earned an extraordinary score in the second section of the psychic type measurement exam¡ªmana capacity.

    <i>''Immeasurable within this rank.''?</i>

    It meant that he had to use a more sophisticated instrument that could measure at least E-rank yers to get a specific score. In fact, the mana potion inside the bowl had overflowed because of him. Although his other scores would''ve been surprising on their own, it was his mana capacity that shocked the association staff and prompted her to ask him to re-do the exam. He had realized again just how useful money was.

    This was how Yu-Seong was able to pursue Jin-Wook without draining his mana even after activating Stylish and using a variety of skills. However, the problem was that Jin-Wook wasn¡¯t an easy opponent to hit as he nimbly dodged all of his attacks. He even counterattacked with another Wind de during their battle.

    <i>¡®At this rate, the usage count for Stepping Wind¡¯s going to run out.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong realized that he had to end this soon. He was originally cautious because he didn¡¯t know what other schemes Jin-Wook and Min-Seok prepared for him, but he realized he could just overpower Jin-Wook before he yed a dirty trick on him. At that moment, Jin-Wook was thinking something simr to Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®At this rate, I¡¯m going to lose because my mana is going to run out. I have to make my move.¡¯</i>

    As if reaching his limit, Jin-Wook¡¯s forehead dripped cold sweat as he consumed his mana to avoid Yu-Seong¡¯s onught. Since he didn¡¯t know Yu-Seong had a limit to using Stepping Wind, he became impatient. In the end, Jin-Wook imagined the worst scenario for him.

    <i>¡®If I don¡¯t seed with my mission¡­¡¯</i>

    It was obvious how furious Choi Min-Seok would be if he failed. Jin-Wook was terrified.

    Recalling the abuse and mental torture that Min-Seok¡¯s purple eyes did to him, he almost felt a chill running down his back.

    As a result, Jin-Wook fished out the object inside his pocket that he received from Min-Seok. At the same time, he saw that Yu-Seong had taken advantage of the slight hesitation he showed while thinking and was quickly closing the distance between them with the spear aimed straight at his chest.

    <i>¡®This is myst chance.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Wook¡¯s eyes were full of venomous determination.

    1. Asian dragons aren¡¯t like European dragons living in caves and breathing fire. They are usually associated with water and air, therefore said to reside at the bottom ofkes or oceans or high up in the sky

 Chapter 18

    <h4>Chapter 18 </h4>

    Lee Jin-Wook had started keeping his distance after he realized he couldn¡¯t beat Choi Yu-Seong in closebat. But suddenly, he lunged forward.

    <i>¡®Something¡¯sing.¡¯</i>

    At that moment, Yu-Seong intuitively realized that it was something dangerous that would surely prove lethal. His back was soaked with cold sweat and he felt the chills down his spine. Nervous, Yu-Seong was Jin-Wook holding an orange-colored, diamond-shaped mana bomb he had fished from his pocket.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s mind started racing as he looked at Jin-Wook.

    <i>¡®God, an orange-colored mana bomb!¡¯</i>

    A mana bomb was literally a bomb made from manastones. Not only were mana bombs above red-color convenient to carry and powerful like the grenades used by the military, but they were also pure mana condensed and were difficult to identify with x-rays if yers carried them. As a result, internationalw banned yers from creating them. Korea was a safe country that it was difficult to get one''s hands on even a gray mana bomb, the lowest in terms of power. But somehow, Jin-Wook¡ªno, Min-Seok had been able to secure an orange mana bomb to kill Yu-Seong.

    Jin-Wook pulled out the safety pin of the mana bomb in front of Yu-Seong and used Stepping Wind to get himself out of the way while using Wind Pressure to stop Yu-Seong from following him.

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t resist Jin-Wook¡¯s Wind Pressure and was pushed backward, but as he was, he used Stepping Wind onest time. However, despite his best attempts, he couldn¡¯t avoid the explosionpletely.

    Nevertheless, he was also prepared for this. Yu-Seong¡¯s Spark instantly spread out like spiderwebs as it covered his surroundings, including himself and his spear. Then, his spear started to spin like a windmill, flicking out sparks.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s unbelievable how he has so much mana left! Thank god I didn¡¯t waste more time.¡¯?</i>

    Jin-Wook couldn¡¯t believe the sparks bursting out from Yu-Seong. Even as he was amazed, he noticed the Iron Wall Cheol-Ho running toward Yu-Seong as if he had sensed something was wrong.

    Cheol-Ho¡¯s moves were extraordinary, as befitting of an S-rank yer. In a blink, he instantly arrived behind Yu-Seong and stretched out his hand. Although he had sensed something strange was about to happen and acted swiftly, Jin-Wook didn¡¯t worry much.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s toote.¡¯</i>

    That moment, an orange explosion erupted, the shockwave filling the arena and swallowing the sparring ground. As light surged, followed by a loud boom, gusts of wind alsoshed out, and sand and rocks flew everywhere. But after Jin-Wook barely avoided the explosion and looked down from midair, his jaw dropped at the unbelievable situation.

    <i>¡®What the¡­?!¡¯</i>

    At the epicenter of the explosion, what remained of the explosion was twisting upwards and slowly dying down, as Yu-Seong¡¯s still-spinning spear coated with sparks was splitting the outburst into two. As if he was Moses standing in the Red Sea, the orange-colored explosion was split in two and scattered away with him in the middle.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s an E-rank yer?¡¯?</i>Jin-Wook couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.

    He wanted to ask Choi Min-Seok, who was standing with his face glued to the Colosseum window, ring at Yu-Seong like a ferocious beast.

    <i>¡®Didn¡¯t you say your brother was cowardly and ipetent?¡¯</i>

    He had realized after the duel started that Min-Seok was wrong, but what was happening right now was way beyond being simply wrong. However, Min-Seok and Jin-Wook weren¡¯t the only ones who were shocked by what they were seeing.

    * * *

    ¡°Shit¡­!¡± Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s jaw dropped as he cursed at the shocking events happening in the arena below.

    Was this because the Irregr and potential criminal Jin-Wook had activated an orange-colored mana bomb? That was surprising in and of itself, but that wasn¡¯t it. He couldn¡¯t help but curse because of Yu-Seong¡¯s performance.

    <i>¡®An E-rank yer is stopping an orange-colored mana bomb?¡¯</i>

    Of course, this wasn¡¯tpletely impossible based on his calctions.

    <i>¡®Even though Choi Yu-Seong is an E-rank yer, this could make sense if he has trained persistently until now. After all, he¡¯s also an Irregr and has extraordinary skills.¡¯</i>

    However, it would¡¯ve been impossible if Yu-Seong didn¡¯t have instantaneous reflexes and Cheol-Ho didn¡¯t help out. So this was abination of an unlikely event, a slim chance, a miracle, and luck. In any case, Jin-Hwan had to ask himself again,

    <i>¡®How many times would I have the chance to get something like this on film?¡¯?</i>

    It was highly unlikely that he would see anything like this ever again. Naturally, his hand clicked the shutters more rapidly.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t afford to miss a single thing.¡¯?</i>

    He was looking at a miracle right now.

    ¡°What the hell is his ability¡­¡±

    Not only Jin-Hwan, but also everyone in the auditorium was in awe.

    Those with cameras were busy taking photos or videos. The sudden fall of the new Korean Irregr rookie was already an established fact. Then, how should Jin-Hwan think of Yu-Seong who stopped the lethal attack of the Irregr Jin-Wook?

    As Jin-Hwan was trying toe up with a headline for his news page, reporter Hwang from his rival mediapany asked him. ¡°Reporter Park, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s that ipetent rascal from the Comet Group, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Jin-Hwan replied indifferently.

    ¡°Then perhaps I¡¯m confusing the meaning of ¡®ipetent¡¯ and ¡®rascal¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No way. It¡¯s either that Yu-Seong¡¯s been fooling us until now or the hunter exam is just a real variety show,¡± Jin-Hwan answered and smiled at Hwang¡¯s question.

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t preach to me when you can¡¯te up with anything better. What happened was weird enough to talk nonsense like this.¡± After Jin-Hwan responded, an idea shed across both of their minds.

    <i>¡®The rascal who fooled the world.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t bad. But just as Jin-Hwan thought it wasn¡¯t catchy enough, he noticed a handsome man leaning against the wall.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Although Do-Jin could¡¯ve used a private space, he had entered the same auditorium as the press corps. Looking at the scene, he pursed his lips.

    ¡°Not bad, Yu-Seong.¡± With this shortment, Do-Jin snorted and turned back.

    Looking at Do-Jin, who was acting like he saw everything he needed to see, Jin-Hwan smiled brightly.

    <i>¡®The rascal who fooled the world fires up the super rookie Kim Do-Jin!¡¯</i>

    Aftering up with his final headline, Jin-Hwan felt great.

    * * *

    As the audience was making a fuss, Yu-Seong shivered. He felt his mana draining out after dealing with the colored explosion.

    <i>¡®That was close.¡¯</i>

    Because on the conversation he had with Do-Jin before the duel, Yu-Seong expected there to be some kind of trap. He had also thought about the safest way to ovee that trap. First, he had to raise hisbat readiness to the maximum. After all, if he couldn¡¯t use his power when he needed it, it would be useless. Therefore, he activated Stylish.

    However, he still didn¡¯t use everything he had. Since his opponent had a trump card up his sleeve, Yu-Seong also couldn¡¯t use his mana to its limit. They were both looking for the right timing, with their own trump cards ready.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong was bewildered when an orange-color bomb, a rank higher than a red-color bomb, exploded. However, he didn¡¯t forget what he had to do.

    First, he used up all of the mana he had in reserve as he brought Stylish to its maximum level by brandishing his spear inrge sweeping, eye-catching maneuvers. Second, he remembered Cheol-Ho¡¯s position, which he had been checking on during the battle, and flew toward him using Jin-Wook''s Wind Pressure attack.

    As such, the moment the mana bomb exploded in front of him, Yu-Seong felt a touch on his back and mana being transferred to his body.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m saved.¡¯</i> His safety was now confirmed.

    After that, he was filled with joy upon seeing the golden letters that shone inside the orange-colored explosion.

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Stylish F -> E

    Cannot be used with Fusion.

    Additional effects are applied once the user demonstrates acrobatic and cool actions.

    Various additional effects are being applied.

    Mana increase, concentration increase, patience increase, stamina increase, restoration increase, eyesight increase, intuition increase, poison resistance increase, mind control resistance increase, fire resistance increase, cold resistance increase, defense increase.

    Once the effects of Stylish have ceased, one of the additional effects is permanently applied to the yer as a result of the skill rank-up.¡»

    Although Yu-Seong could feel the astonishing additional effects and enormous mana consumption of Stylish, he didn¡¯t worry. His otherwiserge mana capacity wouldn¡¯t havested three seconds if he was alone, but now, Cheol-Ho had ced his palm on Yu-Seong¡¯s back and was providing him with silver-glowing mana.

    <i>¡®This is the mana of an S-rank.¡¯</i> Yu-Seong was amazed.

    Since Cheol-Ho was a physical-type yer and not a psychic support-type one, his mana transfer wasn¡¯t that smooth. The flow was somewhat stiff, and the mana received from Cheol-Ho was a mere fraction of what Yu-Seong was using up. Nevertheless, the mana of an S-rank had apletely different density. Even this small amount was nearly equal to Yu-Seong¡¯s total mana.

    <i>¡®This makes me want to rank up faster.¡¯?</i>

    While Yu-Seong was admiring an S-rank yer¡¯s pure mana and enjoying his own ranked-up skill, ten seconds passed.

    As the explosion didn¡¯t have a specific target, it roughly swept the ground and died after crashing into the mana-coated walls. Of course, Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t in great shape after the explosion. Rough gusts of wind and splintered rocks sted away by the explosion ripped his shirt and made it into a rag, while open wounds dripped blood through the rips. Blood ran down from the wounds on the cheeks of his handsome face and reddened his lips. However, that was it. No fatal injuries, only minor scratches.

    ¡°Phew¡­Yu-Seong, are you okay?¡± Pulling back the silver energy from his hand, Cheol-Ho sighed and asked.

    ¡°Just a little dizzy. Nice support.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    After nodding at Yu-Seong¡¯s words, Cheol-Ho''s facial expression changed strangely.

    <i>¡®Did this E-rank yer just say what I think he said?¡¯</i>

    It was true that Cheol-Ho had indeed backed Yu-Seong up since there was no time and he was somewhat close to him, but there was no E-rank yer in the world that wouldpliment an S-rank yer as if they were the superior. What dumbfounded Cheol-Ho even more was that Yu-Seong¡¯s mannerisms felt so natural that he was almost convinced.

    ¡°I think we should save the talking forter and take care of this first.¡±

    As if Yu-Seong felt Cheol-Ho¡¯s gaze, he smiled and pointed his spear at Jin-Wook, who was still midair and bewildered by the situation.

    <i>Bzzzz-!</i>

    The Spark¡ªno, more like lightning created by Yu-Seong and the remainder of the mana provided by Cheol-Ho coiled around Yu-Seong¡¯s right arm and spear.

    <i>¡®Jin-Wook is already considered fai¡­¡¯?</i>

    Although Cheol-Ho wanted to say that this was just a test, he couldn¡¯t stop Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®After all, I can¡¯t stop him from getting his revenge.¡¯</i>

    Eyes gleaming with rage, Yu-Seong reared his arm and threw the spear. The spear released lightning as it soared through the air and tore through Jin-Wook¡¯s shoulder, who was trying to run.

    ¡°Gaaah-!¡±

    A scream echoed in the arena. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s target wasn¡¯t even Jin-Wook, it was Min-Seok, who wore an unpleasant expression on his face that was stuck to the ss. The spear, wrapped in lightning, flew toward his forehead

    <i>Boooom-!</i>

    The crash impacted the mana-coated ss wall so hard it almost shook. Frightened by the sound, Min-Seok squealed and bounced backward like a frog.

    After he realized how much he was embarrassing himself, he pointed his finger and protested. Of course, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t hear a word, since he was on the other side of the ss wall. Instead, he smiled at Min-Seok and waved his hand.

    ¡°Sorry, hyung. My bad.¡±

    Of course, what he was thinking waspletely different.

    <i>¡®You son of a bitch. You decided to y it like this, huh?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had no intention of just letting Min-Seok¡¯s actions slide. Baring his teeth, he turned back as he thought of how to deal with Min-Seol.

    Meanwhile, Cheol-Ho announced the result of the duel as he easily suppressed Jin-Wook who had fallen to the ground unable to tolerate the pain of the Spark in his shoulder.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, pass.¡±

    But this wasn¡¯t the end. Messages clearly seen by every yer appeared above Yu-Seong¡¯s head.

    - The Red Fang of the Dark Night is looking forward to yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s future endeavors. 15 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Emperor of Great China is fond of yer Choi Yu-Seong. 18 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Silky Beard is pping for yer Choi Yu-Seong while sitting in her seat. 20 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - The Oldest Hunter is giving yer Choi Yu-Seong a thumbs up. 35 Karma points have been sponsored.

    - [private] The Father of Magical Hymns is shining its one eye at you. He wishes to give you a skill. Y/N

    - You have attracted the attention of many gods in an instant. ¡®Draw Attention¡¯ is created in yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s history.

    This was the attention from the gods any yer would wish for. Yu-Seong''s performance shocked not only Cheol-Ho but everyone else as well. The audience jumped in amazement. They had been leisurely watching the show and had not expected to see such a spectacr ending.

    But the one most surprised and excited about this situation was Yu-Seong himself. Of course, finishing his debut by earning the recognition of extremely renowned gods was certainly meaningful. After all, Yu-Seong¡¯s Star-Factor would increase.

    However, among the attention of various gods, Yu-Seong could only focus on the private message that only he could see.

    <i>¡®The Father of Magical Hymns¡­¡¯</i>

    Although it was hard to identify the figure who used this moniker, since it had many descriptions, Yu-Seong knew who it was as he had finished reading the first part of the original novel.

    ¡®<i>The Germanic C</i><i>ardinal god</i><i>, Odin!¡¯</i>

    He was now stating that he would give a skill to Yu-Seong. Even though Yu-Seong only started standing out recently, he had never expected the appearance of the cardinal-ss god who didn¡¯t reveal his full strength and form until the end of the novel¡¯s first part. To be exact, he wouldn¡¯t presume to even think it would be a possibility.

    But now, the name in front of him was certainly Odin¡¯s, and he was willing to give Yu-Seong a skill and not just fund some Karma points. Since this skill was from Odin, a Cardinal-ss god, it was guaranteed to be powerful.

    However, although the reward was extremely tempting, Yu-Seong had to think rationally. Odin in Germanic mythology was not exactly a good-hearted god. To put it nicely, he was wise, but to put it realistically, he was sly. After all, one of his nicknames was the ¡®masked one.¡¯ Yu-Seong wanted to ponder on this more, but Odin¡¯s consecutive messages pressed him.

    - [private] The Father of Magical Hymns states that chances like this don¡¯te often. He urges you to make your decision. Y/N

    <i>¡®This certainly an attractive chalice¡­¡¯</i>

    But it might be a poisoned one.

    Conflicted by excitement, bewilderment, and uncertainty, Yu-Seong bit his lower lip and replied to Odin¡¯s repeated request.

    1. The original description used was ???? (Ð×Éñºš¢) which means ¡®like an evil spirit¡¯

 Chapter 19

    <h4>Chapter 19 </h4>

    Choi Min-Seok spent a lot of money, so he was assigned to a private room. He needed a private room because he did not want anyone to see his joy after Choi Yu-Seong was killed or disabled. Although he had not gotten the desired result, Min-Seok was still grateful for staying in the private room.

    <i>¡®Damn it, that was embarrassing.¡¯</i>

    The lightning spear thrown at him by Choi Yu-Seong had looked so threatening that it had scared him. It had made him worry that the mana field, which even an A-ss yer couldn¡¯t easily break through, could possibly be destroyed.

    He couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how embarrassed he would have felt if others had been around him at that moment.

    No, thinking over it again, the people who were there would have already seen him acting awkward anyways.

    People, aside from the reporters, in a far-off room were able to see him through the window of the room he was in.

    <i>¡®Yeah, at least the gossipy reporters didn¡¯t see me.¡¯</i>

    He was angry, but he knew that it was no use letting himself be swayed by emotion.

    Min-Seok calmed himself down as much as possible and tried to leave the association building quickly.

    <i>¡®Lee Jin-Wook failed, so I should leave before someone catches me here.¡¯</i>

    In any case, the followers under hismand would take care of the troublesome clean-up.

    Just because he was running away as quickly as possible didn¡¯t mean he was trying to avoid Yu-Seong.

    However, Min-Seok subconsciously felt trepidation that he did not want to admit.

    He couldn¡¯t help but shiver whenever he recalled the gaze that Yu-Seong had when he threw the spear.

    <i>¡®Did I really get scared by Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    That was ridiculous.

    Min-Seok snorted disdainfully and strode out, where he bumped into someone.

    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going!¡±

    Min-Seok got angry and raised his voice as he stared at the person.

    ¡°Jin Yu-Ri?¡±

    Choi Min-Seok frowned after unexpectedly running into her in the quiet hallway.

    But what she said next was something that he never would have imagined.

    ¡°Hey,¡± said Jin Yu-Ri.

    ¡°...What?¡± answered Min-Seok.

    ¡°Do you wanna die?¡± She asked.

    ¡°...¡±

    Min-Seok''s movement stiffened. It wasn''t simply because he was scared by the ferocious spirit of the A-rank yer in front of him.

    It was something beyond that. It was something fundamental.

    <i>¡®Did I hear her wrong?¡¯</i>

    He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. It was so absurd that he became speechless and had a momentarypse in thought.

    The following emotion was, of course, anger.

    ¡°Are you crazy? You ungrateful mutt, after all I''ve done for you!?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you answer the question? I asked you if you wanna die.¡±

    ¡°How dare you?! Jin Yu-Ri, who do you think you are, a member of the Choi family?!¡±

    Choi Min-Seok raged, unable to process what was happening.

    He felt the back of his head being pulled forward suddenly, and the sight of her knee approaching his face was followed by the feeling of something breaking inside his mouth.

    ¡°Ugh!¡±

    Choi Min-Seoky on the floor coughing. He felt his mouth swell and he could taste blood.

    "Answer me, Choi Min-Seok. Do you want to die?"

    Yu-Ri stood in front of Min-Seok as she spoke to him. His entire face was swollen like a toad¡¯s. Min-Seok gritted his teeth while looking at her with swollen and red eyes.

    "You, you... you think you''re gonna be okay after this?¡±

    "Oh, well. I¡¯ll just kill you."

    Jin Yu-Ri spoke coldly as she raised her fingers. Dark energy rose above them, forming into the shape of a sharp sword.

    ¡°Uh, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t figured out the situation yet. Just die, you piece of trash.¡±

    The moment Yu-Ri¡¯s hand flew toward Min-Seok¡¯s forehead, Min-Seok closed his eyes tightly and reached out with both of his hands.

    ¡°St¡­stop-!¡±

    Yu-Ri stopped her de right in front of Min-Seok and tilted her head.

    ¡°I¡­I am sorry! I am sorry!¡±

    Min-Seok eximed loudly, as he didn¡¯t want to lose his opportunity.

    ¡°For what?¡±

    ¡°First things first, calm down, Jin Yu-Ri. If you act recklessly like this, you¡¯re going to make things hard for Yu-Seong too.¡±

    ¡°That''s not the answer I want to hear. Did you forget my question?¡±

    Choi Min-Seok didn¡¯t understand her right away.

    As it clicked, he shouted in a louder voice, ¡°I don''t want to die! Of course, I don''t want to die!"

    A cold smile appeared on Yu-Ri¡¯s face as she slowly put away her ck sword.

    ¡°...So why''d you do it?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m not responsible for what happened with Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°How shameless.¡±

    Yu-Ri narrowed her eyes.

    Min-Seok shrugged and looked down. Perhaps he was fearful of Yu-Ri¡¯s cold eyes, so he continued to choose his words carefully.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I didn¡¯t expect Lee Jin-Wook to be that excessive. I was so surprised that my heart sank.¡±

    Yu-Ri could clearly tell that he was lying. She continued looking at him with a cold smile, then slowly nodded.

    ¡°Do¡­do you believe me?¡±

    Honestly, Min-Seok¡¯s question made her want to tear his mouth apart.

    Yu-Ri knew exactly where the line was to avoid any trouble for Yu-Seong.

    Any more than this would be stepping out of line.

    <i>¡®I have to let it slide.¡¯</i>

    Both Yu-Ri and Min-Seok knew that she was just going to let it slide. There was only one thing she wanted to tell him for now.

    ¡°This is thest warning. If you threaten Yu-Seong oppa once again¡­.¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri ground her teeth and stepped on Choi Min-Seok¡¯s legs with her high heels.

    ¡°Argh!¡±

    ¡°I will kill you, no matter the cost¡­ Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Arghhhhh-¡±

    ¡°Answer me clearly, if you intend to live.¡±

    Yu-Ri let Min-Seok go with a slight sigh after he madly nodded. She turned around and walked out of the dark hallway.

    <i>Tip-tap, tip-tap.</i>

    As the sound of her footsteps gradually disappeared, Choi Min-Seok¡¯s eyes burned fiercely with anger.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri, you crazy bitch. Did you think you¡¯ll be safe after treating me like this?¡¯</i>

    When he got up from the ground with a rough cough, he received a text notification.

    Choi Min-Seok opened his phone and checked the sender and the message. Then he turned stiff.

    From. Jin Yu-Ri

    Oh, by the way, this is a gift. ^_^

    Attachment(1)

    Min-Seok''s face turned pale as he checked the attachment with trembling hands.

    He simply couldn¡¯t understand¡­

    <i>¡®How¡­How does that bitch have this¡­?¡¯</i>

    The attachment was a short video of him shaking hands with a white man with a beard. To those who did not know the man, nothing would appear out of the ordinary. The problem was that the white man in the video was an American broker who had sold Min-Seok the orange-colored mana bomb.

    Would Jin Yu-Ri, who sent this video, be oblivious to this? No, she knew for sure.

    It was obvious what would happen if Yu-Ri took this video to Choi Woo-Jae and told him about the broker.

    This was also a threat, warning him not to mess with Choi Yu-Seong and not to jump the gun.

    ¡°Uhhhhhhhhhh¡­¡±

    Min-Seok raised his head and looked at the dark hallway where Yu-Ri had left. He staggered andughed like he was crazy.

    He tried to regain his bnce, but even standing properly was difficult as his legs suddenly gave out.

    No matter how many times he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t believe the situation.

    <i>¡®How did I end up like this?¡¯</i>

    It was painful and anguishing.

    Choi Min-Seok stumbled along the hallway, feeling the most miserable he had ever been in his life.

    ***

    The test results were announced the day after Choi Yu-Seong passed the hunter test and got his license. As was certain, he had passed with the highest score. Of course, the media went bananas.

    ¡ù The troublemaker of the Comet Group has be the top hunter

    ¡ù Is Choi Yu-Seong an Irregr?

    ¡ù The scandal of Lee Jin-Wook is under cooperative investigation by the Korea yer Association and the prosecution

    ¡ù Lee Jin-Wook, the Irregr, is not the hope of the nation, but a criminal

    ¡ù News sh! S-Rank Park Cheol-Ho, the Iron Wall, once a hater, now a fan!

    ¡ù The rascal who fooled the world, raised Kim Do-Jin¡¯s fighting spirit!

    ¡ù Comet Group¡¯s stocks rise after Choi Yu-Seong scores the highest on the hunter test

    Sitting in his own office at home, Choi Woo-Jae''s mouth twisted as he slowly looked through the newspaper articles that his secretary Kim Pil-Doo had gathered.

    His expression was mysterious, and it was hard to distinguish whether he wasughing or huffing. He threw the newspaper.

    ¡°Everyone is fussing as if it¡¯s a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Like you said, it¡¯s a big deal. You look the happiest you have been in the past year, master."

    Woo-Jae stroked his chin while listening to Pil-Doo, who was standing in front of him.

    ¡°There''s nothing to be unhappy about. It''s about my son after all. After all that bragging, he finally proved his worth. Besides, thepany''s stock price has risen substantially.¡±

    "You are the one who taught me not to bother feeling happy or miserable whenever the stock prices change. It is like a wild beast and is always going to fluctuate.¡°

    "So now you''re trying to lecture me?"

    "...No, of course not, sir. How would I dare?"

    Woo-Jae shook his head while watching Pil-Doo trying to avoid eye contact.

    "Your sly behavior isn¡¯t going to fool me anymore. Let''s see, you¡¯ve been working for me for more than 30 years now? When I first met you, you were like an open book. I could tell exactly what you were thinking all the time.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying¡ª¡®The teacher''s habits rub off on the students.¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better now that you¡¯re that much more clever? Anyway, I should give Yu-Seong a present.¡±

    ¡°You are giving him another present?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to give him carrots now. Hasn''t he been whipped a lot already? Min-Seok was pretty much struggling. Ho ho ho.¡± Choi Woo-Jae chortled like a generous old man.

    Suddenly, his smile faded away.

    ¡°By the way, Lee Jin-Wook, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Director Geum has had work to do.¡±

    ¡°....I¡¯ll deliver him your order, sir.¡±

    If Kim Pil-Doo was Choi Woo-Jae''s right-hand man, then Director Geum was his shadow in the underworld. He could not show himself due to the nature of his duties, but he never went far away from Woo-Jae. There was no objective reason to see him as apetitor, but strangely, he was weighing on Pil-Doo''s mind.

    "Tell him to tear Lee Jin-Wook apart and throw the pieces to the dungeon monsters. Let him know who he dared to touch."

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    Woo-Jae seemed like he still couldn¡¯t let go of his anger. Kim Pil-Doo nodded lightly taking his orders.

    This short conversation decided the end of a person¡¯s life.

    ¡°You told me that Min-Seok is the one who brought him, right? Then who gave him the mana bomb?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Pil-Doo did not answer him, even though he knew the answer.

    One of the reasons was that he didn¡¯t think Woo-Jae was asking because he didn¡¯t know, and the other reason was that he thought it wasn¡¯t his business to intervene.

    Woo-Jae looked at Pil-Doo with a cold expression.

    "Tell him to be careful for a while. This was out of line. Oh, and let Min-Seok know about how foolish men end up after Director Geum is done with his job. ¡°

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    There was silence for a moment. It was clear now to Pil-Doo that Lee Jin-Wook¡¯s brutal death was not just so that Woo-Jae could let off some steam. <i>¡®Scary old man.¡¯</i>

    When Kim Pil-Doo thought about how Choi Woo-Jae was using the death of a person as a warning to his children, he got goosebumps.

    ¡°No one would have noticed, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it seems so.¡±

    ¡°At least this should be done. Secretary Kim, if anythinges up, you should take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    By the time Pil-Doo lowered his head lightly and raised it up again, the scary eyes of the Comet Group¡¯s chairman were gone. Instead, he was once again a generous old man with a warm smile.

    The tension in the air disappeared.

    "Yes, yes. It is indeed true that fighting can be a driving force for growth, but it''s still better to toe the line, since they¡¯re brothers."

    Looking at Woo-Jae speaking calmly, Pil-Doo did not know what face he was supposed to make. Wasn¡¯t Woo-Jae the one who had achieved his current position by eliminating all of his brothers and other rtives?

    Fortunately, Woo-Jae did not appear to have seen Pil-Doo''s rather mysterious change of expression.

    That was because Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes were on Yu-Seong, who was in the newspaper lying on the floor.

    ¡°Gift¡­What should I give him? By the way, he must resemble me a lot, since he is very handsome and outstanding..¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae''s lips curled up as he murmured to himself.

 Chapter 20

    <h4>Chapter 20 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong returned to his daily life after taking a day off to rest his tired body and mind. He woke up early in the morning and drank coffee made by Jin Do-Yoon while thinking about the day before yesterday. He still had many things to take care of even after the exam.

    First, he needed to think through his response to Odin''s proposal. Choi Yu-Seong still did not regret his response.

    <i>¡®Sorry, but it¡¯s not time yet.¡¯</i>

    There was only one reason why gods gave yers skills, which was like giving away a portion of their own power.

    ¡®<i>The only reason why they would do such a thing would be to increase their shares in a yer they like.¡¯</i>

    One might wonder why it was important for a god to invest in a yer. This was the only part in the original novel, [Modern Master Returns], that was exined in great detail. Because of that, Choi Yu-Seong could clearly remember this detail. For the record, there was one ultimate thing that all gods wanted.

    That is, building up karma points for themselves, which was why they invested in yers. Then why did they spend their own karma points if they wanted to increase them? It appeared unclear why at first nce, but there was a reason for this.

    <i>¡®Just like anyone else, gods also want to grow.¡¯?</i>

    Karma was the resource they needed to grow. However, once they became gods, it was not an easy thing to build Karma. This was because the rate of umted karma was lowered to a ridiculous degree due to the penalties they received as gods. The power and the authority they gained as gods worked against them in this aspect.

    For instance, Thor¡ªthe god of thunder¡ªwas known for his battlefield prowess, his mighty hammer, and his resounding victories. If he hunted a dragon, he would gain about a thousand karma. What if an ordinary human such as Choi Yu-Seong hunted the same dragon? Since hunting a dragon would be counted as a legendary feat, the Karma he would get would be about a million¡ªa thousand times higher than Thor, maybe even more.

    Gods who invested in a yer would receive a portion of the karma points, ording to the percentage of sponsorship, every time that yer performed an outstanding achievement. This was simr to a rtionship between an investor and a corporation.

    That said, there was one thing that was very different from the original concept of stock investment. It was safe to say that the corporation¡ªin this case, the yer¡ª(had almost nothing to lose in their trade with the investor, the god.

    ¡®<i>It¡¯s because ording to the setting of the original novel, karma points apply equally to?</i><i>god</i><i>s and humans.</i>¡¯

    In other words, the transaction did not work by splitting the karma points between humans and god. Rather, the god received a ¡®duplicate¡¯ of the karma points earned by the yer. All in all, it was what could be called a ¡®win-win situation.¡¯

    Therefore, when gods saw yers with outstanding potential, they did not hesitate to support them with karma or by bequeathing a certain still. Sometimes, gods even gifted their unique skills to increase their return on investment as quickly as possible.

    If that were the case, why were gods in a hurry to earn more karma? This could be exined as well byparing it with stocks: if the entry price was too high, it would be difficult to receive decent returns on the investment. In other words, there was considerably less chance for a new god to make a karma profit from a yer who had already received considerable investment from other gods. Naturally, such a thing wouldn¡¯t be a problem for a god with sufficient capital, who would have many strong skills or arge amount of Karma points.

    In the concept of modern stock investment, the sellers could only trade if they released goods for sale. In contrast, thepetition between gods to acquire such ¡®stocks¡¯ could be overthrown if one god put forward enough capital.

    However, as investors, they wanted to gain as much as possible with as little expenditure as possible. Therefore, it was natural for the gods to pay attention to the yers with great potential¡ªthose known as super rookies, who could bepared to start-ups. Ultimately, discovering talented yers as fast as possible and investing in them was one of the skills necessary to be an outstanding god.

    Choi Yu-Seong had alreadymitted to memory the details and exnations regarding the gods found in the [Modern Master Returns]. Although Odin¡¯s proposal was surprising and tempting, he did not want to hastily ept the offer, considering the possible risks.

    <i>¡®There are many gods in the world who have a better reputation than Odin or are more favorable toward humans.¡¯</i>

    As a god, Odin couldn¡¯t help but covet the karma that could be earned from a human¡¯s achievements. He had no intention to suppress his greed either.

    The investments that gods provided to the yers were not little, considering that only a small part of their umted karma was spent.

    In the first ce, humans could only use Karma in special shops, unless they were gods or they received the sponsorship of gods.

    Simply put, the yer gave away some of the resources that they couldn¡¯t use right away and received something they could use in return. There was nothing to lose.

    And that was why Yu-Seong thought that it was a foolish choice to ept the offer right away from someone like Odin, who was such aplicated, hard-to-understand god.

    What if Odin gave him an S-rank skill that Yu-Seong couldn''t even use right away? S-rank skills could be only used once a yer reached the S rank. Yu-Seong had just gained the hunter license, and he needed at least a few years to climb up to S-rank from E-rank. In that case, Odin¡¯s S-rank skill would be useless to him at the moment.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure it''ll be nice the day I can actually use it.</i>¡¯

    But in the meantime, would there be a possibility that another god appeared and provided support that could rival Odin¡¯s S-rank skill?

    It was simply a matter of chance. If Yu-Seong was lucky enough, another principal god might appear to sponsor him, but he didn¡¯t know for sure.

    It was likely that the majority of the gods would give up on early investment and back off when a principal god like Odin was to present a yer with a skill.

    In this situation, what would happen if Odin left Yu-Seong to fend for himself since Odin had already raised his own share by throwing him a skill? Yu-Seong would be no different than a duck egg left along in Nakdong river. He did not want to limit his growth potential like this.

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t know if it was a good thing or not, but Odin had not sent him another message after being rejected once. Instead, making the situation more interesting, another god sent a message to him.

    -<i>[Private] A Joke-loving Prankster said he likes you. He is willing to give you a skill.</i>

    <i>Y/N</i>

    At first nce, it seems like a random nickname. However, Yu-Seong knew that this god was someone to never look down on.

    ¡®<i>Loki?</i><i>Laufeyarson</i><i>.</i>¡¯

    He was one of the most famous gods in Norse mythology along with Odin and Thor, one who could be seen as the key figure in Ragnar?k.

    He wasn¡¯t a principal god like Odin, but no one could ever say he was below Odin. In fact, in the story of Ragnar?k, didn¡¯t Fenrir, the son of Loki, kill Odin by swallowing him? The interesting thing was that Loki''s message was sent right after Yu-Seong had rejected Odin.

    In a way, it could be considered a rather slow reaction, unbefitting of the character of Loki in Norse mythology. Yu-Seong thus formed two hypotheses about this situation.

    First, Loki was happy that Yu-Seong had rejected the support of Loki¡¯s enemy, Odin.

    ¡®<i>This is almost impossible.</i>¡¯

    In the original novel, it was exined that even gods could not spy on private system messages. Of course, since it wasn¡¯t exined properly, it was possible that there were ws in his understanding. The likelihood that there was a way to see private messages only increased if the person was Loki.

    The second hypothesis was that the one who had sent the first message was actually not Odin.

    ¡®<i>I did fight quite a lot, but I don¡¯t think that was enough to attract the attention of the principal god. ¡®</i>

    There was a reason why principal gods were called principal gods. They were literally the gods who were the centerpiece of the mythical world.

    They were already so powerful and at a level so high that climbing any higher was almost impossible, even if they received Karma points from humans!

    It was not easy to stand out to such an existence, and it was even harder to be given their skills, rather than just sponsorship.

    Unlike the lesser gods that fought to increase their profits through sponsorship, a principal god didn¡¯t have to hurry or rush to give a skill to a person who wasn¡¯t quite a super rookie they could actually use. Of course, if there was such a person worthy enough, Odin could havepletely dominated the sponsorship and blocked other gods from sponsoring like Yu-Seong had hypothesized before, but something like this happening was very rare.

    Even Kim Do-Jin, the main character of the original novel, received a proposal from a principal god only after he achieved B-rank. With that in mind, Odin''s proposal for Choi Yu-Seong hade too early.

    ¡®<i>Of course, there is no difference even if it was Loki who made the offer.</i>¡¯

    In the first ce, Loki was enterprising and fast-movingpared to other gods.

    But why did Yu-Seong think that Odin could be fake even after thetter had revealed his nickname?

    ¡®<i>It¡¯s because it¡¯s possible for Loki.</i>¡¯

    Loki was good at disguising, no, <i>transforming</i> himself, and it was quitemon for him to use another god¡¯s nickname as if it were his own.

    In fact, Loki was the god who ced Kim Do-Jin in a difficult situation several times by impersonating someone else and ying tricks in the original novel. There was no reason for him not to do the same to Yu-Seong. Because of that, Yu-Seong did not reject Loki¡¯s proposal as fast as <i>Odin¡¯s</i>.

    ''<i>If Odin''s offer was also from Loki, it means that he¡¯s reaching out again after being rejected.</i>¡¯

    In other words, there was no urgency for Yu-Seong.

    Considering the various situations he had thought through before, it was okay to take some time and carefully consider Loki¡¯s proposal, because it was proven that Loki was very interested in Yu-Seong. In fact, Loki was showing interest in Yu-Seong even at this moment.

    <i>-[Private] A Joke-loving Prankster is winking at you. He sponsored 20 Karma points.?</i>

    In many ways, Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to lean toward his second hypothesis even more. So there was nothing wrong with putting this problem on the back burner for a bit longer.

    Instead, he thought about how he couldn''t catch Choi Min-Seok, even though he had decided to beat Min-Seok up.

    ¡°I really should have warned him this time.¡±

    When Yu-Seong visited his house, he couldn''t even see a trace of Min-Seok. It was as if he had realized that Yu-Seong woulde and had run away. If Yu-Seong had stubbornly waited by the front door, then he might have caught Min-Seok, but he didn¡¯t go that far.

    <i>''I''ll let go of you this time. If you try to pull a</i><i>ny other stunts, I?</i><i>won¡¯t let you off the hook easily.</i>''

    There were two reasons for this decision.

    First, the fact that Choi Min-Seok was trying to avoid Yu-Seong. If he chickened out like this, there was no reason for Yu-Seong to stress out or be bothered by him.

    Secondly, and more importantly, Yu-Seong could finally rx for a while.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve finally got my hunter¡¯s license, and I¡¯m starting to see the results of my training as well.¡¯</i>

    Time was on Yu-Seong¡¯s side.

    Choi Min-Seok possessed decent talent, but he was ratherzy and arrogant. On the other hand, Yu-Seong continued to grow by always pushing himself. In other words, Choi Yu-Seong would soon surpass Min-Seok. The two of them would be in different leagues.

    <i>¡®I need to aim higher.¡¯</i>

    If he wanted to stabilize his current life and settle down, he didn¡¯t have the leisure to bother about obstacles on the level of Choi Min-Seok.

    However, he didn¡¯t want to be arrogant after only taking his first step.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, I finally have over 100 karma.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong had only received 93 karma points until yesterday. However, with the 20 points he had gained from Loki, he was now sitting at 113. yers could use karma points in various ways, but most of the time, they spent them in a single ce.

    Choi Yu-Seong muttered while recalling how it was used, ¡°Summon Dimensional Merchant. Set Lion Bear n as the condition.¡±

    Y/N

    The friendly system was asking for the yer¡¯s consent, as usual.

    ¡°Yes, please,¡± Yu-Seong said. Although the system was a machine without emotions, Yu-Seong spoke in a respectful way, with a smile. He wanted to respond in kind to the system¡¯s hospitality.

    Among the many settings described in the original novel, he remembered that there was someone who had obtained a hidden piece by speaking in a polite tone to the system. Unfortunately, the novel only mentioned it very briefly and did not reveal the identity of the lucky figure until the end of the first chapter. As such, he wasn¡¯t sure which hidden piece he could obtain.

    However, he had nothing to lose from being polite, right?

    The system responded mechanically, unaware of his true thoughts. Choi Yu-Seong slowly stood up from his seat and headed to the kitchen. He rummaged through a box of lollipops he had bought from a convenience store the night before, then pulled out several before heading back to his room.

    .

    He came across Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri on his way back. The two attempted to start a conversation, but he waved them off and went back to his room.

    Once he returned and closed the door, a system message suddenly popped up.

    ¡°Great timing,¡± Choi Yu-Seong responded to the system message with a smile, then took a seat in front of a tea table and nonchntly ced the lollipops on the table.

    Exactly ten seconds passed, and a cute little pink door appeared in front of his eyes with a zing light and a distortion of space. The pink door was simr in appearance to a door made for toy dolls that children would y with.

    The handle of the door rotated with a small sound.

    A pink bear proudly waddled in from behind the door. He then folded his thick, adorable arms and stared up at Choi Yu-Seong before speaking.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, human. I am Ping Pong of the great Lion Bear n. You should be honored to make a contract with my great self.¡±

    He was truly charismatic.

    1. It¡¯s a Korean idiom describing a situation in which someone is left to fend for themselves without any help

 Chapter 21

    <h4>Chapter 21 </h4>

    The Lion Bear n, the dimensional merchants. It was hard to tell whether these creatures were bears or lions. However, they were definitely merchants. But, why were they so cute yet arrogant?

    ¡®<i>I¡¯ll say it¡¯s just this guy who¡¯s uniquely arrogant.¡¯</i>

    The cute appearance of the Lion Bear n was also reflected in the original novel. Although each of them had different colors of fur, many aspects of them resembledmon teddy bears on Earth. The book exined that some female yers treated these cute creatures as pets.

    There was only one thing to watch out for. They hated to be called either a bear or a lion. Because of their pride in their n, the most important thing to them was to be recognized as a ¡®Lion-Bear,¡¯ like the name of their n. Anyway, as long as yers paid attention to that point, members of the Lion Bear n were cute, chatty, and provided high-quality service.

    That was why Yu-Seong chose the Lion Bear n as his dimensional merchant.

    ¡°Why are you just staring at me after summoning a great being such as myself?¡±

    The story never mentioned them being arrogant, as was shown by Ping Pong.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s so cute that I can¡¯t be angry with him.</i>¡¯

    Ping Pong''s short limbs, soft-looking pink fur, and glossy ck eyes were cute enough for Yu-Seong to forgive some of his rather arrogant behavior.

    "Well, first of all, nice to meet you, Ping Pong," Yu-Seong said as a warm smile appeared on his face without him knowing.

    Ping Pong shook his head as he extended his little front paw toward Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Call me Mr. Ping Pong.¡±

    It was weird. It seemed that the cuddly bear did not care for formalities in speech, but still wanted to be addressed as mister. Didn¡¯t it matter whether he was formal or not? With a slightly confused expression, Yu-Seong corrected himself.

    ¡°Sure, Mr. Ping Pong.¡±

    ¡°Good. Human, your name is?¡±

    As expected, he didn¡¯t really care for formalities.

    ¡°I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong, Mr. Ping Pong,¡± said Yu-Seong with a smile. He was getting a rough understanding of Ping Pong¡¯s character.

    "Choi Yu-Seong, that''s a great name!" eximed Ping Pong with a sniff.

    There was a cotton candy-shaped tail sticking out from behind Ping Pong. For some reason, it appeared quite puffed up.

    ¡®<i>Oh yeah, there was a detail saying that the ones from the Lion Bear n puff their?</i><i>tails</i><i>?when they feel happy.?</i>¡®

    It was unexpected that Ping Pong felt so happy that his tail puffed up just from Yu-Seong introducing himself. It was a good thing for Yu-Seong.

    Once they signed the contract, they would be together no matter how good or bad their rtionship was, unless things went terribly awful. It was better for Yu-Seong to build a good rtionship with the Dimensional Merchant from the beginning.

    "Oh, this is a gift for the first contract," said Yu-Seong while peeling off the cover and handing over the lollipop from the table.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    "I heard that members of the Lion Bear n like these kinds of sweets. I thought it would be nice to get these for you. First impressions matter, right?¡±

    Perhaps he didn¡¯t hear what Yoo-Seong said because Ping Pong had his arms crossed and looked as if he were somewhat in a trance by the sweet smell from the candy. Without giving an answer, Ping Pong uncrossed his arms solemnly and took them before hugging the candy, as if he were hugging a stick.

    Subsequently, the fur around his nose and snout¡ªthe only part of his body with white fur¡ªfluttered, as a pink tongue popped out and licked the strawberry-vored lollipop. Immediately after, his round ck pupils sparkled like the stars in the night sky.

    ¡° I-it''s delicious-"

    A huge wave of admiration exploded from Ping Pong and filled Yu-Seong¡¯s room.

    "It''s extremely delicious! It¡¯s just like the rumors say. You were thoroughly prepared human. You have managed to greatly impress someone like myself."

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna drool. Slow down.¡±

    Disregarding Yu-Seong¡¯s words, Ping Pong started licking the lollipop in a frenzy. After a short period, he looked at the empty white stick with awe in his eyes.

    "Amazing. This is the treasure of the Earth made by humans."

    It sounded strange when one from the Lion Bear n, who sold countless items, treasures, and even the goods of gods from various dimensions from distant parts of the universe, called a single lollipop a treasure.

    <i>¡®Is there no candy in the other dimensions?</i>¡¯

    Perhaps it was another error in the original novel or something else. Yu-Seong raised five more lollipops he prepared in advance with a shrug.

    ¡°Ohh!!!¡±

    "You already got one for free, but from now on, I¡¯ll need to charge you. You know what I mean, right?¡±

    He spent a whopping 100 Karma points for the contract alone.

    In order to buy the item that Yu-Seong currently wanted, he needed at least twenty more Karma points.

    ¡°What a good sense for business, human. But I heard that lollipops are not worth much in this world. Let¡¯s make it one point for each of them..."

    Yu-Seong made a gesture to put the lollipops back on the table with a disappointed expression.

    "Two points. No more bargaining.¡±

    ¡°All right then.¡±

    While Yu-Seong smiled and handed the lollipop to Ping Pong, a system message popped in front of his eyes.

    ¡°I gave you the price of the lollipop along with a gift tomemorate our first contract.¡°

    This was why the Lion Bear n was known for its high-quality service. Yu-Seong smiled as he immediately received his needed points. As a result, he got thirty points back after spending one-hundred points from the summon.

    <i>¡®I got ten more points than I expected.</i>¡¯

    ording to the original book, the refund point¡ªthe points given back as amemoration¡ª for the contract was about ten percent. However, Ping Pong gave Yu-Seong twenty points, excluding the price of the lollipop, which was double the price of the original refund point.

    Ping Pong did not say anything, but it looked like he was showing gratitude for the lollipops.

    ¡®<i>Anyway, what does it mean by the name, Ping?</i><i>Pong</i><i>?of Golden Mane?</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong was questioning Ping Pong¡¯s title. He was a member of the Lion Bear n, who had the appearance of a bear, but no mane. Whilst, Ping Pong looked dissatisfied with the deal and once again opened his mouth.

    "Take the wrappers off, Choi Yu-Seong. What kind of hospitality is this?.¡±

    "Oops, sorry."

    Yu-Seong turned his attention to Ping Pong again and peeled the wrapper off of all five lollipops for him. He absent-mindedly handed over the lollipops. It took less than ten minutes for Ping Pong to finish the lollipops. After that, he looked at the empty table with longing.

    ¡®<i>He sure has a good appetite.</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong briefly thought about bringing more lollipops from the kitchen, but he shook his head. He almost fell for Ping Pong¡¯s cuteness but he needed to remember to not be charmed.

    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t bring these out too often¡­¡¯</i>

    It was a clever move for him to use the lollipops as leverage for future transactions between them.

    "What a shame. I wish I could bring this treasure back to my dimension but for some reason, itpletely breaks apart if I try to cross the dimensional wall carrying this."

    This was new information Yu-Seong hadn¡¯t read in the original novel. However, there was a mention in the book saying that members of the Lion Bear n were crazy about the Earth''s lollipops and devoured them on the spot. Yu-Seong could now understand why.

    ¡®<i>But why would the lollipop be the only thing that breaks down when crossing over to their dimension?</i>¡¯

    It seemed like it was treated as a special, limitedmodity of Earth. Yu-Seong let go of his thoughts about the plothole in the original book. Instead, he called Ping Pong.

    ¡°Mr. Ping Pong.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Choi Yu-Seong?" answered Ping Pong.

    "We better get started. Why don''t you open the dimensional bundle? I have a few things I¡¯d like to buy right away."

    "Oh, I almost forgot about my job. I was pretty distracted by the treasure. Let''s see. As you may know, the current dimension bundle you can use is level one. To level up...." exined Ping Pong.

    "First of all, the purchase price must exceed one thousand Karma points." Yu-Seong interrupted Ping Pong.

    ¡°Human, you must have done a lot of studying. Well, if you''re a contractor of great being such as myself, you should definitely be at least this knowledgeable.¡±

    Yu-Seong had simply taken his time reading and enjoyed the novel.

    Yu-Seong stopped himself from blurting this out. Ping Ping suddenly shoved his hand into his stomach.

    ¡®<i>What are you, a kangaroo?</i>¡¯

    Members of the Lion Bear n even had a pouch in their stomachs.

    Ping Pong truly was a mysterious aspect in this story. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a pink bundle that was the same color as his fur.

    "Here you go. I have everything here. Now pick a set you¡¯d like, human!"

    Ping Pong threw the bundle to Yu-Seong. By the time the bundle reached Yu-Seong, the pink bundle had grown as big as him.

    ''<i>Oh, this is pretty interesting to see for yourself.</i>¡¯

    He couldn¡¯t hide his amazement when the scene from the novel was actually happening. Inside the bundle, the name, effect, and price of the items were written in dark letters. There were even scroll bars and search engines to organize numerous items.

    It was a bundle carrying not just a bunch of items but showed item information as well.

    ''<i>That''s just like what I read. The dimensional merchant shows the ¡®good¡¯ products only if they are about level five.?</i>¡®

    Ping Pong¡¯s bundle was only level one, so most of the items inside it were misceneous and useless. But still, there were definitely some useful items such as the lowest-level recovery potion.

    Yu-Seong already knew what he wanted to buy, so he quickly picked the item and finished his shopping.

    <i>¡®Five bottles of alchemist''s empty sks, half a bundle of cloudy trolls¡¯ blood, two bundles of Ksh''s body fluids, a bundle of Halenew''s petals¡­¡¯</i>

    Using the search engine, he quickly finished his purchase using forty points from his initial forty-three points.

    Yu-Seong bit his fingernails as he tried to think about what to buy with his three remaining points. Finally, he just decided to save it.

    ¡°I am done purchasing. This is all that I want.¡±

    At Yu-Seong¡¯s confirmation, Ping Pong reached out with both paws to take back the big dimensional bundle and squeezed it before shrinking it again. Then he ced it back in the pouch in his stomach, folded his arms again, and gave Yu-Seong an arrogant look.

    ¡®<i>Those eyes look like the ones of Kim Do-Jin. No wonder they looked familiar.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong breathed a deep sigh and wondered why he was surrounded by such egotistical characters.

    ¡°Your selections were quite interesting, human. Empty sks and the Ksh''s body fluid. "What are you going to use them for?"

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, you, human, are a good businessman. All right, if you tell me that secret, I''ll let you know my secret."

    ¡°Didn¡¯t ask, don''t care!¡± Yu-Seong replied with a smirk as he wanted to tease Ping Pong somehow.

    "...What?"

    "I didn''t ask about your secret, and I don¡¯t really want to know."

    ¡°...¡±

    Yu-Seong almost burst intoughter from seeing a shocked expression on a teddy bear.

    ¡°What are you still doing here? It¡¯s time to go back if you''re done with your business here. I''ll see youter, Ping Pong, you cutie-pie."

    ¡°You-you, rude human! You must call a being this great, Mr. Ping Pong!¡±

    "Don''t be so upset. I''ll give you two lollipops on the house next time."

    "I do not need appeasements like that. Bad Choi Yu-Seong!"

    However, contrary to his words, Ping Pong''s tail puffed up pretty big, though he answered with an angry snort.

    ***

    Ping Pong opened the small pink door and stomped as he returned. After he left, Yoo-Song spread out his purchases. Looking at everything, they could certainly be called misceneous. Most of the items were described in the following way.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    [The Ksh''s body fluid]

    The body fluid of a Ksh, a bipedal animal inhabiting the Altar dimension.

    [The cloudy trolls¡¯ blood]

    It is troll blood. It is so cloudy that it is hard to use as a potion material.

    [Halenew''s petal]

    It is pretty.

    ©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥

    Not only were there no effects written, but in the case of Halenew''s petal, even the exnation was basic.

    Naturally, no yer would buy these goods from the Dimension Merchant. They would think that their Karma points were too precious to spend on such useless items.

    ¡®<i>But if you use this, it is an entirely different story.¡¯</i>

    These seemingly useless items had a pretty interesting effect whenbined with the rarely chosen items often purchased by the yers on Earth.

    [The alchemist''s empty sk]

    <li>If the correct ingredients are added, a potion will be created through alchemy.</li><li>All the materials will disappear if it fails.</li>

    The price of an alchemist''s empty sk was 5 Karma points per sk, just like the lowest-ss healing potion.

    Obviously, most people would choose the healing potion rather than buying the sk. But still, there were some crazy folks who attempted to challenge themselves by making the potions after reading how the sk works. It tempered their adventurous thoughts.

    However, nine out of ten, no, ny-nine out of a hundred ended up failing¡ªand their sk simply disappeared. In those cases, they never took so much as another nce at the alchemist''s empty sk ever again. On the other hand, among the lucky people who discovered the rightbination, a majority of them had to give up as they couldn¡¯t find how to make a profit that covered the amount they spent purchasing the raw materials.

    In other words, the alchemist''s empty sk could be considered the riskiest item unless one possessed the proper knowledge. On the contrary, the sk was a very worthwhile item if one possessed the right recipe.

    ''<i>And I have the knowledge and information from the original novel. Whoo-hoo.</i>''

    With a crafty smile, Yu-Seong opened the lid of an alchemist''s empty sk.

    1. In the Korean raws, Yu-Seong spoke to Ping Pong in ?? banmal, which is to speak informally or familiarly, but instead of wanting to be spoken to formally, Ping Pong just wants to be addressed as ? which is why Yu-Seong finds it odd.

 Chapter 22

    <h4>Chapter 22 </h4>

    Early the next morning, Yu-Seong headed outside and stopped by the yer¡¯s shop in Yeouido to buy some equipment. He purchased a spear to be used as his main weapon as well as a hunter-only suit and a pair of walking shoes for yers.

    Of course, he picked out the best among mass-produced products. One might consider the equipment too extravagant for him since he was just a beginner yer, however, that wasn¡¯t actually the case for Yu-Seong. He was the ninth child of the leader of the Comet Group and he was able to afford the extravagance.

    Thus, Yu-Sung paid 3.5 billion won altogether for the equipment which was considered to be some of the best made by Earth standards as well as the Setup Box to contain them. The equipment was designed by French and Italian craftsmen, made with German and American machines, and used the research of the magic engineers. It cost the same as one of the best apartments avable in the Gangnam area of Seoul , but Yu-Seong did not find it a waste.

    <i>¡®After all, all that money is meaningless if I die.</i>¡¯

    The price didn¡¯t matter to him. What mattered to him the most was the quality and the efficiency. So why did he need to purchase something expensive simply because it was designed by French and Italian craftsmen, which only served to increase the price? His answer was simple.

    <i>''It''s because of the effects of Stylish and Star Factor.''</i>

    It was better to fight in a shy way to be more recognizable to others. Dungeon hunting was sometimes carried out by individuals, but hunting in a party was often necessary as well.

    There were many stories about the yers who wore cameras to film the actions of famous hunters. Paparazzi also followed them using special drones made by Hextech. The fancy and cool designs of his equipment could seem somewhat unnecessary, but it was important to Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong quickly finished his morning schedule and headed to a dungeon close to him. The dungeon was found in Seoul Gwanak-gu Sillim-dong, located right in the middle of the city, and naturally, its entrance wasn¡¯t exactly conspicuous. Arge, square, one-story building was built around the dungeon. Inside the building, soldiers and yers from the Association were on standby at all times. Only those with hunter licenses were allowed in the building. The only exceptions were granted to the odd reporter or two who had filming permits.

    Yu-Seong nced at the hunters from the association guarding the entrance of the dungeon. He turned around and said, ¡°I¡¯m heading out¡± to Jin Yu-Ri.

    "Ugh..." Jin Yuri responded with a sigh. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to follow Yu-Seong''s first hunt. She couldn¡¯t stop worrying about Yu-Seong, since he had to explore his first dungeon solo.

    However, neither Jin Yu-Ri nor Jin Do-Yoon could go with Yu-Seong because aw had been passed about twenty years ago prohibiting high-ranked yers from entering low-ranked dungeons.

    Monsters and traps weren¡¯t the only threats in dungeons. Because it was an isted, enclosed space, it was the perfect ce to avoid being watched. It was essentially the perfect ce for incidents to ur between humans.

    In such ces, fights between hunters of the same or simr rank and a fight between a high-rank yer with overwhelming power and a weaker yer would bepletely different. At least, there would be enough time to run away if it was a fight between simrly-ranked yers. They could escape the situation before suffering any fatal wounds. What if the opponent was an overwhelmingly higher rank? A low-rank yer would be no different than a sitting duck just waiting for death.

    Before thew was proposed, many viins took advantage of the dungeons. Such incidents were caused by those who entered dungeons significantly below their ranks and attempted to dominate the area. They attempted to control the dungeon by rampaging with their overwhelming power. As a consequence, thew was created to limit which ranks could enter the dungeon.

    Thew was essential to guarantee a minimum level of safety for everyone.

    ¡°I feel like I should go and get a fake license somewhere," said Jin Yu-Ri.

    "Then we''ll all get caught," Yu-Seong joked with a smile.

    There were three yers from the Association at the entrance of the dungeon looking at them sternly. They were in fullbat gear which even included thebat suits they had on, which were usually worn when entering the dungeon. They would check and verify the hunter¡¯s license of the entrant as soon as they approached the entrance. In fact, if they detected anything suspicious, they would suppress and attempt to arrest the entrant right away.

    Even if it was possible for the two to enter with him, Yu-Seong would reject their help. Those who lived inside a bubble eventually stopped making progress. Yu-Seong was certain that he could not survive by taking the easy way. He knew he had certain dangers awaiting him in the future.

    Therefore, he rejected Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s proposal of hiring a number of simr-ranked yers as well.

    ¡®<i>I</i><i>f they are of a simr rank to me, they could end up being a burden instead.</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong had his own n to level up, and he did not want to be distracted by unnecessary people.

    "I believe you will do well, young master," said Jin Do-Yoon with a look of trust.

    ¡°Your hands are trembling. Try saying that again once you get a grip on yourself.¡±

    When Yu-Seong pointed at Do-Yoon¡¯s trembling hands, he quickly shoved his hands behind his back. His entire face and his ears turned red.

    "Don''t worry, both of you. I''ll be right back. You two need to worry about getting stronger and stop worrying about me.¡±

    Truly, both Jin siblings were talented enough to be considered S-rank or higher just from their potential to grow. It was obvious that their growth would be explosive once they had more time to spend on proper hunting and training instead of having to look after Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but I can¡¯t stop worrying about you. Maybe because it¡¯s my first time seeing you off to the dungeon. ¡°

    Jin Yu-Ri spoke like a mother sending her son off to the army. Her words wereced with anxiety.

    "Don''t worry, it''s only a level one dungeon. Even if Ie across any unforeseen circumstances, it wouldn¡¯t be any more dangerous than Choi Min-Seok?"

    The two siblings frowned deeply.

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have held back my anger then¡­¡±

    Jin Do-Yoon recalled the hunters test with a red face and rage-induced trembling. This time the trembling wasn¡¯t due to worry; just thinking about that day greatly agitated him. Although Yu-Ri did have a chance to exact revenge on Choi Min-Seok in her own way, she was no different from Do-Yoon.

    ¡®<i>He won''t even dare to think of doing anything else for a while.</i>¡¯

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong smiled while looking at Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri, who was clenching her teeth and trembling.

    "That is why I am trying to be stronger so that I won¡¯t have to worry when Ie across any more dangerous situations. You two can rx and just cheer for me, okay?¡°

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait here and won¡¯t go far today.¡±

    ¡°Very reassuring.¡±

    If Yu-Seong didn¡¯te out of the dungeon after a long period, or if something unusual happens, they would mobilize. It wasn''t bad to have something prepared for unexpected circumstances.

    "I''ll be back."

    "You¡¯ll be careful, right?" said Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Don''t let your guard down, young master. If anything happens, I will follow you in."

    ¡°Be careful not to get arrested!,¡± responded Yu-Seong with augh to the fussing Jin siblings and silently headed into the building.

    ***

    When Yu-Seong entered the building after sessfully verifying his hunter certificate, there were several people inside the building who recognized him. However, he ignored the whispers and conversations as he passed, and turned his eyes to the high-reaching tunnel located not far from the entrance.

    <i>¡®</i><i>That should be the entrance to the dungeon,¡¯?</i>thought Yu-Seong with a gulp.

    The dungeon entrance was covered with dirt and was wide enough for four or five people to go through with their arms spread out. It looked somewhat bizarre to be located in the middle of the downtown of a city. In order to hide the strange object, they would have had to build a building to match the round shape of the dungeon, even if it meant interrupting traffic.

    In the original novel, there was an exnation about when the first dungeon was created on Earth. The ground rose up with an earthquake, creating arge and dangerous-looking ck cave that surprised the people in the area. There were people who curiously went inside the dungeon, though the majority never returned.

    People now knew that the real dungeon appeared after passing through the huge cave. Everyone was shocked after they figured the dungeon was actuallypletely different in appearance from the dirty cave they imagined it to be.

    <i>¡®Everyone would have gone crazy if it appeared on the Earth I used to live on.¡¯</i>

    Currently, most of the dungeons in the city center were already conquered. The word ¡®conquered¡¯ was used depending on whether the final monster, the boss monster, was killed or not.

    If the dungeon was created and the boss monster was not eliminated within a month, therge cave would grow and swell up as if it were going to explode, sending countless monsters above ground.

    This was the so-called dungeon break.

    The most annoying part of it was that, like most of the other monsters inside the dungeon, the boss monster regenerates once a month. In other words, all the boss monsters in the dungeons needed to be hunted once a month. The areas failing to do so every month were already abandoned or devastated and were considered the monsters¡¯ territory now.

    Choi Yu-Seong looked at the entrance of the dungeon with rather nk eyes and stretched his shoulders and neck.

    ¡®<i>It¡¯s the real thing inside there.</i>¡¯

    Even the reporters who were given special permission to enter the building could not enter the actual dungeon. In some rare cases, yers with hunter licenses doubled as paparazzi and followed other yers inside, but this was very rare.

    Then why was it special for normal journalists to follow yers to the inner part of the building? It was special for them because few journalists could handle special drones equipped with mana stones. It was moremonpared to when they followed yers into the dungeon but was still considered rare.

    The special drones were expensive to produce, and they were difficult to create as well. In addition, the power source of the drones was mana stones, so the cost to fuel them was enormously expensive.

    Moreover, the environment of the dungeon was very unstable, and the drones were often destroyed inside the dungeon. It was clearly no different from throwing money into a burning fire.

    ¡®<i>That¡¯s why only an extremely few reporters who are trained to control drones can use them...</i>¡¯

    Since it was quite arduous and there were many things to pay special attention to, the drone-controlling reporters usually refrained from sending their drones after yers unless it was a special event, such as a boss raid. As such, it was safe to say that the world inside the dungeon belonged entirely to the hunters.

    <i>¡®Once you go inside there,</i> <i>you can''t expect things likew, order, and morality like on Earth.¡¯</i>

    People could also be as dangerous as monsters. There were many threats he had to face, but it was the direction he had to go in order to grow.

    ¡®<i>Here I go.</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong clenched his fist and took a step. Obviously, he didn''te all the way here to just look at the entrance. However, it was only natural that he couldn''t help being nervous when he looked at the ck cave, which looked like the mouth of a beast.

    If it was the original Choi Yu-Seong from the novel, he would be nothing but monster food.

    ¡®<i>I can¡¯t be the same as him.</i>¡¯

    He was actually looking forward to it as much as he was nervous about it.

    ¡®<i>This is the real beginning.</i>¡¯

    Dungeons were full of as many rewards as risks. yers could increase their level, collect mana stones, and even obtain hidden treasures that could not be found on Earth. Yu-Seong also knew information about the treasures that were not yet gathered by others yet. If he could find the treasure, his chance of survival would increase even more. If he wants to survive, getting more power is necessary for him.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll keep going forward and forward.?</i>¡®

    To be honest, he didn¡¯t even need to be the chairman of the Comet Group. He just wanted to enjoy his life as a rich loafer.

    The path he chose was difficult, but he needed to encourage himself and move forward. After taking a deep breath, Yu-Seong stepped out into the darkness of the dungeon. His whole body disappeared inside the cave, and the darkness swallowed everything. His whole body felt heavy as if he were submerged in deep water. It was at this moment that Yu-Seong took a big step from being an ordinary gamepany employee to a hunter fighting for his life.

    ***

    Dungeon<i>.</i>

    This word -dungeon- was a word that referred to an unknown world where there were many unspeakable threats, such as violent monsters, hidden traps, and dead ends that led to enclosed spaces.

    However, almost all yers wanted to enter dungeons, even though they needed to put in the effort to earn a hunter''s license. The public admired and envied such hunters. Some would say that adventures and romance waited inside the dungeons. Of course, this was total nonsense. The reason why people paid attention to the dungeons was that they were full of sweet rewards.

    Hunters with strong abilities could not only take up more of the rewards but also build their reputation and wealth on Earth, which many people would naturally envy. When they gained even more power, not even the government could disrespect them. Especially in the capitalist society of today, hunters had an opportunity to enjoy the life that everyone dreamed of. Thus, those who were not satisfied with their life, or those who were filled with a desire for money and honor, wanted to be hunters.

    However, Yu-Seong¡¯s case was different. He didn¡¯t need or desire great wealth and honor. He just wanted to survive. Yu-Seong threw himself inside the dungeon with a single desire - survival.

    A kobold, a small monster with a height reaching Yu-Seong¡¯s knees, attacked him. Kobolds were monsters that lived in dungeons and could be considered weak enough for an F-ranked, level-one yer to hunt two or three by themself. There was only one thing difficult about hunting Kobolds.

    <i>¡®Like all the other monsters, they don¡¯t know fear.¡¯?</i>

    When he saw a group of kobolds rushing in recklessly without a trace of fear of death, he felt nervous and could not help but gulp.

    It could be seen as a threat in that case, but in the end, it was just a monster inside a level one dungeon. Yu-Seong did not have to invoke his insight skills to catch a monster like a kobold.

    ¡®<i>Vision-reinforcement F.</i>¡¯

    It was amon and low-grade skill, but this was the most helpful skill that Yu-Seong currently possessed.

    <i>Keeek-</i>

    Yu-Seong moved only three steps to avoid the attack of the jumping kobolds, stabbed, pushed, and struck five kobolds with his own sharpened spear. He swept them away in a blink of an eye, then cheered inwardly when he saw the silver light swirl up from his toes to his head before dissipating.

    ¡®<i>Level up!¡¯</i>

    It took only an hour after Yu-Seong entered the dungeon. He was enjoying leveling up more quickly than he imagined.

    ¡®<i>What do you mean there¡¯s no romance in the dungeon? That¡¯s nonsense!¡¯</i>

    His voice was filled with emotion, ¡°The dungeon is full of romance.¡±

    In fact, the ¡®romance¡¯ here was because of the rewards it offered.

    ¡®<i>Oh, my God. I did expect this, but the?</i><i>efficiency</i><i>?in leveling up is totally different!</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong had no choice but to open his mouth after he checked the system window.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 20

    Type: All-Rounder

    Rank: E

    Level: 15

    Retention History:1

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E

    General Skills: Stylish E, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Vision-reinforcement F, Physical-reinforcement F, Dodge Roll F

    Current Disabled Skill Space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite normal skills except for the initial skills.

    ¡ù Hunting experience boost potion is being applied. 200% increase in hunting experience acquisition. The remaining duration is 300 minutes.¡»

    Yu-Seong was E-rank and level nine when he entered the dungeon. He felt a mixture of tension and expectation of bing even stronger. When he trained intensely for a month to prepare for the hunter test, his level only rose by eight, but after hunting kobolds, the weakest monster, for only an hour, he leveled up six more times. As he grew in level rapidly, he felt his physical ability and mana gradually grow as well. This feeling was like a reward for him.

    <i>¡®If I keep leveling up at this rate, I might be able to reach the highest level of E rank. in a month.¡¯</i>

    This was fast enough to beat even Kim Do-Jin, who had a fraudulent special skill called ¡°Genius¡± that allowed him to grow several times faster than any other yer. Naturally, leveling up at this rate wasn¡¯t something that could be achieved with hunting normally.

    <i>¡®I love my Star Factor skill, and I love this hunting experience boost potion.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought to himself as he thought back to when he drank a yellow potion from a sk as he entered the dungeon.

    This potion was a secret weapon he made from the things he purchased from Ping Pong, the dimensional merchant who appeared after he spent 100 Karma points yesterday.

    Thanks to this, Yu-Seong''s system window showed the effect of increasing the experience he gained from hunting. This portion was made with the cloudy blood of trolls, Ksh''s body fluid, and Halenew''s petal mixed all together with a bit of water in the alchemist''s empty sks. After that, he obtained the hunting experience boost potion after waiting twelve hours. This secret manufacturing method of creating the potion was originally first found by Oh Ji-Hoon, who was known as the ¡®Midas touch¡¯ in the field of Alchemy, and who would soon be a colleague of Kim Do-Jin.

    1. Basically Beverly Hills of Korea.

    2. the posture of standing with one''s feet apart and hands behind the waist.

 Chapter 23

    <h4>Chapter 23 </h4>

    The main character, Kim Do-Jin, received the secret of how to create the hunting experience boost potion for free from Oh Ji-Hoon. Because of this, he experienced growth much faster than others using this potion. In other words, Yu-Seong used the author''s n for Kim Do-Jin to take advantage of the potion before Do-Jin had a chance to use it, but that didn¡¯t make him feel bad in the least.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not like if I make the potion, no one else can, so why would it matter?¡¯</i>

    The difference was that Yu-Seong had to spend his own Karma points to make the potion, but there was nothing that he could do about it. He didn¡¯t have anyone like Oh Ji-Hoon, passionate fans, or those who acted as stepping stones for him.

    ¡®<i>Supporters, supporters¡­</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong was still thinking a lot about this fact. The first thing he had to do to survive was garner supporters, and there was a clear and easy way to do this.

    ¡®<i>The most convenient way is to steal Kim Do-Jin''s supporters.</i>¡¯

    The way the main character, Do-Jin, acquired his supporters was quite simple. First, he overwhelmed and fascinated his future supporters with his power and charisma, then showed them a littlepassion. This world was filled with people who would show Do-Jin love, loyalty, and affection in response. Naturally, Yu-Seong could imitate this method somewhat. However, he didn¡¯t intend to take the easy path like Do-Jin.

    ''<i>If I take away Kim Do-Jin¡¯s supporters, then who''s going to stop the dungeon break or the uing disaster?</i>¡¯

    Do-Jin was a regressor and could easily deal with the events alone without any help from his supporters. By contrast, Yu-Seong needed to consider the ¡®what if¡¯ scenarios.

    Nothing was for certain in this world. Just as Yu-Seong''s actions had caused Lee Jin-Wook to show up faster in this story, Do-Jin''s story could have changed as well. What if Do-Jin took action by himself and died in a fight against the oing disaster? It would mean the death of the hero who was destined to save the world.

    In that case, Choi Yu-Seong might have to run around as if his feet were on fire to prevent the oing disasters and dungeon breaks that would threaten the Earth. Moreover, he would have to deal with the viins as well.

    This did not fit with his desired lifestyle. He wanted to enjoy his life after ensuring his own survival. So even though he was afraid of Kim Do-Jin, he didn¡¯t want Do-Jin to die. He needed Do-Jin to survive, protect the world, and be a hero.

    Yu-Seong wanted to change only one future event.

    ¡®<i>My survival.</i>¡¯

    What of the death of Choi Woo-Jae?

    He contemted this issue quite a bit. After all, in this world, Choi Woo-Jae was Yu-Seong¡¯s father. However, Yu-Seong had yet to feel any kind of affection for Choi Woo-Jae enough to care whether he died or not. That was where he currently stood on the matter.

    However, what if the moment came when Do-Jin had the opportunity to kill Woo-Jae? Could Yu-Seong turn a blind eye to the situation if his own survival was guaranteed? He couldn¡¯t say for sure.

    "Eh, whatever."

    The moreplex and difficult a problem was, the more time he needed to spend thinking about it.

    He shook off his thoughts and thought back to his first supporters.

    ¡®<i>The Jin siblings and Chae Ye-Ryeong.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a badbination at all, considering the high growth potential of the two siblings and Chae Ye-Ryeong, who was originally destined to be a major threat. Then, there was Yu-Seong himself.

    But he still felt as if that wasn¡¯t enough.

    <i>¡®It would be nice if I had just one more person¡­.</i>¡¯

    Who would be an appropriate supporter for him? Someone he could recruit without getting in the way of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s future? Yu-Seong recalled the list of the characters in the original novels as he continued walking through the endless field.

    30 minutes passed.

    There had been quite a few monsters visible at the entrance when he had first gone in, but after some time had passed, their numbers had dropped. Yu-Seong realized that he had been quite lucky for the first hour after he had entered.

    ¡®<i>There are many hunters around here.¡¯</i>

    There were more F to D-rank hunters than he had expected in South Korea. Thus, it was more likely that there would be others who hunted monsters in low-level dungeons.

    It was only natural, not only for him but for other hunters as well, to be entering dungeons. That was how they gathered experience points, monsters'' by-products, and even mana stones if they were lucky.

    ¡®<i>Come to think of it, more people are here because it¡¯s past lunchtime.</i>¡¯

    Unlike the boss monsters, which took a month to regenerate, the monsters here regenerated every day at the same time. However, this field dungeon was quite wide, so the monsters were distributed over arge area. As such, it was quite difficult to hunt in an efficient manner.

    Some of the hunters passing by Yu-Seong recognized him, and they looked at him with questioning eyes.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong?¡±

    ¡°Did hee here alone?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s crazy, look at his equipment.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong. He should have lots of money.¡±

    Yu-Seong could hear whispers behind him, but there were no hunters who approached him directly.

    This dungeon was merely level one, but no matter how low its level was, a dungeon was still a dungeon, and it was dangerous.

    If the hunters were careless, they could suffer fatal injuries from a monster¡¯s attacks. Unless they were fools, they couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted just because they saw someone famous.

    Choi Yu-Seong walked through the dungeon for another ten minutes, but he only found one more kobold. After defeating the kobold, he thought everything over.

    <i>¡®This is ridiculous. This just won¡¯t do.</i>¡¯

    The current situation wouldn''t allow him to make the best use of the hunting experience boost potion.

    ¡®<i>I must think of a way¡­ But how?</i>¡¯

    While he stood in ce, he contemted for a while before turning his eyes to the Retention History in the system information window.

    ¡®<i>Come to think of it...!</i>¡¯

    He was looking for an answer that was staring right at him. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the History tab.

    History referred to past events, and it was a kind of reward given to the yer by the system. Concretely, the system performed an analysis of the yer¡¯s history and rewarded them with a suitable title. Usually, the title bestowed was a simple phrase rather than aplete sentence, and it was apanied by some special boosts for the yer. It was a reward, after all.

    And the title Choi Yu-Seong obtained from the practical evaluation of the hunter test was¡­

    ?Crowd Puller

    yer Choi Yu-Seong secured the attention of many humans and gods in a short period of time at the battle held in Yeouido, South Korea, on November 20, 2029.

    When in effect, ¡°Crowd Puller¡± attracts hostile beings toward the user.

    Duration ¨C 60 minutes

    In gaming terms, "Crowd Puller was a provocation skill that taunted the opponents into attacking the user.¡± When Yu-Seong first checked his history, he had dismissed this title as something unnecessary. He wasn¡¯t a defensive yer whose role was to draw in the enemy¡¯s attention in the field anyways, so he had never thought such an ability woulde in handy.

    Thus, he had forgotten about the title, but now, he had to admit that he¡¯d been mistaken.

    ¡®<i>It¡¯s perfect for a situation like this, isn¡¯t it?</i>¡¯

    Without hesitation, he applied the title ¡®<i>Crowd Puller</i>¡¯.

    Instantly, red letters appeared above his head. The letters were only visible to him.

    ¡®<i>Crowd Puller</i>¡¯

    After Yu-Seong confirmed that the title was in effect, he no longer walked leisurely but rather started to run through the field. He wasn¡¯t scared of anything¡ªhe knew from his previous battles that he could handle the monsters of this dungeon.

    <i>¡®I can take on ten kobolds without any problem.''</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t do for him to just fight one or two and then take a break.

    Soon afterward, he had gathered arge group of kobolds. He shouted inwardly.

    ¡®<i>Yes, the dungeon is everything I expected!</i>¡¯

    Leveling up quickly by herding the monsters and then defeating them, the so-called grinding, was a great feeling known to anyone who yed RPG games.

    ***

    About a half year ago, Park Hyuk-Jin had found a new dream after awakening.

    ¡®<i>After I be a hunter, I¡¯ll make a name for myself and be a superstar.</i>¡¯

    He had liked to be the center of attention since childhood, and he had liked to receive attention ever since he was in school. As an adult, he became a so-called ¡®keyboard warrior¡¯, asmonly known in the inte world, to attract the attention of people around him.

    His parents and younger siblings used to sigh and click their tongues as if he was wasting his time whenever they saw him sitting in front of theputer every day in his room. However, it wasn¡¯t like there had been anything else to do. He didn¡¯t get the job he wanted at thepany he wanted. So, he had tried to study, but studying wasn¡¯t something that he was suited for. How could something that he hadn¡¯t been good at as a kid suit him now that he was older? As such, he had been stuck in quite a dilemma.

    Then, like a miracle, he had been notified of his awakening from a system message. The skills he had gained were Strong Physique E, Roar E, and Shield Proficiency E. It was obvious from the skills given to him that he was suitable for bing a tank. Thus, there was no reason for him to not choose the path of a hunter. As reflected by his skill, he was assigned the E-rank.

    After proudly showing off to his family, Park Hyuk-Jin received their financial support to attend an academy, and with his own effort, he had finally managed to obtain the hunter¡¯s licensest month. After that, he had gone on a few hunts to confirm that he had the qualities of a tank. When hunting, he had stood at the front with a shield, to prevent monsters from attacking, and stood stalwartly with his strong body even if some attacks snuck past the shield. In addition, his voice¡ªreinforced by years of arguing with his parents about his PC addiction¡ªwas perfect for drawing monsters¡¯ attention using the Roar skill.

    During his first hunt, he had found a party with difficulty and some awkwardness, and they had decided to hire Park Hyuk-Jin as their tank and herder. That was the first time he had received others¡¯ recognition, after being treated as the third wheel in his own home.

    In reality, while the tank could be considered the party¡¯s leader, they could also be called a meat shield.

    He would always be at the front and get beaten up, he would run alone when herding the monsters, and he would throw himself in harm¡¯s way if the dealer was about to get hurt.

    He had faced many hardships, and he had felt afraid of the pain he was experiencing for the first time. However, Park Hyuk-Jin had never neglected his position. He didn¡¯t want to go back to his helpless and stupid ways, where he was left alone in his room.

    Now, when Hyuk-Jin returned home in the evening after hunting, both his parents warmly weed him. They asked him if he was okay, saying that safety was the most important thing for hunters. They even prepared a hearty meal for him.

    ¡®<i>I can change. I can be a superstar, lead my family into prosperity, and be recognized by everyone.</i>¡¯

    Imagining his changed future, Hyuk-Jin was firm and faithful to his role as his party¡¯s tank. At some point in time, he had be the center of the party and was no longer awkward or afraid of interacting with them.

    ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you attack properly?! What''s with the buff? It hurts like hell!¡±

    Everyone in the party was an F-rank yer except for Park Hyuk-Jin. There were many instances where they had acted somewhat clumsily with their hands and feet and failed to properly use their abilities. In addition, their hunting speed was somewhat slow.

    Park Hyuk-Jin wanted to continue hunting longer and fight more monsters, but the party members wanted to take a long rest once they finished the herding hunt. Even so, the total hunting time they spent hunting was less than four hours This made Hyuk-Jin upset.

    ¡®<i>I should level up as soon as possible by hunting by myself more.?</i>¡®

    He was grateful that the party members had hired him as a tank and were taking him out on hunts, but that was it.

    ¡®<i>I can''t stay tied up here forever. I need to work harder to be a superstar.</i>¡¯

    Hyuk-Jin had started off as an E-rank, and he also took pride in being different from the other party members. It was because he had a great skillposition no matter who saw it.

    And his pride was often heard clearly in his words.

    ¡°Hey, I''ve got two attackers here, and it doesn''t make sense to take half an hour to beat five kobolds. There''s even a cleric in our party. Why are you guys so bad at this? Get a hold of yourself. Is the dungeon a joke?¡±

    Park Hyuk-Jin''s verbal abuse toward his party members began immediately after the hunt had ended.

    The members of the party were each other¡¯s teammates from the hunter exam¡ªthose who took the exam together usually formed such parties. They all frowned when Hyuk-Jin started his tirade near the end of the hunt.

    ¡®<i>Oh, should we recruit a new tank?¡¯</i>

    Such thoughts urred to everyone from time to time, but Park Hyuk-Jin''s abilities, including the power to draw the aggro of the monsters through his Roar was a special ability that other low-ranked tanks did not have.

    Andpared to how clumsy he had been the first time he had fought against monsters, his tanking skills had increased rapidly day by day. For one reason or another, they inwardly recognized Hyuk-Jin''s skills, so they could not argue with him, even if they were dissatisfied.

    ¡°Wow! Who is that man over there?¡± One of them asked in a surprised tone.

    The eyes of the five party members turned toward the middle of the field. A man dressed in a nice, expensive-lookingbat suit was running across the field.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Choi Yu-Seong?¡± Someone else said, having recognized the man.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s him.¡±

    ¡°Oh damn, he is so handsome.¡±

    Was it because of his luxurious-looking equipment, or was it because of his handsome looks?

    He was running in the field, under the sunlight, and he looked like a prince out of a fairy tale.

    ¡°Damn¡­He is so attractive.¡±

    Hyuk-Jin¡¯s eyebrows rose as he heard the only woman in the party casually praising Yu-Seong.

    ¡®<i>Why can¡¯t I look that handsome? I feel like I am good-looking too.¡¯</i>

    He knew that wasn¡¯t true when he looked in a mirror though.

    In any case, while his thoughts were wandering, Hyuk-jin himself could not take his eyes off of Yu-Seong. It wasn¡¯t only him¡ªin fact, all party members paid close attention to Yu-Seong, as if they were in a trance.

    Therefore, they werete to realize that the ones following after Prince Charming were vicious-looking monsters.

    ¡°T-that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Wow, how many are there?¡±

    There were at least 8 of them.

    Even if Park Hyuk-jin used his skill, Roar, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to draw in more than three monsters at once. However, Yu-Seong was leading at least twice as many monsters. The monsters chased after Yu-Seong while screaming, without even looking left or right, as if they were possessed by something. Moreover, the number of monsters continued to increase.

    Watching Yoo-Sun¡¯s jaw-dropping herding ability, one of the party members asked Park Hyuk-jin about his ability.

    ¡°Part Hyuk-Jin, you are not at that level, are you?¡±

    Hyuk-Jin frowned at that question. The question triggered his inferiorityplex.

    "Hey, who do you think I am? If there are monsters gathered, I can bring them all here."

    ¡°Oh, really?¡± asked the party member sarcastically. It was a rather disagreeable response. That response made Hyuk-Jin flip out.

    "Hey, do you want to make a bet?" said Hyuk-Jin.

    "What?"

    "Wait right here."

    Park Hyuk-Jin¡¯s face turned red. He inhaled deeply. The party members were shocked as they knew that his following posture meant it was right before he would use his Roar skill.

    "Hey, Park Hyuk-Jin, are you crazy?¡± cried one of the party members.

    "That guy is Choi Yu-Seong. If you steal his...!" yelled out another member.

    They tried to prevent Hyuk-Jin from shouting, but it was already toote.

    ¡°Kwaaaa-¡±

    Hyuk-Jin closed his eyes and pounded his chest with his fists as he raised his head to roar at the sky. His inferiorityplex acted as encouragement, and he did his best to use his skill as best as he could. Had he ever shouted with this much energy before? At least until now, he hadn¡¯t. That was why he was confident in his own way. He was certain that all the monsters that were chasing Yu-Seong would look at him instead.

    <i>¡®Were there about eight monsters?</i>¡¯

    It was a lot, but he would be able to withstand their attacks and fight them somehow.

    ¡°Did you guys see that? This is what you would call a real tank¡¯s skills. It¡¯s on an entirely different level.¡±

    Hyuk-Jin ced the shield in front of him thinking that the monsters woulde from the front. However, as soon as he opened his eyes, he had no choice but to stop talking.

    The field was empty, with only the grass dancing in the wind. Yu-Seong and the monsters chasing him went already far enough that they appeared blurry.

    Not a single monster had been attracted by Hyuk-Jin.

    Deafening silence ensued.

    "Ha, ha. That was a little weird. What the¡­¡± Hyuk-jinughed awkwardly. His face turned red.

    ¡°...Pffff.¡±

    Somebody sneered audibly from behind him.

    ¡°Who was that?!¡± yelled Hyuk-Jin. He looked at them with anger in his eyes, but all the party members looked away and began to talk among themselves.

    ¡°Wow, Choi Yu-Seong is basically on an entirely different level,¡± said one.

    ¡°I heard that he passed with the highest grade in the hunter exam, even though Irregrs participated. That exam was no joke. Wow, I¡¯m feeling a bit envious. He is handsome, rich, and even has a strong ability,¡± said another.

    "If he has the ability to herd so many monsters by himself and deal with them alone, he¡¯ll climb the ranks in the blink of an eye.¡±

    "That was awesome. Really awesome."

    Hyuk-Jin clenched his fists and left, realizing that his party members had turned on him. His pride was hurt, truly hurt. He had been thinking of staying with them until he surpassed the E rank, but now, there was no reason to join them anymore.

    "Good luck without me. As of today, I''m out of this party," said Hyuk-Jin.

    He started walking away by himself. However, no one called for him, nor made any attempt to stop him from leaving.

    ¡®<i>You bastards, aren¡¯t you going to stop me?¡¯</i>

    Frankly, he had expected the party members to stop him, but no one made a move. He was dumbfounded, but his pride was hurt and he had no intention of going back.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s take this as an opportunity and stand on my own two feet.¡¯</i>

    He would hunt alone and find a new party once he reached a higher level. One of Park Hyuk-Jin¡¯s strengths was that he was quick to ept an inevitable situation. He quickly forgot his anger. He walked through the field by himself, and he saw Choi Yu-Seong fighting against a group of kobolds in the far distance.

    He thought about stealing the kills for a moment but quickly felt ashamed of his own thoughts. Soon, his shame turned into admiration.

    <i>¡®Wow¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s movements appeared rather simple, but he was optimizing his movements to neutralize the monsters as quickly as possible. In addition, his ability to use his skills at just the right moments to avoid danger was excellent as well. Park Hyuk-Jin could tell since he had always battled at the forefront after joining the party.

    <i>¡®He is fundamentally different.¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t just about his skills, nor about his equipment. Although Park Hyuk-Jin possessed Shield Proficiency E, he couldn¡¯t even begin to imitate Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s movement. It was truly amazing.

    Park Hyuk-Jin¡¯s eyes burned with a new desire as he observed Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve decided. From today on, my goal is Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    He clenched his fists with determination.

    ***

    After another hour of herd hunting, Choi Yu-Seong went up another five levels thanks to the number of monsters attracted by Crowd Puller. He plopped down somewhere in the wide field and chuckled.

    <i>¡®The cooldown time of Crowd Puller is about twenty minutes. It¡¯s perfect for a break.¡¯</i>

    In a way, it felt as if he was wasting the effect of the hunting experience boost potion in the meantime, but he wasn¡¯t worried. Unexpected situations could arise at any time during a dungeon crawl. Test-takers were tested on information from the dungeon manual for the written portion of the exam, and resting was described in the manual as an essential element within the manual. Moreover, it was quite useful to review the process of herd hunting from the previous hour while taking a break.

    Choi Yu-Seong was a human, and he made mistakes as well. Although it seemed as if he had done a great job, there were still areas of improvement in his hunting process. As such, he identified his own mistakes, then corrected them during the breaks he took from hunting. In addition, he recalled the several parties he had encountered during thest hour.

    <i>¡®There are definitely quite a few parties in the dungeon.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps it was only natural, since forming a party in a dungeon reduced the risk in many ways. Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t the only one who hunted solo in a dungeon, but such cases were quite rare. And although he considered a party to be a burden at the moment, he knew it would be impossible to keep hunting solo as the difficulty of the dungeons increased

    <i>¡®Even Kim Do-Jin gave up on hunting solo from the A rank onward.¡¯</i>

    Even the fraudulent protagonist of the original novel had been helpless at a certain point. It wasn¡¯t as if he could do any better than that.

    ¡°Oh, that person¡­¡±

    As he contemted things, Yu-Seong saw a figure holding a shield, drawing in monsters and fighting them by himself.

    It was Park Hyuk-Jin.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure he was with his party members earlier.¡¯</i>

    So why was he alone now?

    Yu-Seong felt puzzled for a moment but quickly shrugged it off.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s none of my business.¡¯</i>

    Park Hyuk-Jin was basically a stranger to him. However, Yu-Seong never imagined that this would be the beginning of his rtionship with Park Hyuk-Jin.

 Chapter 24

    <h4>Chapter 24 </h4>

    In Jamsil, South Korea, there was a hotel suite located in a building called the Landmark of Korea. Min Young-Hoon sat alone inside the room on a wide sofa and drank strong whiskey straight from the bottle. A hideous scar on his left cheek twitched.

    ¡°Ha-!¡±

    Thinking of the situation that transpired only a moment ago made him feel so ridiculous that he was about to go ballistic.

    ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous that the majority of the masters of the top ten guilds are such cowards¡­¡±

    Min Young-Hoon clicked his tongue as he wrote them off as cowards without any hesitation. In fact, Young-Hoon was confident in himself because of his position and ability. He was the vice master of the Heaven Guild and an S-rank level thirty yer. Heaven guild was considered the second strongest among Korea''s top ten guilds.

    A week ago, he had sent an email to all of the top ten guilds. The contents exined thattely, the Comet Group was preparing to enter the hunter guild market and that the guilds needed to work together to prevent this from happening.

    Young-Hoon had rented a hotel suite worth more than ten million won a night for the meeting and even prepared his own ns. However, none of the masters from the guilds actually showed up to the meeting. Although Min Young-Hoon had contacted everyone and confirmed that the masters didn¡¯t have anything special nned¡ªexcept Oh Hyun-Woo who was the master of Heaven Guild and was away¡ªnone of them showed.

    Six guild masters sent agents instead, and all of them were at least directors of the guilds. The masters were conscious of Young-Hoon¡¯s nickname ¡°Mad Dog¡± and his reputation. However, none of the agents looked happy about the meeting. To be more precise, they showed up to this meeting looking as if they wanted to escape from it as quickly as possible. They kept trying to avoid looking at Young-Hoon¡¯s face.

    Actually, Young-Hoon knew why things turned out this way.

    ¡®<i>They are scared of the Comet Group, I mean Choi Woo-Jae.</i>¡¯

    Young-Hoon ground his teeth and clutched his bottle tighter.

    "Why are they afraid of one dying old geezer..."

    It was true that the old man was a legendary figure as head of the Comet Group and disyed extremely fast development after awakening at such ate age. However, wasn¡¯t he still an old man in the end?

    Min Young-Hoon really couldn¡¯t understand this situation.

    ¡®<i>If my hyung-nim</i> <i>were here at this time¡­¡¯</i>

    No, the situation would be the same.

    On the contrary, Young-Hoon started this all because it was easier for him to proceed without Oh Hyun-woo. After all, this was more of his personal problem. He at least wanted to prevent the Comet Group from entering the guild market somehow, but it didn¡¯t work out the way he imagined. Just as he put his head into his hands, which now was pounding with a headache, the hotel door opened quietly. A young woman with long wavy hair and high heels entered the room with elegant steps.

    ¡°Huh? Were you drinking? I guess things didn''t go as you nned.¡±

    The woman clicked her tongue while speaking to Young-Hoon. She was speaking casually to him, even though he made even the top ten guild masters feel some pressure when speaking to him.

    ¡°...cking.¡±

    After hearing Young-Hoon mumble a curse under his breath, the woman frowned and sat opposite of him. She crossed her legs and asked.

    ¡°Do not curse. What happened?¡±

    Young-Hoon slowly raised his head and looked at her. His eyes were filled with burning heat.

    ¡°Did you really just ask what happened? Everyone was scared and ran away,¡± Young-Hoon spoke angrily. ¡°Choi In-Young, it seemed like they would even bark if your father told them to. Woof woof, woof woof.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You¡¯re being pathetic.¡± Choi In-Young, the fifth oldest member of the Choi family, scolded him as she rolled her eyes.

    ¡°I know,¡± Young-Hoon responded.

    He grabbed the whiskey bottle and ced it against his lips once more. When he tilted his head backward, In-Young jumped out of her seat and stole the bottle.

    ¡°Why-¡­!¡±

    Before Young-Hoon could even say a word, In-Young lowered her head and kissed him. Her tongue slipped past his lips like a snake.

    ¡°Mmm¡­.¡±

    Young-Hoon groaned and gradually calmed down. In-Young slowly swept her hair behind her ears, then withdrew from the kiss. Her eyes shone fiercely.

    ¡°Calm down, Young-Hoon. Calm down and think about it. I know this is frustrating, but you must stop this somehow. You know that if my father makes a guild, it¡¯s obvious that he will allow my second sister to take over as the master. That would effectively wipe out any opportunity for me.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    "You said you want to marry me, and said you are going to make me the chairman of the Comet Group as the wedding present. Aren''t you going to keep your promise?¡±

    "So here I am doing all this to keep my promise," said Young-Hoon with a sigh.

    In-Young sat on Young-Hoon¡¯sp and smiled with her eyes.

    ¡°So don''t get too emotional and try to do things too quickly. Take your time. Got it?¡±

    Her soft touch passed carefully over Min Young-Hoon''s head. Young-Hoon¡¯s eyes were burning and his hand slowly headed toward her chest. In-Young lightly pushed his hand away and spoke with a shining gaze.

    "I''m just saying this because you said it didn¡¯t go well, but I just thought of a good n."

    ¡°What n?¡± Young-Hoon asked.

    He licked his lips as if he felt a bit regretful.

    ¡°My brother Yu-Seong, the ninth child of the Choi family,¡± In-Young began to exin her n.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard he¡¯s been out hunting alely.¡±

    ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°My father doesn¡¯t show it too directly but I know that he does value Yu-Seong quite a lot. And it seems like he¡¯s been favoring him more recently.¡±

    "It was quite controversial when your father protected him when he went around causing trouble,¡± Young-Hoon remarked.

    ¡°You know, Yu-Seong doesn¡¯t know but my father isn¡¯t someone to do things like that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know that very well.¡±

    Wasn¡¯t that why most of the top ten guild masters were so scared? That was why today¡¯s meeting ended up failing.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you think of anything you can do after hearing what I¡¯ve said so far?¡± asked In-Young.

    ¡°About what?¡±

    In response to Min Young-Hoon''s rebuttal, In-Young smiled with her eyes. Then she sat opposite him again.

    ¡°Yu-Seong¡¯s awakening went to his head. He¡¯s been a bit arrogant, and he¡¯s been a bit annoyingtely.¡±

    ¡°Then what, kill Choi Yu-Seong?¡± asked Young-Hoon as his eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°Hey, when did I ever say such a scary thing?¡±

    ¡°Or do you want me to kidnap him or something? Then threaten the old man to stay out of the guild market if he wants to save his son? You really think it''s gonna work?¡± Young-Hoon seemed skeptical

    No matter how much the father cared about Yu-Seong, their opponent was Choi Woo-Jae, known to be cold-blooded. He would snort and tell them to do whatever they wanted to do.

    ¡°Well, I bet it would work for at least a bit,¡± In-Young disagreed. Her thoughts were different from Young-Hoon''s.

    ¡°Even my oppas don¡¯t know how much that cunning old man cares about Yu-Seong,¡± she continued.

    "Then that makes it even more clear that we shouldn¡¯t. If we mess with Yu-Seong, I¡¯ll be dead too.¡±

    The fact that he cursed the other guilds didn¡¯t mean that he was not afraid of Choi Woo-Jae at all.

    "Who told you to do it yourself? You have lots of followers under yourmand. And you also have me,¡± In-Young said as she pointed to herself with her index finger. It seemd as if she was frustrated.

    ¡°Even if doesn¡¯t care about me as much as he cares about Yu-Seong, my father still cares about me quite a lot,¡± she continued.

    ¡°....¡±

    "And there''s no need to kill or hurt him. You don¡¯t have to lock him up somewhere either. He¡¯s still my brother. Do you think I would want to do such horrible things to my younger brother? Just take him to a ce that''s hard to reach for a while. We just need to make my father focus on that."

    ¡°And if I do that, what happens?¡± questioned Young-Hoon.

    "Do you think my oppas would act any differently than me? We¡¯re all working together and making the guild business copse,¡±

    ¡°It would just be stalling for time.¡±

    In-Young sneered at Young-Hoon¡¯s words and ced the bottle she took away from him on the table. Then she stood up.

    ¡°I can take care of that. Meanwhile, there¡¯s no need to do something you don¡¯t want to do. It just means¡­ that¡¯s all your feelings towards me amount too. At least, that¡¯s what I will be forced to think.¡±

    In-Young showed a sweet smile and left the suite as if she had no regrets. It looked like she really had expected nothing from him.

    After she left, Min Young-Hoon looked casually at the closed door. He lifted up the bottle again and muttered.

    ¡°...Bitch.¡±

    Before he knew it, his hand found and picked up the phone that was thrown somewhere on the sofa.

    "Hey, it''s me. There¡¯s something you should do for me. The risk is quite high. The target is one of the Choi family members of the Comet group.¡±

    Min Young-Hoon tapped the back of his cell phone with his index finger in spite of himself. He looked nervous somehow.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s results from thest five days hunting were certainly not negligible, especially with the effects of the hunting experience boost potion and the Star Factor assisting him.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 20

    Type: All-Rounder

    Rank: E

    Level: 38

    Retention History:1

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E

    General Skills: Stylish F, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Vision-Reinforcement F, Physical-Reinforcement F, Dodge Roll F

    Current Disabled Skill Space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite normal skills except for the initial skills. ¡»

    In the early evening, Yu-Seong returned home and sat at the table after taking a shower. He couldn¡¯t stop smiling the entire time.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s like this, I''ll be able to achieve a D rank within a month.¡¯</i>

    It wasn''t only his level either; as his skill experience increased, his skills'' ranks had also risen. The pace of leveling had slowed downpared to the first day, but he didn''t care much about that. The growth rate was naturally designed to slow as time passed by. Moreover, the most surprising thing about the results was that he had used the hunting experience boost potion on only two of thest five days.

    In fact, that was the only decision he could make.

    Yu-Seong currently had no Karma points left, and he had only five bottles of the hunting experience boost potion. However, he wasn¡¯t worried about it too much. He already sent a few people to obtain the materials needed to remake the potion. The materials he needed were items that yers usually didn¡¯t purchase. Also, even though items that appeared insignificant were sometimes traded for high prices in the dimensional stores, he could still get his hands on them. As such, he was certain that he would be able to procure a sufficient amount in the near future.

    <i>''Using the Jin sibling¡¯s Karma points is not an option.¡¯</i>

    The Jin siblings would lend him the Karma points if he asked, but this was something that he wouldn¡¯t consider as an option.

    There were so many ways that Karma points could be used directly to strengthen the yer.

    And of course, he wasn¡¯t desperate to obtain the potions by hindering the Jin sibling¡¯s growth. They would grow stronger and continue to be great allies to him.

    His current method of leveling up wasn¡¯t bad either. Actually, it was plenty fast enough. Realizing this, Yu-Seong''s mood improved day by day.

    <i>''Now I just need to sort out about collecting supporters.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong saw Chae Ye-Ryeong, who was getting ready to go home.

    And just in time, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes met her eyes, though she had already been staring at him. She had a tiny body. She smiled awkwardly and lowered her head with an anxious expression.

    "I am heading home now," said Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    "Good work today, see you tomorrow," Jin Yu-Ri called out to her.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Jin Do-Yoon also said his farewell.

    Ye-Ryeong smiled and waved at their goodbyes. Then she stopped her brisk pace and looked back.

    ¡°Oh, umm¡­ sir,¡± Ye-Ryeong trailed off.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Ye-Ryeong didn¡¯t leave right away as usual. She looked at Yu-Seong.

    "My younger siblings wanted me to give you their thanks."

    ¡°...Sorry?¡±

    ¡°The truth is that I don¡¯t have any parents, but I have three younger siblings.¡±

    The Jin siblings and Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes quivered after the unexpected admission from Ye-Ryeong. However, the three felt something different. First, Jin Do-Yoon couldn¡¯t stop his eyes from quivering after discovering the truth. He couldn¡¯t help but think of how young she was. Naturally, he felt sympathy for her.

    On the other hand, Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri were already aware of Ye-Ryeong¡¯s situation through their own methods. However, the two had not predicted that Chae Ye-Ryeong would say it herself. They did not expect that she would have the courage to tell her story because she was too young and carried a lot of burdens on her shoulders.

    "My life has improved a lot thanks to the two of you and you, sir. Recently, I was able to move out from the top of the shantytown and into a small apartment. I also heard from the real estate woman that unnicame and asked them to lower my new apartment¡¯s rent,¡± said Ye-Ryeong.

    This time, Yu-Seong looked surprised at Yu-Ri. He was wondering what Ye-Ryeong meant by saying thank you to ¡®the two of you¡¯ as well. Now he had an answer to one of his questions.

    ¡°And Jin Do-Yoon oppa asked the aunties to give me the leftover side dishes whenever I go home."

    Suddenly, Do-Yoon¡¯s face turned red. He had not known the details of her situation before now.

    He helped her because he figured that she was going through hard times if she had to work at her age.

    ¡°It was nothing. That woman didn¡¯t need to tell you that though,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Hem, hm.¡± Do-Yoon cleared his throat.

    Yu-Ri turned her eyes to the ceiling while fumbling her hands in the air while Do-Yoon kept looking at the ground.

    ¡°You both¡­.¡± Yu-Seong began. He looked at the two with a big but pleasant smile.

    ¡°And sir?¡± Ye-Ryeong called out Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    "To be honest, I thought you might be a bad guy like the rumors said.¡±

    ¡°You said ¡®thought,¡¯ in the past tense, so that means that you don¡¯t think that way anymore. In fact, that¡¯s a good thing right?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Yes!¡± answered Ye-Ryeong in a proud and loud voice. She then bowed her head to Yu-Seong.

    "Now, I''m really grateful. Thanks to you, my younger siblings¡¯ faces are brighter and their health has improved a lot. It¡¯s all because of you, master. My siblings said they are truly grateful to you. They said they wanted to thank you personally but I said that I would say it for them because I know you are busy.¡± continued Ye-Ryeong.

    Yu-Seong scratched his cheek.

    "I''m rather grateful to hear that."

    He knew it well because he was originally an orphan. It was not easy to have such a kind heart after experiencing hardships at such a young age without a parent. However, not only Chae Ye-Ryeong, but all her younger siblings were still warmhearted. He felt his own heart warming.

    ¡®<i>All I did was to give her some money, and it wasn¡¯t even that much.</i>¡¯

    Moreover, that was still something like a future investment strategy of his, but the returns he gained today made him feel quite strange.

    "Thank you very, very much. It''s not enough, but I''ll do my best. Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow as well!" Ye-Ryeong spoke with augh.

    Her eyes seen through her hair were filled with joy. Such a pure, innocent appearance was refreshing.

    Choi Yu-Seong and the Jin siblings alsoughed with her. Ye-Ryeong bowed once again and ran outside. Her face had turned red, perhaps embarrassed.

    Only the three of them were left.

    "I actually... I didn¡¯t understand why you hired her,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Is that why you went all the way to her house and tried to help her?¡± replied Yu-Seong.

    "Those are two separate matters. I just felt so bad for the kids."

    Yu-Ri did not ask Yu-Seong how he knew about Chae Ye-Ryeong''s family situation.

    Since it was Yu-Seong that decided to hire her, Yu-Ri would try her best to thoroughly investigate her. It was just how she was. She always crossed the Ts and dotted the Is. And fortunately, Chae Ye-Ryun did not seem to be particrly displeased with this.

    ¡°Continue on, so?¡±

    "I just thought it wouldn''t be a bad thing to help her, even though it could end up meaningless.¡±

    "It turns out that the young master already knew all the facts,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°Uh¡­Sort of?¡± responded Yu-Seong.

    Do-Yoon looked at Yu-Seong after hearing Yu-Ri¡¯s exnation. His eyes were sparkling and likely to even start crying soon.

    "I''m very... very proud of you, young master," said Do-Yoon.

    "No way! Brother, are you crying?¡± asked Yu-Ri.

    "No, I was just a little touched."

    "That''s what crying means. How old are you?¡± Yu-Ri picked on Do-Yoon.

    Looking at the two, Yu-Seong couldn''t exin that he hired her because he knew that she would develop outstanding abilities in the future. There was definitely something that Choi Yu-Seong felt from this incident.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done a good deed.¡±

    It was something he had never thought about before since he never had the luxury of having something to give. For the first time, he learned what it was like to do something for others.

    1. Hyung-nim is meant to be spoken from one male to an older male in a more respectful way

    2. address towards an older brother in Korea

    3. an address towards an older sister in Korea

 Chapter 25

    <h4>Chapter 25 </h4>

    The next day, Yu-Seong went hunting again as usual. He burned with the desire to achieve the max level of E-rank within a month. He had no need for a break.

    The Jin siblings had been following him to his hunting spot for several days now, and they saw him off more calmlypared to the beginning. Perhaps they felt increasing relief from seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s safe returns after going hunting alone.

    ¡®<i>Even so, they never forget to remind me not to let my guard down.¡¯</i>

    Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes were always filled with sincere worry and goodwill. This was rather surprising since they weren¡¯t actually a part of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s family. And before possessing this body, Yu-Seong had shown obvious signs of annoyance toward them even though he didn¡¯t outrightly ignore them.

    Then, why did the two care so much about Yu-Seong when he had given them enough reason to dislike him? Due to the original novel¡¯s poor settings, there was no way for him to figure out the entire story of Yu-Seong, as he had always been a minor character since the beginning of the story; except for the scene where Choi Woo-Jae was murdered.

    <i>¡®If there was a backstory, it wouldn''t be something ordinary</i>¡­¡¯

    Choi Yu-Seong had also experienced social life, so he knew that rtionships between humans were not so simple. Just because one showed favors to another did not necessarily mean that they would receive a proportionate response.

    Thepany had a new employee who seemed to be having a hard time. Yu-Seong tried showing support by being kind to him, but that simply made him a pushover.

    Of course, that might have happened because of the particr person¡¯s characteristics, considering that humans wereplex. However, it was clear that the two siblings¡¯ enthusiastic support wasn¡¯t done thoughtlessly. This was especially true for Jin Yu-Ri, who had a lot of doubts and was rather cold-hearted.

    <i>¡®It would be easier to understand if it¡¯s a rational emotion</i>.¡¯

    To put it bluntly, there was not an ounce of such emotion in the rtionship between Jin Yu-Ri and Choi Yu-Seong. Rather, her feelings were somewhat closer to motherly love as he once recalled.

    ¡®<i>Should I ask her directlyter?</i>¡¯

    Why in the world would the two of them cherish this character, Choi Yu-Seong, so much? If he tried to ask, his face might turn red with embarrassment and he might not be able to properly bring up the subject.

    ¡°...I may have to drink a ss of alcohol,¡± Choi Yu-Seong mumbled to himself while entering the dungeon.

    He was now used to entering it alone. He blinked.

    A rather dizzy sensation passed by, and only a dark underground cave revealed itself to him. It was probably because he was near the entrance. If he proceeded a little further, he would find a lot ofplicated, tangled tunnels.

    From today, Choi Yu-Seong was heading to a level 2 dungeon located in Mokdong instead of the level 1 dungeon he had been in for the past few days. He gained confidence as he got used to hunting alone, and so he hade to a higher-level dungeon for the first time. The higher-level dungeon would give him more experience to elerate his level up.

    "I''ve heard of it, but it''s really a dungeon. It is humid, damp, and a bit sticky¡­¡±

    The feeling itself was not particrly pleasantpared to the in field. Yu-Seong checked the portal to return to the earth, which emitted blue light behind his back. Then, he retrieved and opened the map from the deepest part of his battle suit. The map was prepared by Yu-Ri in advance.

    <i>''Since it might get ripped during the battle.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong nned to memorize the shape of the road as much as possible before he started. There was nothing to lose by being thoroughly prepared.

    ***

    Jin Yu-Ri was sitting in a chair, looking at her phone near the ¡®Dungeon Square¡¯ building by the yer Association. She raised her head from the cell phone. The Dungeon Square was not noticeable since there were many people passing by and it was located in a busy area, but she noticed that there were quite many hunters entering the Dungeon Square.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that there are more people than back in our day?¡±mented Yu-Ri.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the number of yers increases by the year,¡± answered Do-Yoon with a nod.

    Even about eight years ago, when she had just awakened, the news often reported the increasing numbers of yers. Since eight years have passed since then, it was a given that there would be more yers than before. However, the world still wanted more yers and hoped that the number of hunters would keep increasing.

    It was an obvious thing. A D-rank hunter was considered as abatant who could fight a fully armed toon unit. Also, only hunters could fight against the monsters that used bizarre magic. Modern firearms didn¡¯t work against such monsters.

    In this era, the hunters who were outstanding in either attacking or defending were an important resource, and they were sufficient to enhance the position of their country.

    ¡°It has already been about 3 hours since he went in.¡±

    ¡°I assume that he will take the whole half day,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    "It''s fascinating to think about it. I didn''t expect Yu-Seong oppa to change so quickly."

    ¡°Maybe that was his intention from the very beginning.¡±

    "You sound so positively naive,"mented Yu-Ri.

    "Well, as you may remember, the young master was originally a person of great caliber." Jin Do-Yoon refuted as Yu-Ri gave a cold smile. His wistful eyes traced the past as if he was recalling memories.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that Yu-Seong oppa stood outpared to his peers when he was young. But if he¡¯s really a person of great caliber, he wouldn¡¯t have be crooked like that.¡±

    ¡°A sleeping dragon crouches low and bides for the right time. Young Master must have some big n that we don¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not. I¡¯d rather say that there¡¯s some psychological change in him. Recently, there¡¯s someone who might have influenced Yu-Seong oppa...¡±

    The Jin siblings simultaneously recalled the person with somewhat arrogant eyes, the person who was a rising star of this era.

    ¡°No way, did he change because of Kim Do-Jin?¡±

    "...I don''t want to admit it.¡±

    "Me neither."

    The two felt curiously anxious ever since Do-Jin had first approached Yu-Seong. And even now, that feeling still remained. They just had too many doubts regarding Kim Do-Jin.

    Kim Do-Jin was a genius of the era, suddenly appearing like aet. He had beautiful swordsmanship that everyone truly admired. Although he could be seen as arrogant, his personality was highly regarded. He was a perfectionist who seemed perfect and blemish-free, yet he had taken the initiative to connect with Choi Yu-Seong.

    In fact, it was strange for any sense of strong adoration toward someone like Yu-Seong toe about without any good reason. But what if Kim Do-Jin had caused a positive change in Yu-Seong?

    <i>¡®Did that stuck-up guy make some kind of miracle or something?¡¯</i>

    To some extent, the Jin siblings knew what Kim Do-Jin was truly made of. They shook their heads at the same time.

    ¡°Jin Yu-Ri, Jin Do-Yoon.¡± Two men in dark sunsses and ck suits approached the siblings.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Are you pretending to be the Iron Wall?¡± Yu-Ri spoke leisurely but she was somehow anxious.

    <i>¡®Who sent these guys?¡¯</i>

    They had a tempered body and their eyes glinted coldly beneath the sunsses. The Jin siblings could tell from their appearance alone that they did note with favorable intent. Jin Yu-Ri remained smiling as she subtly reached out to try and grab the man¡¯s cor.

    Suddenly, the tip of Yu-Ri¡¯s jaw felt a cool and cold sensation. She quickly stopped her outstretched hand. Her mouth twisted up into a smile.

    ¡°You have a good sense, huh?¡±

    ¡°You too. You have such sticky fingers, little girl.¡° The man looked at Jin Yu-Ri with his hands in his pocket. A blue haze rose from the man¡¯s eyes.

    .

    A very small blue light was shining sharply under her chin. The light was so small that it could be mistaken to be a harmless dot.

    <i>¡®This guy¡¯s skill is above average.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri herself was an A-rank psychic type yer. She was confident of her speed even within the same ranked yers. However, the opponent¡¯s ability had been almost up to par with hers. The man wasn¡¯t just a decent amateur who simply looked like an expert.

    <i>¡®Who are they? What¡¯s their intention?¡¯?</i>

    Her eyes were filled with doubts and she tensed up slightly.

    ¡°Do you want to save Yu-Seong?¡± asked the stranger.

    As soon as Yu-Seong¡¯s name was mentioned, Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s shoulders twitched. Jin Yu-Ri stopped him by raising her hand. Her eyes were also cold. Gone were the curious questions and calctions, having been reced by fury and anger.

    ¡°Think before you speak. From now on, anything you spit out is at your own peril,¡± warned Yu-Ri.

    However, the man did not make a single movement even after the harsh threat. He simply said, ¡°We¡¯ve secured Choi Yu-Seong by releasing our people in the dungeon. If you desire to save his life, follow me quietly.¡±

    ¡°Did you say you messed with the Choi family? You seem to have multiple lives,¡± sneered Yu-Ri.

    When the man seemingly didn¡¯t care about her reaction and turned his back, she frowned at his receding back.

    The men walked away without hesitation.

    <i>¡®It could be a trap.¡¯</i>

    No, Yu-Ri was more than fifty percent sure that this was a trap. It would be foolish to believe and act ording to these unknown men¡¯s words, but¡­ Even if she would be branded a criminal by entering the dungeon, that was probably the right decision instead of chasing down the men right now.

    However, there was too little information. She had to make a rational judgment in such circumstances. It would be much of a relief if the buff men¡¯s words were false.

    <i>¡®Then, Yu-Seong oppa will definitely be able toe out of the dungeon safely.¡¯</i>

    If that happened, she had an appropriate measure prepared.

    Yu-Ri pressed the emergency call button on the cell phone from inside her pocket. She made sure that it rang three times before ending the call. With this, a great portion of her anxiety was relieved.

    In the case that Yu-Seong returned safely from the dungeon, she would have nothing to worry about. The men in suits may be speaking the truth, however¡­ It was an extremely small possibility, but the Jin siblings could never turn a blind eye to any possibility.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go after them,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°Fuck,¡± cussed Yu-Ri. With a nod, she got up.

    In fact, the two already knew what they had to do. As long as Choi Yu-Seong was involved, they would even walk into something that was bound to be a trap. They could note up with any other conclusion, even if the men in suits were higher-ranking yers than the Jin siblings. The siblings would risk their life if they needed to.

    <i>¡®If they touched a single strand of hair on Yu-Seong oppa¡¯s head¡­¡¯</i>

    A-rank yer? Or some kind of a big organization? It didn¡¯t matter.

    <i>¡®I''ll chase them to the end of hell and kill them all.¡¯</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri ground her teeth and chased after the men. Then, she suddenly turned her head. ¡®<i>Did it just¡­.</i>¡¯

    Do-Yoon also turned and was surprised. They looked at each other and frowned. They seemed to be having the same thought.

    ¡°...I am not too keen on this, yet there is no way but to trust it,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°Agreed.¡± Yu-Ri nodded.

    ***

    About three hours had passed since Yu-Seong first entered the dungeon. He spent that time adapting to the underground cave-type field, which he hadn¡¯t previously encountered. He was initially worried about the restrictions on movement in the field, but it wasn''t as significant as he had thought. The cave was wide enough for four or five monsters to attack simultaneously. It was darker than thend-type field, but he adapted in less than ten minutes thanks to the effect of vision-reinforcement E.

    However, he had two unsurprising problems ¨C the moisture and difort of the underground environment, and theplicated geography. The difficulty regarding the directions could be solved through the map somehow, but the former was a little different.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s definitely more ufortable than spending time in the wide field.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong pulled out his spear from the head of the monster Noll and continued thinking. While walking through the cave, he thought that the spear was heavier than usual. He shook off the blue blood running down the de of the spear and ced it in the back holder attached to thebat suit. Then, he opened the map and checked his location.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s an open space after a 20-minute walk from here.¡¯</i>

    He looked at a blue star marked by Yu-Ri, which made it clear that it was a resting ce where monsters usually did not appear.

    Choi Yu-Seong made that resting ce his first destination.

    <i>¡®Since I¡¯m slowly getting used to the dungeon, let¡¯s take a short break and activate the History to herding hunt.¡¯?</i>

    Still, it was a decision that could be drawn as it was not difficult to deal with the level two monster noll. Perhaps it was due to his hard work leveling up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Yu-Seong stepped forward and spoke up with a rather light and powerful voice to shake off the dampness of the dark cave. However, he had to stop walking forward after less than three minutes.

    He could hear the sound of people¡¯s footsteps from the direction of the open space he was heading to.

    Then, three hunters appeared. In terms of numbers, they appeared to be a regr party. However, they had silently walked down the cave only to halt upon bumping into Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong felt a chill run down his back and an unknown feeling of anxiety. He stopped and looked at his opponents. The three seemed to murmur something among themselves. Then, suddenly, they started running toward him.

    <i>¡®What the heck are they?¡¯?</i>Suspicious, He turned around and ran without hesitation.

    Sure enough, the silent men suddenly raised their voices, ¡°Catch him-! He¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    As he ran, Yu-Seong saw two men walking toward him from the front. They took out their respective weapons and ran forward as if they were responding to the shouts. Both his front and back were blocked in the narrow corridor.

    ¡®<i>...</i><i>It is a catch-22. Stuck between these two groups of men.?</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong had no ce to escape. He clicked his tongue and reached behind his back, grabbing the spear. He was surprised but quickly recovered hisposure. In fact, there were all sorts of people who would target him: the Viins who wanted money, his siblings who disliked him, and moreover, Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®I have no idea what¡¯s going on, but I can¡¯t just let them beat me up.¡¯</i>

    It was something that Yu-Seong had prepared for when he had first entered the dungeon. The world inside the dungeon was often devoid of the worldlyws. It was a ce hidden from the rest of the world. There was only one rule that always stood true in the dungeons.

    <i>¡®Survival of the fittest.¡¯</i>

    Thinking back, this was a familiar situation for him.

    <i>¡®Ever since my birth, when I became possessed by a novel¡­.¡¯</i>

    The guy named ¡®Life¡¯ had never ever let Yu-Seong live a smooth life.

    <i>¡®There is no difference.</i>¡¯

    Nothing had changed. And so, he was not afraid.

    ¡°Caught him-!¡±

    The men were already at a close distance from him.

    Using his spear, Yu-Seong deflected the sword that his opponent had swung with a grin. Then he aimed his spear at the man running at him from the back.

    The man freaked out and dodged the attack.

    ¡°Ho, how is that possible?!¡±

    ¡°I was told that he was E-rank!¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong broke through the road with small movements, then leaped forward. <i>¡®Better a live coward than a dead hero,¡¯?</i>he thought.

    Therefore, even if the current world was unfolding inside a fictional novel, or even if a terrible death worthy of a viin awaited him at the end¡­ he would not choose an easy andfortable path.

    Even if he had to grit his teeth, clench his fists, and crawl on the floor, he would¡­

    ¡°I will survive. I am never giving up.¡±

    This was a way of life chosen by the human Choi Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 26

    <h4>Chapter 26 </h4>

    Yu-Seong was first aware of the three men behind him and the two in front of him. He thought that there were only five enemies in total, but there were actually more of them.

    <i>¡®It hasn¡¯t been long since I passed two of them but now, three suddenly showed up from the side path.</i>¡®

    The level two dungeon-¨Cthe cave of the nolls¡ªwas soplicated that it was inconvenient to navigate without a map. Thus it was not strange for new enemies to suddenly appear in Yu-Seong¡¯s path. However, it made the situation even more difficult, because of the unexpectedly high number of men. There was also a possibility that Yu-Seong could be facing even more than eight enemies.

    <i>¡®The highest rank capable of entering a level two dungeon is D.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s path was blocked by the men. He looked at his opponents and gulped. Unlike the two careless two men he had easily passed, these three men had quite a serious expression on their faces.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down!¡±

    ¡°If we lose him, we will all die!¡±

    The pursuers shouted while chasing after Yu-Seong. It was highly likely that these three men were cautious because they could hear the pursuers shouting.

    ¡°It might be the cave. Don¡¯t you think their shouts are echoing a bit too much?¡± Yu-Seong asked his opponent. The more time passed, the more advantage he would have in this situation. It would be easier to deal with them if he knew the opponent''s intention.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about ying petty tricks¡­.¡±

    And speaking with them made it easier to get them to slip up and be careless. Yu-Seong cut off the man¡¯s words and attacked. He aimed at the opponent¡¯s throat using his spear.

    The man standing to the left extended his arm forward. A transparent barrier appeared and deflected Yu-Seong''s spear.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a Psychic-type, a defensive barrier skill yer.¡¯</i>

    Psychic-type yers were usually harder to deal with than physical types. One could battle Physical type yers directly, but it was harder to determine what kind of abilities Psychic types possessed and how they utilized it unless battling them directly.

    ¡°How arrogant¡­!¡± The man who narrowly avoided getting stabbed by Yu-Seong¡¯s spear swung his fist while speaking. His face was red. Immediately, the man¡¯s arm hardened like a rock.

    Yu-Seong kept his eyes on the man¡¯s arm as the man bent down. He caught sight of something wriggling below the ground. <i>¡®Something ising.</i>¡¯ He quickly swung his spear sideways and jumped slightly into the air.

    <i>Paat-!?</i>

    After a short dy, tree roots shot out from the ground and covered the spot where Yu-Seong had upied a moment ago.

    ¡°Tsk.¡± The man standing on the right clicked his tongue.

    Yu-Seong felt a chill run down his spine. If he made a mistake, he would get caught right away.

    <i>¡®Only five are left. I wanted to save the rest for as long as possible, since only a limited number remains, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    He didn¡¯t have a choice but to use the skill¡ªInsight. There were simply too many people to deal with, and they were quite formidable as well. He knew it would be too difficult to fight them without using the skill.

    In an instant, blue energy zed in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. He could feel his field of vision was rtively broadening.

    <i>¡®This¡­.¡¯?</i>

    Was it because the rank of skill had increased from F to E? The radius he gained from Insight seemed wider than before.

    Yu-Seong peeked at the opponent¡¯s system stats right away. His lips twisted into a sneer.

    <i>¡®All three of them are D-rank yers?¡¯?</i>

    If so, those chasing from behind were also likely to be D-rank yers.

    ¡°This is quite funny, a bunch of D-Ranks chasing after an E-Rank yer. Have you heard of the saying ¡®Use a Sledgehammer to Crack a Nut¡¯?¡±

    ¡°...¡± The three men could not hide their surprise after Yu-Seong discovered their rank, but they still moved quickly. The man with the stone fist instantly arrived in front of Yu-Seong and punched him.

    Yu-Seong tilted his head to the side and avoided the attack. Then, he quickly threw himself to the floor.

    <i>¡®Dodge Roll F!¡¯</i>

    The skill was inelegant and did not quite match Yu-Seong¡¯s Stylish skill. However, it was currently the best skill that enabled him to roll to avoid the opponent¡¯s attack.

    Because of that, Choi Yu-Seong was able to close the distance to the yer with the shield skill. In a way, it was that skill that made the fight most difficult for him.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The man snorted and expanded his shield.

    Yu-Seong rolled on the floor after seeing the man and got up quickly. He then threw his spear without hesitation. The spear bounced off with a shockwave. Yu-Seong dashed forward and grabbed the spear.

    At the same time, tree roots appeared from the ground. It rose from where Yu-Seong was positioned tond, and spread out like the arms of an evil sprite.

    ¡°Gotcha, you brat!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± snorted Yu-Seong. A translucent shield instantly formed under his feet, blocking the soaring tree roots and permeating back into the ground.

    ¡°That guy, how can he use that shield skill?!¡±

    ¡°This wasn¡¯t in the profile we were given!¡±

    Yu-Seong left behind the bewildered voices and struck the opponent¡¯s shield with his spear. He instantly struck the same spot more than five times and caused cracks to appear in the D-rank yer¡¯s shield.

    ¡°You bastard!¡±

    The yer with the stone fist came after Yu-Seong and swung his arm aggressively.

    "Hey, you crazy bastard!"

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Yu-Seong used the Dodge Roll skill once again without hesitation, and as a result, the stone fist mmed hard onto another opponent¡¯s shield.

    <i>Boom!</i>

    ¡°Kuac-!¡±

    There was a sound of the shield breaking along with a bloody cough.

    Yu-Seong quickly got up, using the spear as a cane. He dashed forward andnded a firm kick to the shield-skilled yer¡¯s jaw.

    ¡°Kuah-!¡± The shield yer¡¯s broken teeth ttered to the ground along with blood. His eyes rolled back as he fell. He wouldn¡¯t die, but the attack was definitely enough to knock him out.

    ¡°Got one guy. D-rank isn¡¯t anything much after all.¡± Yu-Seong purposefully showed a rxed smile and dashed forward. The more aggravated the opponent was, the better. The more they lost their cool, the more they would struggle to show their true skills. In addition, it would make it more inconvenient for them to work together.

    Five more men finally arrived at the battlefield where Yu-Seong was fighting with the three men. The five raised their voices, which had a mixture of coldness and aggression.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?! Can¡¯t the three of you catch a single person?!¡±

    ¡°Did that bastard fall on his back?¡±

    ¡°Ignore him! Who cares if he gets eaten by monsters or not!¡±

    ¡°I am going to kill you, Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    After provoking the men and running away, Yu-Seong recalled the map that he previously memorized. He had a blurry image of the map but if he concentrated, he could remember his current location at least.

    <i>¡®The situation isn¡¯t looking too good, though.¡¯</i>

    It was obvious that, even if it was Yu-Seong, there was no way he could win against seven D-rank yers. He had to run for the exit, but his location wasn¡¯t good. In addition, there were three crossroadsing up ahead.

    <i>¡®But I can get closer to the exit if I change directions after choosing the first one.¡¯</i>

    As long as he got out of the dungeon, the unidentified enemies could no longer attack Yu-Seong. If they attacked in front of where the yers from the yer Association could stand witness, it meant they were obvious viins. But if that were the case, they wouldn¡¯t have targeted Yu-Seong inside the dungeon.

    Yu-Seong arrived at the first crossroads that he was expecting to face. He quickly frowned at the two men running out from the path.

    ¡°Found him!¡±

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong had been hoping that they would be an ordinary party, but it appeared the situation wouldn¡¯t be resolved so easily.

    ¡®<i>There¡¯s no end to them. Are they some kind of Chinese army?¡¯?</i>

    He couldn¡¯t even predict how many people were sent to catch him. Right now, there were seven men yelling and chasing after him with weapons like bows and swords. Including those he had defeated, there were at least 10 people after him.

    Yu-Seong gritted his teeth. He became wide-eyed when he saw one of his opponents releasing a bowstring aimed towards him.

    <i>¡®Damn it¡­!¡¯?</i>

    He realized that he had let his guard down.

    An arrow quickly flew through the air and hit his shoulder. But surprisingly, it was the arrow that bent and bounced into the air after the impact, not him. His shoulders trembled for a bit, but that was it. He could only feel a slight soreness in his neck. There was a slight groove on the shoulder steel te of the thickbat suit. But there was no other major impact.

    <i>¡®Yes! As expected of a luxury item!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong yelled with delight on the inside. There was a reason why being overgeared was always a good thing.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that he is still fine even after blocking my arrow.¡±

    Yu-Seong looked at the surprised opponent before piercing his long spear toward the bowman. A sword-wielding opponent then stepped forward and tried to block Yu-Seong¡¯s attack. However, Yu-Seong¡ªexcluding his outstretched spear¡ªfloated into the air. He conjured a shield under his feet, then threw his body forward using the shield as a stepping stone.

    <i>¡®Though it¡¯s a downgraded version of the wind step¡­!¡¯</i>

    Anyway, the n was a sess. The two men¡¯s jaws dropped open after their attacks missed Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Sess. I can get out of here.¡¯</i>

    Now all Yu-Seong had to do was run as fast as he could to the exit. Fortunately, his running speed was slightly faster than the D-rank pursuers due to the Stylish that was activated in the middle of thebat. That meant, he could safely escape from the dungeon if he kept running like this.

    <i>¡®I am almost there, just a little more.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was moving away, little by little.

    The man with the sword¡ªwho was at the forefront of the chase¡ªraised his arm.

    ¡®<i>That¡¯s enough. Damn it. How can an E-rank yer be that fast?¡¯</i>

    ¡°Heuk, heuk.¡±

    ¡°Shit, my crotch is going to be torn apart from chasing him!¡±

    The two Psychic type hunters were less physically capable than the Physical type yers. They exhaled harsh breaths and shook their heads behind Yu-Seong. However, they didn¡¯t look disappointed despite having missed their target.

    ¡°This direction is clearly the way to the exit anyway. Yu-Seong will run as fast as he can to the exit without even knowing what was waiting for him there. Can¡¯t wait to see how he will lose all his strength after he finds out that he¡¯s nothing but a cornered rat in a trap. Hehe.¡± At the words of the sword-wielding man, all other pursuers red their eyes and smiled slyly.

    ***

    Yu-Seong noticed that the distance between himself and his pursuers kept steadily increasing. And since beginning to run, he hadn¡¯t encountered any more enemies.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m almost there.¡¯?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong did not slow down his steps despite being out of breath. He could also afford to lower his guard now.

    <i>¡®But why? I still feel anxious for some reason.¡¯</i>

    The iprehensible sensation continued to hold Yu-Seong back. His heart pumped strongly, as if telling him not to stop running.

    Close to the end of the path, he found a portal. It wasn¡¯t too far away. However, he soon hardened his expression and stopped moving forward.

    ¡°Hey, Choi Yu-Seong is here.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that means that all of them failed. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havee here.¡±

    ¡°I guess he¡¯s the one who passed the hunter exam with the top score.¡±

    Yu-Seong was in front of the narrow passage to the escape portal. There were eight men blocking the road as if they had been waiting for him.

    <i>¡®So there are eighteen D-rank yers sent to catch just me? What the¡­¡¯</i>

    No matter who the opponent was, it seemed that they didn¡¯t expect an easy fight either. Yu-Seong felt like cussing. When he stopped running crazily, his breathing became harsher and the world seemed to be floating in white. His head was pounding, with a slight buzz in his ears.

    ¡°Haak¡­haak¡­.¡± Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but breathe raggedly through his mouth instead of his nose.

    ¡°But that guy looks like he¡¯ll crash to the ground soon.¡±

    ¡°You think he will fall down if I just poke him? Keke.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave your position. If you identally let him go to the portal, it¡¯ll all be over.¡±

    Contrary to their ridicule, those who were blocking the exit stood still and stared at Yu-Seong with caution.

    .

    The nine pursuers chasing Yu-Seong arrived btedly. Theyughed out loud while cursing. Now that they had seeded in cornering him, all they had to do was to catch the prey, Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Is there anyone I could ask for help¡­?¡¯</i>

    It was clear that they had already taken over the dungeon and kicked everyone else out. Thest thing Yu-Seong was hoping for was a miracle, that someone woulde from beyond the portal to help him.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s nonsense.¡¯</i>

    This was a situation where anyone who came in would rather pass him and pretend not to see him.

    Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and wiped the sweat off of his face. At least he had time to catch his breath while the opponent remained standing still. He then asked, ¡°Who sent you here? Is it the ones from the guild? Or my siblings?¡±

    Those blocking the exit shrugged their shoulders after hearing his question.

    Yu-Seong had asked such a question to see their reaction. After observing their reactions, he was convinced that they knew nothing. Otherwise, there was no way that all eight of them could keep such a nk face.

    <i>¡®These guys are just the tail. It doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re cut off.¡¯?</i>

    The guy who had sent them seemed to be a more meticulous figure than Yu-Seong had expected.

    The pursuers who chased Yu-Seong took out their weapons or activated their abilities. They had a sly smile on their faces.

    Yu-Seong had the world against him now. There were enemies on all sides of him. However, he could not just give up even in such an extremely dangerous situation. Backing out was not an option for him. So, he ran forward and raised his mana as much as he could to wrap Spark all over his body and the spear.

    The roots that secretly wrapped under his ankles were the first to burn. They wriggled like earthworms while burning. He could feel his body bing lighter, as if the activated Stylish skill¡¯s effect was amplified.

    <i>¡®</i><i>I have faith in you</i><i>, Stylish.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had confidence in his endurance due to his excessive level of mana, which was overwhelmingly greatpared to other E-rank yers. However, his opponents were D-rank hunters, and there were so many of them too.

    In other words, Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t have multiple opportunities to break through. He needed to break through in one try. Yu-Seong quieted his mind as soon as he kicked off the ground. He knew that this was not a situation where he could get out by doing some calctions in his head anyway. He could only face it head-on with his instincts.

    ¡°He¡¯sing!¡±

    The opponents were eight D-Rank yers. Yu-Seong swung his spear as if he was trying to strike upon spotting a gap. The Spark which jumped out after him immediately swallowed the man at the forefront.

    1. Although the English spelling is gnolls, we went with ¡®nolls¡¯ as it was the spelling used in the raws

 Chapter 27

    <h4>Chapter 27 </h4>

    ¡°Kraarh-!¡± The man screamed but did not back down. He reached out toward Yu-Seong with his eyes wide open.

    Yu-Seong had no intention of fighting head-on for an extended period with this man, who was obviously a Physical defense type yer. He lowered himself and rolled across the ground by using a Dodge Roll. Some of the enemies¡¯ weapons barely missed him; they stabbed into the ground.

    ¡°Everyone, aim your stabs carefully!¡±

    ¡°If he actually dies, we all die!¡±

    Their colleague cried urgently. Those who unhesitantly wielded their weapons at Yu-Seong turned pale.

    <i>¡®Yeah, so they don¡¯t mean to kill me, is that it?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had this assumption tickling his mind, but now that he knew it for a fact, he began to react more aggressively. He jumped up from the floor and stuck out his neck in the direction of the opponent¡¯s knife.

    ¡°Waa-! Damn!¡± The man cursed and quickly turned around, but a long cut was left behind from Yu-Seong¡¯s neck to his face. Blood spurted into the air.

    They were still just D-rank yers. Yu-Seong never expected topletely avoid getting hurt, since his opponent¡¯s skills were somewhatcking. Instead, he seized the opportunity and struck the man¡¯s neck with the shaft of his spear.

    <i>Crack-!?</i>

    Yu-Seong could hear the breaking sound of the bone. The opponent was perhaps, no, almost certainly likely to be dead. However, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t afford to pay attention to the man¡¯s death.

    <i>¡®Just because they have no intention to kill me doesn''t mean that their intention is any good.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t afford to be considerate of his enemies¡¯ circumstances. He gritted his teeth and took a leap forward. He hit the ground and shot toward the portal not far away.

    ¡°No!¡± At that moment, a huge shadow stuck out in front of Yu-Seong. It opened its arms and blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s movement. It was the Psychic-type, defensive barrier skill yer who first blocked him before.

    <i>¡®Spark, full power output.</i>¡®

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t go half-assed. He stretched out his spear with the intention ofpletely finishing the enemy this time. Thunderbolts shot out in all directions and dispelled all Psychic typed or distanced attacks that were approaching to restrain him.

    At the same time, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear struck the opponent¡¯s shoulder. There was the gruesome sensation of steel piercing through flesh, a different feeling from stabbing a monster.

    Choi Yu-Seong frowned. He had been desperately trying to avoid the reality of the situation¡ªthe sensation of crushing and piercing human bodies. This was his first time experiencing something like this.

    ¡°Kuaaah-!¡± In that short time, the man gave up his own shoulder. He was frozen up, desperately clutching onto Yu-Seong as if he didn¡¯t mind bing entirely charred.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Yu-Seong tilted his head with his eyes wide open. The sound of broken bone resounded as a sudden great pain struck him.

    ¡°Khaha-! Got you!¡± The Physical defense-type yer cheered loudly while exhaling white steam

    ¡°Kkeuuu-!¡± Yu-Seong twisted his body to escape, but the more he tried, the more pain he had to endure from the broken arm.

    ¡°You nailed it, Kim Jae-Hyuk!¡±

    ¡°This is why we need a tanker.¡±

    ¡°By the way, how can catching one single E-rank yer cost this much damage¡­.¡±

    The men breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the mission waspleted. They praised Kim Jae-Hyuk, the Physical defense type yer, while clicking their tongues at Yu-Seong.

    Eighteen D-rank yers had been deployed to catch a single early-mid level E-rank yer. Even though the goal had been to capture him alive and not kill him, there had been much more damage than they had expected.

    ¡°Park Sung-Hyung is dead.¡±

    ¡°His neck waspletely twisted.¡±

    Those who checked on the yer who had been hit by the spear pole after swinging his sword at Yu-Seong shook their head. There was pity in their eyes, but no emotions such as anger and sadness. Generally, this was the fate of those who were called the dungeon hunters. It wasn¡¯t a big surprise regarding when and where they died, or what they experienced before their deaths. In the case of Yu-Seong¡¯s abduction, there had been more unexpected variables, but that was all.

    ¡°We won¡¯t kill you, but don¡¯t you dare think about restingfortably. I¡¯ll also break your limbs one by one.¡± Kim Jae-Hyuk threatened Yu-Seong in a low voice.

    Yu-Seong loosened up and his head was down as if he had given up or fainted.

    ¡°Breaking one or two limbs is not enough. I can¡¯t stand the fact that I was mocked by that guy earlier.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough to keep him alive? Let¡¯s pull out all of his nails.¡±

    ¡°Torture is my specialty. I¡¯ll make him suffer just enough for him to not die.¡±

    It was clear from the men¡¯s horrible conversation that they were heinous criminals who thought nothing of a kidnapping.

    ¡°...bolt,¡± muttered Yu-Seong to himself.

    ¡°What is he saying? This¡­¡± Kim Jae-Hyuk tilted his head as he heard Yu-Seong¡¯s voice. ¡°Did you say thunderbolt? Did you?¡±

    ¡°What did¡­¡±

    Suddenly, Spark swirled up from all over Yu-Seong as he raised his head and his eyes lit up.

    In contrast, Kim Jae-Hyuk was overwhelmed by shock all over again. He tensed his both arms.

    ¡°My pain tolerance is D-rank, you know!¡± grinned Jae-Hyuk with his yellow teeth.

    However, he tilted his head when he did not hear the anticipated scream from Yu-Seong. Soon, Jae-Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened after he saw Yu-Seong spreading a thin translucent shield in the gap between his arms.

    <i>¡®How could he make the shield this thin?¡¯?</i>

    Jae-Hyuk had not detected it, nor had he gotten any indication. He was shocked by how Yu-Seong operated his shield. It seemed to be better than the original user. Immediately after, Yu-Seong threw his head back and hit Jae-Hyuk¡¯s chin.

    ¡°Kuck-!¡± Jae-Hyuk frowned and screamed while loosening up his arms. Yu-Seong did not miss his opportunity. He quickly pulled himself down to the ground and rolled to the side.

    Dodge Roll F ¡ú Dodge Roll E

    As soon as the skill level-up message popped up, Yu-Seong stabbed straight down into the ground with his spear and jumped into the air as if he was doing a pole vault.

    ¡°Get him!¡± Jae-Hyuk¡ªwho was proud of his D-rank pain tolerance skill¡ªran out to catch Yu-Seong. Well, he <i>tried to</i> run after him, but something caught his ankle and blocked him. Therefore, his face smashed into the ground and he got a nosebleed.

    ¡°Kuck-!¡± Jae-Hyuk¡¯s eyes widened as he screamed. He found tree roots holding onto his ankles. When he turned his head toward Yu-Seong, he found him winking and raising his hand toward somewhere else.

    <i>¡®Is there a traitor?¡¯?</i>

    In an instant, Kim Jae-Hyuk and all the other men had the same thought. The attention was naturally directed to Park Min, the yer with the ability to summon tree roots and branches.

    Park Min quickly shook his head and waved both hands. ¡°No, I am not! Do you think I am crazy?¡±

    In the meantime, Yu-Seongpletely vaulted across the yers blocking his way.

    <i>¡®Now, if I run about 500m straight¡­¡¯</i>

    He could cross the finish line, the portal. With his quick wits and grit, he had ovee the mightiest barrier. Now he was running swiftly.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to argue about this, stop him!¡±

    ¡°If we fail, we¡¯ll be humiliated.¡±

    A scream-like roar came from behind Yu-Seong. A relieved smile appeared on Yu-Seong¡¯s face as he ran like the wind.

    <i>¡®300m left.¡¯?</i>

    The finish line was just around the corner. However, the moment he thought so, the ground of the dungeon suddenly shook violently.

    ¡°...?!¡± Yu-Seong staggered as he did not have much strength left in his legs. At the same time, part of the ground rose up like a wall in front of his eyes. It was a demonstration of the Psychic earth-type yer¡¯s skills. The yer had been gathering his strength during the long confrontation.

    <i>¡®If I fall down here¡­¡¯</i>

    If the road was blocked again, Yu-Seong would not have enough stamina to escape.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Even as he spoke to himself, Yu-Seong flung himself into the air again, using the spear as a pole. The spear cost nearly 2 billion won in cash, but he didn¡¯t consider this as a waste; his life was more precious than money. This was it; this was the best choice Yu-Seong could make right now. As a result, Yu-Seong mmed his shoulder against the wall of soaring ground.

    <i>Bam-!</i>

    Along with a shock, Yu-Seong trembled with intense pain.

    ¡°Khack, khaack-!¡±

    It felt as if Yu-Seong''s body was breaking apart. He trembled and vomited blood. However, something else bothered Yu-Seong more than that.

    <i>¡®I couldn¡¯t get over it.¡¯</i>

    He was stuck. He failed with only 300 meters left from his goal.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Be careful, he isn¡¯t just a regr E-rank yer.¡±

    The group of yers approached Yu-Seong. They had be less talkative than before, and they were looking at him differently.

    Yu-Seong slowly raised his body while crawling on the floor with both hands, even while suffering and coughing up blood. His bloody eyes remained vignt on the approaching yers. His physical strength was also low and his body condition was a mess, but at least his mental strength was still hanging in there.

    Yu-Seong was still looking for an escape opportunity and was staring at them. He red at them as if he wanted to kill them. Perhaps that was the reason¡­

    Despite it being obvious that Yu-Seong was captured, the kidnappers walked much slower than expected.

    <i>¡®Will it be okay to do this?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®Maybe it will be better to kill him here¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®If we release Choi Yu-Seong in the future¡­¡¯</i>

    Gazes of awe and fear surrounded Yu-Seong, and he was capable of reading the atmosphere.

    <i>¡®If only I can use this vibe¡­¡¯?</i>

    But how? There was no possible way he could think of. Unlike his unfaltering spirit, Yu-Seong was clearly aware that his body had reached its limit.

    <i>¡®If I was stronger¡­¡¯?</i>

    No, he should have been a lot more thorough. He should have been aware that a dungeon was a ce where anything could happen and should have prepared ordingly.

    Did he think that it was impossible to develop himself if he couldn¡¯t get over such a crisis alone? He had to admit that he had been somewhat off guard. His enemies were more cunning and meticulous than he had imagined. They did not wait for him to be stronger and let him gain experiences like the viins in novels,ics, and movies.

    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t have thought of them the same as Choi Min-Seok, the greenhorn¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had been careless. After he had toyed with Choi Min-Seok, he thought everything else woulde easy. His enemies here were monsters who did not mind using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. He exuded his powerful intention. The group of kidnappers gradually closed in even when they were swept by his emotions. They soon arrived in front of Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Sorry, but we did not have any other choice. This is our job. I hope you don¡¯t take it too personally.¡± Kim Jae-Hyuk, unlike his initial attitude, reached out his hand and gave an apology to Yu-Seong. His wounded, thick hand was about to touch Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to touch him.¡± There was a voice from the air and a figure dropped from above like the silver streak of a thunderbolt. The figure was wearing a dark ckbat suit and had short hair and a broad back. They emitted a chilling demeanor.

    Yu-Seong undoubtedly recognized the person despite his blurry vision.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong is mine.¡± The figure gave a cheeky grin.

    ***

    The two men, Gong Sung-Jin and Gong Woo-Jin, were also known as the Gong brothers and they were quite infamous in the Korean mercenary industry. Their main duties included kidnapping, murder, intimidation, robbery, and even escort missions. They were not designated as Viins since they worked together with the ones with authority, but they were practically brutal criminals. In addition, both brothers had outstanding skills as they were A-rank yers.

    Because of that, the brothers¡¯ rate of sess in missions was 100 percent so far. They achieved such an outstanding rate because they did not even ept any tasks they thought they might fail. However, the Gong brothers were still recognized enough to rise to the Top 10 in the industry.

    There were two reasons why the Gong brothers had received the task to kidnap Choi Yu-Seong. Firstly, the amount ofmission was enormous from the risky venture.

    Secondly, they could guess the client¡¯s identity to some extent. The task was dangerous, but their safety could be guaranteed if they seeded. The worst consequences of failing the task were not even in their minds. As always, they wouldn¡¯t have epted this task if they didn¡¯t n to seed in the first ce.

    The trickiest thing in this mission¡ªkidnapping Choi Yu-Seong¡ªwas the two guards by their target¡¯s side, the Jin siblings. They were either a yer of A-rank or B-rank and rarely left Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s side except during their sleep. That was why the Gong brothers waited for Yu-Seong to enter the dungeon. They were aware that people were most afraid of unpredictable situations. With Yu-Seong not in sight, even a little stimulus would force the Jin siblings to follow him.

    So far, everything was going ording to the n and the Gong brothers weren¡¯t too concerned about the situation inside the dungeon either.

    They hired eighteen D-rank yers who were quite involved in this kind of work through five agencies they were familiar with. Even if Yu-Seong passed the hunter test as top honor, he was still an E-rank yer. There was no reason to be concerned about failure.

    While the Jin¡¯s siblings were away, those inside who seeded in kidnapping Yu-Seong would leave Dungeon Square, hide him, then move to the meeting ce.

    The Gong brothers would receive Yu-Seong at the meeting ce and then leave the country for a while. That was it. The mission would clearly end. However, there was an unexpected miscalction.

    The first miscalction was Jin Do-Yoon. They had been given information about him beforehand. Jin Do-Yoon, the Lycanthrope. He was a hunter with more defensive power than most defensive ability users and had the ferocity of a beast.

    It was a general theory within the industry that yers of physical-type and transformation ability could be viewed a half level above their original rank. But even so, he was still only a B-rank yer. There was no reason for Gong Sung-Jin, a curse-type Psychic y, to lose.

    Originally, the biggest counters for simple and ignorant physical-type yers were those with curse-type abilities.

    The advantage of physical-type yers was that both their attacking and defending abilities were superior to the average. The downside was that that was the extent of their specialty.

    If Gong Sung-Jin prevented the opponent from attacking at close range and continued to beat them down from a moderate distance, the opponent would fall into exhaustion.

    Everything seemed to be going ording to the n at the beginning of the battle in the abandoned construction site. But, howe?

    ¡°Ahwoooo-!¡±

    Gong Woo-Jin could not understand why Jin Do-Yoon was howling on top of Gong Sung-Jin. Do-Yoon¡¯s entire body was dyed red and Sung-Jin¡¯s body and face were thoroughly ruined.

    <i>¡®Sung-Jin lost?¡¯</i>

    This was obviously out of the calction, and this was not even the only problem.

    ¡°My oppa is the type of person that doubles hisbat power when he¡¯s angry. Rank isn¡¯t everything, you know,¡± Yu-Rimented.

    Gong Woo-Jin¡¯s face was swollen all over and his eyes opened wide with surprise. Jin Yu-Ri trampled on his head with the shoe¡¯s heel, then struck the floor with a ck whip she had formed on one hand.

    ¡°And for reference, I¡¯m the type of person to be three times crueler,¡± Yu-Ri continued.

    ¡°...Just kill me,¡± Gong Woo-Jin said, biting his lips. Being in this line of work, he was always prepared to die. Although it hade at an unexpected time, it wasn¡¯t particrly unexpected either.

    ¡°What? Do you think I¡¯ll let you die in peace? You must have heard me wrong,¡± Jin Yu-Ri snorted. Her whip slowly started to creep up Gong Woo-Jin¡¯s body starting from his ankle, just like a snake. ¡°You¡¯d better answer my questions as honestly as possible from now on.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you do as you¡­!¡± Gong Woo-Jin flinched before attempting to bite his tongue.

    However, Jin Yu-Ri waved her free hand, and a mass of ck energy appeared in the air in the shape of a rolled-up snake then blocked Gong Woo-Jin¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Hmm¡­?!¡± Gong Woo-Jin trembled when he felt a sticky, cold texture filling the insides of his mouth.

    In the meantime, Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s whip continued creeping up Woo-Jin¡¯s thigh and slowly began digging into his crotch.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get any funny ideas. Blink once if I¡¯m right, and twice if I¡¯m wrong,¡± Jin Yu-Ri said.

    Gong Woo-Jin¡¯s eyes filled with fear and shock when he felt the whip tightening around the area between his legs. ¡°Hmmph¡­ Mmph¡­!¡±

    ¡°Should I rip it out or crush it? If you want to die a clean death¡­ You¡¯d better be honest. Understood?¡± She warned him.

    ¡°Mmpph¡­!¡± Gong Woo-Jin¡¯s head violently shook from left to right. His eyes were filled with absolute fear.

    ¡°Hoho, you poor thing. Why did you mess with someone you shouldn¡¯t have touched? Now, the first question. Is Yu-Seong oppa near here right now?¡±

    ¡°Mmmmpph¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hohoho¡­¡±

    The cry of a wolf, theughter of a snake, and the screams of a human resonated from inside the dark abandoned construction site.

 Chapter 28

    <h4>Chapter 28 </h4>

    Truthfully, Do-Jin could have helped Yu-Seong much earlier. He had entered the dungeon even before Yu-Seong had led the nine D-rank yers to the portal¡¯s vicinity.

    Do-Jin had been watching the fierce battle unfold between Yu-Seong and the kidnappers from a distance without making any sound or revealing his presence.

    Nevertheless, there were two reasons why Do-Jin had not helped Yu-Seong earlier. His first reason was the same reason as why he hade to this ce in the first ce. It was because he had been bothered by Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure he checked my message, but he ignored it anyway.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin had sent a message, but Yu-Seong had left him on read. It was different from the past, when he would still offer a half-hearted response in order to keep his promise.

    There could be a reason. Choi Yu-Seong has definitely changed and be more active. Thus, Do-Jin waited for his response for over a week withoutining.

    It might have been because he was actually busy, or because he could not be bothered with it, or because he felt burdened by the idea of meeting Do-Jin. Do-Jin could think of several possible scenarios, but in the end, it didn¡¯t matter.

    What was important was that Do-Jin had no other way to reach Choi Woo-Jae as easily and quickly than through Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®By using a different method, it¡¯ll take at least two more years.¡¯</i>

    The resentment he had against Choi Woo-Jae was too deep. He could not afford to be patient, since he felt suffocated every day. However, apart from that, it was certainly true that the current situation was extraordinary for Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he knows how to piss people off. It irks me.¡¯</i>

    When Do-Jin was in a world other than Earth, after a certain point, he had never had an obsession to meet anyone. Regardless of their identity, whether they were male or female, old or young, others always struggled to make even the slightest contact with Kim Do-Jin. And most of the time, he also tried to endure the annoyance of unavoidable situations.

    It had not been much different since he came back to Earth. From the perspective of yers and hunters, he was still only at the starting point. However, he had gone through numerous experiences and polished his swordsmanship in another world, which astonished many people on Earth. In addition, his rapid improvement and progress caused others to be in awe.

    That¡¯s why there were already quite a few big movers and shakers in the political world, and the entertainment industry, as well as several famous hunters who wanted to build a rtionship with Do-Jin.

    At the time when even the gods were courting him, only Choi Yu-Seong disregarded Do-Jin and didn¡¯t bother with him. However, Yu-Seong had been no different from the others during their first encounter. In truth, this was because Yu-Seong had known the truth and was scared, but Do-Jin had no way of knowing the truth. It had been a really long time since Do-Jin had been in a somewhat disadvantaged position in rtion with others.

    In the meantime, what interested him was how Choi Yu-Seong had changed.

    At first, Do-Jin felt awkward and unpleasant about this, but honestly, after secretly watching today¡¯s battle, Do-Jin grew more fond of Yu-Seong. The wisdom and wit to search for ways in overwhelmingly unfavorable situations, the persistence and grit to never give up, and even the desperate desire for life¡­ It was unlike the Yu-Seong that others and Do-Jin knew of before.

    As a result, Kim Do-Jin was left with only one conclusion.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a tiger hiding his ws.¡¯?</i>

    It was something he had predicted to some extent after watching Yu-Seong¡¯s hunter exam. However, observing Yu-Seong fight in person reaffirmed that prediction.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong had to hide within his family for some reason.¡¯</i>

    There had been such people among the ancient princes in history. They were scary people who admitted to being powerless, lowered themselves with lies, then crouched and waited for the right time while sharpening their ws.

    It was certainly possible by viewing the Comet Group as a nation and Choi Woo-Jae as the king. Everyone in the Choi family was afraid of Choi Woo-Jae and the main causes of their fear were his wealth, power, and influence.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s one important thing. Fear is a feeling that¡­turns into anger under the right circumstance.¡¯</i>

    There was nothing more to say about Yu-Seong since he was originally in a position of being despised and ignored in the family. It was somewhat unpleasant since he even deceived Kim Do-Jin, but it allowed Do-Jin to disy enough generosity and empathy to understand Yu-Seong¡¯s current situation.

    If Yu-Seong had been vaguely clever, Kim Do-Jin would have chosen another route to kill Choi Woo-Jae, even if he had to go the long way. There was a chance that his n would be revealed and everything would be overturned if he moved poorly.

    However, if Yu-Seong¡¯s stratagem of mind was enough to deceive Kim Do-Jin, then it could work for Choi Woo-Jae as well. On the contrary, it could have led to a more perfect situation if done well. Eventually, there was a little change, but it wasn''t a significant deviation from Kim Do-Jin¡¯s original n.

    <i>¡®Nothing has changed. Choi Yu-Seong is just a tool to kill Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯</i>

    However, in the past, Do-Jin had nned to abandon Yu-Seong after achieving his revenge, but now he intended topletely make Yu-Seong one of his own.

    To do that, several prerequisites were necessary. The first was to make Choi Yu-Seong trust Kim Do-Jin. Anyway, it was strange but Yu-Seong was trying to stay away from him. And so, even if it wasn''t to the kind of awe that others disyed, Do-Jin had to at least create the impression he was trustworthy to Yu-Seong.

    This was the second reason why Do-Jin did not help Yu-Seong much earlier. He had to wait until Yu-Seong was in an extreme crisis. Naturally, humans had no choice but to feel various favorable emotions when a savior appeared in their worst situation. Moreover, if it was a lifesaving benefactor, wasn¡¯t it needless to say more? If possible, it was not a bad idea to stir him up with usible words. At times like this, every word he spat out would inevitably stir Yu-Seong¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong is mine.¡±

    The more sincere it was, the more effective it was. Therefore, Kim Do-Jin was sure that his words would have stirred up Yu-Seong quite a lot.

    Yu-Seong did feel his heart tremble as he heard Kim Do-Jin, who suddenly appeared like a savior.

    <i>¡®Persistent bastard! Does it mean that he is the one who will kill me? That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t want anyone else to touch me? Is that what it means?¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought.

    It was an inevitable chain of thought since Yu-Seong assumed Kim Do-Jin had a grudge against the entire Choi family.

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin¡­!¡±

    ¡°He still hasn¡¯t gone up to C-rank yet?¡±

    The highest limit for entering the level two dungeon was D-Rank. In other words, Kim Do-Jin would have been prohibited from entering if he was a C-rank yer. The kidnappers¡¯ response was natural since there were rumors spreading that Kim Do-Jin would soon rise to C-rank.

    ¡°Ugh¡­ Are you nning on messing with us?¡± Kim Jae-Hyuk red as he spoke like a third-rate viin whileying on the ground with the back of his hand skewed to the ground by Kim Do Jin¡¯s sword.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking a stupid question. I wouldn¡¯t have shown up if I didn¡¯t want to intervene.¡± Kim Do-Jin sneered and spun the sword stuck in the back of Kim Jae-Hyuk¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Kkwackk-!¡± Kim Jae-Hyuk boasted the pain tolerance of D-Rank, but he still screamed and rolled on the ground. He tried to counterattack by swinging his opposite arm in the meantime. Unfortunately, Kim Jae-Hyuk¡¯s fingers were crushed by Kim Do-Jin¡¯s defense as Do-Jin slightly raised his knee.

    ¡°Kkwaack-!¡± It was silent inside the dungeon except for Kim Jae-Hyuk¡¯s scream. Jae-Hyuk was almost crying. Kim Do-Jin could feel the atmosphere quickly subside as he pulled out his sword from the back of Kim Jae-Hyuk¡¯s hand. Then, he cut Kim Jae-Hyuk¡¯s neck without hesitation. It was clean swordsmanship. Not even a single drop of blood was shed.

    ¡°How loud.¡± The atmosphere quickly froze over at Do-Jin¡¯s coldment. Some would call it fear, but Do-Jin was already used to it.

    ¡°You cra, crazy¡­¡±

    ¡°Murderer!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not something I want to hear from criminals. Is that a will?¡± said Do-Jin. After that, he ran forward without hesitation.

    <i>¡®I assume that Kim Do Jin is¡­currently D-rank Max Level.¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought.

    Do-Jin¡¯s rank would temporarily be on hold before the C-rank promotion evaluation.

    Even if it was Kim Do-Jin, it would still be burdensome to deal with more than fifteen equivalent D-rank yers alone. Even in terms of the original novel setting, there were only about ten D-rank yers that Kim Do-Jin could face alone in a full-scale war.

    However, the battle turned out to be a one-sided ughter. There was no such thing as aparable confrontation or crisis. There was one reason for this.

    <i>¡®This is absolutely Kim Do-Jin¡¯s pace.¡¯</i>

    The situation might have turned out a little different if the kidnappers had fought with as muchposure as they did against Choi Yu-Seong. No matter how strong Kim Do-Jin was, he was alone and had to protect Yu-Seong.

    However, Kim Do-Jin had pushed Kim Jae-Hyuk in an instant and showed his apathetic attitude by cutting off Jae-Hyuk¡¯s head at once,pletely taking control of the atmosphere.

    Kim Do-Jin¡¯s reputation, outstanding skills, and heavy vibe erased the idea of ¡®rebellion¡¯ from the kidnappers¡¯ minds. In an instant, more than three kidnappers¡¯ heads flew off and others rushed in ignorantly after losing their reason, all dying helplessly.

    The remaining kidnappers ran away with tears and runny noses to survive. However, Kim Do-Jin didn¡¯t intend to spare any of them. He threw his sword as well as the weapons that were dropped by the deceased kidnappers. Nevertheless, there were still those who survived. Do-Jin pursued the ones he missed and shot them with a bow.

    In an instant, the dungeon¡¯s entrance was filled with only blood and corpses. Yu-Seong, left alone inside the dungeon, trembled.

    <i>¡®The mad killer, that¡¯s who Kim Do-Jin is¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had fought for his life in order not to be captured by the kidnappers. In the meantime, he killed a man and because of that, there were certain emotional ups and downs in his heart. However, there was no such trembling or hesitation found in Kim Do-Jin¡¯s hands.

    It didn¡¯t matter to Do-Jin that the kidnappers didn¡¯t show hostility but feared him and had lost their will to fight. He killed them without showing any emotion. Kim Jae-Hyuk¡¯s death had only been a part of Do-Jin¡¯s process to turn the tides. Kim Do-Jin was such a person.

    <i>¡®He is a monster in the novel, a psychopath.¡¯</i>

    Ethical consciousness, moral conscience? Kim Do-Jin had to abandon all such feelings after he fell into another world alone and had to survive a very long time ago.

    Kim Do-Jin may one day try to kill Yu-Seong. Wasn¡¯t it creepy and scary just thinking of it? Therefore, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t close his eyes even though his consciousness was hazy. His heart couldn¡¯t rx because the person who hade to help him was Kim Do-Jin

    <i>Tip-tap, tip-tap.?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin soon walked in slow steps beyond the cave in the dungeon while wiping blood off his cheek. He was approaching Yu-Seong. He soon stood right in front of Yu-Seong and sat with his knees bent.

    Then he looked at Yu-Seong and said calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They are all dead.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yu-Seong remained speechless.

    ***

    Kim Do-Jin carried Yu-Seong on his shoulder and exited the dungeon. After that, he called the emergency services. Do-Jin confessed that they had confronted criminals who targeted them inside and had been forced to murder them as they had been outnumbered.

    Yu-Seong smiled bitterly at those words. Without realizing it, Yu-Seong¡¯s sharp eyes stabbed Do-Jin in the cheek. Kim Do-Jin lightly patted Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder even though Yu-Seong was certain he had felt that gaze.

    <i>¡®What a madman.¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought.

    Yu-Seong could see Jin Yu-Ri running through the group. Finally, after seeing her, he was able to close his eyesfortably. He did not open his eyes for three days after that. And by the time he opened his eyes again, hisplex thoughts were organized quite clearly.

    ¡°It is true that Kim Do-Jin saved me.¡±

    Yu-Seong had been averse to some of Do-Jin¡¯s actions. However, after contemting for a bit longer, he found that Kim Do-Jin¡¯s judgment was quite reasonable.

    If any of the kidnappers had survived, they would have reported on Yu-Seong¡¯sbat capabilities they had gathered from the battle, and the opponent might have targeted him by preparing a more threatening weapon. Perhaps, with the current situation in mind, they might even prepare against Kim Do-Jin. In other words, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s decision to kill all enemies in order not to create a bigger crisis for Yu-Seong¡­

    <i>¡®It is actually a reasonable judgment.¡¯</i>

    It could be said that Do-Jin had acted just as a main character in the novel would do. Perhaps the indolent thoughts of Yu-Seong could be rather poisonous in a world like this. If he disagreed with Kim Do-Jin¡¯s behavior, it was only right for him to prepare so that such a situation didn¡¯t happen again.

    <i>¡®Also, I¡¯ve killed before too.¡¯</i>

    Calling it an inevitable situation was just an excuse for himself. It did not change the results.

    <i>¡®Get it together, Yu-Seong. You already knew what this world is like.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong looked at the mirror with his face, after he washed his face with cold water in the bathroom of the hospital room and clenched his fist tightly.

    He <i>would</i> survive. Yu-Seong did not have enough time to think about anything else.

    <i>¡®Sympathy and mercy is a privilege of the strong.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had this realization once again from this incident. He believed that he had grown up well through hard work with a good leveling system and considered himself talented. He thought easily that if he walked on the solid road in this state, only a road filled with daisies and roses would be awaiting him,

    <i>¡®There is no way that whatever the world¡¯s prepared for me is easy and straightforward.¡¯</i>

    In a sense, this incident definitely awakened Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 29

    <h4>Chapter 29 </h4>

    Yu-Seong needed a colleague.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s not get conceited. I should not overestimate myself. There¡¯s a limit to what I can do alone.¡¯</i>

    He had been thinking about it, and it was not something he could put off anymore. However, he did not want to take on the Jin siblings¡¯ suggestion of having mercenaries around. No matter how reliable they were, they were still mercenaries.

    Mercenaries were controlled by money. No one ever knew when a traitor would arise among them. Yu-Seong needed someone much more faithful and reliable than that. For example, a person as reliable as the Jin siblings, but someone who could grow alongside him. However, it was impossible to bring the Jin siblings along, and it was not a simple matter of not being able to enter the dungeon because of their ranks.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon should, rather, be given more time to hunt by themselves.¡¯</i>

    He had heard that Jin Do-Yoon also suffered considerable injuries in this incident.

    Do-Yoon¡¯s resilience was good as he was a physical-type yer¡ªa werewolf¡ªbut it would not do him any good to suffer such injuries every time.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not the only one who needs to grow stronger. All of us need to grow stronger together.¡¯?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin would grow stronger as Choi Yu-Seong did. No, rather, Do-Jin would certainly grow faster. Other enemies would also grow stronger, and there were even those who were already at their peak, waiting for them¡­

    <i>¡®Do I know all about the future?¡¯?</i>

    No.

    Choi Yu-Seong had entered the world of this novel and had already changed many things. And as a result, he had altered the course from the original set of events. For example, Lee Jin-Wook had appeared quicker than he was supposed to, as well as the attack.

    Of course, there would be more unexpected risks Yu-Seong would have to take in the future. It would be a mistake to think that Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri could continue to stay safe by his side because they would disappear after the first half of the novel. Yu-Seong had to look far beyond.

    The Choi Yu-Seong he knew before was no longer here as well. The same was true for the others. Therefore, he organized a list of possible candidates to be his colleagues on his phone¡¯s notes. The notes were organized based on the summary of the original novel he had written on his phone while he was hospitalized.

    <i>¡®I just need one more person.¡¯?</i>

    Having too manyrades would just be a burden. It might have been fine if he had already grown far stronger, but for now, having too many people could cause a problem since they all had to grow together. He could be neither too rxed nor overestimate his own capabilities. If he failed to set clear standards for himself, he could easily be led astray too.

    Moreover, he also needed to consider the Jin siblings, Chae Ye-Ryeong, and others. Of course, he would not take into ount the humans who were fundamentally bad. After making such considerations, he was able to choose the most suitable person.

    <i>¡®Honestly, though it may be a bit dangerous to reach that person now¡­¡¯</i>

    No matter how many times he thought about it, there wasn¡¯t anyone else who was better suited. Thinking so, he handed over the name and the characteristics of the person he had chosen to Yu-Ri.

    He then said, ¡°Please do a detailed investigation about him. Things like where he lives, what his upation is, and what his current situation is like.¡±

    ¡°Of course.Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡­ You won¡¯t tell me about him even if I ask, would you?¡±

    ¡°I want him as myrade.¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri narrowed her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s your reason? Just intuition again?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth¡­ There¡¯s something like future foresight among my abilities. Sorry I didn¡¯t tell you before.¡±

    ¡°No way, like the first young master¡­?¡± Her mouth dropped.

    ¡°Not to that extent,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    Choi Ji-Ho¡ªthe first child of the Choi family¡ªtruly possessed the skill of future foresight. Since Choi Ji-Ho was excellent as a hunter with talent in martial arts and possessed the ability of future foresight, most people thought he would seed Choi Woo-Jae and inherit the Comet Group. This was at least before he was injured.

    However, even Choi Ji-Ho could not predict the future exactly. As a result, he suffered serious injuries and had to retire as a hunter. Also, it was rumored that he was now living quietly alone in a secluded area. No one in the family knew his location except Choi Woo-Jae.

    In fact, Choi Yu-Seong could say that he had a simr ability as Ji-Ho, but he could not say so recklessly. After all, he did not know what the future would bring, especially with the butterfly effect.

    ¡°If that had been the case, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Just think of it as something simr,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°How could it just be simr? Everyone knows that the foresight skill doesn¡¯t allow you to see all the futures.¡± Jin Yu-Ri was surprised, but then she soon nodded as if she understood. ¡°Anyway, it would be better to keep this kind of ability a secret. I agree. But can I borrow your power when I need it?¡±

    ¡°As long as it is reasonable.¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes sparkled like jewels. It was because countless possibilities came to her mind. She could do so much through Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s undisclosed ability. Then, she nodded. ¡°Ah, and I think I¡¯ll have something to report in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Something to report?¡± Yu-Seong questioned.

    ¡°About the guys who attacked us recently.¡± Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes narrowed as she recalled the battle.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯ve been doing some investigation?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve managed to climb up to the body, but not quite to the head. I¡¯ll let you know when I¡¯m certain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you. How much time do you need to find out about Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡­?¡±

    ¡°Two days will be more than enough.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    It may not be as easy as Yu-Ri thought, but he swallowed those words and nodded.

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    Quite recently, it seemed Jin Yu-Ri belonged to a certain private organization that was undisclosed to Yu-Seong. She would probably tell him if he asked directly, but he didn¡¯t do so. She was implicitly hinting to him that she would tell him when the time came.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out for a while and make a call,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Yu-Seong nodded and looked out the window of the hospital room.

    Since it was a VVIP room located on a fairly high floor, the panoramic view of Seoul was quite good. Perhaps because of this, while he stayed here, he made a habit of looking far beyond the window when he organized his thoughts.

    <i>¡®What I can do. What I can¡¯t do. What I have to do.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Ri kept her eyes on Yu-Seong''s back for a moment, as if drawn by the image. Then she stood up and tried to head out of the hospital room. However, she suddenly stopped. It was because someone had opened the door to the hospital room before her.

    <i>¡®Kim Pil-Doo?¡¯?</i>

    Kim Pil-Doo was the right arm of the chairman, Choi Woo-Jae. Kim Pil-Doo nced at Jin Yu-Ri and then stepped aside without saying a word before she could even think deeply about his unexpected appearance.

    At the same time, Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes became incredibly wide. From behind Pil-Doo appeared Woo-Jae, who was dressed in a modernized hanbok. Woo-Jae fixed his gaze on Yu-Seong¡¯s back and put his index finger on his lips, and pointed out the door with a wink before Yu-Ri uttered anything in surprise.

    Both of them were smart enough to know what that meant. Yu-Ri silently exited the room. Kim Pil-Doo closed the door of the hospital room without making any sound.

    ***

    Choi Woo-Jae was left alone with Cho Yu-Seong in the hospital room. He hid his presence, put his hands on the back, and looked at Yu-Seong¡¯s back somewhat absentmindedly.

    <i>¡®Reminds me of his mother, just bigger.¡¯?</i>

    A sadness shed across Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes as he was reminded of Yu-Seong¡¯s mother who sadly passed away.

    <i>¡®If only there were more time¡­¡¯?</i>

    Perhaps a lot would be changed? Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s heart was filled with sorrow but he shook his head as he bottled up his emotions. It had been too long to turn the wheel of time back now. Perhaps because of that, he was somewhat more generous in many ways to Yu-Seong than his other children.

    The preferential treatment caused Yu-Seong to be a little crooked, but now Woo-Jae wanted him to get up on his own rather than being helped.

    Choi Woo-Jae believed that if it was Yu-Seong he remembered, he would be able to do it. Also recently, Yu-Seong had recently achieved a bit of his expectations. Among many of his children, an exceptionally good child inevitably would be easier on the eye. Choi Woo-Jae looked satisfied for a moment.

    ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡±

    ¡°¡­chairman?¡± Choi Yu-Seong turned his head toward the deliberate cough and found Woo-Jae. He then opened his eyes wide.

    Why did Woo-Jaee here now? Yu-Seong stiffened up at the sudden visit.

    ¡°Draw a line between our public and private lives. If I were just a chairman to you, a lot of the things you enjoy now would be things you would not have ....¡± Woo-Jae spoke sharply and walked with his hands behind his back. He then sat on the attendee¡¯s chair.

    Yu-Seong was quite quick-witted. Thus, he could easily understand the true meaning of Woo-Jae¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a reminder, telling me to be discerning about the time and ce.¡¯?</i>

    His words made sense. Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s visit to the hospital was certainly not a visit as thepany¡¯s chairman. If Yu-Seong treated Woo-Jae as his superior all the time, the distance between them would only grow wider. Of course, that was not what Yu-Seong wanted.

    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He nodded and pointed to the bed with his chin. ¡°What are you looking at? Come sit here,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    At that moment, Choi Yu-Seong felt that Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s vibe was a little different from usual.

    <i>¡®Why so?¡¯?</i>

    It was hard to understand.

    It was a rather rough tone, but it was certainly less somber than usual. The vibe was somewhat awkward for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Although I¡¯m sure he had a simr look some time ago¡­¡¯?</i>

    As Yu-Seong¡¯s confusion increased while searching through his memory, Woo-Jae fell into a sense of nostalgia as he watched Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®The more I look at him, the more he resembles his mother.¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae felt emotions that stimted his humanity after a long time, but there was no reason to reveal his feelings to Choi Yu-Seong. He asked, ¡°You¡¯re not going to listen to me?¡±

    Yu-Seong was somewhat startled by the low voice and headed to his bed in surprise. Though obviously, he could not lie downfortably. He just sat with his legs crossed on top of the bed.

    ¡°Lie down.¡±

    ¡°I amfortable like this, father.¡±

    ¡°¡­You look better than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I am fine. Maybe because I became a yer, the recovery is faster than I thought.¡±

    ¡°I heard you passed the hunter exam with top honors.¡±

    ¡°¡­That is all thanks to you, father.¡±

    Yu-Seong brought up the word ¡®father¡¯, but it felt unfamiliar. He smiled awkwardly. In the meantime, he could not read any emotions on Woo-Jae¡¯s face.

    <i>¡®As expected, he¡¯s hard to deal with.¡¯?</i>

    Even in the lighter atmosphere, it was hard to deal with Choi Woo-Jae. Yu-Seong remained stiff even as he tried to relieve the tension.

    ¡°Enough with trying to butter me up. Not everyone can do as well as you even if they were handed the Awakening Stone.¡±

    By ¡®everyone¡¯ Choi Woo-Jae would obviously be referring to some of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s other rtives.

    ¡°You¡¯re the third one.¡±

    What would that mean? Yu-Seong was quick to think and immediately understood the meaning.

    ¡°Ji-Ho hyung-nim and Mi-Na noonim passed the exam with top honors too,¡± Yu-Seongmented.

    ¡°Right. Ji-Ho from 16 years ago¡­ And most recently, Mi-Na from 10 years ago.¡±

    Although Woo-Jae was beating around the bush, he was currently praising Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong had aplished something that had not been done for 10 years after the two.

    Yu-Seong easily realized what Woo-Jae was saying, ¡°I¡¯ll work harder.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be watching over you. Ah, by the way, there were some very reprehensible guys. How dare they touch the Choi family?¡±

    In a brief moment, Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes changed. He did not smile or frown, but Yu-Seong felt goosebumps rising behind his back as he made short eye contact with him.

    <i>¡®Perhaps neither I nor Jin Yu-Ri will have to step up¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong did not know what exactly Woo-Jae was thinking, but he could predict what terrible consequences the opponent would face.

    ¡°And¡­ I heard that Kim Do-Jin helped you.¡± Choi Woo-Jae mentioned that unexpected name as he stroked his beard.

    Yu-Seong stiffened up even more, looking tense.

    ¡°You should arrange dinner sometime soon with him. It¡¯s good to have a man of talent. It was about 35 years ago, if I hadn¡¯t met that guy Kim Pil-Doo, I would still have had a lot of work to do with my own hands. You should hold on to people while you can. Do you understand what I mean?¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae was offering his help to have Kim Do-Jin be one of Yu-Seong¡¯s people. If it were anyone else, Yu-Seong would cheer, but that wasn¡¯t quite the case.

    <i>¡®¡­that¡¯s really dangerous.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong would be stuck between Kim Do-Jin and Choi Woo-Jae. It was the absolute worstbination and the oue was obvious. Choi Woo-Jae would die, Choi Yu-Seong would also die, and it would end up being a catastrophe.

    ¡°Why are you making that face? It seems like you didn¡¯t like it when I said I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± asked Woo-Jae. He was quick-witted and could read Yu-Seong¡¯s feelings.

    Choi Yu-Seong gulped.

    <i>¡®What am I gonna do about this?¡¯?</i>

    He couldn¡¯t afford to reject the idea without a good reason, because Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s stubbornness was tougher than iron. Thus, it was really hard to undo Woo-Jae¡¯s decision once it was made.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use even if you reject it. I¡¯ll decide by myself after seeing him, so make an appointment with him within the next week.¡±

    As his worries got bigger, Woo-Jae made a clear deration.

    <i>¡®This is a situation that Kim Do-Jin was wishing for.¡¯?</i>

    No way. Although Kim Do-Jin was not strong enough to reach Choi Woo-Jae yet, Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want to give him an opportunity.

    ¡°Hmm, you brat. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Choi Woo-Jae asked again.

    Yu-Seong got the feeling that this question was hisst chance, and there would be no next time. If he took more time, he would anger Woo-Jae and get scolded. Considering Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s personality, asking the same question thrice was already a great show of generosity.

    The favorable vibe since the beginning was bing heavier and more familiar. This was how rtionships worked. The faster it was built, the easier it would copse.

    In this manner, it meant that the risk increased as Yu-Seong got the unexpected opportunity to get closer to Woo-Jae fast. A fast-established rtionship was twice as difficult to reverse once it copses. He couldn¡¯t be dragging it any longer and had to speak well.

    The expectations and trust umted by risking life could be instantly destroyed with a single answer given here.

    ¡°Father. Do I have to make Kim Do-Jin my person?¡± Yu-Seong finished thinking and said with a re.

 Chapter 30

    <h4>Chapter 30 </h4>

    ¡°Yu-Seong, you brat. Are you possibly feeling envy and jealousy toward Kim Do-Jin?¡± Choi Woo-Jae frowned deeply and asked. Considering that Yu-Seong had shown inferiorityplexes before, Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s guess was not strange.

    ¡°Not at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± When Yu-Seong shook his head, Woo-Jae quietly stroked his beard. He didn¡¯t try to hide the small anger in his eyes.

    Before Woo-Jae became properly furious, Yu-Seong had to convince him. He spoke up. ¡°Father, there are two problems with having Kim Do-Jin under me.¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae looked piercingly at Yu-Seong, who gulped unintentionally from the tension, before speaking. ¡°Interesting. Fine, I¡¯ll listen, but if you can¡¯t convince me by the end¡­¡±

    Woo-Jae tapped the end of Yu-Seong¡¯s bed with his index finger, as if he was deep in thought, then nodded. ¡°Yes, yes if you can¡¯t convince me, I will take away one of those kids under you,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    Woo-Jae had tried to give him a person, but since Yu-Seong refused, he would take away one of his people as a penalty. There were only two of Yu-Seong¡¯s people Woo-Jae could think of.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon.¡¯?</i>

    The Jin siblings were the ones that Yu-Seong had the most faith in. Thus, as much as the two cared about Yu-Seong, there was a possibility that they would have to follow Woo-Jae¡¯s coercion and make inevitable choices.

    ¡°¡­¡± Choi Woo-Jae had a calm but heavy look. His eyes were like a tiger¡¯s as he leaned on the chair in silence.

    Yu-Seong licked his dry lips with the tip of his tongue and stood more upright.

    <i>¡®If I can¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer, they¡¯ll be taken away.¡¯?</i>

    It felt as if he were walking a tightrope above a ground full of sharp spears.

    <i>¡®Although it¡¯s scary to cross¡­¡¯?</i>

    The way back was already blocked. Yu-Seong cleared his mind, then took the first step on the tightrope.

    ¡°First, the time isn¡¯t right yet. I have just be a hunter, finally standing on the starting line to chase after my brothers and sisters. It is too risky for me to embrace a talented person like Kim Do-Jin at this point.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t get anything good without a fight. The more precious it is, the more people will want it. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t have it if you don¡¯t have the power and wisdom to protect it. Apparently, you don¡¯t have the courage,¡± Choi Woo-Jae responded

    ¡°Courage and temerity are different, sir. If I get in over my head and just take anything recklessly, I would be no different than a brute. I said I would risk my life, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I want to die meaningless by cing my neck in the path of an approaching knife. I am not capable of embracing Kim Do-Jin at the moment.¡±

    ¡°You mean that you will stay quietly cooped up in your room? Because you know your ce? Am I understanding it right?¡±

    ¡°That is not it. That leads me to my second reason¡ªI do not know Kim Do-Jin¡¯s capabilities yet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s another interesting thing to hear.¡±

    ¡°Father, I investigated Kim Do-Jin. I know about his birth, his growth, his family rtionships. I found something strange after investigating. He is an orphan born in Russia and naturalized in Korea, where he received a new identification card. But there are no acquaintances who knew him well in Korea, Russia, nor anywhere else in the world.¡±

    Truthfully, Yu-Seong had never investigated Kim Do-Jin after he was possessed. After all, why make an extra effort? He already knew of Kim Do-Jin¡¯splete circumstances through the original novel.

    Kim Do-Jin had been sent to another world as he stared nkly at the tide of monsters in the chaotic Dungeon Break, which had been caused by the failure to clear the Boss Monster. Thus, obviously, the first thing that Kim Do-Jin did after returning was to find out what time period he was in and to investigate his family¡¯s whereabouts.

    Thirty-one years in another world was the same as eight years in the current reality. In addition, fortunately, or rather unfortunately, his family had survived during the Dungeon Break.

    However, his mother fell ill with an unknown disease and now lived in aatose state. His only younger brother had worked day and night to cover their mother¡¯s hospital bills and had died the day before Kim Do Jin returned from an unavoidable rebar that fell overhead at a construction site.

    It was a desperate situation for Kim Do-Jin and it was impossible to dream of a hopeful future with his family. He despaired but did not give up. Instead, he thought of revenge.

    When he was a child, thepany owned by Kim Do-Jin¡¯s father had been destroyed by the Comet Group¡¯s rampage. Naturally, the family fell into despair. His father could not bear the disappointment and the sense of failure he felt as the head of the family, and had chosen tomit suicide. That would not have happened if there weren¡¯t the aggressive mergers and acquisitions of Comet Group that Choi Woo-Jae had led at the time. In Kim Do-Jin¡¯s memory, that was when everything had started to go wrong.

    That was why, at the beginning of the novel, Kim Do-Jin had made a new identity by pouring out all the money earned from selling some of the treasures he had brought from another world. He also became an anonymous donor for his mother, who had no one to pay for her hospital bills due to his brother¡¯s absence. He then hid himself as much as possible to deal with the monster Choi Woo-Jae.

    Choi Yu-Seong knew this situation and rooted for Kim Do-Jin¡¯s revenge when he had read the novel. Of course, it was different now. Now that his life was at stake, he could not root for Kim Do-Jin¡¯s revenge anymore.

    Yu-Seong took a deep breath before continuing on, ¡°So, going back to the first reason, I think it is not the right time. Yes, I agree that a talented person should be valued. It is a waste to give him to others, so I should make him my person. But I still know very little about Kim Do-Jin. I cannot let him in without knowing whether he is a coyote or a wolf, right?¡±

    Suddenly, Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s calm but dull gaze changed. He pointed out, ¡°I thought you had him by your side without knowing anything.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong gulped.

    <i>¡®As expected, he knew it already.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae was greedy for talented people, just as he always said. Wouldn¡¯t he already have paid great attention to Kim Do-Jin, who the entire world was paying attention to? Perhaps he had investigated Kim Do-Jin immediately after Kim Do-Jin had appeared as a super rookie, like aet.

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin¡¯s records could be called clean. There¡¯s not even a speck of dust or a single blemish to be seen. That¡¯s why it¡¯s suspicious. That means there¡¯s definitely something he is hiding, and naturally, those who have a lot to hide are dark inside.¡± Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s lips twisted scornfully.

    At that moment, Choi Yu-Seong felt goosebumps all over his body.

    <i>¡®So that¡¯s why he wanted to keep Kim Do-Jin near me!¡¯</i>

    It was hard to see what Kim Do-Jin was hiding if he was kept an arm¡¯s length away. By keeping him close, it would be possible to find a weak spot or two. That was why Woo-Jae was trying to keep Kim Do-Jin near Choi Yu-Seong and keep his eyes on him.

    That could put Choi Yu-Seong in trouble, but it was obvious that Choi Woo-Jae would simply think that was Yu-Seong¡¯s limit if he couldn¡¯t handle the task.

    Woo-Jae would have such thoughts because he did not know that Kim Do-Jin was a returnee from another world. If Choi Yu-Seong was sacrificed in this way, chances were high that he would end up in the same state as the original novel.

    ¡°It seemed like you were trying to get closer to him anyway, so I¡¯m just trying to help you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I am not disappointed by that.¡±

    If Choi Yu-Seong had not read the original novel, or if he was not quick-witted, he would have faced a terrible situation. But so what? As mentioned, the Comet Group was originally like this, and Choi Woo-Jae did have as many as ten children.

    ¡°If you know the situation, you must have your own thoughts.¡± It was clear what Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s words meant. ¡°I won¡¯t ask more since it already sounds interesting. I will leave the matter regarding Kim Do-Jin to you..¡±

    ¡°Phew¡­ Thank you.¡± Choi Yu-Seong felt he had barelye down from the tightrope. He let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

    Meanwhile, Choi Woo-Jae was in another dilemma.

    <i>¡®Shall I give a big gift or a small gift for my quick-witted Ninth child?¡¯?</i>

    He had originallye to give a gift to Yu-Seong. However, the answer that his son had given was remarkably praiseworthy that he found it hard to make a decision. But, he also felt it was a bit excessive to give the big gift that just came to his mind.

    <i>¡®The small gift is not enough, but the big gift is too much¡­ I¡¯d better do this then.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae made a choice after much consideration and spoke again. ¡°Do you know where the guys who attacked you came from?¡±

    Yu-Seong looked at Woo-Jae when he heard the sudden question.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s different from the sloppy novel with a lot of plot holes.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae¡ªthe meticulous chairman of arge corporation¡ªwas alive and breathing in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. So why was someone like Woo-Jae suddenly asking such a question?

    ¡°Father, I guess you already know who they are.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I do know. If you want, I¡¯ll call that wicked guy to this ce right now. And I¡¯ll make him bow and apologize to you. Think of it as a special gift for what you¡¯ve done recently.¡±

    A gift. Choi Yu-Seong did not act rashly, although Choi Woo-Jae once again said something that he found difficult to hear. He felt a rather strange vibe in the conversation, but he was unsure as to why. Strictly speaking, it was a feeling. However, Choi Yu-Seong did not want to ignore his feelings.

    Thus, he asked Woo-Jae a question. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Is it one of my older brothers or sisters?¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae did not answer, offering a silent affirmation.

    It was silent, but it was an affirmation after all.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not Choi Min-Seok since it wasn¡¯t an unfledged attempt. If one of my older brothers or sisters apologizes to me¡­¡¯?</i>

    It would be an apology right in front of Choi Woo-Jae. As a result, one of his siblings would lose their rights to Choi Yu-Seong.

    Considering how important such rights would be in the uing session fight, it would be no exaggeration to call it a gift as Woo-Jae had said.

    Yu-Seong could feel his heart beating. Rights could be a debt. He could think of countless ways to use this. He was happy with the pleasant choices he could make for a while.

    However, he shook his head. ¡°It¡­it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it is my problem. If I cannot get through it myself and just lean on you, then I will remain as a spoiled child in the family.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go find them myself and make them pay for what they have done to me. This is what a member of the Choi family should do.¡±

    In an instant, a scene from the distant past unfolded in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. There was a middle-aged man talking to a small child sitting on hisp.

    <i>¡®This is¡­?¡¯?</i>

    It was not a memory from the original novel. More vivid than that, it felt like an old memory that he had experienced in person.

    <i>¡®Is this the real Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s memory?¡¯?</i>

    As if it was a memory from a long time ago, it was as blurry as a channel on the wrong frequency of a ck and white TV.

    Having questions and feeling confused, Choi Woo-Jae suddenly stood up from his seat and turned his back. ¡°If that''s your intention, then I¡¯ll respect it.¡±

    ¡°Are you leaving, Father?¡±

    ¡°I have to go. I¡¯m busy, but this took more time than I thought.¡± Although Choi Yu-Seong could not see it, Woo-Jae¡¯s lips were twisted into what seemed like a pleasant smile.

    ¡°Ah, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get up and just sit down! It¡¯s cumbersome.¡± Choi Woo-Jae shook his hands as if annoyed, and strode out of the hospital room before Yu-Seong could do anything.

    ¡°Father.¡±

    ¡°As I said, I¡¯ll be watching you.¡±

    Yu-Seong urgently called out to him while trying to leave the bed. However, Choi Woo-Jae gave an answer and left the hospital room. Yu-Seong was left alone in the room once more.

    <i>¡®He really just left. I refused because I thought it would be a test.¡­ Was it a mistake?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smacked his lips with a strange expression as he looked at the closed door.

    ***

    Choi Woo-Jae couldn¡¯t stop his lips from twitching up into a smile while he leanedfortably in the back seat of the Maybach sedan, often called one of the world¡¯s top three luxury cars. He left behind several officials from the prestigious university hospital rushing out and bowing their heads.

    Kim Pil-Doo was sitting in the passenger seat right in front of him. He looked at Woo-Jae and asked, ¡°The Ninth Young Master must have made you feel happy again, master.¡±

    ¡°Can you tell?¡±

    ¡°The corners of your lips are constantly twisting up like this. How about justughing aloud? There¡¯s no one watching.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s no one? You¡¯re here, and the driver is here.¡± Choi Woo-Jae spoke bluntly and leaned his arm against the window frame. He felt awkward, looking at his face reflected through the splendid cityscape of downtown Seoul, so he slightly pulled his cheek with his index finger. ¡°It¡¯s awkward.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to smiling and it doesn''t look good if I force myself to. Anyways, when will Yu-Seong be discharged?¡± asked Woo-Jae.

    ¡°December 13th¡­. I have confirmed that there¡¯s about a week left,¡± answered Pil-Doo.

    ¡°Then around that time¡­¡± Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s voice became softer. To be exact, the voice was sent only to Kim Pil-Doo¡¯s ears by skipping the space inside the vehicle.

    The driver was quite used to this. Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s voice always got softer like this when the two people spoke about secrets. As both of them were high-ranking hunters, the driver could tell by the fact that they weremunicating in a special way.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s always amazing when I see it,¡¯</i> thought the driver.

    And today, the driver had another mysterious experience.

    ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Kim Pil-Doo was known for his cool-headedness as he resembled Choi Woo-Jae. However, he raised a rather foolish question.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®pardon?¡¯ Did you not hear me?¡± said Woo-Jae.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Choi Woo-Jae raised his voice.

    Kim Pil-Doo quickly bowed his head with trembling eyes. ¡°As you wish, sir.¡±

    Kim Pil-Doo thought it was a rather exaggerated gift, but what could he do? It was Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s order after all.

 Chapter 31

    <h4>Chapter 31 </h4>

    Three dayster, Jin Yu-Ri entered Yu-Seong¡¯s hospital room looking very upset. She gave a light sigh and bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I couldn¡¯t find them.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I could not find the real culprit of the incident from a few days ago. I was looking for the mastermind but¡­my request was blocked by the Mercenary Exchange.¡±

    ¡°That would have made it even more difficult to chase after them,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri bit her lips and bowed her head deeper.

    Yu-Seong smiled and patted Yu-Ri on the shoulder. ¡°You said they are from the Mercenary Exchange. There¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Don¡¯t be so upset.¡±

    The Mercenary Exchange was a global organization frequently used by yers who did not belong to any particr group. Theirmissions ranged from very petty errands, such as helping with housework, torge wars between guilds or countries.

    The Mercenary Exchange was enormous and their capital was great. As such, many countries wanted to have government agencies take on the Mercenary Exchange¡¯s role, but none of them had managed to do so. Although it was not clear whether they were also involved in trafficking and other simr things, most of the world¡¯s leading countries allowed the existence of the Mercenary Exchange. Even China, which was practically a dictatorship, had epted their existence.

    Yu-Seong also did not know how the Mercenary Exchange had independently taken root in this world. This was because the novel did not describe the details of it in the first ce. However, he knew who the real owner of the Mercenary Exchange was, which had remained a secret until now. ording to current rumors, the owner was among the UK¡¯s SS-rank hunters.

    <i>¡®The rumor is not entirely wrong.¡¯</i>The identity of the Mercenary Exchange¡¯s owner would be revealed in the future. He was a British man named James Rothschild. He wasn¡¯t an SS but an EX-Rank hunter. In fact, he was one of the big wheels controlling the underground economy.

    <i>¡®I remember that he and Kim Do-Jin have a bad rtionship, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    That was also a thing of the distant future.

    ¡°Just because it''s the Mercenary Exchange doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s impossible to track them at all. There are several factions within the Mercenary Exchange and there are parts being kept in check by the country. But I couldn''t find them. After I tracked them through the Mercenary Exchange, their traces disappeared like magic. There must be someone helping them. Otherwise, this speed is just ridiculous.¡± Yu-Ri clenched her fists tightly as if she was angry.

    However, it didn¡¯t matter. Yu-Seong had a rough guess as to who the helper was.

    <i>¡®Fa¡­ No, I mean Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯?</i>

    In any case, if he continued tracking them down, he would eventually find one of his siblings at the end. It wasn''t made specifically to keep Choi Yu-Seong in check, but rather made to keep everyone away..

    ¡°He didn¡¯t want to spit whileying down.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s put that aside for now. It¡¯s a waste of time and energy to keep looking for such a trivial thing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Yu-Ri felt calmer after listening to Yu-Seong¡¯s words. She touched her forehead before nodding in agreement. Then, she retrieved a file from the briefcase she was carrying. ¡°You spoke of Yoo Jin-Hyuk, born in 2009 at Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province. There were several people with the same name, so I collected all of their data. Sorry, I was concerned about the other issue, so this took longer than I thought.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Yu-Seong took the file and went through the names, faces, family rtionships, and characteristics of the people. Then, he shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°These are not it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°None of the people here is the Yoo Jin-Hyuk who I¡¯m looking for.¡± Yu-Seong had known that it would not be easy from the start because Yoo Jin-Hyuk from the original story wouldn''t easily reveal his traces.

    ¡°But oppa, based on the information of Yoo Jin-Hyuk that you mentioned, these are the only relevant profiles found.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what makes it tricky. Maybe he is using an alias¡­ Or¡­¡± Yu-Seong briefly tapped the file with his index finger. ¡°Find out if there is any Yoo Jin-Hyuk whose resident registration has been revoked within thest 1 year¡­ No, 3 years.¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I will look for it.¡± With a serious look, Jin Yu-Ri received the file from Yu-Seong. She then said, ¡°These days, Do-Yoon oppa is basically stamping his attendance card in the Dungeon. I think he has been thinking a lot since thest incident.¡±

    ¡°Tell him not to overdo it.¡±

    ¡°Has he ever listened to me? And by the time he gets back, I might be away for a while too.¡±

    There was no way that the Jin siblings couldn¡¯t think of what Yu-Seong had realized himself. He hadn¡¯t been the only one who was jolted awake by this incident.

    ¡°Good. And I have another favor to ask.¡±

    ¡°Just tell me what you need, oppa. Whatever it is.¡±

    ¡°I need some mana stone, at least orange. And¡­more than 50 pieces of them.¡±

    ¡°¡­That much?¡± Jin Yu-Ri sounded surprised.

    ¡°Yes, would it be possible?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of possibility. It¡¯s a matter of money.¡±

    Yu-Seong momentarily recalled the remaining bnce in his bank ount.

    <i>¡®I have a little over 130 billion.¡¯?</i>

    There were 130 billion won of personal assets in cash alone, which he used to regard as a huge sum. But now, about one-sixth of it would be blown off if he tried to buy orange-colored mana stones, which had a ridiculous price tag of 300 million won per piece.

    Nevertheless, what could he do?

    ¡°I really need them. If possible, I want some yellow-colored ones along with that as well.¡±

    Yellow-colored mana stones were at least twice the cost of the orange ones because they were much harder to get¡­ It was safe to say that the minimum transaction price would be around 800 million won.

    ¡°Oppa, then you¡¯ll be penniless in no time.¡±

    ¡°You can always make more money,¡± Yu-Seong said, knowing that for a fact. He only knew that the same rule did not apply to people.

    Jin Yu-Ri nodded after seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s strong intention. She said, ¡°How could I say no to you? But I still want to save some money if possible, so it might take a while.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I¡¯ve let you down twice. I won¡¯t disappoint you a third time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been disappointed.¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri was slightly embarrassed by Yoo-Sing¡¯s sincerity. She avoided eye contact and scratched her cheek. ¡°Ah, by the way. Chae Ye-Ryeong asked if she coulde to visit.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to stop her. Rather, it¡¯s good. I have something to tell her.¡±

    ¡°Then, what time¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell her toe by any time. It¡¯s not like I have a severe problem to take care of right now.¡± Yu-Seong made a circling motion with his arms.

    Yu-Ri smiled and nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell her that.¡± Now that she has organized her thoughts, she found that she had a lot to do.

    ***

    The next afternoon, Chae Ye-Ryeong took the afternoon off and came to visit Yu-Seong. She talked with him for a short time before returning home. She left the hospital room with a determined expression on her face.

    Three dayster, it was December 13th. Just as Yu-Seong had officially gone through the discharge process, and left the main gate of the hospital¡­

    "It''s a gift. The Chairman told me to give it to you." Kim Pil-Doo approached Yu-Seong and handed him a round tube as he spoke with a blunt expression, ¡°Honestly, I am not sure about this.¡±

    Then, Kim Pil-Doo simply left after leaving such cryptic words behind. Looking at his retreating back, Jin Do-Yoon said, ¡°Something is different from usual.¡±

    Do-Yoon had taken a day off from the dungeon and his training to help with Yu-Seong¡¯s discharge from the hospital.

    ¡°What the heck is this? What made that cold-blooded guy say such a thing?¡± continued Do-Yoon.

    ¡°I can''t make any sense of it,¡± said Yu-Ri. She shrugged and looked at Yu-Seong with a confused expression.

    In fact, Yu-Seong had thought that the gift was off the table after the first visit and he had been feeling bitter about it. He never even imagined that this would happen. Looking around, he then suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first, then check it out.¡±

    Whatever it was, there were a lot of wandering eyes around them. Since Kim Pil-Doo had acted unusual about the gift, they couldn¡¯t treat the gift lightly and recklessly open it in a public ce.

    Jin Do-Yoon went out first to find the car that had been parked by the valet. Once Yu-Seong got into the back seat, the car headed out and Yu-Ri quickly looked back from the passenger seat.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to rush me like that. I¡¯m also curious.¡± Yu-Seong smiled at Yu-Ri. He slowly removed the lid of the tube.

    ¡°At least it¡¯s not a bomb. Let¡¯s see.¡± Yu-Seong made a joke and put his hand into the barrel before taking out the contents. It was a rolled-up piece of paper. ¡°A map?¡± asked Yu-Seong. He unfurled the paper while tilting his head in curiosity.

    Yu-Ri turned her head back from the passenger seat to take a look. Her eyes sparkled. ¡°Is it a treasure map?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I think it¡¯s simr.¡±

    The map clearly depicted South Korea and had a circle around a location that was slightly outside of Seoul. There were also letters written in rough and hard handwriting.

    ¡°It says to go here. And the writing¡­ It looks like the Chairman''s handwriting.¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded at Yu-Ri¡¯s words. He asked, ¡°Goyang City¡­ It¡¯s not far. Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°Right now, oppa?¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded at Yu-Ri.

    ***

    The car which followed the route of returning to Hannam-dong Apartment changed its direction. It got on the Gangbyeon expressway and sped toward the highway.

    The map was not detailed. It was drawn awkwardly, and the circle marking epassed a ratherrge area as well. Thanks to this, they wandered for more than 3 hours over a distance that would have taken just an hour and a half to arrive at. When the three finally arrived at their destination, they got out of the car.

    ¡°No matter how hard I look at it, this is the right ce¡­¡± said Yu-Seong. When Yu-Ri handed back the map, Yu-Seong looked at it with a wry smile.

    ¡°Did he really want the Young Master to go on a treasure hunt?¡± asked Do-Yoon.

    ¡°It¡¯s a mountain. Oppa, I have never even heard of a mountain being here.¡±

    The Jin siblings¡¯ reactions were also not much different from Yu-Seong¡¯s.

    ¡°It''s an unnamed hill... But it''s too big to be called a hill.¡±

    The bushes were also dense.

    ¡°First. We need to check it out a little bit¡­¡± Yu-Seong tilted his head and approached the mountain to take a look when¡­

    ¡°Young Master!¡± Jin Do-Yoon rushed to seize the map from Yu-Seong¡¯s hands. Right after that, the map sparked and burned up with a huge me. Do-Yoon asked urgently, ¡°Are you all right, Young Master? And your hands?¡± He held the zing fire with one hand and did not budge, and looked at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m fine¡­ How about you¡­?¡±

    In response to Yu-Seong¡¯s question, Do-Yoon stretched out his hands. His tough hands full of calluses showed no scratches. He then said, ¡°As soon as the map got near the mountain, a special ability was suddenly activated on the map.¡±

    Yu-Ri followed them and asked with a serious expression, ¡°So, we should say this is the right ce?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ Then what else can we do? We have to go up there,¡± said Yu-Seong as he stroked his chin. When he started to walk ahead, Do-Yoon blocked his path forward.

    ¡°I will take care of the front, and Yu-Ri will take care of the back.¡± Do-Yoon nodded.

    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll be in your care.¡± In a potentially dangerous situation, Yu-Seong did not refuse the siblings¡¯ protection.

    ***

    It was a quiet hanok mansion Considering that there were several buildings inside thepound, there were not many signs of people. To be exact, most of the people inside were moving quietly while suppressing their presence.

    In the mansion¡¯s backyard, a man was sitting in front of a pond where carp swam. The man had tightly closed eyes, long flowing ck hair, and wore a neat, white hanbok.

    Then, another man in a ck suit approached and lowered his head in front of him. The man in a ck suit reported, ¡°Master, there are intruders who entered the mountain.¡±

    The long-haired man shook his head without opening his eyes. ¡°They are not intruders. Rather, they are guests.¡±

    ¡°Ah, perhaps. Is he the one you mentioned the other day¡­ Your destiny¡­¡±

    ¡°No. It is not him.¡± The man shook his head and scratched his cheek. ¡°Even so, it is true that he is a guest who shares a deep destiny with me.¡±

    ¡°Is it¡­¡±

    ¡°It is my brother. Father probably sent him here.¡±

    1. It means that the consequences of your bad behaviore back bad to you

    2. A traditional korean structure ¡°A hanok is a traditional Korean house. Hanok were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon Dynasty. Korean architecture considers the positioning of the house in rtion to its surroundings, with thought given to thend and seasons. The interior of the house is also nned ordingly.¡± - wikipedia.

 Chapter 32

    <h4>Chapter 32 </h4>

    Hearing the words ¡®sibling¡¯ and ¡®father,¡¯ the man who bowed felt his gaze falter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. It¡¯s not the time to be concerned.¡± The man with closed eyes then tilted his face toward the distant sky. There was simply no way he could actually see something high in the air, but he seemingly stared at the sky for quite a long time. The tips of the man¡¯s closed eyshes trembled. He murmured, ¡°However¡­the sibling that has arrived is an unexpected one.¡±

    ¡°Did you see it?¡± Baek Chul gulped nervously. His master was a man who could see and feel many things even with his eyes closed.

    ¡°He is a pitiful child. Of all the siblings...¡±

    ¡°Then what should I do about the test?¡±

    ¡°For the first hurdle, do as you wish, Captain Baek. As for the second one¡­ Let¡¯s wait and see for a few days. I will make a decisionter.¡±

    Baek Chul pondered because it had been a long time since the man had looked this confused. However, Baek Chul did not express his feelings. He simply bowed and slowly stepped back. ¡°I will do anything you say, sir.¡±

    Left alone once again, the man swept down his long hair and remained in his chair. He lowered his head with a profound expression. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, the ninth¡­¡±

    The man¡¯s troublesome young brother had many rumors surrounding him. The young boy had grown up and arrived at this ce. Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s intention was clear, but it only deepened the man¡¯s agony.

    <i>¡®Of all the siblings, you are the first toe here.¡¯?</i>

    The man sighed. He felt his heart softening, but he could not change his decision. In the future he saw, only an outrageous and inevitable consequence would follow the wrong choice.

    ¡°How could fate be so cruel...?¡± Choi Ji-Ho sighed once more. He was the first child of the Comet group¡¯s Choi family, the one who was once called Korea¡¯s greatest New Divinity 10 years ago.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong and his party did not climb the hill hastily. Rather, they climbed the hill as carefully as possible, thinking that there could be some danger or traps lying in wait. Only after an hour-long climb did they manage to find Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s hanok mansion.

    ¡°Who knew there was a house in a ce like this,¡± Jin Do-Yoonmented with a surprised look.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit disappointing, but¡­ First of all, we are certain that the Chairman has directed us to this destination, right?¡± Jin Yu-Ri was talking while she looked around. Then, she suddenly stretched her hand and pulled out a whip that was condensed with energy.

    At that moment, a ck figure suddenly appeared from thin air in front of the party. Yu-Ri¡¯s whip flew as if dancing and Jin Do-Yoon instinctively sent his fist rushing forward, trying to hit the figure.

    Baek Chul, the man who grabbed Yu-Ri¡¯s whip with his left hand and Do-Yoon¡¯s wrist with his right, smiled. He praised, ¡°You have pretty good skills and senses.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong narrowed his eyes. <i>¡®He blocked Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri¡¯s joint attack effortlessly. Who is he?¡¯?</i>

    Although neither of the siblings had shown their full power, theirs had been a surprise attack. However, Baek Chul had stopped the two¡¯s attacks quite easily. For such a thing to be possible, he needed to be incredibly strong.

    ¡°He is an S-rank hunter.¡±

    Baek Chul nodded gently at Yu-Seong¡¯s small self-talk, then shook off both hands. Yu-Ri¡¯s whip bounced and flew into the air, and Do-Yoon was greatly pushed back.

    ¡°My master did not give me any specific instructions, but to enter this house, you have to prove your worth. I¡¯d say that I am the gatekeeper. Just so you know, the two of you passed. But the other one¡­¡± Baek Chul¡¯s gaze turned to Yu-Seong, who was standing still and silently watching him. When Yu-Seong stepped forward with a faint smile, Baek Chul addressed the siblings. ¡°You two can stay there.¡±

    When Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri naturally tried to follow, Yu-Seong stopped them.

    ¡°Are you trying to show off your skills?¡±

    ¡°Technically, yes,¡± said Yu-Seong. Heughed gently and slowly approached Baek Chul.

    ¡°As a warning, my standards are quite harsh. It means that at least you should be as good as the two people in the back,¡± said Baek Chul with a smile.

    ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong stepped near Baek Chul without saying anything.

    <i>¡®One more step.¡¯?</i>

    As if a line had been drawn, Yu-Seong was convinced that Baek Chul would strike if he crossed a certain line. To be exact, Yu-Seong even thought that he might die if he crossed the line, so he stopped right at the edge of that supposed line.

    ¡°Likewise, you also have a good sense. It hasn¡¯t been long since you became a hunter, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°You are confident. I like your attitude. As a special case, if you avoid my attack just once, I will open up the path.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I, who is only an E-rank, have to avoid the fist of an S-rank hunter once?¡±

    ¡°If you are not confident, you can turn your back and go home now.¡±

    ¡°How could I be¡­?¡± Yu-Seong smiled gently and stepped forward, crossing the line. He ced his toes slightly forward. Just the mere imagination of entering the arbitrary space made him feel an intense pressure, causing goosebumps all over his body.

    But Yu-Seong did not hesitate for long. <i>¡®I¡¯m going in.¡¯?</i>As soon as he stepped forward, something split the air with an explosive sound.

    Yu-Seong thought it would probably be Baek Chul¡¯s fist, which in fact tore through the air and grazed his ear. His cochlea ached from the intense sound. All of that happened in a sh.

    Baek Cheol stopped his fist right next to Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s face and burst intoughter. ¡°You had no intention of avoiding my attack from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Likewise, you had no intention of attacking me from the beginning.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°I could tell from your eyes and your energy.¡±

    Yu-Seong did have that spection, but his courage mostly came from the conclusion he hade to in his mind.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s too unreasonable¡­to have my father''s gift in a ce where I can¡¯t even get into unless an S-rank hunter recognizes my fighting ability.¡¯?</i>

    It was not about how difficult it was for Yu-Seong to show the performance of Yu-Ri or Do-Yoon, because that would be an impossibility. Of course, going beyond his limits could have been Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s test. Woo-Jae was so entric and unique in personality that that would have been within the realm of possibility. However, even so, Yu-Seong thought it did not matter.

    <i>¡®After all, if this guy is Father¡¯s person, he would never kill me.¡¯?</i>

    Coming to that simple conclusion, Yu-Seong was able to move beyond the line even though his heart was frightened by the possible fatality.

    ¡°Even so, crossing the Death Line is not an easy task. It is not something that can be done with strength and wisdom. It can be done only with the heart, a courageous one.¡±

    Baek Chul called the line that Yu-Seong had felt threatened by the Death Line. It was certainly a usible name. If Baek Chul had really made up his mind, Yu-Seong would have died the moment he crossed that line.

    <i>¡®Honestly. When the fist passed by, I went weak at the knees and I almost fell over.¡¯?</i>

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong was able to withstand it by flexing his thighs with his strong willpower.

    ¡°My greetings arete, I am Baek Chul. I am currently managing this mansion. Please forgive me for daring to judge a descendant of a great family. Well, I have to say that I am very impressed.¡± Baek Chul bowed deeply, looking at the upright Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon breathed a sigh of relief, but Yu-Seong was greatly shocked by the revtion.

    Baek Chul was a man not yet known to the public. He was originally one of the secret guards directly under Choi Woo-Jae. Only about five people in the entire Comet Group knew about him.

    However, the Baek Chul that Yu-Seong remembered was slightly different from the one standing before him. <i>¡®</i><i>Baek Chul</i><i>??</i><i>Baek Chul</i><i>, the Lion King?¡¯?</i>

    Baek Chul was the strongest of the physical-reinforcement type hunters. Heter became Kim Do-Jin¡¯s colleague and took charge as the party¡¯s vanguard¡­ Yu-Seong knew how Kim Do-Jin became colleagues with Baek Chul.

    Yu-Seong turned his gaze to the hanok-style mansion¡¯s tightly shut doors. ¡°Then this is Ji-Ho hyung-nim¡®s hideaway¡­?¡±

    Baek Chul, who was bowing his head, could not hide his inner feelings of surprise at Yu-Seong¡¯s small self-talk.

    <i>¡®Is it just his gut feeling? Or did he have any information rted to me?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had realized who the mansion¡¯s owner was without Baek Chul¡¯s direct input, but he had appearedpletely ignorant until Baek Chul had given his name.

    Baek Chul couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Yu-Seong¡¯s sixth sense or intelligence, but it was not an ability that could be ignored.

    <i>¡®It is said that a dog is not born to a tiger¡­ He is indeed my master¡¯s younger brother!¡¯?</i>

    Naturally, Baek Chul¡¯s lips rose into a smile. In addition, goosebumps crawled up his back.

    ***

    Based on the original novel ¨C [Modern Master Returns] ¨C Kim Do-Jin would meet Choi Ji-Ho about three years from now, after climbing an unnamed mountain on the outskirts of Seoul. Choi Ji-Ho knew the truth that Kim Do-Jin was the one to kill Choi Woo-Jae, but he did not me him much for that. It was described in the novel that forgiveness was possible because Choi Ji-Ho had stepped down from the frontline anyway and had gone into hiding, training his mind like a hermit. However, it was obviously an episode with many things that were hard to understand.

    Naturally, Choi Yu-Seong thought a little differently now. <i>¡®There must have been a specific reason.¡¯</i>

    Just as it was with Choi Woo-Jae, the characters of this world were quite colorful and rich, unlike the original novel. So would Choi Ji-Ho have forgiven Kim Do-Jin without reason?

    <i>¡®Perhaps Choi Ji-Ho knew that Kim Do-Jin was a warrior who would save the world.¡¯</i>

    One of Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s abilities that were showcased in the novel was his ability to predict the future, and Choi Yu-Seong thought it was likely that this was the case. Regardless, it was most important that Choi Ji-Ho ordered Baek Chul to follow Kim Do-Jin in the episode.

    Baek Chul had been somewhat reluctant, but he obeyed Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s orders. He cleared dungeons together with Kim Do-Jin and developed respect and a sense ofradery with the man as they prevented disasters together. Afterward, Baek Chul faced one of the demons¡¯manders in the final act of chapter 1 and sacrificed himself to allow Kim Do-Jin to stab the heart of one of the seven demon kings. Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong knew that Baek Chul was fit to be called one of the strongest physical-reinforcement yers.

    And now, Baek Chul was guiding Yu-Seong into the mansion. There were other people in ck clothes who followed them, but they were all sent away. Baek Chul personally wanted to bring Choi Yu-Seong, whom he found brilliant and courageous, around. Hemented, ¡°I was really surprised. You possess both courage and wisdom. I can¡¯t believe you noticed with but a few clues after looking around that the mansion belonged to the master¡­¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t really call it wisdom. It was just a gut feeling. Even when he was in Seoul, he was famous for being a free spirit. I just assumed it wouldn¡¯t be strange if he had settled down in a ce like this.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­ Of course, we can leave it at that.¡± Baek Chul simply nodded with a meaningful expression after hearing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s excuse.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just like what I read in the original novel.?</i><i>Baek Chul</i><i>, this guy is very insistent once he gets hooked on something.¡¯</i>

    It was very unexpected and contrary to Baek Chul¡¯s appearance, but Choi Yu-Seong decided to not point out such misunderstandings any longer.

    <i>¡®Anyway, there¡¯s no harm in getting in the good books of Baek Chul, the Lion King.¡¯</i>

    And in fact, Baek Chul¡¯s impression of Choi Yu-Seong was growing even greater in the silence that the two shared.

 Chapter 33

    <h4>Chapter 33 </h4>

    <i>¡®The Ninth Young Master¡¯s voice clearly contained conviction, not prediction. He said it was just a feeling, but he probably gathered the evidence in a single nce even during the moment of crisis.¡¯?</i>

    Only bad rumors about Yu-Seong circted in public, but Baek Chul thought that the rumor-mongers had bad judgment when it came to people.

    His train of thought continued, <i>¡®If he continues to grow in this direction, he might one day be on the same level as Master, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    It ced Yu-Seong¡ªthe ninth young master¡ªin a somewhat disadvantageous position because of his bted start and the umted defamation toward him in society.

    Baek Chul had the thought of wanting to help Yu-Seong, but he had no way to.

    <i>¡®My duty is to protect my Master.¡¯?</i>

    No matter how much he liked Yu-Seong, he couldn¡¯t leave Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s side.

    ¡°Unfortunately, my master is not present at the moment. If he had known that you, the ninth young master, was visiting, this would not have happened¡­ Recently, he said he wanted to be alone and has left for somewhere.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then, should I wait a few days?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It will probably take about that long. He¡¯s away often, but not usually for very long.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡±

    Although Yu-Seong answered calmly, he did not speak his mind. His mind held onto different thoughts.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s probably a lie that he is not here.¡¯?</i>

    ording to the original novel and known incidents, it was said that Ji-Ho became paralyzed and that he could not move.

    It was possible that he could move, considering his awakening ability¡ªWind Control Execution¡ªwhich dealt with the wind. However, even so, it did not make sense that Baek Chul¡ªwho was no different than a guard¨Chadpletely left his side.

    <i>¡®He is in the house, but he won¡¯t see me yet.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong did not know the reason, but he did not question the man¡¯s decision.

    <i>¡®Because there must be a reason why he doesn¡¯t want to meet me right away.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Ji-Ho of the original novel was initially a rather rxed character. He was not bad-tempered or wicked, thus Yu-Seong thought waiting wouldn¡¯t be a bad decision. Obviously, that did not mean that he wouldpletely let his guard down.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll wait about three to four days, and then go back if he doesn''t show up.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong thought that discovering Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s hiding ce was enough as a gift. There were still many people in the group looking for Ji-Ho and wanting his help. The fact that Yu-Seong knew his location was no different from him having one more ace in his deck of cards.

    ¡°I can help you avoid boredom while you wait. First of all, you can choose to train by sparring with the people in this mansion. And there is also a 2nd-grade dungeon in this mountain that would be perfect for you, ninth young master. Of course, if you don¡¯t like both options, you can just restfortably,¡± suggested Baek Chul.

    ¡°Oh, that''s good to hear,¡± eximed Yu-Seong sincerely.

    Yu-Ri was listening to the story with her arms folded. She said with a smile, ¡°I will refuse both. I want to rest a little.¡±

    ¡°Then I would like to ask for sparring. If it is possible¡­ I want to be taught directly by Baek Chul sunbae-nim,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    Yu-Ri chose to observe without showing off her ability while Do-Yoon chose his own way to spend the time. Yu-Seong could guess their individual intentions, and asked Baek Chul, ¡°Oh, are there any hunters at about E-rank among the people here?¡±

    ¡°Not many, but there are a few trainees,¡± confirmed Baek Chul.

    Yu-Seong nodded. He had been secretly observing the movements of the people in the mansion. They had been hiding their presence while moving about busily.

    <i>¡®I assume it¡¯s some kind of a ¡®step technique¡¯?¡¯</i>

    Moreover, seeing that everyone was using the same skill, Yu-Seong guessed that it was a rare transferable skill that could be passed on to others. Obviously, they wouldn¡¯t give out the skill method at the request of an outsider, even though it was Yu-Seong of the Choi family.

    Yet, did it matter to Yu-Seong?

    <i>¡®I have the Eye of Replication.¡¯?</i>

    It was time to say goodbye to Dodge Roll. Yu-Seong no longer needed to roll on the floor with a rather sloppy appearance.

    <i>¡®I also have the Stylish skill, so it¡¯s better to have a skill that looks cool.¡¯?</i>

    A big smile tugged on Yu-Seong¡¯s lips after he got off that train of thought.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. Then I¡¯d like to ask topete with people who are at my level. As you know, I¡¯m still an E-rank.¡± Yu-Seong hade into a huge, unexpected windfall. It was a natural opportunity to learn skills by stealing them.

    ***

    Although it was short, sparring for only about three hours, Yu-Seong had gained a lot.

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Flow of Eight Steps.

    The First Three Steps (F) Fusion possible. Inheritance possible.

    At the end of the eight steps that flow like a wave, there is a path of wind flowing through the clouds. This is a skill that has not beenpletely inherited.

    If there is no next inheritance, the skill grade will not increase.

    You can only use three out of eight steps. You can hide some of your presence.

    For three steps after skill activation, you can instantly elerate your movement.

    Penalties are applied for Replication skill.

    The number of times ability can be used is 10.

    You can only use two out of three steps. ¡»

    There were also some minor skills, but Yu-Seong abandoned them all. This was because he thought there was nothing better he could gain if he gave up his current skills. However, Flow of Eight Steps was something he had been aiming for from the beginning, and it was different.

    <i>¡®Even if it¡¯s only the first three steps, it¡¯s a different level of evasion technique than the Dodge Roll.¡¯?</i>

    It was a real evasion technique he had been hoping to learn for so long.

    <i>¡®Oh, but even if Flow of Eight Steps itself is awesome, what if something strangees out after Fusion?¡¯?</i>

    It was the same reason why Yu-Seong had not attempted Fusion for his skill, Insight. Although the abilities produced by Fusion were partly affected by the base skills, there was no guarantee that it would only improve. Rather, it was important to keep in mind that it could be downgraded.

    After a short deliberation, Yu-Seong made a decision.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s try.¡¯?</i>

    Unlike Insight¨Cthe hardest skill to obtain since it could be only gained by nagging at Kim Do-Jin again¨Cthe Flow of Eight Steps could be copied whenever he visited this mansion.

    Of course, there was a three-month waiting time if he duplicated a skill with the same name, but it was safe to say that he could get it again someday. Therefore, Yu-Seong decided to merge Dodge Roll (E) and Flow of Eight Steps, The First Three Steps (F).

    Shortly after the Fusion skill was activated, Yu-Seong felt a certain intuition when he saw the gorgeous golden light covering his eyes. A light different from the light of normal fusion covered his field of vision. Considering that the Awakener system resembled a game to some extent, the more spectacr the effect, the higher the probability of a better reward.

    <i>¡®This is definitely a jackpot!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s prediction was not far off.

    ¡ºSpecial Skills, Wind Control Execution (E) Fusion not possible.

    Inheritance not possible.

    At the end of 18 steps that flow like a wave, a dragon that catches the wind travels through the clouds. This is a skill that has beenpletely inherited.

    You can only use five out of eighteen steps due to the current low grade.

    You can kill some of your presence.

    For five steps after skill activation, you can instantly elerate your movement.

    Immediately after skill activation, you can instantly create a short illusion using all five steps.

    If you use illusion 2 or more times in a row, re-use waiting time (30 minutes) will ur. ¡»

    ¡°Oh my goodness.¡± Yu-Seong sat in ce with his mouth wide open.

    <i>¡®Wind Control Execution¡­!¡¯?</i>

    There were some penalties, such as Fusion and inheritance not being possible, but that was not a problem. Yu-Seong has gained one of the signature abilities of Choi Ji-Ho¨Cwho was once the most likely sessor to the Comet Group. It was truly like a mega jackpot.

    ***

    A new dungeon appeared near Unjeong, Paju of Gyeonggi. The appearance of a new dungeon after a long time had put a short emergency alert throughout the country. This was because it was remarkably close to Seoul¨Cthe capital city¨Cand the dungeon¡¯s internal ecosystem was not known at all.

    An investigation team was dispatched and led by Park Chul-Ho¨Cthe Iron Wall¨C an S-rank yer from the Association. When the dungeon was found to be level six, everyone breathed sighs of relief.

    It wasmon sense that level six dungeons could be cleared easily if ten or more people with rank B level 80 based on general hunter standards worked together to attack. It was a dungeon that didn¡¯t pose a great danger for South Korea, which had many yers of the S-rank and even SS-rank.

    When these reassuring facts were revealed, the system was designed to assign the first boss to the yer with a matching rank and level or to the rookies supported by the country. This was because yers gained more experience points by attacking new bosses on Earth. Because of this manual, Do-Jin became part of the attack team after he recently climbed to be a C-rank yer. This was understandable in some way but also a factor that inevitably causedints.

    <i>¡®C-rank is no big deal. He is not even at level 10 since he just recently became C-rank.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®We¡¯re not babysitters and no matter how promising he is, it still feels bad to carry a greenhorn.¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®If someone gets hurt or dies because of a newbie while we hunt the boss monster, they will give only several bucks aspensation. Are they really going to send just anyone?¡¯</i>

    Many people hadints, but none of them expressed their dissatisfaction out loud. Anyway, Kim Do-Jin was currently a promising prospect that the world was paying attention to and his hunting record proved it.

    Even more, a short while ago, he had solo cleared Orc War Chief, a named boss monster of a rank four dungeon.

    He cleared the dungeon alone which usually required ten people at rank D level 80, so it was safe to say that he already had thebat power of a high-level C-rank at that point. However, the problem was that the dungeon that appeared now was as strong as rank six. That was how his dungeon-clearing process started.

    The attackers included hunters with at least rank B level thirty up to level ny at the highest except for Kim Do-Jin. They attacked the dungeon with an irresistible force. It was a party with enough prospects to support the first clear of the dungeons in the country, even if they were dissatisfied inwardly. Everyone would carry their own weight even if they were slightly below the normal threshold.

    Kim Do-Jin did not really stand out within the group. It felt like he was only doing as much as his part.

    In that sense, it was certainly somewhat extraordinary. Although he had just climbed to rank C, he showed movements and performance that were notckingpared to the top-ranked B-rank prospective hunters.

    Naturally, most of them epted him, thinking that he would not be a burden. However, on the other hand, many of them were worried.

    <i>¡®He definitely has a high-level ability, but he is still just a C-rank, right? It won¡¯t be easy to follow our pace.¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®If he already showed everything he has, it¡¯s going to be hard when facing the elite monsters.¡¯?</i>

    As you broke through the dungeon and approached the boss room, powerful enemies called ¡®elite¡¯ monsters appeared in addition to normal monsters. Elite monsters were not as powerful as the boss but were considered three times more powerful than average monsters.

    However, the meaning of ¡®three times¡¯ here didn¡¯t mean simply dealing with three normal monsters. As one monster was as strong as three normal monsters, what was actually felt was much more difficult.

    In fact, all of them who were gathered here were conserving their strength little by little in consideration of the fierce battle against elite monsters.

    Though, what about Kim Do-Jin, who was still only at the beginning of C-rank?

    The attackers somewhat changed their thoughts when they started to battle some elite monsters they encountered near the boss room.

    1. A Korean word that refers to a far more experienced person within the same school,pany, or group

 Chapter 34

    <h4>Chapter 34 </h4>

    In general, it was widely believed that the elite monsters¡ªwhich usually appeared in rank six dungeons¡ªcould only be hunted by over three yers of rank-B level fifty. However, Kim Do-Jin appeared to hunt the elite monsters rather leisurely, despite having only two and not even three psychic-type yers to support him.

    <i>¡®Yeah, Kim Do-Jin. He is different from just a typical prospect.¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®We certainly underestimated him.¡¯?</i>

    Although they were surprised and some even changed their minds about him, the majority expected Do-jin to be this good since he was called a super rookie. He also had the support of an entire country.

    Thus, the ten attackers reached the Boss Monster room easily. They wrestled against the Knight of Darkness and seeded in driving their swords into its neck. In the meantime, Kim Do-Jin had done more than enough for one person. Naturally, all of those who had been filled withints changed the way they looked at him.

    ¡°Good job, Kim Do-Jin. You did better than I expected. I understand why the country counts on you.¡± The man in his thirties, who was the leader of the attack team and also a tanker, spoke to Kim Do-Jin for the first time.

    ¡°It¡¯sing. Everyone, prepare yourselves,¡± said Do-Jin with sharp eyes.

    Even though they felt doubt, the majority of the attackers took on a defensive posture, as expected from veterans of B-rank or higher.

    At that moment, the Knight of Darkness who they assumed was dead rose and emitted red sword energy all over the ce. The inside of the boss room was filled with dust, along with an explosion and the confused attackers¡¯ screams.

    ¡°What is this?!¡±

    ¡°It definitely was dead, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    In fact, the Knight of Darkness had died and the attackers had received the corresponding experience points. However, the given points had been somewhat small for the first clear of a boss monster.

    The confusion was only momentary. The dust clouds settled, revealing the attackers¡¯ stiffened faces. There were initially ten of them, but¡­

    <i>¡®Three are dead?¡¯?</i>

    Three attackers who had ignored and did not respond to Do-Jin¡¯s words were now cold corpses rolling on the ground.

    Right at the front, Do-Jin was fighting the resurrected Knight of Darkness alone.

    While they observed the Knight of Darkness randomly scatter its sword energy, everyone was thinking the same thing.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s the power of the rank six boss monster?¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®¡­Is there also such a thing as the elites of the boss monster?¡¯?</i>

    The resurrected Knight of Darkness emanated a much stronger momentum than before. It wasn¡¯t as strong as the general rank seven, but it was still overwhelmingly strong among the rank six boss monsters the attackers had ever seen. The word ¡®elite¡¯ came to mind for a reason. Elite monsters were three times stronger than their counterparts.

    For the first time in history, the attackers were faced with a different pattern from the investigation team¡¯s initial investigation and prediction. It was a situation that could lead to annihtion if things went wrong, but the confusion did notst long.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin. He¡¯s not falling behind even when fighting with that boss monster.¡¯?</i>

    With minor injuries from the continuous fierce battles, Kim Do-Jin was drenched in blood, but he was unbelievably calm as he continued to attack. It was an equal match.

    <i>¡®That Knight of Darkness versus the hunter who just reached rank-C¡­¡¯?</i>

    They were fighting at an almost equal level. This clearly went beyond the realm of outstanding¡­and went to the point of making absolutely no sense. However, it was happening right in front of the attackers¡¯ eyes.

    <i>¡®Did that guy hide his skills the whole time before the boss match?¡¯?</i>

    After entering the dungeon, Kim Do-Jin had disyed quite a bit of skill, but it had not been as good as what the attackers were seeing right now. Kim Do-Jin was even smiling with a red glimmer in his eyes. It appeared like neither defeat nor death was on his mind. The surreal appearance sparked the word ¡®hope¡¯ in all of the attackers¡¯ minds.

    ¡°Hey, healer, what are you doing?! Wake up! Give Kim Do-Jin a Heal!¡± A man in his forties¡ªwho had initially been the least pleased with Do-Jin joining¡ªclenched his fist and shouted. There was a little admiration and awe in his eyes while he drew his main weapon¡ª the bow¡ªand pulled the bowstring.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the front!¡± A man in his thirties, who was also the team leader, ran out shouting to y the role of a tanker.

    The sword that was swerved toward Kim Do-Jin¡¯s heart momentarily bent away from him and towards the tanker. The tanker felt a heavy shock from the raised shield and was pushed back.

    <i>¡®Even a tanker like me is being pushed back by this much¡­¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin was an attacker but he didn¡¯t retreat even a step while facing the boss monster¡¯s sword.

    <i>¡®Isn¡¯t he the real monster?¡¯?</i>

    Of course, this wasn¡¯t a criticism and more of apliment. Certainly, Do-Jin was fundamentally different. He was the future New Star that would lead the Republic of Korea, which was somewhat ignored among other developed countries.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll protect you by any means.¡¯?</i>

    The man shouted again and ran forward determinedly.

    Soon, the 30-minute battle ended. Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword pierced the Knight of Darkness¡¯ neck. This was the first boss that created the word ¡®Phase two¡¯. The ck blood poured down to the floor. A ck glimmer had been emitting from inside the Knight of Darkness¡¯ helmet. The monster¡¯s knees were bent. The boss monster¡ªwhich drove the entire attack squad to fear for their lives¡ªwaspletely dead.

    ¡°Whoo¡­¡± Do-Jin let out a short sigh and withdrew Insight skill amid countless level-up notifications and messages from the gods.

    Simultaneously, the surviving attackers around Do-Jin shouted along with cheers.

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the best. That was stunning!¡±

    ¡°Thanks to you, we survived. I¡¯ll never forget what you have done.¡±

    ¡°How the hell did you know about the change in boss monster?! You¡¯re amazing!¡±

    It had simply been intuition since the airflow had felt different from the usual. Do-Jin had intuitively known that it would have been dangerous if he didn¡¯t spare any strength.

    .

    All Kim Do-Jin did was believe in his skill¡ª¡®Sixth Sense¡¯¡ªbut he did not bother to exin it. He wasn¡¯t even listening to the surrounding cheers. Do-Jin was born to be a leader who knew how to lead and gain followers, so he didn¡¯t reject those who crowded around him and rejoiced. However, his thoughtsy somewhere else as he smiled.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, soon I¡¯ll make you like them.¡¯?</i>

    There was another person he had been covetingtely.

    ***

    There was a rank two dungeon located in a mountain. Somewhere in the desert field, entering through a crypt with Baek Chul¡¯s guidance, Choi Yu-Seong scratched his ear.

    <i>¡®Ah, my ears are itchy. Is there someone swearing at me?¡¯?</i>

    Although he felt so itchy that his nerves were on edge, he soon started to grin at the level-up message window floating in front of him.

    <i>¡®It feels like I¡¯ve already received all the presents.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was surrounded by corpses of rank two monsters¡ªTusks Moul¡ªbut there was no other hunter except him in the area. It was a monopoly of the hunting ground! He was enjoying the privilege that any low-rank hunter¡ªstruggling to level up¡ªwished for.

    <i>¡®I should enjoy it now. It¡¯ll be hard to monopolize dungeons by myself like this when I be a higher rank.¡¯?</i>

    As his rank went up, Choi Yu-Seong had to go to a higher-grade dungeon in order to get as many experience points as he wanted. The problem was that the dungeons¡¯ difficulty rose sharply every time they crossed certain boundaries.

    Therefore, the higher the rank, the number of people who hunted alone decreased dramatically. In fact, except for some of the world¡¯s leading yers, it was safe to say that it was necessary to organize parties or attack teams.

    Anyway, the current situation was unexpectedly somewhat sweet for Choi Yu-Seong. Fortunately, there was a rank two dungeon in the mountain that matched his level. Thus, he came to try out the Wind Control Execution and level-up. However, he had gained more than he expected from monopolizing the hunting ground by himself.

    <i>¡®Maybe they didn¡¯t even register this dungeon to the association.¡¯?</i>

    It was originally illegal if a dungeon was found and not registered to the Association. However, for Choi Ji-Ho, if he informed the Association of the dungeon¡¯s location, his hiding ce could be revealed. Since it was just a rank two dungeon, it would not be as difficult to manage. Therefore, it was entirely possible that Ji-Ho could have concealed the dungeon¡¯s existence.

    Of course, it was a bit tricky to catch Tusks Moul crawling underground. Even so, it wasn¡¯t that disappointing because Yu-Seong was quite satisfied with monopolizing the hunting ground.

    <i>¡®I think I¡¯m going to get drunk from the glee of dungeon monopoly.¡¯?</i>

    There was nothing more to say about this. It was easily proven by the results.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 20

    Series: All-Rounder

    Rank: E

    Level: 60

    Retention History : 1

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E

    General Skills: Stylish F, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Vision-reinforcement F, Physical-reinforcement (overwrite) ¡ú Protective Shield E

    Special Skill: Wind Stance (E)

    Current Disabled Skill Space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite normal skills except for the initial skills. ¡»

    Choi Yu-Seong drank the Hunting experience boost potion without hesitation since he was monopolizing the dungeon. And as a result, he was able to level up more than 20 times in just three days.

    Obviously, there was also a risk that no one could save Yu-Seong from danger since he was alone. So, Jin Yu-Ri entered the dungeon and watched Yu-Seong from a distance. It was not impossible for her to enter together with him since the dungeon was not exactly registered with the Association.

    <i>¡®She looked a bit disappointed when I told her to stay so far away, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong had initially ced Yu-Ri nearby, but she kept trying to help whenever Yu-Seong seemed to be in even a little bit of danger, so he asked her to keep a further distance from him. There had been as many as twenty Tusks Mouls killed by Jin Yu-Ri at the beginning of the hunt.

    <i>¡®Because while I was catching about twenty of them, Yu-Ri caught them at a simr rate.¡¯?</i>

    It was not that good for Yu-Seong¡¯s growth in many ways. Therefore, Yu-Seong pretended not to notice Yu-Ri¡¯s disappointment and made her stay a distance away. In addition, he sternly warned her not to step up until he gave a signal.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s not to the point of really dying, it¡¯s good to be in a situation where I can feel a certain degree of danger even for the sake of real-life experiences.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong did notpletely kick Yu-Ri out because he had already experienced a big incident once due to his mistake.

    <i>¡®It would be difficult for criminals or other power influences to affect the dungeon that Ji-Ho hyung-nim is managing, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    No one knew what went on inside a dungeon. In this case, Jin Yu-Ri was a strong safety device that could rece the role of a trusted colleague made to watch Yu-Seong¡¯s back, which was what Yu-Seong desired. Anyway, except for suchrge variables, a moderate threat to monster hunting was essential for maintaining and developing a sense of battle.

    Of course, Yu-Seong did not like pain either. In addition, he didn¡¯t want to feel the thrill of risking his life. However, he thought he had no choice but to carry the minimum risk considering the various threats ahead. <i>¡®Although it would be nice to have a skill simr to Sixth Sense like Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯?</i>

    Not long ago, Yu-Seong had obtained Wind Stance that was as good as Kim Do Jin¡¯s protagonist grade skills. Although he clicked his tongue in regret, he decided not to be too greedy. In fact, it was already much easier to dodge attacks by Tusk Mouls that suddenly popped out of the ground than ordinary hunters thanks to Wind Control Execution.

    After about twenty more minutes immersed in hunting, Yu-Seong rose another level and checked the watch that worked even in the dungeon. ¡°Shall I call it a day?¡±

    It was soon time for the sun to set. At that moment, Yu-Seong caught strange movements in the corners of his eyes when he was about to return from hunting at a simr time as usual.

    <i>¡®Something just now¡­¡¯?</i>

    Some of the dungeonndscape that had been familiar after seeing it for a few days was distorted.

 Chapter 35

    <h4>Chapter 35 </h4>

    It was a pretty big change, so it wasn¡¯t hard to notice even if Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t pay close attention. Then, in a blink of an eye, part of the space distorted and spread out wide as if it were vomiting.

    The first thing that popped out from the mysterious phenomenon was a sand statue in the shape of a human. It was about 2m tall with red gem-like eyes, and it was holding a spear and a thick shield made of sand. It moved its head in a rather awkward motion and looked at Yu-Seong. Then, it opened its rather small mouth, crumbling rocks and causing dust to fly around.

    <i>Caeeeee-!</i>

    <i>?</i>Soon, it roared, which caused the ground to tremble.

    With glowing eyes, Yu-Seong used Wind Control Execution to quickly widen his distance. It was a sudden, mysterious phenomenon. Moreover, a strange monster had appeared in a hunting ground filled with only Tusk Mouls. To him, it was clear what this represented.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the boss monster!¡¯?</i>

    The monster kicked off the sandy ground and rushed toward Yu-Seong.

    The finest spear that was worth over 2 billion won and made by craftsmen, collided with the boss monster¡¯s sand spear.

    <i>ang-!</i>

    A thundering noise was heard.

    Yu-Seong trembled from the impact that shook his eardrums. He immediately wrapped Spark around his right foot and turned his waist to hit the boss monster¡¯s head.

    The boss monster¡ªthe sand officer¡ªtried to lift the shield and attack Yu-Seong. However, its head exploded and sand scattered everywhere.

    Yu-Seong could feel the grainy texture of having sand sucked into the lung. He wanted to cough but he did not even have time to do so. He immediately used Wind Control Execution at once.

    <i>¡®The First Step.¡¯?</i>

    The sand officer¡¯s shield struck the spot where Yu-Seong was standing just a moment ago. Soon after, some of the scattered sand returned to its original ce and formed the sand officer¡¯s head once more.

    ¡°<i>Cough, cough.</i> O, my throat.¡±

    Obviously, the sand officer showed no consideration to wait for Yu-Seong while he was coughing. Without dy, its spear flew up from the ground and aimed at Yu-Seong¡¯s head once again.

    Yu-Seong fended off the attack by using Block, pushing his shield forward. He used the subsequent momentum and turned his body slightly, then used Seize to shut down the shield that wasing from below.

    Yu-Seong looked into the sand officer¡¯s red eyes and used Wind Control Execution to move to the creature''s back. He stretched his spear forward and used Sting, piercing through the sand officer¡¯s chest and reaching near its heart. However, the sand officer continued ring at Yu-Seong with red eyes.

    <i>¡®So, it won¡¯t die even if I smash the head or stab the heart.¡¯?</i>

    This made sense since the creature was made of sand.

    Fortunately, this time, Yu-Seong did not have to eat sand since he was quite far away. He then calmly wielded his spear while distancing himself from the attacking sand officer. As soon as he saw the chance, he fired Spark to stop the sand officer¡¯s movement and even cut off all of its four limbs.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes glistened when he found a fist-sized stone wrapped in red light in the gaps of the sand officer¡¯s body.

    <i>¡®That is¡­?¡¯?</i>

    In the original novel, there was no scene of hunting the sand officers. Therefore, Yu-Seong had to think about how to kill the monster since he didn¡¯t have any information. And the moment he saw the red stone, he had a strong intuition from being a maniac of games and genre novels for a long time.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s definitely the Core!¡¯?</i>

    In general, the only weakness for monsters of that kind was the Core. Yu-Seong immediately came to the conclusion that he could defeat the monster by breaking the red stone. Even if all the other parts could be regenerated, the core would not be restored. He tried to quickly stab with his spear once again.

    However, when the limbless sand officer screamed, a sudden gust of sand blew forth and blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s view. It pushed him away, stopping him from ending the fight.

    Yu-Seong stepped back and calmly moved on, but his heart was racing.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s okay. I still have time.¡¯?</i>

    He was doing okay. He was fighting well against the boss monster of a rank two dungeon alone. A rank two dungeon was generally hunted by a five-member E-rank party above level fifty, and with his performance, Yu-Seong was pleased. He couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    Originally, Choi Yu-Seong was an ordinary man, an employee of a gamepany. There had been various changes after he was possessed by the novel, but to be honest, he never thought that he was particrly outstanding. Simply, he thought that he had achieved such results from possessing prior information and had unique spite and tenacity. However, his feelings had now changed.

    Yu-Seong moved naturally, being guided by the flow of the air and the spear tip quivered. As he immersed himself in that feeling, he pushed back the attacks of the fully regenerated sand officer and swung his spear down to cut off one of its legs. Then, he pulled his spear upward and thrust it forward to pierce even the sand officer¡¯s shield.

    <i>¡®Something¡¯s changed,¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought.

    Now he was not Yu-Seong, the ordinary gamepany employee. However, he was also not a viin belonging to a chaebol family in the novel.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s like¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong felt like he was simr to Kim Do-Jin, the main character of the novel he read. Sweat drenched his hair and ran down all over his body, but he didn¡¯t feel heavy. All he felt was a sense of thrill.

    ***

    After Yu-Ri found out that the dungeon¡¯s boss monster had appeared from within the distorting space, she immediately kicked the ground. She thought that she had to save Yu-Seong. Although only a short time had passed, a boss monster could pose a much greater threat to him.

    <i>¡®I knew I should¡¯ve been closer to him.¡¯?</i>

    She regretted it for a moment. She felt her heart beating loudly as she approached the battlefield. Everything came into view.

    <i>¡®Yu-Seong oppa is¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was fighting alone in an equal, no, advantageous battle against the sand officer. He dealt with the emergency situation by avoiding and widening the distance between the sand officer and himself, using the eleration skill which Yu-Ri was seeing for the first time. Spark was used to block the opponent¡¯s movements or tond a powerful blow that led to fatal opportunities.

    But Yu-Ri was most surprised by Yu-Seong¡¯s Spearmanship, which flowed through space like water. It was sharp and untamed, dangerous. The spear tore, crossed, and prated through space.

    When the boss monster was blown off by a direct hit and the sand dust scattered away, his sweat drops sprinkled through them and stained the surroundings.

    Yu-Ri could not help but open her mouth and express admiration at the battle¡¯s rather surprising oue. It felt as if she were looking at a piece of art. ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    The abnormality of the yer¡¯s world¡ªIrregr¡ªwas known as someone who would grow stronger as long as they survived. Today, once again, Yu-Ri was reminded of the fact that Yu-Seong was Irregr. However, she thought that was not the end.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not something that¡¯s possible just because he is lucky.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong being an Irregr was not the only reason for his strength. The Spearmanship that he was currently using to bnce the battle contained only basic skills¡ªBlocking, Seizing, and Piercing.

    Pushing away, swirling in, and stabbing¡­ Yu-Seong had practiced the three basic skills of Spearmanship day and night without skipping a single day. Despite the infinite repetition of the same movements, he never even seemed to be tired of it.

    Of course, it was not that the Jin siblings did not ask Yu-Seong if he would want to learn more advanced Spearmanship. Their intention was that it would be nice if he could get a strong spear skill, but since it was literally the realm of luck to hope to learn a strong skill, they wanted him to develop his martial arts in any way possible. Even if they had to hire an expert, they would do it.

    However, Choi Yu-Seong had rejected their request. This was because he thought he was not good enough in martial arts yet. Many people¡ªincluding the Jin siblings¡ªsaid he had quite the talent, but he had told them that he didn¡¯t want to forget that he was still at the starting point.

    Evidently, the result of that was seen in the battle against the boss monster¡ªsand officer. Yu-Seong¡¯s Spearmanship was beautiful even though it wasn¡¯t fancy or special. It was authentic.

    Yu-Ri admitted that Yu-Seong had made the right choice.

    <i>¡®Just because it¡¯s basic doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s weak.¡¯</i>

    If someone could use it as well as that, a basic skill would be better than any other skill.

    For a moment, Yu-Ri simply observed the battle as if she was lost in thought. She created a whip in one hand, just in case, and took out the action camera that she had brought with the other hand.

    <i>¡®I have to shoot this for sure!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s battle was too beautiful for her to enjoy alone.

    ***

    After falling into a bit of a trance from repeatedly stabbing, cutting, and breaking the sand officer with Spearmanship, Yu-Seong was able to try to identify the location of the sand officer¡¯s core several times. The problem was the sandstorm that erupted with the sand officer¡¯s scream whenever he made an attempt. Because the sandstorm was too tough and powerful, it was hard to even think of breaking through it and destroying the core. Eventually, he needed to effectively pierce the core after confirming its location.

    <i>¡®So far, I have used all five steps of Wind Control Execution.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not know exactly how much mana he had remaining, but he estimated that he had about one-third left. Since the Wind Control Execution was powerful, the mana consumption with each usage was quite high.

    <i>¡®Perhaps there are two times left before I reach the limit, considering the remaining mana.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong needed to seize the opportunity this time. He avoided the sand officer¡¯s attack based on his acute sense, and not sight, and immediately used Wind Control Execution. Afterward, he immediately threw the Hail Mary.

    <i>¡®Create illusion.¡¯?</i>

    An illusion could be created by activating Wind Control Execution and using all currently avable five steps. When he activated the skill, a strange feeling came to Yu-Seong as if his body was splitting into two.

    The sand officer, crazily chasing after Yu-Seong, stabbed its spear to the illusion¡¯s head. A mere irrational monster, the sand officer tilted its head as if it intuitively sensed something strange.

    At that moment, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s spear, which was wrapped in Spark, popped out from under the illusion that dispersed like smoke rising in the air. Yu-Seong thrust the spear right into the crotch of the sand officer. He was convinced this was the right ce. <i>¡®Gotcha.¡¯?</i>

    Along with the noisy ¡®jjouk-!¡¯ sound, the sand officer¡¯s red eyes turned to the tip of Yu-Seong¡¯s spear. It opened its mouth to scream, but there was no shriek or sandstorm like before. Its physical form returned to its original appearance and was blown away by the wind. Like real sand, it disintegrated and spread throughout the desert.

    Hunting was a sess.

    ¡°I did it-!¡± Yu-Seong felt rxed, feeling relieved. He was about to sit down.

    Your level has risen.

    Your level has risen.

    Your level has risen.

    Your level has risen.

    Your level has risen¡­

    The level-up notifications that he exceedingly loved were heard constantly. Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t bring himself to count them all. The fastest way was to directly check the system information window and see how much his level had risen.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 20

    Type: All-rounder

    Rank: E

    Level: 88

    Retention History: 1

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E, Spearmanship Prodigy E (additional)

    General Skills: Stylish E, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Sight Enhancement E, Protective Shield E

    Special Skills: Wind Control Execution E

    Current Disabled Skill Space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite normal skills except for the initial skills.¡»

    After checking, Yu-Seong eximed in disbelief. ¡°Oh my goodness¡­¡±

    1. one of the severalrge, powerful groups ofpanies in South Korea that are involved in various different types of business

 Chapter 36

    <h4>Chapter 36 </h4>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s level was 61 before hunting the boss monster, which meant his level had risen by 27 levels. There were only 12 levels left until the Max Level of E-Rank, and that was not the end.

    <i>¡®I gained one more special skill?!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had already been surprised when he had not one, but two, skills. But now, there was even a third one. He wondered,

    .

    <i>¡®Is it a bug?¡¯?</i>

    Obviously, it couldn¡¯t be a bug. Such a thought was ridiculous since this was reality and not a game. However, it wasn¡¯t strange for Yu-Seong to think it was a bug at this point.

    ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, Yu-Seong oppa¡­!¡±

    Yu-Seong felt all the strength leaving his legs. Just as he was starting to fall, Yu-Ri ran to his side while shouting and supported him.

    ¡°Uh, what?¡±

    ¡°Can you hear me now?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, yeah. Sorry, I was a little distracted.¡± Due to the pleasure of sessfully hunting the boss monster alone and acquiring a reward far beyond his expectations, Yu-Seong had not heard a single thing Yu-Ri had said. He asked, ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said that was incredible! It was extremely amazing. I¡¯m not really the type of person who gets carried away like this, you know. But this is so, seriously, excessively great. What the hell just happened? Why didn¡¯t I know that Yu-Seong oppa was such a great person?¡±

    ¡°¡­Stop it. It¡¯s really embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be embarrassed! I¡¯ve been this surprised only twice in my life. Why, why! Do you keep trumping our expectations? Seriously, you give us goosebumps sometimes!¡± eximed Yu-Ri.

    ¡°...¡±

    Just as Yu-Seong failed to hear her just a moment ago, Yu-Ri also did not seem to be in a state that allowed her to properlymunicate with him. She excitedly repeated her words as they exited the dungeon. In the meantime, Yu-Seong checked the other messages and rewards.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s look at the new special skill first.¡¯?</i>

    ¡ºSpearmanship Prodigy E

    Has a very good understanding and proficiency in pole weapons, and spears.

    Get the effect of the normal skill ¨C Cool-headed E ¨C when using the spear.

    Attack power increases when using the spear.

    When learning techniques rted to spear, the learning rate will be faster.

    When acquiring skills rted to spear, the starting point will be set at a rank one higher.¡»

    As expected of a special skill, it had a significant effect. Even without the several additional effects, the special skill itself included a normal skill - Cool-headed E. Cool-headed was one skill that was highly regarded by high-ranking hunters because it increased concentration, improvedposure, and lessened one¡¯s agitation duringbat.

    <i>¡®I was hoping to get it someday¡­¡¯?</i>

    But Yu-Seong managed to easily acquire it along with the special skill. The skill¡¯s effect ovepped with Insight E, which he had gained from Kim Do-Jin, but he didn¡¯t find this to be detrimental at all.

    <i>¡®Now, the penalty for using Insight fully would be slightly lessened.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, the real outstanding ability of Insighty in its capability to allow the user to see through some of the world¡¯s data, but what Yu-Seong currently needed most was mental power. He had such an impression upon first killing someone. If he couldn¡¯t properly control his agitation, it would one day lead to his death.

    Yu-Seong knew he could easily deal with such agitation without the help of skill one day, but it was impossible to deal with it right away. Until then, he definitely thought it was okay to borrow the skill¡¯s effect.

    <i>¡®By the way¡­ I guess I actually have a talent for spears.¡¯?</i>

    In the first ce, a special skill was an ability that was close to one¡¯s essence. Therefore, it would not have appeared without the talent that was imprinted on the soul or perhaps the body of the yer.

    <i>¡®Wait, even so, what¡¯s going on with these three special skills?¡¯?</i>

    It could be simply because of the sloppy setting of the original novel, but if possible, Yu-Seong wanted to know the clear reason for this situation. Unfortunately, that didn¡¯t mean there was an immediate answer.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way for me to find out right now, so it¡¯s just piquing my interest for now. And it¡¯s actually good for me, just by looking at the results¡­¡¯?</i>

    It was inevitable to sweep the questions under the rug until the opportunity came. Other than that, the message from the gods was also plentiful.

    -[Private] The Joke-loving Prankster sends you a seductive look. Fifty karma points are sponsored. He is asking you to inherit the skill quickly.

    Y/N

    -The Oldest Hunter smiles at the yer Choi Yu-Seong. Sixty karma points are sponsored.

    -The Silky Beard wants to transfer a skill to the yer Choi Yu-Seong. Fifty karma points are sponsored.

    Y/N

    -The Emperor of Great China wants to have the yer Choi Yu-Seong. Thirty karma points are sponsored.

    -The Red Fang of the Dark Night is smacking their lips, looking at the yer Choi Yu-Seong. Ten karma points are sponsored.

    -The Cnn¡¯s Hound sponsored one hundred karma points to the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes twinkled when she checked the non-stop messages with Yu-Seong. Shemented, ¡°Even the gods havepletely fallen for Yu-Seong oppa. By the way, ¡®the Silky Beard¡¯ wanting to give skill to you is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the one you are thinking of.¡±

    <i>¡°The Chinese God of Martial Arts¡­¡±?</i>

    Guan-Yu¡ªthe courtesy name ¡®Yunchang¡¯¡ªwas more famous as a general of the Three Kingdoms period and was called ¡®the Chinese God of Martial Arts¡¯ as Yu-Ri mentioned. However, unfortunately, Yu-Seong intended to reject the offer although Guan-Yu was known as the God of Martial Arts.

    <i>`In the first ce, there are so many yangbans</i><i>?called the God of Martial Arts in China that their influence is not special. And that gent¡¯s weapon is guandao</i>[ref]Guandao is arge sword shaped like a crescent moon, and it is famous that it was used by Guan-Yu in the Three Kingdoms.[\ref]<i>, right?¡¯?</i>

    Guan-Yu seemed to admire Yu-Seong¡¯s spearmanship and even wanted to transfer his skills to Yu-Seong. However, the guandao and the spear had quite different ways of being utilized even though they were both pole weapons. It could be said that the spear was a little sharper while guandao was heavier¡­ In any case, Yu-Seong decided to reject Guan-Yu¡¯s offer after a little while, thinking that they were not verypatible.

    <i>¡®There are a lot of gods watching right now, so I have to think about saving his face.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was also still thinking of ignoring Loki, who was still trying to seduce him or whatever. Rather, a new name appeared in the message of the gods sponsoring many karma points.

    <i>¡®Cnn¡¯s Hound. Cu Chinn.¡¯?</i>

    He was a hero more popr than King Arthur in Irnd. He was handsome enough to be nicknamed the Prince of Light and was also a genius in spearmanship who dealt with a magic spear called Gae Bolg. In fact, his spearmanship was one of the abilities Yu-Seong coveted. Though he seemed to have no intention of transferring skills, Yu-Seong had to be satisfied by confirming his presence for now. Anyway, it could be said that Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s battle was significant enough to attract the attention of Cu Chinn.

    <i>¡®By the way, there are already six gods watching.¡¯?</i>

    Cu Chinn was originally a hero like Guan-Yu, but he had be a god after his death. It was not just that. The background of the novel [Modern Master Returns] was that those who achieved great achievements or left their names deep in history became gods and could support others with karma points and raise their status as they were doing now.

    The problem was that only up to about five gods could share karma points by sponsoring one human. In other words, from now on, the gods who wanted to support Yu-Seong would inevitably be cautious. Since there were gods who already settled and supported him, it was a difficult contest between them. And even though the other five gods did not know, there was also Loki.

    <i>¡®The seats are actually full, but it¡¯s a shame to let go of some of the powerful gods I see there.¡¯?</i>

    There were gods with rather low in name-value or status. Yu-Seong had already noticed the identity of all the gods who sponsored him.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s nothing I can do. It¡¯s not like I can choose the gods.¡¯?</i>

    Rather, humans were in a position to be chosen. In addition, considering the situation just a while ago, it was certainly a hopeful situation that six snobby gods supported him. Especially since Choi Yu-Seong was still in the process of growing.

    When he got out of the dungeonpletely with Yu-Ri¡¯s support, Yu-Seong could see the scenery of the mountain that waspletely darkened. Looking at such scenery, Yu-Ri seemed to havee to her senses quite a bit; she turned to looked at Yu-Seong. ¡°Can you walk alone?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve used up too much energy. Though, tonight might be a little dangerous¡­¡±

    Ji-Ho¡¯s people had been kind to Yu-Seong and hispanions so far, but he could not bepletely off guard. Therefore, the Jin siblings took turns being on watch every night. Yu-Seong expressed his desire to be on the lookout too, but he had nothing else to say when the siblings said that he was excluded because he was less sensitive than the two.

    ¡°Both of us won¡¯t sleep and be on watch tonight.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, that would be great. And if Ji-Ho hyung-nim doesn¡¯te back tomorrow morning, let¡¯s just go home,¡± said Yu-Seong. He didn¡¯t know what gift Choi Woo-Jae had prepared, but Yu-Seong had already gained satisfactory results aftering here. Therefore, he thought it was okay to receive the gift a littleter.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s try to be safe and aim for the next time.¡± Yu-Ri agreed with Yu-Seong, and the two went back to Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s house to spend thest night.

    ***

    Late at night, Yu-Seong heard a noise and woke up from sleep. He instinctively got up and picked the spear he had ced next to him. However, he failed to react further. That moment when he thought he saw long straight ck hair fluttering, a pure white hand was ced against his nape. His eyes blurred in an instant.

    <i>¡®Who¡­?¡¯?</i>

    <i>Bam-!</i>

    Yu-Seong copsed to the floor. He was unable to even utter a question.

    The long-haired man floated in the air above Yu-Seong after he passed out. A bitter smile appeared on Ji-Ho¡¯s face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like giving you the ordeal, but I can¡¯t help it. I hope you don¡¯t me me too much.¡±

    Complex emotions were indiscriminately mixed in his pensive face.

    ***

    Experiencing a severe headache, Yu-Seong slowly felt the sensations of his body return as he came around. First, he moved his fingertips and opened his eyes only a whileter. He thought he could feel something cold and hard, but it turned out he was lying face down on the stone floor. For a moment he felt a bit creeped out. Yu-Seong quickly got up and looked around.

    ¡°¡­?!¡± Soon, Choi Yu-Seong found something that filled his eyes with surprise. The room looked like a spacious enough square for even ten people toy down on the ground. However, the ceiling was so high and dark that it could not be seen, and only a few lights were shining inside the room.

    The problem was the rooms on either side of Yu-Seong¡¯s room. He could see the other rooms since the walls were made of ss rather than stone. Yu-ri and Do-Yoon were hanging from the wall with their arms and legs chained up. They looked like tortured prisoners. While a mixture of bewilderment and anger overwhelmed his mind¡­

    [You¡¯re awake.]

    ¡­a tampered voice was heard from a speaker somewhere.

    1. Basically ¡®yangban¡¯ refers to the status of the ruling ss during the Joseon Dynasty, but it is also used as a term to refer to a person who is decent and polite. It is also used as a term to refer to a manmonly or rudely.

 Chapter 37

    <h4>Chapter 37 </h4>

    Yu-Seong clenched his fist and shouted toward the ceiling. He could not see the ceiling¡¯s end, but he knew that the voice hade from above. He yelled, ¡°What did you do to them, you bastards?!¡±

    It was a sharp cry, but the figure beyond the speaker continued to speak calmly.

    [At least they¡¯re still alive. And it¡¯s about time for them to wake up.]

    Yu-Seong bit his lower lip and took a deep breath. It felt like he was losing his reason and his mind filled with only anger, but he knew that he needed to stay calm.

    <i>¡®Calm down, Choi Yu-Seong. You need to think of a way to get out of this situation now.¡¯?</i>

    He could not find an answer if he was swayed by emotions.

    [You react more rationally than I expected. I thought you¡¯d be trying to break the wall right away.]

    ¡°I don¡¯t even expect that the wall is thin enough to be wrecked by a fist. There may be a mana barrier. I know that it¡¯s not a good idea to waste my power,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    [Exactly. The mana barrier on the ss wall can¡¯t be broken even by an S-rank yer. So, it¡¯s better for you to not have useless thoughts.]

    ¡°Now, answer my question. Who are you and where is this? Why did you kidnap us? Is this also one of Father''s tests?¡±

    Yu-Seong asked several questions, but he had already found answers to some of them. First, he already discovered the identity of the suspect who kidnapped him and hispanions.

    <i>¡®Choi Ji-Ho or Baek Cheol. Or even both.¡¯?</i>

    There were no other exnations, and it was almost impossible for others to intervene. Yu-Seong had been staying at Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s mansion. No matter how many teeth were missing, a tiger was still a tiger. Even Baek Cheol¡ªan S-rank yer¡ªhad been staying in the mansion. It was extremely unlikely for a third party to swing by, get involved, and kidnap three people. This also made it easy to find the answer to the third question.

    <i>¡®If Choi Ji-Ho and Baek Cheol are involved, this must be Father¡¯s test.¡¯?</i>

    However, the situation was very different from before.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t feel good about this.¡¯?</i>

    A voice responded from above.

    [This is ¡®The Room of Sacrifice.¡¯]

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you answered all of my questions.¡±

    [In addition, as you said, this is a test. However, many things are going to be different from before. What have youe to get from this ce?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t know! He didn¡¯t even tell me about it in the first ce.¡±

    Yu-Seong was somewhat deliberately angry and he nibbled his lower lip. This was to induce the opponent¡¯s vacancy by showing his nervousness and anxiety.

    <i>¡®Maybe they would let their guard down and show some clues without realizing.¡¯?</i>

    And in fact, Yu-Seong was feeling quite anxious and threatened. If this was the test of Choi Woo-Jae or someone else from the family, it wouldn''t be a big threat to Choi Yu-Seong. At least, they would have no intention to kill or maim him. However, it was different for Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon.

    Choi Yu-Seong cared about them a lot, but the Jin siblings were nothing more than just one of the manymon soldiers from the Choi family¡¯s perspective.

    <i>¡®The name ¡®The Room of Sacrifice¡¯ and this whole situation¡­ It certainly feels nasty.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong found the situation especially annoying since it was happening on theirst day; they had made the decision to return and go back.

    While he was frowning, the voice continued.

    [The value of the treasure you will obtain is significant. It is too precious to be obtained without any sacrifice or cost.]

    ¡°Do we need to talk about the cost? This is what Father was supposed to give me as a present in the first ce,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    [There¡¯s no rule that I have to follow the Chairman''s words. The value of the thing is determined by me, the owner.]

    ¡°And so, who are you?¡±

    [¡­You seem to have roughly understood the situation, so let¡¯s begin the test, Choi Yu-Seong. You can choose only one of the two people behind the ss walls in this room.]

    The voice answered all other questions quite sincerely but still did not reveal who he was until the end. The speaker was clearly reluctant to reveal their identity. He even tried not to have unnecessary conversations with Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong could feel that the opponent was trying to prevent any unexpected situations. In any case, he could only grind his teeth in anger.

    [You have three chances to open the ss wall. Enough chances for you to open each of the doors once to speak with them once to make a final choice.]

    As the voice continued speaking to Yu-Seong, Jin Do-Yoon slowly raised his head as if he had regained consciousness first. However, he was busy figuring out his situation and where he was at. It was as if Yu-Seong could not be seen through the ss wall.

    [It is okay not to use all three chances. There is a key on the left wall inside the room. And the moment you pick it up, poison gas will be sprayed in the room where you did not choose. It is extremely strong that even an elephant will die in three seconds after taking a single breath.]

    As if responding to the voice, Jin Do-Yoon raised his head and looked at the ceiling.

    <i>¡®Even if he can¡¯t see me from the other side, he can hear the voice,¡¯?</i>thought Yu-Seong.

    He was stranded in ce in deep agony.

    [Choi Yu-Seong. Through the sacrifice of one follower, you will get a very valuable treasure. So, that means your gift from the Chairman would be delivered safely. That is all. Is there any rule you don¡¯t understand?]

    ¡°I understand everything. In short, it¡¯s simply to¡­¡± Yu-Seong looked at the ceiling in a rather crooked manner and shouted in a slightly agitated voice. ¡°I am to determine the death of someone right this instant. The unchosen one will die.¡±

    [Exactly. You can say that I¡¯m cold-hearted, but this much determination is essential to protect the treasure and also to stand beside the Chairman.]

    ¡°Is there no option to give up? For me, those two are more precious than the gift.¡±

    [Chairman has already decided to give you a present. It¡¯s one of those rules that can¡¯t be broken.]

    ¡°...Shit.¡± Yu-Seong smirked and asked with both hands in his pockets, ¡°By the way, why do you hate to identify yourself?¡±

    [Let¡¯s start the game.]

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s true that things get overshadowed by the years,¡± Yu-Seong murmured as if talking to himself. Then, with slow steps, he first approached the room on the left where Jin Yu-Ri was in.

    ¡°As far as I know, Ji-Ho hyung-nim wouldn¡¯t enjoy this kind of cruel game, right?¡± Yu-Seong bit his lips tightly and stared at the high ceiling sharply.

    ***

    A bitter smile appeared on Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s face while he leaned against the chair. He was pressing the microphone¡¯s power button. It was not visible, but he could feel it. Beyond the monitor, his younger brother was looking at himself with great resentment.

    ¡°Are you okay, sir?¡± asked Baek Cheol in a worried voice while watching the situation from the back.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is something I have decided to take on and handle it myself.¡±

    ¡°Yu-Seong, young master¡­ He is very different from what I had heard.¡±

    ¡°Originally, he¡¯s been smart since young. He seemed to be warped as he got older, but it would not be a strange thing for him to change back. But still, I didn¡¯t know¡­ I never thought Yu-Seong would be the first child toe here.¡±

    Baek Cheol looked away from Yu-Seong to gaze at Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon, who were both captured in different rooms. Hemented, ¡°The rtionship between the three seemed quite strong.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the reason that I prepared this test for him.¡±

    ¡°Young Master, Yu-Seong, will¡­¡±

    ¡°He will me me a lot,¡± said Ji-Ho.

    ¡°He will understand that it was an inevitable choice for you.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t be certain about that. However¡­I can¡¯t stop here even for the sake of Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The ce called Comet Group, where I also belong, is in fact a really terrible ce. It¡¯s not just the siblings who would sell their souls to the devil if they could take over Father¡¯s position, right? To survive in such a ce, Yu-Seong has to throw away the clumsy mindset that he can choose everything,¡± said Ji-Ho.

    His two eyes that could not even be opened recklessly and his limbs that would not work no matter how hard he physically tried were both evidence of this fact.

    ¡°Master¡­¡±

    ¡°It is fine if Yu-Seong doesn¡¯t understand me. Now that it hase to this point, I hope that Yu-Seong will survive to the end inside this family.¡± Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s face turned to the monitor again. ¡°Captain Baek, Yu-Seong chose the woman''s side first.¡±

    ¡°She is clever, sir. She rejected all the sparring requests that were demanded to find out her abilities in advance. Therefore, she was quite difficult to suppress. I assume that Yu-Seong, the young master, may think that she could y some tricks.¡±

    ¡°Well. Perhaps that will make it easier for her to understand and give up on the contrary.¡±

    In the monitor where the two were looking, Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri were looking at each other and they began talking.

    ***

    Yu-Seong entered through the thick ss wall that opened slowly. He then first exined the situation to Yu-Ri, who was surprised.

    ¡°¡­And that¡¯s what happened. I¡¯m sorry. I should have made the decision faster. I told you to stay alert but continued to stay here for too long.¡±

    Looking at Yu-Seong lowering his head, Yu-Ri shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not Yu-Seong oppa¡®s fault. We were in a situation where we had to wait. Also, there wasn¡¯t much of a threat here. We were just worried about any unexpected situation. Rather, I and Do-Yoon oppa were suppressed without being able to fight back¡­ This is miserable. We¡¯re disqualified as your guards.¡±

    With a deep sigh, Yu-Ri raised her head from the hanging wall and looked around. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to break through the ss wall. The end of the ceiling¡­looks blurry even with my own eyes. Perhaps, it¡¯s going to be over 30m? Even if Do-Yoon oppa jumps, he wouldn¡¯t be able to jump over it at once. It¡¯s not just a stone wall. It¡¯s also covered with steel, so it¡¯s impossible to go over there. Digging this ground would be the fastest way? Did you bring a spoon, perhaps?¡±

    ¡°You can still joke in this situation,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°What can we do? Crying doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll get a solution.¡± Jin Yu-Ri grinned and pulled the chain that tied her arms greatly. ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary restraint, it¡¯s a seal that blocks my ability. You said that your first hyung-nim is the culprit, and I see clearly that the whole family has a lot of money as expected. Comet Group, Haha.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is. Besides, there¡¯s no way they use ordinary restraints to bind an A-rank hunter.¡±

    ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, no, young master.¡±

    ¡°Why are you calling me like that suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Choose Do-Yoon oppa.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it. I think there could be a way to escape somehow if I¡¯m alone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lie. The moment I release Jin Do-Yoon, a poisonous gas that can kill an elephant instantly will be released. How can you escape from it?¡±

    ¡°I also have a knack at holding my breath, you know.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think ridiculously and just wait. There¡¯s got to be a way to save both of you somehow.¡±

    ¡°Probably not. I think I know why the first young master made a room like this.¡±

 Chapter 38

    <h4>Chapter 38 </h4>

    Jin Yu-Ri gave a slightly sad smile. ¡°I thought I could finally serve our young master who became awesome and cool, but now this happens. Please open my email inbox when you get out of here. Do-Yoon oppa knows the ID and password. If you look through that, you will find a sender named Jenny. Please contact her¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop. Did you think that I came here to hear your will?¡± Yu-Seong interrupted her with an annoyed voice. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out. If you can¡¯t think of anything, it can¡¯t be helped. Who knows, Do-Yoon might have an idea. Even if he doesn¡¯t, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll find the answer on my own. So don¡¯t give up. Never think about dying. Got it?¡±

    ¡°Yu-Seong oppa.¡± Yu-Ri shook her head, her hair hanging low.

    ¡°Jin Yu-Ri. I actually still don¡¯t know why people like you and Jin Do-Yoon care so much and follow a drunkard idiot like me. So, you can¡¯t be killed until I find out the reason.¡±

    ¡°What kind of silly¡­¡±

    ¡°Enough, just remember one thing. Don¡¯t give up. Because I won¡¯t either.¡± Choi Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and returned to his room.

    Yu-Ri watched his back with a strange gaze and smiled. ¡°Seriously. What am I going to do if he keeps getting cooler? This will make it difficult for me to choose the right woman for him when he decides to get married¡­¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri had simply spoken the best idea that came to mind in the helpless situation. However, her eyes started to fill with a strong will and determination.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t trust anyone else, but I trust you, Yu-Seong oppa! You have to save me! Okay? You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Jin Yu-Ri gathered all of her strength and shouted. Beyond the slowly closing ss wall, Yu-Seong turned as if he heard her voice. Then, he gazed at Yu-Ri and nodded hard.

    ***

    After hearing Yu-Ri¡¯s supportive shout, Yu-Seong returned to his room and contemted for a short while. He was very flustered by the unexpected situation that was not even in the original novel, but it seemed natural when he thought about it.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s because I¡¯m not Kim Do-Jin but Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯?</i>

    Also, he madepletely different decisions from the original Choi Yu-Seong. And since many things were changing, unexpected events would happen more and more frequently in the future. There was nothing more foolish than falling into confusion every time he ran into an unexpected variable.

    Yu-Seong believed that he could do well. Wasn¡¯t the sand officer he met yesterday a monster that did not appear in the original novel too?

    ¡°The transparent ss wall is about five meters high. Above it is a stone wall, but there must be some mana barrier covering it.¡± Yu-Seong started talking to himself. In fact, he muttered to himself, convinced that someone was listening to him.

    ¡°The ground¡­ Well, it can''t be dug into unless I can summon a real forklift.¡± Yu-Seong intentionallyid on the floor, put his ears on the ground, tapped them with his fingers, and talked to himself. ¡°Why is the ceiling so high? Won¡¯t it be too much even for a rank S physical type hunter to jump at once?¡±

    [You talk a lot. It¡¯s foolish to give the enemy a lot of information.]

    ¡°In any case, it¡¯s a trap that you¡¯ve made.¡± Yu-Seong smiled at the returned answer, and looked at the ceiling. ¡°Where did you hide the camera? It looks like it¡¯s beyond the wall, but you can¡¯t break through the mana barrier, so there must be a gap.¡±

    [I don¡¯t deny it.]

    ¡°After all, you don¡¯t mind that as it¡¯s just a small gap that can only fit a camera and a microphone.¡±

    [Are you not going to open the man¡¯s room?]

    ¡°I shall go, open the door.¡± Yu-Seong smirked and headed for the ss wall where Jin Do-Yoon could be seen this time. The ground rumbled before the huge ss wall slowly lifted into the air like a blind.

    ¡°You are safe as expected, young master!¡± Jin Do-Yoon was looking around with his head up. He uttered a cry of relief.

    ¡°Huh. But things aren¡¯t so good. To exin it ¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand roughly. When I listened attentively, I could hear a voice that¡¯s been altered.¡±

    ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t hear mine?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Obviously, the voiceing out of the microphone was much louder than Yu-Seong¡¯s voice. Even so, if Do-Yoon was able to hear the voice, it meant that the person behind the microphone was closer to him.

    <i>¡®Although, it may also be because Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s ears are that much sharper,</i>¡¯ thought Yu-Seong.

    In any case, it was more likely that the eyes and ears of the Physical-transformation type Jin Do-Yoon would be much sharper than the Psychic-implementation type Jin Yu-Ri, even though his rank was lower.

    ¡°This room is exactly the same as Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s room. My side is invisible and the stone walls are tall and rectangr. On the ceiling¡­¡±

    ¡°It is steel. It¡¯s quite thick. I¡¯ve developed my own special move recently, but honestly I don¡¯t have the confidence to jump that far,¡± replied Do-Yoon.

    ¡°That¡¯s something you should have been a bit more careful to say. They¡¯re listening from over there.¡±

    Jin Do-Yoon looked surprised by Yu-Seong¡¯s words, and closed his mouth tightly.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. As you said, it¡¯s a height too high to reach. Since it¡¯s already spilled milk, let¡¯s just check the situation. If you can reach it, can you break it?¡±

    Instead of answering, Do-Yoon red intensely at Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s worth a try, right?¡¯</i> thought Yu-Seong.

    However, it would take a considerable lot of energy. It was also an overying move when also thinking about rescuing Jin Yu-Ri after a sessful escape.

    ¡°Do you have any ideas?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I am afraid not,¡± replied Do-Yoon.

    Choi Yu-Seong continued to talk with Jin Do-Yoon while checking the room.

    ¡°Please save Yu-Ri and not me. She pretends to be strong, but she is a weak-hearted kid.¡±

    ¡°I heard the same thing in the other room. To put it the same way, I refuse your request. I¡¯m gonna save you both.¡±

    ¡°There is no appropriate way, young master.¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t have any appropriate way, we should make one.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. That¡¯s why I am here to think about it.¡±

    ¡°¡­I believe in you.¡±

    Yu-Seong smirked and approached Do-Yoon after going around the room. He asked, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°It is not bad.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just break that off by force, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Jin Do-Yoon showed a deep smile instead of answering.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. What are we going to do if you get seriously hurt after doing everything I tell you to? Lower your head a little bit.¡± Yu-Seong scratched his own cheek and whispered something in Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s ear.

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Choi Yu-Seong smiled slightly and stepped away from Jin Do-Yoon.

    [Know that if you try some useless transparent trick, both of them could be sacrificed.]

    ¡°How unsympathetic. The rules get tougher as time passes by,¡± Choi Yu-Seong replied gruntingly. He moved farther away from Jin Do-Yoon. Then, he stood on the lower-left corner of the room and muttered quietly, ¡°Summon Dimensional Merchant.¡±

    Space became distorted and a small pink door was formed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the lollipop for this body?¡± Pingpong of the Lion Bear n walked out from the door and asked his first question. He was looking at Choi Yu-Seong.

    ***

    Baek Cheol frowned and looked at the monitor where Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s figure had disappeared. ¡°It seems the young master, Yu-Seong, has found the camera¡¯s blind spot, sir.¡±

    ¡°It seems like he has noticed that there¡¯s no blind spot in his own room. That¡¯s why he chose the room Jin Do-Yoon is in,¡± said Ji-Ho.

    ¡°How did he know it?¡±

    ¡°Instinctive sense. Or he might have felt the camera¡¯s gaze. After all, Yu-Seong is also a hunter.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even know it was a trap¡­ It is a foolish thought to think that. He doesn¡¯t know that you, master, don''t see him with eyes.¡±

    Choi Ji-Ho nodded at Baek Cheol¡¯s words, thenmented, ¡°He summoned a Dimensional Merchant. I think he is buying something, but I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for.¡±

    ¡°I heard that it has not been long since he just became a hunter. Even if he received a lot of attention from the gods, what he can do with such karma points would be limited.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s limited, but he can cut corners.¡±

    ¡°He should not be permitted to use future seeing eye.¡±

    Baek Cheol quickly took the lead. The use of future-seeing eyes was also a big burden for Choi Ji-Ho. Although the test was important, it was Baek Cheol¡¯s wish for Choi Ji-Ho not to overdo it.

    ¡°I don''t mean to do that much. But¡­ Shall we surprise him once?¡± Ji-Ho grinned and took the microphone to his lips.

    ***

    [I suggest you cancel the summon of Dimensional Merchant right now. Choi Yu-Seong. This is thest warning.]

    Yu-Seong had summoned Ping Pong and was quickly buying some items from him. Yu-Seong shuddered. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t this a blind spot?¡±

    [That could be your misunderstanding. I¡¯ll count from three. Three.]

    Yu-Seong shed a bitter smile. <i>¡®There wasn¡¯t much information about Choi Ji-Ho in the original novel. It¡¯s not strange that he has a skill I don¡¯t know of.¡¯?</i>

    While he was thinking hard, Ji-Ho¡¯s voice was heard once again.

    [Two.]

    Yu-Seong sighed deeply and looked at Ping Pong. ¡°Next time youe, I¡¯ll give you three lollipops for free. Thank you for helping me when I¡¯m in a hurry, Mr. Ping Pong.¡±

    [Two.]

    ¡°What a very touching story. I hope to see you again alive. Choi Yu-Seong,¡± said Ping Pong.

    [One.]

    Ping Pong saluted with its short arm, reopened the door, and returned to its original world. Left alone, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I definitely thought this was a blind spot, but I guess my feeling was wrong.¡±

    [What did you buy?]

    Instead of answering, Yu-Seong took out a palm-sized square box and waved it upward. He walked naturally to Do-Yoon. Of course, Choi Ji-Ho would not watch him to the end.

    [Stay in ce. No further move is allowed.]

    ¡°How cruel.¡±

    [What¡¯s in the box?]

    ¡°I will show you. I will just show you then.¡± Yu-Seong held the bottom of the box with his left hand and slowly opened the lid with his right hand. Inside the box was a strange tree root that resembled a human.

    [What is that¡­?]

    Before Ji-Ho even asked a question, the tree roots trembled before a hard ringing erupted. <i>Beeeeep-!?</i>There was a power outage.

    ¡°Jin Do-Yoon!¡± Choi Yu-Seong covered his ears tightly and raised his voice.

    Do-Yoon turned around, along with the sound of the chains breaking. At the same time, the light in the room began to turn on again, and Do-Yoon clenched his fist and punched the wall where he was initially tied to. A part of the wall copsed like a lie with great vibration.

    Yu-Seong checked on Do-Yoon after rushing to get the key. He shouted, ¡°Run!¡±

 Chapter 39

    <h4>Chapter 39 </h4>

    This method, the so-called Mana Resonance, was a shocking phenomenon. It was revealed in the original novel about two yearster when the Pandemonium, thergest viin camp in the US, copsed.

    The ingredients used were the Mandrake¡¯s roots sold by Dimensional Merchants at 200 karma points, and they had to be stimted by mana vibration. It was not enough to simply infuse mana. Mana must be infused urately to shake up the Mandrake¡¯s roots and bring out the resonance in its soul.

    This technique was discovered in an experiment of a certain lunatic viin, and it surprisingly disabled the function of the few magical engineering items such as powerful mana barriers or sealing restraints humans had developed in conjunction with scientific civilization. It was just temporary, but still.

    To put it bluntly, the power breaker was turned off only for a very short time. Of course, the effect was maximized when using the main body and not just the root. However, Yu-Seong could not purchase the main body because the price was ridiculously high. But more importantly, because he was nearby, hearing the real Mandrake¡¯s scream would cause him to vomit blood and die.

    In conclusion, the range of Mana Resonance made using mana and the Mandrake root that Yu-Seong could use was about 180 ft and one second at most. He had to work during that short gap. Therefore, Yu-Seong had asked Ping Pong to put the Mandrake root in a box and then hand it over to him.

    Yu-Seong thought that the quick-witted Ji-Ho might impose sudden sanctions if he saw what the item was. Ping Pong provided good services and had granted his request. And thanks to that, Yu-Seong was able to quickly move to where his Mana Resonance could reach Jin Do-Yoon.

    Knowing the n through Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s whisper, Jin Do-Yoon broke the chain without hesitation and hit the wall that he was tied to. The reason was simple.

    <i>¡®Because that¡¯s the entrance.¡¯?</i>

    Would they just throw people into a ce with high ceilings and where it was blocked on all sides like this? That could not be true.

    Choi Yu-Seong obviously thought there would be an entrance so he had tried to find its location by looking around the room while pretending to have a conversation. It wasn¡¯t on the floor nor anywhere on the wall in his own room, and so he looked around with all his attention but it was the same for Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s room.

    Only btedly did Yu-Seong consider the wall where Do-Yoon was tied up. He knocked and checked the walls here and there. However, there was nowhere he could feel the gap beyond the space, which was the characteristic of the entrance or exit. Then, where would they hide the entrance?

    After much consideration, Yu-Seong approached Do-Yoon while pretending to whisper, and carefully checked the wall behind. He became convinced that this particr wall was the entrance and exit.

    It would be nice if they could sessfully rescue Jin Yu-Ri in the short time when Mana Resonance had urred, but there was not enough time to run to the other room. Thus, they could not just ignorantly break down the wall but find the entrance, escape, <i>then</i> rescue Yu-Ri. The n so far has been quite sessful.

    ***

    Since it was before the existence of the Mana Resonance was revealed, Baek Cheol was confused by the sudden power cut-off. Just in case, even the simple lights inside the room were made using mana, so Baek Cheol could not know the internal situation through the ordinary monitor that was connected by regr electricity. Although his vision could see through the darkness, the cameras and monitors connected by regr electricity could not do so.

    However, Ji-Ho was much more surprised than Baek Cheol. He could ¡®see¡¯ exactly what was happening in the dark. Jin Do-Yoon had broken off the sealing restrain, urately found the entrance, and destroyed it. Choi Yu-Seong had grabbed the key and ran to escape. The series of actions had taken ce so quickly that while they watched without saying anything, all mana supply that had been turned off was soon restored.

    ¡°No way¡­ Master. They have escaped.¡± Baek Cheol opened his eyes wide and expressed a short exmation.

    He saw the broken entrance, and understood that Yu-Seong and Jin Do-Yoon had disappeared. However, that confusionsted just for a moment. He added, ¡°It was a stupid choice. This way, we have no choice but to spray the gas.¡±

    Ji-Ho nodded calmly while pressing the gas spray button. He also turned on the other monitor for Baek Cheol. There, Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon were seen panicking by the towering spiral stairs in the dark passage.

    ¡°I understand your choice well, Choi Yu-Seong. You must have realized this by now. Even if you try a clumsy rebellion, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to change the oue.¡± After a short sigh, Ji-Ho spoke through the microphone.

    ***

    [¡­Even if you try a clumsy rebellion, you can¡¯t change the oue.]

    Choi Yu-Seong bit his lips at that voice. He had just escaped through the entrance and had used the key to quickly dismantle the sealing restraint that was binding Jin Do-Yoon.

    <i>¡®Every second counts.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong even used the Mana Resonance to cause mana discharge, buying time by surprising Choi Ji-Ho with such an unknown factor.

    Given that the room was clearly bright but the lighting¡¯s location was nowhere to be seen, he thought it was a good move that could also achieve the ckout effect. However, his face became stiff the moment he saw the snaking spiral stairs outside the entrance.

    ¡°It is a structure that makes jumping impossible. Even if I just run and go alone, it takes a minute,¡± said Jin Do-Yoon, clenching his free hands.

    Judging from the high ceiling, it was unsurprising that they were being held underground. However, they didn¡¯t even imagine that the entrance would be made of stairs.

    <i>¡®What era is this? There¡¯s not even a lift¡­¡¯?</i>

    If it was an elevator, there would have been a lot of ces such as ropes or connecting parts to grab or step on. Thus, it would have been much faster to go up. Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes shed when he thought that far. He asked, ¡°Jin Do-Yoon, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ve made something like a special move before?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Do-Yoon.

    ¡°Destroy it. The whole thing.¡±

    At Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s words, Jin Do-Yoon nodded as if he understood the situation. After that, he rushed forward with only one hand covered with thick fur. In an instant, mana wrapped all around and condensed into a clenched fist. A single, simple strike was sometimes heavier than even a mountain.

    <i>¡®Great Mountain Strike! So, that''s the ability he gained throughout the novel.¡¯?</i>

    The special move that Jin Do-Yoon said was a powerful ability that even blew away Kim Do-Jin, who heartily rushed toward him by about 2km in the original novel. There was no exnation in the novel, so Yu-Seong had thought it was Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s original ability. He didn¡¯t know it would be something newly gained.

    <i>¡®No, maybe it is a lot faster than the original novel?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong thought that it might be the case, and he quickly witnessed the results for himself.

    The Great Mountain Strike that Do-Yoon threw mmed the thick pir holding the center of the spiral stairs. The ceiling and stairs began to copse like hail. Yu-Seong no longer needed to raise his voice. Do-Yoon had already understood Yu-Seong¡¯s intention, so he grabbed his waist at once and jumped toward the pouring debris.

    Jin Do-Yoon used those falling pieces like stairs and quickly soared toward the ceiling. There were five run-ups in total. Each required him to traverse a wide distance, but Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s face hardened.

    <i>¡®Not yet¡­¡¯</i>

    There was still quite a distance to the ceiling. However, there was no more falling debris. He had to jump at once. It was a critical moment, but it was not the time to think of impossibilities.

    <i>¡®From the start, I¡¯m not the type who uses my brain like a young master.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Yoon emptied his mind of any thoughts and flew off with all the strength in his thighs. He had to do his best. Then, he wrapped Yu-Seong with his right arm and stretched out his left to grab the end of the copsed ceiling.

    ¡°Caught it¡­?¡± Do-Yoon thought he had barely caught the edge. However, his face hardened in an instant. With a cracking sound, the edge held by Jin Do-Yoon broke down like sand. He eximed, ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Protective Shield! Jump, Do-Yoon!¡± At that moment, Yu-Seong raised his voice and created a protective shield under the falling Do-Yoon¡¯s feet.

    Jin Do-Yoon flexed his legs without hesitation, feeling support on his feet amid the panic. He was like a bullet.

    <i>¡®About 10 seconds.¡¯?</i>

    It took a short time to get above the ground after escaping. However, it was already dangerous to return to the room where deadly poisonous gasses were being sprayed.

    <i>¡®Now I can only use the shield ability just once more.¡¯?</i>

    The duplicated ability by the Eye of Replication had a limit on the number of trials unlessbined by fusion. The same was applied to the Protective Shield that was stolen a while ago during the dungeon battle. It was a trump card of its own, but there was only one more usage left.

    Yu-Seong thought quickly as he climbed the ceiling and rolled on the floor. He gazed away.

    <i>¡®The entrance to the room where Jin Yu-Ri is confined is¡­¡¯?</i>

    Fortunately, there were unusually bulging floorboards inside the huge hanok room.

    ¡°There!¡± Yu-Seong shouted.

    Do-Yoon ran. At that moment, the closed-door shattered open and someone jumped toward them. The ck figure showed a wind-like movement, swinging its arm. Do-Yoon stretched out his hand to counter it, but the result was clear.

    ¡°¡­?!¡± Do-Yoon couldn¡¯t even scream. He floated into the air and was caught on the ceiling. Apanied by a creaking sound, Do-Yoon fell with part of the ceiling.

    ¡°<i>Cough-!</i>¡±

    Yu-Seong nibbled his lower lip while he Looked at Do-Yoon vomiting blood and Baek Cheol who appeared in front of him. He called out, ¡°Baek Cheol.¡±

    ¡°Please give up, young master, Yu-Seong. You can¡¯t go any further.¡±

    ¡°I thought you were a good person.¡±

    ¡°I apologize. It¡¯s impossible to be a good person for everyone.¡± Baek Cheol apologized and blocked the bulging floor and clenched his fist with a stance. It meant that he had no intention to be sloppy.

    ¡°Grrr¡­¡± Do-Yoon now hadpletely be a werewolf and let out the low cry of a beast.

    ¡°You already know that form doesn¡¯t work, right? It¡¯s nothing but helping me to hit at ease.¡±

    Baek Cheol¡¯s eyes turned to Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s shoulder, which was pushed back by his fist. His recovery speed was so fast that the swollen shoulder had visibly subsided and returned to its proper ce.

    Jin Do-Yoon arched his back with deep anger. He had a strong fighting spirit in his brown eyes. Noticing his strong and sharp momentum coursing through his entire being, Baek Cheol smiled bitterly in his heart.

    He thought, <i>¡®Was it not his best strength thest time we fought? Or does he change depending on the situation? He has be much stronger.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, that did not mean that Jin Do-Yoon was now an opponent for thepletely adapted S-rank hunter, Baek Cheol.

    ¡°It will only be painful if you try to rush. Give up,¡± asserted Baek Cheol.

    ¡°Both of you, stop.¡±

    Baek Cheol¡¯s gaze suddenly looked past Jin Do-Yoon to look at Choi Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 40

    <h4>Chapter 40 </h4>

    Baek Cheol had missed Yu-Seong¡¯s movement while focusing on Do-Yoon. He just found that Yu-Seong now stood at the end of the entrance of Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s room that had copsed. Naturally, Baek Cheol¡¯s face stiffened as he asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see it? I¡¯m risking my life.¡± With those words, Yu-Seong then stared at Do-Yoon as if he could read his mind.

    <i>¡®How could I¡­¡¯?</i>thought Do-Yoon. He momentarily hadplicated thoughts after reading Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°This is an order, Do-Yoon. Forget about me from now on. Your only purpose is to rescue Jin Yu-Ri,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    The forceful words made Do-Yoon nod as if he were possessed by something. He was influenced by Yu-Seong¡¯s dignified presence and not by any physical power or superpower. Steeling himself, Do-Yoon ran toward Baek Cheol without hesitation.

    At the same time, Yu-Seong fell back toward the darkness like the mouth of a terrifying monster. He was falling into the bottom of the abyss.

    Baek Cheol had his eyes wide open. He stared at Do-Yoon, who was running. Do-Yoon had turned into a wolf beast, and was not looking back at the falling Yu-Seong. It was as if he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± Baek Chul spit out a curse and ran forward. He had an ufortable feeling, but he didn¡¯t have time to deal with Do-Yoon.

    There were many other reasons, but Baek Cheol had two big reasons why he could never let Yu-Seong die.

    <i>¡®Master will be very sad if young master Yu-Seong dies.¡¯?</i>

    Above all, Baek Cheol himself liked Choi Yu-Seong very much. He found it a pity to let Yu-Seong, a man of ability, die at this moment and in such a ce.

    Baek Cheol urgently threw himself into the dark pit. His gaze was fixed on Yu-Seong, who was falling down in an apparently unconscious state¡­ He only became suspicious when he tried to hold Yu-Seong¡¯s back to relieve the shock as much as possible by reaching out his hands with all his might while falling. Then, as if it were a mere mirage, Yu-Seong¡¯s figure was blurred, shattered, and disappeared.

    <i>¡®Illusion? This is¡­Master¡¯s Wind Control?¡¯?</i>

    Baek Cheol was surprised for a moment. Then, he saw Yu-Seong holding a stone that was barely protruding from the near ceiling and jumping into the air by forming a transparent shield as a foothold.

    Yu-Seong looked back for a moment and smiled mischievously. After Baek Cheolnded stably on the ground, he had no choice but tough while watching Yu-Seong. The underground floor was at a depth that even he, an S-rank yer, couldn¡¯t cover in one jump Of course, it was possible if he hit the wall several times, but Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon would have reached Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s room by then.

    At this moment, Baek Cheol had no choice but to admit the result of this altercation. ¡°¡­They¡¯ve got me.¡±

    ***

    Baek Cheol waspletely unaware of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s abilities. This was because Yu-Seong also did not show his full ability, like how Yu-Ri had been cautious during her sparring sessions.

    This was an obvious choice for Yu-Seong, whose primary purpose was to collect skills. Thus, Baek Cheol had no idea about Yu-Seong¡¯s shield skill. In addition, the Wind Control that Yu-Seong had obtainedter on also added to the unpredictability.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s fortunate. Baek Cheol didn¡¯t turn back to look in the middle of that.¡¯?</i>

    It was probably because Baek Cheol had difficulty making the right decision at that moment, since his surroundings were mostly shrouded in darkness. Most importantly, his thoughts were mostly preupied by Yu-Seong falling down. He was worried about the young master.

    <i>¡®If you were going to y the bad guy, you should have been more thorough.¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, Baek Cheol was a good person, and Yu-Seong could tell this fact even when he read the original novel. Even so, it would have been impossible to fool Baek Cheol in such a neat manner if it had not been for the illusion of Wind Control. Overall, luck and circumstances went hand-in-hand in many ways.

    Meanwhile, Jin Do-Yoon had ced his confidence in Yu-Seong from exchanging that single look and ran straight ahead. He opened the entrance, broke the stairs, and fell straight down.

    Yu-Seong did not chase after Do-Yoon.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not like Do-Yoon. I¡¯ll die if I jump down there.¡¯?</i>

    Thinking that was why Baek Cheol hade to save him, Yu-Seong took a quick breath and thought, <i>¡®Would Baek Cheole up faster? Or Do-Yoon?¡¯?</i>

    Soon, Do-Yoon once again jumped through the copsing pirs, stairs, and gaps in the ceiling. In his arms was an unconscious Jin Yu-Ri, who was still tied to the seal.

    ¡°Awooo-!¡± Do-Yoon settled safely on the ground with much more stability than before, perhaps because he already had experience. Then, he howled. His face quickly returned to its human form. His eyes were full of relief when he saw that Yu-Seong was safe.

    On the other hand, Yu-Seong¡¯s mind was all focused on Yu-Ri, who had just been rescued. It took approximately twenty seconds to escape to the ground.

    ¡°What about the gas?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    Jin Do-Yoon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think she inhaled it, but she probably absorbed some through the skin¡­¡±

    ¡°She needs to get treatment.¡±

    Yu-Ri was partially immune since she was an A-rank Hunter, but she would not be able tost long. Knowing that it was an urgent situation, Yu-Seong rose to his feet. Do-Yoon carried Yu-Ri on his back and followed him. At that moment, they heard a thundering roar, as if the ground were copsing.

    ¡°Baek Cheol ising,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Soon, Choi Ji-Ho might also appear. Although Ji-Ho had lost a lot of his power, his abilities would still be threatening for Yu-Seong. Would it be possible to get rid of Ji-Ho and Baek Choi and sessfully run away? Yu-Seong grabbed a sharp stone from the copsed ceiling.

    <i>¡®I really don¡¯t want to do this, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Since this was the most effective way, Yu-Seong had no choice but to provoke the opponent once more. He said, ¡°Jin Do-Yoon. You take Jin Yu-Ri and escape. I will try to intimidate them as much as I can. Even if I do that, they can¡¯t kill me.¡±

    ¡°Young Master.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing you can do about it! If you feel bad about it, get stronger to stand up for me in the future. Train and hunt. Don¡¯t let anything like this happen again. Okay?¡°

    Do-Yoon bit his lower lip strongly. His eyes turned red, as if he was about to burst into tears while he nodded. ¡°I am not good enough to¡­¡±

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    At that moment, Baek Cheol jumped up to the ground. As if to prove that he was an S-rank hunter, he eventually overcame the height that even Do-Yoon was not necessarily able to cross. He was covered with clouds of dust and he made a fierce smile. ¡°Thanks to you, young master, I had a hard time.¡±

    ¡°Go.¡± Yu-Seong spoke in a low voice to Do-Yoon while cing the sharp stone to his own throat.

    ¡°Do you think I will be slower than you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong did not answer. He thought he might miss his opportunity to slit his throat when speaking to Baek Cheol. Baek Cheol¡¯s thoughts were clearly read by him.

    Do-Yoon lowered his head and slowly stepped back. Baek Cheol shook his head at Do-Yoon and said, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s that easy to escape? My team members are waiting outside the building.¡±

    ¡°Call everyone here,¡± Yu-Seong said at that moment.

    As Baek Cheol¡¯s shoulders twitched, red blood flowed down Yu-Seong¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Young Master!¡± Do-Yoon raised his voice in surprise.

    However, Yu-Seong had no time to bother with Do-Yoon. Even a tiny miscalction would allow Baek Cheol to rush in like a fierce tiger and subdue him. That was not the only thing that he was worried about¡­ Ji-Ho may being here right now. Yu-Seong had managed to rescue Jin Yu-Ri, but there were still so many mountains to climb.

    <i>¡®I have to draw all their attention to me. Would I be able to do it?¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong gulped. He met Baek Cheol¡¯s harsh gaze.

    ***

    The moment he saw Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon break down the stairs and escape, Baek Cheol lightly pressed Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s shoulder and ran outside without dy.

    Left alone, Ji-Ho pondered for a short time, no longer looking at the monitor. He headed out in a wheelchair. However, he was not under as much pressure as Baek Cheol. Ji-Ho knew that Baek Cheol eagerly pressed his shoulder to stop him because he was worried. Ji-Ho did not want to give in regarding this, so he ignored Baek Cheol¡¯s care.

    ¡°I will take you out, sir.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Ji-Ho left the room, followed by an aide left by Baek Cheol. He refused to let the aidee with him, however, and wheeled himself out of the building.

    It was a rather chilly and windy December night. Ji-Ho left the building alone. He did not want to be disturbed by anyone. As he concentrated through the flowing wind, he could see Yu-Seong¡¯s movements and listen to his voice in detail from quite a distance. The wind told him about Yu-Seong with a lot more rity than what he could gather from being underground.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Ji-Ho revealed a bitter smile.

    In the dire situation, Yu-Seong had used Illusion to fool Baek Cheol while Do-Yoon had rescued Jin Yu-Ri¡­

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong. You clever guy.¡¯</i>

    Ji-Ho looked at his younger brother, not knowing whether tough or to cry. Ji-Ho had honestly hoped that Yu-Seong would get stronger and more determined from this test. The fragile and gentle boy that he remembered would not be able to endure the hurricane created by the greedy people. Yu-Seong would get terribly hurt. Perhaps a shocking death may await him, like the future Ji-Ho had seen in the distant past.

    <i>¡®Death¡­ His death¡­¡¯?</i>Ji-Ho saw the death of Yu-Seong. It was a terrible future, but Ji-Ho had no power or ability to change it at that time. He could give a little help, but this would only be possible if Yu-Seong listened to him.

    What about Choi Ji-Ho at this time? It didn¡¯t make much of a difference. As said, it was up to Yu-Seong himself to change his own fate in the end. In that sense, it was surprising that Yu-Seong hade here instead of the person who should have arrived here first.

    <i>¡®Maybe his death could be prevented.¡¯?</i>Ji-Ho was surprised, and he sincerely hoped this to be the case. However, this disgraceful younger brother kept ying with his life without knowing his thoughts. Baek Cheol was swayed by Yu-Seong recklessly putting a knife to his own throat in order to let Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri escape.

    In fact, Ji-Ho knew that Yu-Seong¡¯s behavior was due to the desperate situation with Jin Yu-Ri, who had fainted behind him. He thought, <i>¡®I guess it¡¯s time to tell them that it was actually not poison gas but just a bit of strong sleeping gas.¡¯?</i>

    From the beginning, Ji-Ho had no intention of killing any of Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s people. The test in the Room of Sacrifice was literally just that: a test. A test that should have been taken no matter who came and wanted the treasure. Everyone would have different ways of finding the answers in the process.

    Of course, Ji-Ho had felt ufortable throughout the entire process. In fact, he had felt even more ufortable because the person in question was Choi Yu-Seong of all people. It would have been much easier for him to produce the desired results if it had been most of the other Choi siblings instead, who were cruel and heartless.

    <i>¡®Since the original answer to the Room of Sacrifice is to prove trust or dignity¡­¡¯?</i>

    The person chosen to be sacrificed should not me the person who abandoned them, even in death. When they woke up from the drug effect and showed confidence that their choice was not wrong, the person who took the test could receive the treasure.

    Perhaps Ji-Ho guessed that most of the siblings would make this decision and prove that they were not only worthy of the treasure, but also worthy to be at the heart of thepany. Even if it was a somewhat coercive loyalty, Ji-Ho intended to respect that. Therefore, he had created the Room of Sacrifice that forced people to make a rather terrible choice.

    However, if possible, Ji-Ho hoped that the person who took the treasure would naturally be trusted and respected by those around them, rather than someone who forced people into being loyal. There must have been such a person among the Choi siblings. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong had chosen a method different from the fixed answer.

    <i>¡®I thought it would be impossible to escape in the first ce¡­¡¯?</i>

    After the Mana Resonance that had been yet to appear in the world and the choice of breaking down the stairs, Yu-Seong had even gambled with his life. His actions had beenpletely outside Ji-Ho¡¯s expectations.

    <i>¡®I should stop at this point. I lost.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 41

    <h4>Chapter 41 </h4>

    Choi Ji-Ho wanted to clear up the situation. In fact, judging from the Jin siblings¡¯ choices and Yu-Seong¡¯s behavior, his test had gone far beyond the level of ¡®eptable.¡¯ He felt like it was still not enough even if he gave Yu-Seong an additional gift as an apology. Of course, he didn¡¯t expect that Yu-Seong would forgive him after Ji-Ho had stirred his heart up like this and made him feel awfully desperate. In fact, Ji-Ho would be pleased enough if Yu-Seong didn¡¯t go all-out in anger.

    With this thought, Ji-Ho pushed the wheelchair forward with his quick hands. For some reason, he felt somewhat uneasy watching Yu-Seong pushing a stone knife into his own neck.

    <i>¡®He wouldn¡¯t actually have the intention to die. But¡­ What if things go wrong?¡¯?</i>

    Ji-Ho suddenly opened his perpetually closed eyes. In the pure white eyes, where no ck pupils were left, the scenery around him was reflected very clearly. Ake of red blood stained his view and Yu-Seong was falling in vain. Looking on, Baek Cheol roared in surprise. It sounded like a scream. From the eyes of the wolf that jumped over the moonlight, blood tears flowed.

    ¡°¡­?!¡± Ji-Ho trembled as he quickly closed his eyes.

    <i>¡®Oh, my gosh.¡¯?</i>

    Ji-Ho¡¯s irvoyance was not an ability that would only activate when he wanted it to. Sometimes, when he thought deeply about someone, a short but intense vision could show up like this. The process waspletely unknown to him, but the results he had seen were extremely terrible.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong. You vicious brat!¡¯?</i>

    After activating his future-seeing eye, Ji-Ho shivered from the painful and chilly coldness. It felt even more freezing than the north wind. However, he had no time to hesitate.

    ¡°Cough¡­!¡± Ji-Ho threw up blood that stained his white clothes. He activated Wind Control and lifted his body into the air. There wasn¡¯t enough time for him to try reaching Yu-Seong by rolling the wheelchair.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s¡­not much time left!¡¯?</i>

    For Choi Ji-Ho, it was a night when he felt extraordinarily frustrated with his body, which was different from how it used to be.

    ***

    In order for Do-Yoon to get out of the building safely and quickly, Baek Cheol¡¯s men had to retreat.

    ¡°That threat no longer works, young master.¡± However, Baek Cheol was somewhatid back despite Yu-Seong¡¯s threats. He continued, ¡°Put the knife down. I know you do not intend to die anyway. Haven¡¯t I been fooled once already?¡±

    Instead of answering, Yu-Seong showed a smile. Then, he brought the sharply pointed stone knife deeper into his neck, feeling the burning pain. Now it wasn¡¯t just a sting anymore but he couldn¡¯t hesitate if he nned to save Yu-Ri.

    <i>¡®Skill, Insight activate.¡¯?</i>Blue energy bloomed in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes. It would be foolish to save his skills worrying about the usage limit when facing an S-rank hunter like Baek Cheol.

    Baek Cheol wriggled his thick eyebrows and looked directly into Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes, which were lit with blue mes.

    ¡°It¡¯s a skill called Insight. It allows me to predict the opponent¡¯s movements in advance. It¡¯s on a level that can¡¯t even bepared to the vision-reinforcement skill. I hope you don¡¯t judge recklessly.¡±

    It was usually rare for hunters to reveal their own abilities during a fight. Most abilities inherently had strengths and weaknesses. Moreover, an excellent hunter could predict movements and behavior patterns just by knowing their opponent¡¯s abilities. Therefore, it was taboo for a hunter to reveal their abilities unless having a good enough rtionship to entrust their life to the other.

    However, Yu-Seong revealed some information about the blue mes¡ªhis Insight skill¡ªthat Baek Cheol had doubts about. He hoped that this would somewhat limit Baek Cheol¡¯s choice of action.

    <i>¡®In fact, there¡¯s no way I can predict the moves of an S-rank hunter who is trying his best no matter how powerful Insight is.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it would actually be possible as Yu-Seong¡¯s rank and abilities developed. As always, deceit was a mixture of truth and lies.

    ¡°Young master, do you really think I¡¯ll believe your words?¡±

    ¡°Do not sound me out. I know you tried to hit me by kicking the rock on the floor just now, right? This is the first andst warning. Call your men back.¡±

    And fortunately, Yu-Seong could at least read the movements that were careful and slow.

    A smile appeared on Baek Cheol¡¯s lips.

    At that moment, Yu-Seong was convinced that his deceit had worked and smiled as well.

    <i>¡®What an amazing man.¡¯?</i>

    Baek Cheol was feeling impressed, despite trying to hide it. During the conversation with Yu-Seong, he nced away and took a step back from the two while confirming the location of Do-Yoon, who was ready to jump up at any time.

    <i>¡®How should I do this?¡¯?</i>

    Baek Cheol¡¯s worries deepened. With a small test, he realized that Yu-Seong¡¯s Insight was as powerful as he said. On the other hand, Baek Cheol was now certain that Yu-Seong had no intention of dying.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way someone this thorough would take his own life so easily.¡¯?</i>

    Now, Baek Cheol seemed to have a grasp on Yu-Seong¡¯s character. The young master was cool-headed, calcting, and had never suffered a loss. Baek Cheol had encountered several people like this. Amon personality type in the Comet Group. If there were some differences between them and Yu-Seong, it would be the innate bloodline and the inherent charisma, namely, dignity.

    <i>¡®He is the viinous hero of the era.¡¯?</i>

    Baek Cheol couldn¡¯t help but be prepared for an unexpected possibility. As if he had concluded his contemtion, Baek Cheol loosened his stance to run toward Yu-Seong at any time. He then ced his hand into his inner pocket.

    Yu-Seong furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Baek Cheol¡¯s movement, but no longer pressed the stone against his throat.

    Baek Cheol pulled out the wirelessmunicator with a smile, pressed the reception button, and opened his mouth. ¡°Test test, this is Alpha. Omega, withdraw everyone.¡±

    ¡ª Omega, proceed to withdraw.

    ¡ª Withdraw.

    Several voices were heard one after another over themunicator. As if to reassure the young master, Baek Cheol raised both arms toward Yu-Seong. ¡°Is this enough?¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded instead of answering. At the same time, Do-Yoon, who was standing back, jumped high into the sky. It was at that moment when Yu-Seong¡¯s Insight showed Baek Cheol throwing themunicator in his hand, like a surprise attack, just as he was feeling relieved.

    <i>?¡®You dare¡­!¡¯?</i>

    When Yu-Seong frowned at that, a small piece of stone flew rapidly across his vision.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s fake¡­!¡¯?</i>

    It was a trick. Baek Cheol had merely moved his shoulder as if he were about to throw themunicator. It took advantage of the fact that a person¡¯s eyes had no choice but to see what was flying toward them first. Due to this fact, Baek Cheol had picked exactly the right moment to strike.

    Choi Yu-Seong looked at the flying stone and thought, <i>¡®If I get hit by that stone here¡­¡¯?</i>

    He would lose the stone knife he was holding onto. The result after that was obvious. He would be overwhelmed by Baek Cheol and the escaping Do-Yoon would also be surrounded. It was all going to be over.

    <i>¡®It can¡¯t be like that.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had promised to save Yu-Ri. He couldn¡¯t give up. If so, would he really risk his life and actually stab himself? Of course, he didn¡¯t want to do that.

    <i>¡®I want to live.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to live somehow. That was why he had been enduring all this time. He had toe up with a way in a short time. Yu-Seong¡¯s mind spun wildly. Baek Cheol would truly panic if he died, and this was an undisputed fact. That meant that pretending to be dead could also be effective. He could buy time for Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri to run away. Of course, if he was to fake his own death, he couldn¡¯t half-ass it.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll be in quite a lot of pain, but¡­there might be a way.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong wracked his brain like crazy and decided to let the flying stone hit him first. Of course, this would also be very painful, but that pain was negligiblepared to the pain that would follow.

    Just as Yu-Seong had made his decision, the stone thrown by Baek Cheol hit his wrist. Yu-Seong deliberately turned his right wrist so that the stone knife faced down to the left. With superhuman grit, Yu-Seong withstood the pain and used the force of the hit to point his improvised knife at his own chest, aiming at the upper left side.

    <i>¡®Because the human heart is lower than most people think, I¡¯m not actually going to die.¡¯?</i>

    However, there would be a lot of blood. And from the standpoint of an observer, it was bound to be a big surprise. Obviously, Yu-Seong would be in great pain, since he would have a knife in his chest. He even got ready to bite the tip of his tongue to cope with the burning sensation.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s no good if there¡¯s not enough blood¡­¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was about to execute his own meticulous n of faking death. When Baek Cheol saw through what he was doing, he darted at Yu-Seong with a surprised look in his eyes. Harsh energy swirled up as the wind tore through the gap between Baek Cheol and Yu-Seong.

    In an instant, the wind shattered the stone knife that Yu-Seong was holding onto. The stone knife crumbled into powder.

    <i>¡®My gosh!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was briefly surprised. The wind energy was definitely strong, but it only destroyed the stone knife and left no injury on his body. The skill of handling the energy was surprisingly precise and made him feel goosebumps.

    <i>¡®Who the hell is it?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong did not have to search for the answer to the question. A hand paler than white jade flew in from where the wind had gone and snatched Yu-Seong¡¯s wrist. The owner of the hand, a young man with his eyes closed, was facing Yu-Seong with an angry look on his face. The opponent had his eyes closed, but Yu-Seong felt like he was clearly looking at him.

    <i>¡®Choi Ji-Ho.¡¯?</i>

    It was his first time meeting the man, but Yu-Seong could easily tell who he was. The man¡¯s soft, smiling face¡ªunlike the facial expression he had now¡ªcame to his mind as a very vague memory of the past¡­ Yu-Seong felt strange as Ji-Ho¡¯s caring and tender image in his memory ovepped with Ji-Ho¡¯s current red face full of anger.

    ¡°You insolent guy. Who told you to treat your life so recklessly?!¡± Choi Ji-Ho yelled fiercely.

 Chapter 42

    <h4>Chapter 42 </h4>

    Watching Ji-Ho screaming angrily, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t know what to do.

    <i>¡®Why is he angry?¡¯?</i>

    In fact, he wanted to ask that question first. He didn¡¯t actually mean to die, but it was Ji-Ho who drove him to such a desperate situation that made him decide to pretend to do so. However, he struggled to ask that question when he saw Ji-Ho¡¯s sincere expression and the man¡¯s tears flowing from his closed eyes.

    <i>¡®What the hell is it?¡¯?</i>

    Rather, Yu-Seong was confused. Was the owner of the voice, who was tormenting him in the room of sacrifice, and the Ji-Ho in front of him really the same person? Actually, when thinking of the character in the original novel, this one seemed more suitable. Choi Ji-Ho was a righteous, good, and upright character. He was like a pretty flower that was forcibly cut by someone¡¯s hand even before he fully bloomed. However, he was a person whose personality did not stray far even though he was buried in ashes.

    <i>¡®Rather, the one in the room of sacrifice was more strange.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, it was quite shocking that Ji-Ho had changed a lot from the original novel. Of course, Yu-Seong did think it was possible for Ji-Ho to change. The butterfly effect of Yu-Seong¡¯s possession into the novel was already spreading everywhere. However, what if Ji-Ho¡¯s change was impossible as expected?

    <i>''Maybe I was fooled from beginning to end.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze suddenly turned to the blood-red stain on the pure white front of the modern hanbok.

    ¡°If you take your life like that, how would I, your hyung-nim dare to continue to live? Why on earth did you make that choice? Howe?!¡± As Ji-Ho shouted harshly, a solid red line flowed out from the corner of his mouth. He was holding it in, but it was clear that his condition was quite bad.

    ¡°Master!¡± Baek Cheol ran to Ji-Ho with a surprised look.

    ¡°Captain Baek, please wait. This is a conversation between brothers!¡± Ji-Ho made an angry expression and waved his hand. He looked at Yu-Seong. ¡°Why, why did you choose to die? Did you think you¡¯d be satisfied if your death saved them? It was a foolish choice that others would not even think of. You silly little brother.¡±

    Ji-Ho poured out his words and then started to cough repeatedly. ¡°Cough, cough, argh-!¡±

    Baek Cheol quickly caught Ji-Ho, who vomited blood and fell from the air.

    ¡°If you die¡­ No, you must not die. Yu-Seong¡­ Please, I am begging you¡­ Please¡­¡± Ji-Ho seemed half unconscious as he trembled and talked by himself.

    ¡°I am sorry, young master¡ªYu-Seong. I cannot afford to exin the situation in person, so I will send someone else soon. Please trust me and wait here for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded lightly instead of answering. In his mind, he was already drawing a picture of the situation to some extent.

    <i>¡®It looks like I¡¯ve made an unnecessary fuss.¡¯?</i>

    Still, he felt relieved. Now that the situation has turned out like this, he was certain of one thing.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri would be fine.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Ri would not die since she had gone down this mountain on Do-Yoon¡¯s back.

    ¡°What a relief,¡± Yu-Seong spoke quietly to himself, then copsed in ce as if he loosened up his exhausted heart and body at once.

    ***

    The next day, Yu-Seong woke up in the afternoon when the sun rose high. He could then hear all the exnations of the current circumstances that he had not heardst night. The only difference was that other people were by his side, not Baek Cheol¡¯s men as he had expected.

    ¡°¡­After all, the gas I tried so hard not to inhale was just a sleeping drug.¡± Jin Yu-Ri¡ªwho had returned to the mansion in the morning¡ªscratched her cheek as if she was embarrassed. She finished exining to Yu-Seong by repeating what she had heard earlier.

    ¡°Is it a cebo effect? If I had known it was a sleeping drug, I think I could have opened my eyes in an emergency.¡±

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s a pretty powerful sleeping drug, so it couldn¡¯t be helped,¡± said Do-Yoon as if tofort Jin Yu-Ri.

    Yu-Seong was lying on the bed. He looked at the two sitting on the left and right. He slowly raised his body and smiled. No matter how many times he thought about it, there was only one thing he wanted to say now, putting the various problems aside.

    ¡°Jin Yu-Ri.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m d you¡¯re okay.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I believed that Yu-Seong oppa would save me.¡±

    ¡°If I couldn¡¯t save you, you¡¯d me me a lot, right?¡±

    ¡°I want to say yes, but no.¡± Yu-Ri was definitely ready for her death at that moment. She had hidden that feeling quite deep inside her eyes and smiled. ¡°I will never me Yu-Seong oppa, probably until the moment I die. This is for sure.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, why?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because if there was no help from the young master, neither of us would be alive until now,¡± answered Do-Yoon. He gave a strong gaze with a strong will.

    ¡°You mean I saved you two?¡±

    If so, the memory may remain in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind in some form, simr to the case of Choi Woo-Jae and Choi Ji-Ho. There was a high chance that memories woulde to mind if there were small clues from past experiences.

    ¡°That was¡­ When was that?¡± asked Yu-Seong. Likewise, he was curious about the story of the two which did not appear in the original novel. It was actually something he was very curious about.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? When the young master was young¡­¡±

    However, maybe Yu-Seong was out of luck because a big figure came over from the closed door at that moment. Naturally, the two people on alert turned around and raised their momentum.

    ¡°Keum, keheum¡­ Can Ie in?¡±

    It was Baek Cheol. It was too bad for Yu-Seong to not hear the story from the two siblings, but it was very expected behavior for them to react sensitively. Even Yu-Seong stiffened for a moment.

    ¡°You cane in.¡±

    Baek Cheol carefully opened the door when he was given permission. He looked around at the three people, then knelt and bowed his head to Yu-Seong who was sitting in the center.

    ¡°First of all, I would like to offer my apologies to the young master, Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Get up, please.¡±

    Yu-Seong no longer felt threatened by Baek Cheol and spoke in a polite tone. He knew very well that Baek Cheol had acted out of loyalty to Choi Ji-Ho. Even if Yu-Seong resented someone, the target would not be Baek Cheol.

    ¡°Master is not the one to me. Rather, my side had suggested the test. I thought it was that much necessary to qualify for the treasure.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I understand, so please get up now.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Jin Do-Yoon, Ms. Jin Yu-Ri. I apologize to both of you. I understand you¡¯ve been hurt a lot by me.¡± Baek Cheol continued his apology while keeping his head bowed.

    However, neither Yu-Ri nor Do-Yoon opened their mouths to answer. Unlike Yu-Seong, they seemed to have a much stronger sense of vignce and hostility toward Baek Cheol.

    <i>¡®Perhaps this is an expected response for them?¡¯?</i>

    Clearly, the two people thought that the situation like the room of sacrifice had happened because they couldn¡¯t handle Baek Cheol. In other words, their anger was quite deeply intertwined with themselves and Baek Cheol. Perhaps Baek Cheol was now a goal for the two people.

    <i>¡®A-rank and S-rank¡ªThe difference is not just one rank.¡¯?</i>

    And moreover, Baek Cheol wouldter be called the Lion King, the strongest physical type yer. Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri had excellent talents, but they were definitely half a step below Baek Cheol.

    As such, it would be extraordinarily difficult if they set their goal as Baek Cheol. Of course, it was a good thing for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s great if the two do as well as Baek Cheol. And even if they can¡¯t, they¡¯ll get stronger very quickly.¡¯?</i>

    It was a mutually beneficial thing in many ways.

    "And I dare... I will ept it if you punish me¡­for trying to judge master Yu-Seong with my own eyes."

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°The moment young master Yu-Seong really tried to take your own life, I felt like the sky was falling. How great could my judgment and insight be to dare to grasp such a great caliber? If it weren¡¯t for Master, I would have lived with irreparable regret.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Baek Cheol was now talking about Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s suicide attempt. Come to think of it, this fact seemed to make Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon¡¯s anger and resentment against Baek Cheol stronger. Then, should Yu-Seong confess now that he was just trying to just pretend to be dead? Of course, it was impossible for him to do that.

    <i>¡®Anyway, I was really trying to feel the dying pain.¡¯</i>

    <i>?</i>Yu-Seong made the excuses inside his heart and waved his hand. He said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. I¡¯ve forgotten about it.¡±

    At those words, Baek Cheol shuddered with his head down.

    <i>¡®Ah¡­! Young master Yu-Seong is a man of virtue, a truly great man.¡¯?</i>

    When Baek Cheol held admiration in his heart, Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri also looked at Yu-Seong with surprised eyes.

    <i>¡®What, why? Is this such a big deal?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want to say that he had tried to pretend to be dead, but it seemed that his words had caused quite a stir. He scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

    ¡°And I beg you. I hope you do not me my master too much.¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± Yu-Seong was just about to say that he needed time to think when another figure came by the door. He could hear the sound of the pulling wheel along with the quiet and indifferent presence. Everyone¡ªincluding Yu-Seong¡ªcould only feel the presence over the door, but could easily guess who hade.

    ¡°May Ie in for a moment?¡± It was a small but serene voice, the one belonging to Ji-Ho.

    ¡°Yes, hyung-nim.¡± Yu-Seong also replied in a calm voice.

    ***

    In the room where everyone left except only two people. The brothers sat facing each other, and remained silent for a long time. It was Ji-Ho who broke the long silence first.

    ¡°¡­You can forget what Captain Baek said. Most of what he said was just made up for me.¡±

    ¡°Well, he didn¡¯t say much though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that the room of sacrifice was built by me. And it was my choice to call you, Yu-Seong, to that room.¡±

    Yu-Seong already knew that Baek Cheol¡¯s loyalty toward Ji-Ho caused him to lie. He nodded insignificantly. ¡°So what?¡±

    ¡°If you want to resent someone, you can resent me. If you really hate me enough to kill, I¡¯m ready to ept even that.¡±

    ¡°You told me not to die like that, but I guess you take your own death so lightly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s face hardened at Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s sharp words.

 Chapter 43

    <h4>Chapter 43 </h4>

    ¡°I don¡¯t me hyung-nim too much. But that doesn¡¯t mean I like you. Honestly, I thought it would be okay, but when I look at you, I do feel angry.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± A slight sadness passed by Ji-Ho¡¯s face. He kept his mouth shut as if he had nothing to say.

    <i>¡®As expected, he is not a harsh person like the one in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could guess Ji-Ho¡¯s innermost thoughts and continued saying after a short sigh in his heart, ¡°Nevertheless. I thought about it and tried to find the reason. And after making my own guess, I can understand why this happened. I don¡¯t know what the gift from father is, but it must be something great enough to be called a treasure, and so many people would be after it. In case such a thing is given recklessly and causes problems, there must be an agreement to not give it out to people who are not ready and could cause useless risks.¡±

    Yu-Seong drank the tea brought by Ji-Ho and wet his throat. The scent was quite deep and clear, and so honestly he felt like his swayed mind was calming down. ¡°That¡¯s probably what you were thinking.¡±

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. But that doesn¡¯t mean that I was right. It was a middle ground found after some struggle just because I could not just refuse father¡¯s orders.¡±

    This meant that, originally, the room of sacrifice was not a test prepared by Woo-Jae for obtaining the gift. However, Yu-Seong thought somewhat differently.

    <i>¡®Perhaps Father expected Ji-Ho hyung-nim would prepare for such a test?¡¯?</i>

    If one could not pass this test, then one did not even deserve to have the treasure. Doesn''t this truly sound like something that Choi Woo-Jae would have thought of?

    Yu-Seongughed inwardly and threw out doubts and questions that he had in his head. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you straightforwardly. Hyung-nim, do you simply hate the fight between our siblings?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Ji-ho lifted the tea cup with a short silence. After drinking tea quietly, he soon nodded heavily. ¡°You are right. What father wanted was for the siblings to grow through strife, but I did not agree with that. This is something that I¡¯ve been thinking about since I was young and I¡¯ve tried a lot to make ite true. But in the end¡­¡±

    Someone who used Ji-Ho¡¯s soft touch had caused his downfall.

    ¡°Who is it? The one who made hyung-nim like this.¡±

    The original novel did not tell the story in detail.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a lot of missing information.¡¯</i>

    This was actually because the Comet Group¡¯s story fell by the wayside of the novel after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s death. Therefore, even Yu-Seong could notin that there was a gap in the setting.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll tell you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    ¡°Even if the result is like this, my thoughts are the same as before. I think it would be nice if we stopped fighting meaninglessly without anyone getting hurt or hurting each other. You could say it¡¯s silly. That choice eventually made me like this¡­ But it looked like your choicest night was the same as mine.¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Again, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t say that he didn¡¯t really mean to die.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re different from me. And also¡­¡±

    Ji-Ho also wanted Yu-Seong to be different from other siblings, but he couldn¡¯t say anything more. Yu-Seong shouldn¡¯t follow after him. Moreover, Ji-Ho also didn¡¯t want Yu-Seong to be cold-hearted like other siblings. Then, what should he be like? It was unreasonable and excessively greedy for Ji-Ho to expect Yu-Seong to find the answer to a problem that even he did not know.

    ¡°My goal is just to live a moderately good life, but¡­¡±

    Speaking of which, this also made no sense considering what Yu-Seong was likest night. Yu-Seong had no choice but to keep making awkward faces.

    ¡°No. Sorry for nagging you. I do not deserve to do so, since I am a sinner.¡±

    ¡°As I said, I do not like you, but I don¡¯t resent you hyung-nim. Of course, I don¡¯t even think of you as a ¡®sinner.¡¯ That¡¯s hair-raising.¡±

    Yu-Seong could understand more about Ji-Ho, who did not appear in the original book, now that he was facing the man in person.

    <i>¡®He is a fragile but strong person.¡¯?</i>

    Ji-Ho was weak-hearted, so soft and good that he hurt himself. However, he had no regrets about his choice. Perhaps he still wanted to change the family¡¯s manner if he had a chance. However, he was afraid that someone else would follow his way. He must be thinking that the sacrifice he made was enough after all. In a different sense, Ji-Ho was an impressive person.

    <i>¡®As a person, he¡¯s more like bamboo rather than a flower.¡¯?</i>

    Bamboo could be broken, but it would not bend. Even yet, the bamboo called Ji-Ho had not beenpletely broken.

    ¡°Thank you for saying that. But before I give you the treasure, can you promise me one thing?¡±

    ¡°Can I hear it first and decide?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    Ji-Ho smirked. ¡°At least you seem smarter than me. Seeing that you don¡¯t recklessly make decisions.¡±

    ¡°Please tell me what you want first.¡±

    ¡°Do not handle your life recklessly. That thing should never happen again by any means.¡±

    That was for sure. From the beginning, Yu-Seong had no intention of dying. So he gave a bright smile and sincerely answered Ji-Ho, ¡°Of course. I absolutely do not want to die, so I¡¯ll live a long life.¡±

    "You''re a good speaker."

    ¡°That¡¯s something I hear quite often. So, where is the gift?¡±

    Looking at Yu-Seong urging him, Ji-Ho thought that Yu-Seong slightly resembled Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®If he is someone like this, maybe I¡¯ve been worrying too much about him.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had a good and upright heart, a personality that could be trusted by the people around him. Also, he knew how to calcte like Choi Woo-Jae and make bold decisions. Finally, Ji-Ho could understand why Woo-Jae had sent Yu-Seong to him first than anyone else.

    ¡°The treasure is not far away. It¡¯s right here.¡± Choi Ji-Ho stretched out and extended his hand to Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong initially had a rather skeptical face, but soon became surprised. ¡°This¡­ Is this real?¡± He looked at Ji-Ho and asked. His voice unconsciously quavered.

    ***

    The yer¡¯s equipment in this world was broadly ssified into three categories. The first was the items made on Earth that were generally the easiest to obtain. Of course, even those items varied in price depending on performance. In the case of the handmade products made by the equipment manufacturer-type yers, the price was raised to a ridiculous level. The equipment currently worn by Yu-Seong belonged to this category.

    The second category was the treasures from another world that were purchased from the Dimensional Merchants. Although there were also many items with unknown origins, their ability often exceeds those of items made on Earth. These items could only be purchased with karma points, cannot be transferred to others, and even had a rank restriction when wearing the item. In fact, the scariest thing about owning the treasure from another world was that it was impossible to transfer to others but it was possible to rob others. And this robbery was not possible for a living person. A treasure with powerful power that could be stolen by killing! It was like a double-edged sword. Thus, those who actually use the treasures of another world were known to be at least A-rank or higher.

    And third and thest, there were the equipment called ancient relics. These items were found very rarely in Earth¡¯s old remains, ruins, or dungeons but it was known to be as rare and effective as the treasure of another world.

    However, there was a great advantage that was very distinct from the treasures of another world. These equipment were transferable.

    <i>¡®Other kinds of equipment will also appear as time goes on, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    Currently, for Yu-Seong, it was a rather distant story. However, the ring on Ji-Ho¡¯s ring finger of his right hand was none other than that rare ancient relic. Therefore, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but be surprised.

    Ji-Ho had an odd face when he saw Yu-Seong¡¯s reaction. ¡°From your reaction, it seems that you already know what this ring is.¡±

    At Ji-Ho¡¯s words, Yu-Seong came to his senses as if cold water poured on his head. His face turned red.

    <i>¡®Oops.¡¯</i>

    He made such a mistake because he was so excited as the doubts led to some degree of certainty.

    <i>¡®I always make mistakes in the end.¡¯?</i>

    Like when Yu-Seong did it in front of Chae Ye-Ryeong, it seemed to be his kind of habit to eventually make mistakes after doing everything else pleasantly.

    ¡°No need to panic. Rumors that I have this ring have been circted in the family for a while, so a clever kid like you might already know it.¡±

    It was the first time Yu-Seong had ever heard of such news. As said, his information was from just a scrappy story from the original novel. Even so, many things went wrong due to the butterfly effect.

    <i>¡®At first, I thought I could easily go through everything because I already knew the future¡­¡¯?</i>

    In this state, the advantage of knowing the future seemed to soon disappear as time passed. Therefore, it was necessary to secure maximum safety requirements before too many things changed. The ring on the ring finger of Ji-Ho¡¯s right hand¡ªnow in front of Yu-Seong¡ªalso belonged to such items.

    ¡°Your prediction is right. This ring, the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, is one of the ancient relics that our entire Comet Group officially owns about only ten.¡± Ji-Ho rified about the ring with a calm voice.

    Whether he read the confidence in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes or thought that it didn¡¯t matter to let him know remained to be seen, because it was a gift to be given to Yu-Seong anyway. He slid the ring out of his finger and ced it on his own palm.

    ¡°I was in charge of it for a while and now it¡¯s yours.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong gulped and looked at Ji-Ho with a trembling gaze. He could understand anew why Kim Pil-Doo had spoken so sharply and why Choi Ji-Ho had even prepared a test to determine if he deserved the gift.

    <i>¡®Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice! Ites out in the original novel as Choi Mi-Na¡¯s treasure, but this must be originally received from Ji-Ho hyung-nim.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Mi-Na was the second child of the Choi family, and was an enigmatic woman like a beam who wouldter seed the Comet Group after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s death. Her personality was simply¡ªcrotchety. Even Choi Woo-Jae¡ªwho could be regarded as the absolute ruler of the family¡ªcould not easily control her due to her unpredictable fickle personality. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Choi Woo-Jae did not particrly suppress her.

    <i>¡®She is too strong.¡¯</i>

    Although it had not been revealed at this point, as a hunter Choi Mi-Na already rose to the same level as Choi Woo-Jae, who was considered the strongest in the family. Not as a business owner, but just purely as a hunter with more than Choi Ji-Ho. Choi Woo-Jae might have already fully recognized her as his sessor and put his hands off if it wasn¡¯t for her reckless unpredictable personality.

    <i>¡®Because originally she¡¯s a monster whose growth potential is within five fingers of the entire worldview in the novel.¡¯?</i>

    When the entire Comet Group was busying themself to catch Kim Do-Jin after he killed Choi Woo-Jae, there was only one time she went into the battle herself. And in the battle, Kim Do-Jin surprisingly faced a near-death crisis which was a rare thing in the novel.

 Chapter 44

    <h4>Chapter 44 </h4>

    Of course, the final winner was Kim Do-Jin. No matter how powerful Choi Mi-Na was, she could not surpass the main character buff of the novel. From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective as a reader, there was a small question left¡ªwhether Choi Mi-Na perhaps could really defeat Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Because it didn¡¯t seem strange even if Choi Mi-Na won, based on the descriptions or narratives at the time.¡¯?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin was A-rank when he killed Choi Woo-Jae, while Choi Mi-Na was already described as a high-leveled S-rank at the beginning of the novel. As it was the story of about two yearster from that time period, maybe Choi Mi-Na had reached SS-rank. Obviously, the original novel did not mention this part at all. Perhaps it was a choice to eliminate the separation between the story and the reality for the readers.

    Of course, Yu-Seong was not the only one who had doubts. Many readers did question whether the main character¡¯s adjustment was excessive.

    <i>¡®Yeah, it was a little too much at that point.¡¯?</i>

    Five yearster, Kim Do-Jin was definitely stronger than Choi Mi-Na. This was because even after the fight with Mi-Na, he had grown by oveing many other crises. He surpassed SS-rank from A-rank, achieved an EX-Rank which was the rank for ones beyond the ordinary people, and became the perfect superhuman. Moreover, he regained all the power he had umted in the other dimension before returning.

    However, a thought suddenly came to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. <i>¡®Possibly, Choi Mi-Na heard something from Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡¯?</i>

    In the novel¡¯s scenario in which the Comet Group mainly hindered Do-Jin¡¯s move, there were only two people who had somewhat taken an unexpected step back, Choi Ji-Ho and Choi-Mi Na. Also, ancient relics such as Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice were the symbol of Choi Mi-Na. A picture came to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind at once, but it was too blurry.

    As Yu-Seong shook his head inwardly, Ji-Ho tilted his head while bringing the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice closer to him. He asked, "Do you feel pressured or something, now that you are actually receiving it?"

    ¡°That is not it. Since now it¡¯s mine, of course I have to take it.¡± Yu-Seong no longer hesitated and quickly grabbed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. Then, he put it on his right palm. The cool yet cold touch of metal seemed to calm him down. He had to contain his excitement.

    <i>¡®I should let go of something that¡¯s not even certain and enjoy the present. Anyway, this precious thing has reallye into my hands.¡¯?</i>

    Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was a B-rank ancient relic item. In a way, it seemed to be rather low-grade, but it was no exaggeration to say that it is the best treasure that can be obtained right now for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Because Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice has at least three functions.¡¯?</i>

    The first function was regarding transmutation. Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was basically in the form of a ring, but it could be anything that belonged to inanimate objects ording to the will of the wearer. It could be changed merely into a book or sses, or even be changed significantly into a weapon or clothing.

    <i>¡®On top of that, it also can save the appearance I imagined.¡¯?</i>

    The second function was the self-repair ability. Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was never worn out or brokenpletely. As it was an ancient relic, its durability was much higher than that of the general items made on Earth and it did not take long to return to its original form even if it was damaged.

    From these two abilities alone one could conclude that Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was certainly a magnificent equipment, but the most important part for Yu-Seong was the third ability.

    ¡®<i>One of the few ancient relics with no wearing restrictions.¡¯?</i>

    The problem with most of the equipment of both another world¡¯s treasure and ancient relics was that the limit of the rank for wearing it was quite high. This was the most troublesome part for Yu-Seong as he was only a level eight E-rank yer.

    <i>¡®As far as I can remember, the lowest ancient relic¡¯s wearing limit was around rank-C level sixty¡­¡¯</i>

    That was not even close to the current rank and level of Yu-Seong. However, there was no such limit on Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice.

    The mere fact that it had such advantages as the ancient relic with powerful performance made it valuable enough. Yu-Seong picked the ring with a slightly shaky hand and slowly inserted it into his right ring finger like Ji-Ho. The strange trembling sense of mana wrapped around his whole body like scanning and quickly disappears. There was no doubt about it. This sense was proof that this ancient relic was genuine. Yu-Seong was somewhat lost in the thrill.

    Ji-Ho looked at the dazed Yu-Seong with a satisfied gaze. ¡°The Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was a gift from father. I also prepared a few more gifts as an apology.¡±

    This was not the end? Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he thought that he already had received a full and overflowing reward with Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice alone.

    ¡°I will gratefully receive it, hyung-nim. Thank you.¡±

    Obviously, he had no intention of rejecting the gift.

    ***

    Since the solo face-to-face meeting between Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Ji-Ho began, the three who got kicked out of the room were standing along with a cold vibe. If one had to pick the most ufortable person here, it would definitely be Baek Cheol.

    Baek Cheol felt like he was going crazy as he, walked on eggshells around the two people in front of him and worried about what would happen inside the room. However, it was alright for him to feel a little ufortable, he just had a small wish.

    <i>¡®I hope the young master, Yu-Seong, is not too angry with my Master¡­¡¯?</i>

    Fortunately, there was no loud voice in the room yet. Perhaps the conversation must be continuing smoothly and quietly. Actually, Baek Cheol could eavesdrop on the talk if he concentrated, but he didn¡¯t want to. This was because he thought it would be rude to both Ji-Ho and Yu-Seong.

    Baek Cheol struggled to suppress his desire to jump up and down in anxiety and instead, calmly talked to the two in a cold manner. ¡°The more I know about Young master, Yu-Seong, the more he seemed like a person of greater caliber.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Obviously, there was no answering back. Baek Cheol continued to talk alone, even in a somewhat awkward situation. ¡°I know these words will notfort both of you. However, sadly, there is not much time left for my master to live. On the day the endes, I will go to the young master¡¯s side and serve him for the rest of my life no matter what happens. Please understand that I can only apologize in this way because all I have is this one body.¡±

    Baek Cheol bowed his head deeply and clenched his fists. It did not matter how his words sounded to them. He sincerely felt sorry for the two and Yu-Seong and greatly admired him.

    <i>¡®How magnificent he looked when he nonchntly said that he had forgotten about everything even though I almost drove him to death¡­¡¯?</i>

    He was ashamed of the word ¡®<i>viinous hero</i>¡¯ that he came up with no matter how many times he thought about it. At least to Baek Cheol, Yu-Seong was a hero with a noble personality with great cause he could not dare even to imagine. A real man of virtue who knew how to sacrifice himself for others. Baek Cheol wanted to be with Yu-Seong for the rest of his life after Ji-Ho rested in peace. If he did so, he could be confident that he lived an unashamed life on the day he died. He would not be able to console them with just a few words.

    Contrary to Baek Cheol¡¯s expectations that they would remain silent, Yu-Ri opened her mouth to speak. ¡°¡­Do not forget.¡± She turned her eyes and looked at Baek Cheol¡¯s firm brown eyes. ¡°The promise you made just now, you must keep it. When that timees, you must definitely be Yu-Seong oppa¡®s supporter no matter what.¡±

    ¡°I, Baek Cheol, had never broken any promise before.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you.¡±

    As Jin Yu-Ri nodded with a strange smile on her lips, Ji-Ho came out from the tightly closed door with a more rxed face. The first thing that Ji-Ho did after opening the door was to bow deeply toward Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon. He said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I would like to apologize to both of¡­¡±

    Before hepleted his saying, the Jin siblings hurriedly tried to stop Ji-Ho, flustered.

    ¡°There is no need to say more,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Apologizing to the young master is enough, sir.¡±

    The Jin siblings were not the only ones to be flustered.

    ¡°Master.¡± Baek Cheol¡¯s eyes widened at the unexpected situation.

    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t stop me. How much heartache have you two suffered to merely ovee my standards?¡±

    ¡°But you, the first young master, are Yu-Seong oppa¡®s older brother. How could we receive your bow?¡± Yu-Ri shook her head in front of Ji-Ho with a flustered expression. ¡°As my brother said, the apology to Yu-Seong oppa is enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Please raise your head, sir.¡±

    Ji-Ho sighed deeply at Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s request, and slowly raised his body.

    ¡°Cough.¡± At the same time, blood sttered as he coughed.

    <i>¡®How bony.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Yoon suddenly looked at Ji-Ho¡¯s shoulder. Just as Baek Cheol mentioned, the skeleton without any flesh indicated that there was not much time left in his life.

    <i>¡®I heard he had lost most of his abilities after the incident... Is it the aftereffect?¡¯</i>

    Although Ji-Ho¡¯s representative abilities were Wind Control and future foresight, he had many more abilities that supported him to such a position. However, many of them disappeared on the day Ji-Ho got into an ident in a dungeon.

    Ji-Ho suffered limb muscle vein loss, vision loss, and even mana reflux, and disappeared from the Choi family and the entire Comet Group. It was also surprising that he was hiding in such a remote ce, but it was even more shocking to look at the reality that he had only heard of.

    ¡°Cough, I am sorry. I am truly sorry.¡± Ji-Ho continued to show his respect as much as possible even while coughing up blood. Then, he slowly leaned on the wheelchair. It was because he had moved directly again when the aftermath ofst night¡¯s excessive movement still remained.

    Baek Cheol wanted to dissuade Ji-Ho, but he didn¡¯t dare. <i>¡®He won¡¯t even listen to me anyway.¡¯?</i>

    The Choi family¡¯s stubbornness was not just expressed by Choi Woo-Jae. When Baek Cheol was sighing inwardly, Yu-Seong came out as if running at the sudden cough and looked at Ji-Ho. ¡°Hyung-nim, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°After resting¡­a bit¡­ I¡¯ll be fine. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day. This is not a good ce to stay for a long time.¡± Ji-Ho waved his hand and left as if running away. Baek Cheol hurriedly bowed his head deeply to Yu-Seong and Jin siblings then quickly followed him.

    <i>¡®Is he really alright?¡¯</i>

    Ji-Ho in the original novel would die after three years. However, looking at his back now, Yu-Seong was worried that the time mighte sooner than he thought. Yu-Seong had to go through a big test and hardship, but he thought it was not easy to hate Ji-Ho when he saw the man¡¯s tearful face in front of him. Though, it seemed that it was not simply because of just that.

    <i>¡®¡­He is the only person in the family who cares about me with a pure heart.¡¯?</i>

    To Yu-Seong, the weight of that was by no means shallow.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t want him to die¡­ Would there be any way?¡¯?</i>

    It seemed that one more concern was added today, though Yu-Seong didn¡¯t dislike that fact at all.

 Chapter 45

    <h4>Chapter 45 </h4>

    On the way home, Yu-Seong thought in the silent car.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve gained a lot from this journey.¡¯?</i>

    Ji-Ho¡¯s gifts and the stories about him, which continued on after handing over Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, were surprising enough to make Yu-Seong feel that the ancient relic was somewhat incidental.

    Ji-Ho said that he would make sure that no one in the family could hinder Yu-Seong¡¯s growth or threaten him for a while. To be precise, it would be Choi Mi-Na¡¯s help rather than Choi Ji-Ho himself taking action.

    Ji-Ho was the only one in the family, other than Choi Woo-Jae, who was not estranged from Choi Mi-Na. In addition, Mi-Na had promised to unconditionallyply with three requests from Ji-Ho. From this, Yu-Seong could assume their rather civil and polite rtionship.

    Anyway, if Mi-Na, the second oldest, stepped up in some way and blocked the dangers toward Yu-Seong, the other siblings wouldn¡¯t dare to step out. As mentioned, she had a fairly powerful force since no one knew how she would behave and when she would act out. In a sense, she was more difficult than Choi Woo-Jae, so none of his siblings wanted to confront her directly.

    This allowed Yu-Seong to ovee the penalty ofgging behind his other siblings as a result.

    <i>¡®Although he said it wouldst only for about a year.¡¯?</i>

    However, considering Mi-Na¡¯s unpredictable character, even a year was considered a long time for her to be tied to such a request. And with that, Yu-Seong was already confident of building skills and infrastructure, as well as dealing with his other siblings.

    <i>¡®And also, Yu-Ri seems to have already prepared to some extent.¡¯?</i>

    From Yu-Seong¡¯s ability as a game director originally, he could picture his direction to move on other than leveling mapping in more detail.

    Secondly, Yu-Seong received one more ring as a gift. Surprisingly, the second ring he received was also an ancient relic. It was a hidden trump that Ji-Ho personally had, not belonging to the family nor the Comet Group. It was a type that had no rank limitation when wearing it, like the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s actually more valuable than Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice.¡¯?</i>

    The ring was called ¡®Jump Ring¡¯. Its rank as an ancient relic was S+, which allowed the wearer and person within a 10cm radius to jump through space up to 1km, but the number of uses was limited to two times.

    <i>¡®And hyung-nim said one of the trials was already used when he had to escape from that dungeon ident.¡¯?</i>

    Thus, there was only one time left. It could be seen as one insignificant use, but it could also be used as a means to save Yu-Seong¡¯s life at an extremely dangerous moment. This was Ji-Ho¡¯s gift of apology in his own way.

    And in fact, thest gift that shocked Yu-Seong the most was information regarding the future that Ji-Ho had seen.

    ¨C Kim Do-Jin. That person will kill Father. And I also saw the future of your terrible death. It¡¯s a very sad thing, but I don¡¯t dare to stop him. Yu-Seong, a great threat is approaching this world. And the person who can stop it is¡­

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? What about him all of a sudden?'''' asked Yu-Ri. She was surprised by Yu-Seong¡¯s sudden self-talk.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    It was a story that Yu-Seong already knew since that had always been destined. It was a scenario written in the original novel. Would it still be the same now?

    <i>¡®Possibly, it¡¯s different now.¡¯?</i>

    However, there was no certainty that therge parts had changed. What if Kim Do-Jin kills Choi Woo-Jae without Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s help? Just thinking like this meant that Yu-Seong¡¯s death could alsoe from somewhere unexpected.

    Of course, he also wanted to ask Ji-Ho. The future may have changed now, so he wanted to ask him to check it. However, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t ask.

    Ji-Ho said that he had lost most of his remaining life in exchange for seeing the distant future that he did not even want to know. If he tried to see another distant future like that, Ji-Ho may die at that moment.

    Yu-Seong did not want that to happen.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s not dwell on it. Knowing the future that was supposed to happen was only a part of my capabilities anyway.¡¯?</i>

    It would be nice to use that capability as much as possible to create the future he wanted, but he did not have to rely entirely on it as if that was his only capability. To do that, he had to make sure he had a rtionship with someone really important.

    <i>¡®It would be nice if I could assuage his resentment.¡¯?</i>

    It had been a long time since he gave up on thefy thought that he had at the beginning that he should simply stay away from Do-Jin. He needed something more definite than that.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong recited that name once again inwardly and opened his cell phone. He could see Do-Jin¡¯s message from a week ago but it had not yet been read. Yu-Seong checked and sent a message.

    <i>¡®Do you have time tomorrow? Let¡¯s have a light drink.¡¯?</i>

    .

    Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to find an answer unless he took the time to talk with the man.

    ***

    B-rank hunter Baek Ah-Rin was the talent that everyone wanted, not only by parties but also by guilds and the yer Association. Some guilds even wanted her more than Kim Do-Jin, the current hottest rookie.

    In a way, it was a matter of course. Baek Ah-Rin was a person with both heal-type and support-type abilities which were rare even among Psychic type yers. Even hunters who risked their lives to go to the dungeon did not mean that they were not afraid of death or pain. Naturally, the existence of heal-type healers and support-type buffers became inevitably precious.

    Healers could not only heal minor injuries but also could reattach even a hand if cut off, and Buffers could provide a protective shield or lead strong ability improvement that increased the stability of the attack.

    Those two were recognized as indispensable for both parties and the team of attackers, but Baek Ah-Rin could do both of those roles alone.

    Moreover, some even described her as a Saintess because her beauty was beyond those of decent celebrities. Whether her beauty or her ability, Baek Ah-Rin was one who was fascinating enough to be coveted by everyone.

    ¡°But how could you not like me?¡±

    Baek Ah-Rin cried out with a face full of dissatisfaction while she looked at the back of Kim Do-Jin, who just ughtered five sixth-rank Great Ants alone. Even though it was quite a fierce battle, there was no single tarnish in his outfit. Such appearance of Do-Jin became more attractive to Baek Ah-Rin.

    "Why are you following someone who doesn''t like you?"

    Kim Do-Jin sighed deeply and said with a frown as if he was annoyed.

    ¡°That¡¯s because I like you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re casually saying something that will make your fans cry when they hear it.¡±

    Baek Ah-Rin frowned at Kim Do-Jin¡¯s cold words and pouted her lips. ¡°Did I ask you for a date? I¡¯m just asking you to set up a guild together.¡±

    ¡°You are being too loud. That¡¯s all for today.¡±

    Kim Do-Jin shook the blood off the sword and put it in the sheath. He then walked toward the dungeon exit.

    ¡°Hey, can¡¯t you hear me? Let¡¯s make a guild together. I¡¯ll let you be the vice president,¡± chattered Baek Ah-Rin who quickly chased after him.

    It was this part.

    ¡°No need,¡± Kim Do-Jin frowned once more and said.

    ¡°Seriously, why not?¡±

    Kim Do-Jin stopped walking for a moment. His eyebrows wriggled then he showed a grin. ¡°How many times have I told you? It¡¯s because I¡¯m not the president.¡±

    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s important about that? Hey hey, Kim Do-Jin. How about a co-representative?¡±

    "I refuse. It''s not my thing to coborate with anyone."

    ¡°Wow, are you really going to be like this? It¡¯s already confirmed that we can be good partners.¡±

    ¡°Not sure about that, yet.¡±

    Unlike unemotional Do-Jin, Baek Ah-Rin got a hunch the moment she came across him in the dungeon a few days ago.

    <i>¡®This guy is the one.¡¯?</i>

    He was the suitable person for the guild she was nning to create after ignoring the pouring love calls from all over the ce.

    He was the charismatic figure who could bridge her gap¨Chercking experience and ability to discern¨Cand keep the bnce of the guild. She liked him a lot more than what she heard on the grapevine. However, Kim Do-Jin fiercely rejected her proposal. She followed him and tried to show him her abilities that forcibly possessed numerous guilds and the association chairman to chase her, but it did not work.

    On the contrary, Baek Ah-Rin seemed to be the one falling for Kim Do-Jin as time went by. Eventually, she wanted to be the position of guild president but had no choice but to dere giving up.

    ¡°Ah, fine. President! You be the guild president. Instead, do me a favor.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Kim Do-Jin stopped walking.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s needless to say that she is at the top among the same rank as a support-type user. Besides, her reaction speed and self-defense ability are pretty good. Much better than a decent D-rank physical-type yer. She¡¯s indeed useful.¡¯?</i>

    He reacted to her, just because deep down, he thought that her ability was quite excellent, although he did not easily recognize others.

    ¡°Continue on.¡±

    ¡°We can talk about it after the guild is built¡­¡± Ah-Rin spoke quickly. Her facepletely lit up at Do-Jin¡¯s response.

    ¡°What a useless conversation.¡±

    Kim Do-Jin blew the cold wind and soon found the escape portal.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s not a big request, seriously. I mean, it¡¯s just there are things I really want to do after creating a guild.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever think it could be a useless nuisance?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a nuisance! Just buy the guild¡¯s office building that I desire! I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±

    Again, Do-Jin stopped his steps. ¡°A building?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a ce I really want to buy, you know. But it¡¯s in an unauthorized area unless it¡¯s a guild¡­¡± Ah-Rin sighed deeply and continued to talk. ¡°I¡¯d like to do it under mypany¡¯s name if possible. That¡¯s why I suggested a co-representative. If not, I¡¯ll be satisfied as vice president. But I just want you to use the office building that I have chosen, not anywhere else.¡±

    Do-Jin finally understood why she did not move even though there were love calls from numerous guilds and the Association.

    ¡°Office building, huh¡­ How about any other cost of creating the guild?¡±

    ¡°Once I buy thepany building, I won¡¯t have that much money. Above all, you¡¯re the President. That''s just daylight robbery!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Text me the location of the office building.¡±

    ¡°Ah, hey?¡±

    Kim Do-Jin went out of the portal after hisst words. Ah-Rin chased him out of the dungeon, but he was already entering the storage room quite far away.

    ¡°You¡¯re so fast!¡±

    Do-Jin moved his feet quickly while ignoring Ah-Rin¡¯s shout from behind. Do-Jin¡¯s expression changed strangely as he opened his locker and took out his cell phone. There was a message.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s asking to meet tomorrow?¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin finally got the time for a rendezvous with him, after Yu-Seong pulled out awfully many times. This was a rare opportunity. At that moment, an idea shed through Do-Jin¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡®Guild, huh¡­ It might not be bad if it went well.¡¯?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin was already looking forward to tomorrow.

 Chapter 46

    <h4>Chapter 46 </h4>

    Late dawn, a crocodile man covered with thick leather and scales was speeding along the Gangbyeon north expressway. He moved hastily, from running on the road with his two feet, crossing the enormous Han River bridge with a single leap, to even asionally jumping into the river to hide. However, his movement was much faster than most of the vehicles running at around 100 km/hte at night.

    After running for a long time, the crocodile man submerged in the dark shade under the bridge. Only the top of his head and eyes could be seen just above the water¡¯s surface.

    <i>¡®At this point, he can¡¯t chase me anymore, right?¡¯?</i>

    There was a mixture of fear, worry, and anger in the crocodile man¡¯s eyes. These emotions were rather inappropriate and odd for someone who was very much like a wild predator.

    <i>¡®Fricking Korean Special Police Force bastards!¡¯?</i>

    The crocodile man was a foreigner. His real name was Yevgeny, a Russian mafia who was recorded as an A-rank Viin by the WPA, the World yer Association. Fifteen days ago, he had fled to Korea after a massive murder case due to conflict between organizations in divostok. He had intended to stay under the radar for a while in Korea as he had entered through a disguised identity and fake visa. After all, the moment he got caught by the Russian Militsiya (the Soviet police in the past, the viin hunter group in the novel), things would be troublesome.

    As with all his problems, this one took ce at a small lounge bar in Itaewon¡¯s business district when he began flirting with a woman with the intention of taking her to bed.

    The bar owner was quite a beauty, so Yevgeny was overwhelmed by a desire to sleep with her somehow as soon as he saw her. Although Yevgeny had traveled to quite a few countries, such as Italy, France, the United States, Japan, and his home country Russia, he could bet there were only a handful of women as beautiful as her.

    He easily drank an entire bottle of vodka, lowering his inhibitions and intensifying his inner conflict. He soon decided that, even if he had to leave Korea, he would not be afraid to mess up. In fact, the task wasn''t difficult for him.

    Unlike his usual self, Yevgeny ignored the other women who shot curious looks at his blond hair and blue eyes, and waited until the owner of the bar got off work¡­ By the time the bar closed, there would always be dark alleys no matter how bright downtown was. Yevgeny hid in a dark alley while waiting with a gloomy gaze for the beautiful owner to leave work.

    However, an unexpected event urred. From the back of the dark alley where Yevgeny was hiding, someone quietly approached, swinging a huge ymore that aimed to cut his head in half.

    ¡°What the?!¡± Yevgeny shouted with wide eyes when he avoided the attack somewhat instinctively.

    However, the mystery person wearing a mask of a big-eyed rabbit character¡ªthat was quite like the characters in old animations¡ªdid not answer. The person simply swung the great sword suddenly once again.

    Yevgeny was frightened by the movement, which he couldn¡¯t even follow, and had no choice but to transform his appearance and flee without thinking about anything else. He couldn¡¯t understand it at first, but as he ran, he could soon guess that the mystery man was from the Korean Special Police Force that he had heard on the grapevine.

    <i>¡®I remember hearing that they act while wearing a strange mask to hide their identity¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yevgeny trembled. The big eyes of the rabbit mask¡ªwhich might seem cute to someone else¡ªfelt creepy to him.

    <i>¡®He must have given up by now, right?¡¯?</i>

    While the opponent¡¯s attacks were fast, the pursuit seemed to be slower. Yevgeny could not sense his opponent¡¯s movement from the middle of the run. Still, Yevgeny remained quiet just in case.

    However, even after 10 minutes, Yevgeny could not sense the bizarre rabbit mask anywhere.

    <i>¡®I should leave Korea now that my identity¡¯s been revealed.¡¯?</i>

    The fact that the hunters from the Special Police Force, who was in charge of Viins, chased him meant that both his identity and situation had already be known to the Korea yer Association. Although, it was very regrettable that he couldn¡¯t do anything about thedy owner hest saw in Itaewon, the pleasure of his lower part was not more precious than his life.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll just hide for another five minutes and then start going out slowly.¡¯?</i>

    He nned on running straight to Incheon Airport right after that because he didn¡¯t want to see the terrible rabbit mask ever again.

    ¡°The water temperature must be quite low, but you¡¯re good at putting up with it. Is it because you¡¯re a cold-blooded animal transformation type? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡±

    A rather low-pitched female voice was heard above Yevgeny¡¯s head.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Yevgeny hurriedly rushed out from the water when the river he had been hiding in soared like an explosion. The thick ymore split the river. He gasped inwardly at the opponent''s tremendous strength and burst intoughter pretending to be rxed. ¡°Puhaha! Zayats(§Ù§Ñ§ñ§è). Shall we see if you can y well inside the water too?¡±

    ¡°You''re in Korea. Speak Korean, you trash.¡±

    As Yevgeny spoke in a mix of Russian and English, the rabbit-masked person once again swung the sword, grumbling as if she didn¡¯t like that.

    Along with a loud ¡®<i>bang</i>¡¯, the water rained down on the roofs of cars that were driving on the Banpo Bridge. In the meantime, Yevgeny chose to dive deep into the Han River while cursing inwardly as he saw the impact of the water splitting in half right in front of his nose.

    <i>¡®I did expect it, but she was truly a monster.¡¯?</i>

    His animal instinct did not choose to escape in vain. However, wouldn¡¯t it be a different story if it was underwater? Yevgeny was a crocodile man. To be more precise, he inherited the power of Porosus, the sea crocodile that could even swim in the sea. He wasn¡¯t sure about fighting onnd, but he was quite confident that he would not lose no matter how great the monster was if they fought in the water.

    The fearless rabbit mask plunged into the water of the Han River following Yevgeny.

    <i>¡®How cheeky!¡¯?</i>

    Yevgeny had been nning to run away from her by swimming but now changed his mind. The eyes of the sea crocodile that were once trembling with fear now had the anger of a predator. Regardless of that, the rabbit mask jumped into the water with the ymore slung on her back, spreading out her hands.

    <i>¡®Although I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yevgeny¡¯s wide crocodile mouth smiled cruelly. The bite force of the sea crocodile was considered the most powerful among the naturally urring predators in the ecosystem.

    How powerful could it be if an A-rank Hunter dealt with that bite force that was several times more powerful than the bite force of a hippo that was generally thought to be terrifying?

    Once bitten, even an S-rank hunter could be impossible to escape.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll chew and swallow her whole.¡¯?</i>

    It was the moment when Yevgeny rushed through the water and opened his mouth wide. The rabbit mask pped her outstretched hands. That was it.

    It was impossible to believe it, but the water fluctuated while causing waves, and soon a vacuum space that wasrge enough to see the bottom of the deep Han River water was created.

    Yevgeny was also nearly swept away by the immense monstrous strength, but the rabbit mask quickly reached out and grabbed his long snout that was unique to crocodiles. The surrounding area was still flowing with the water of the Han River, but it was somehow strange as if only the two were on the ground.

    The rabbit mask threw the crocodile toward the park at once and ran. The split water of the Han River quickly found its original ce and filled up the space again. Yevgeny flew through the darkness of the night in that short gap when the water was filled back, smashing the stone wall stairs in the park and getting stuck between them.

    ¡°Kuahuk-!¡±

    The rabbit mask scattered her wet long ck straight hair and thrust a fist into Yevgeny¡¯s abdomen as he vomited blood.

    ¡°Kueeek-!¡±

    With a scream, the entire thick stone wall stairs copsed as if they had been hit by an earthquake. Even if he was a physical type A-rank yer, he had no way to withstand such monstrous strength directly hit on his abdomen. Yevgeny¡¯s transformation has been released. His eyes rolled over and his tongue was pulled out. The rabbit mask waved the stone powder and dusty clouds in all directions as if it was annoying. She grabbed Yevgeny¡¯s head with her left hand and lifted him.

    ¡°What? Are you dead?¡±

    The rabbit mask tilted her head and strongly pped Yevgeny¡¯s cheek from side to side. ¡°Keok, kukeok¡­!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive, huh.¡±

    Along with those words, the rabbit mask pped Yevgeny in the face once again with her right hand.

    <i>Crackack-!</i>

    The A-rank Viin¡¯s neck turned widely to the other way along with the breaking sound of the bones.

    ¡°Just how nice it would be if you were obedient when I tried to kill you in one shot without pain. You Viin Crocodile punk.¡±

    The rabbit mask casually verified the death of the notorious A-rank Viin, and looked around. It was utter chaos. After such a fuss was made, rumors must have already spread all over the ce.

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably get a phone call soon.¡±

    With a frown, she scratched the back of her damp head as if she was annoyed, took off the cumbersome rabbit mask, and threw it into the Han River. Surprisingly, the face revealed from beneath the mask was the Itaewon lounge bar¡¯s beautiful owner who Yevgeny had lewd feelings for. Speaking of the devil, her cell phone rang just in time.

    ¡°Uh, what?¡±

    - A disturbance around Banpo Bridge, Han River Park has been reported. Did the Crocodile Viin¡­

    ¡°I had no choice but to kill him due to his excessive resistance during the process of suppression.¡±

    -¡­killed again, huh. MyoÃ®, what do you think of my words as a leader?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I had no choice? Nevertheless, he¡¯s still an A-rank.¡±

    - It doesn¡¯t make sense that you had no choice with your skills, Myo. I respect you a lot and fully understand your situation. However, this Crocodile was a special request from the Russian Militsiya. He had to be kept alive and sent to Russia.

    She looked at the grotesque corpse of Yevgeny that was hanging loosely on her one hand with a bent neck insignificantly. She expressed her annoyed feeling as she swept her wet and heavy bangs.

    ¡°Ah, so what? If you¡¯re calling to nag me, I¡¯ll hang up.¡±

    - The Banpo Bridge¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t break it. I just broke down some stone stairs in the park. I¡¯ll cover the repair cost on my own. You know, I have a lot of money, right?¡±

    - Myo, epting you into the Special Police Force was also a very dangerous adventure for me. And the adventure is not even over. At the somewhat threatening remarks, the woman called Myo frowned greatly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re getting a lot of money from me, it¡¯s nominally the risk allowance. Leader, don¡¯t be mistaken. Our rtionship is clearly made through business interest. If you say something like you¡¯re making a sacrifice¡­¡± Myo clicked her tongue shortly as her gaze turned toward the crowds who gathered after hearing themotion in the dark. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. People are flocking. I¡¯m going to withdraw now.¡±

    -¡­Okay, Myo, I¡¯m just asking. But can¡¯t you listen to me at least once a year?

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. But this guy, he called me zayats.¡±

    - Zayats?

    ¡°It¡¯s Russian. Don¡¯t be a finger prince , search it on your own. The corpse will be at the usual ce.¡±

    Myo jumped naturally into the air to avoid the crowds and hung up the phone. She got annoyed and hit Yevgeny¡¯s head once more. Then, she looked at her chest, which was somewhat t because she was wearing a battle suit.

    <i>¡®XXck. It¡¯s ridiculous of him to treat me like a man, though.¡¯</i>

    The Russian word <i>¡®Zayats¡¯</i> was a noun referring to male rabbits. Myo felt quite nasty. Though in the meantime, her cell phone rang again.

    1. A foreigner-friendly international district, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

    2. The sign of the hare or rabbit, the fourth sign of the Chinese zodiac

    3. A Korean ng used to describe people who don''t search by themselves despite a very simple problem and ask others instead

 Chapter 47

    <h4>Chapter 47 </h4>

    Myo answered the phone without checking who the caller was. She raised her voice in annoyance, swearing, ¡°I told you I¡¯m done talking about this case, damned bugger¡­¡±

    - Choi Mi-Na. It¡¯s me.

    ¡°Uh?¡± Myo quickly lowered her voice. It had been a while since she heard this person¡¯s voice over the phone, but she clearly recognized who he was. ¡°Choi Ji-Ho?¡±

    - I certainly am happy to hear your voice and learn that you still have no manners.

    ¡°Kekeke, why? Want to be called oppa?¡±

    - I refuse. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

    ¡°Good choice.¡±

    Myo, better known as Choi Mi-Na, smiled and made herselffortable on a pir above Banpo Bridge.

    - Your rtionship with the Special Police Force¡¯s leader seemed to be the same as before.

    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Just because you initially helped doesn¡¯t mean you deserve to meddle. You know that, right?

    - Mi-Na. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know how much you hate viins, but¡­

    ¡°Why do all men act the same? I¡¯ll hang up if you¡¯re going to nag. Tell me the main point in three seconds. Three...¡±

    - I¡¯m thinking of using one of the three wishes.

    ¡°d to hear that. Go ahead and tell me.¡±

    As Mi-Na calmly continued the call with Ji-Ho, she gradually frowned. After ending the short call, she hit the head of Yevgeny''s corpse again and sighed.

    <i>¡®My gosh, so he wants me to be the nanny for that ninth brat, the troublemaker?¡¯?</i>

    She already felt dizzy thinking about it; she felt like throwing up.

    ***

    Yu-Seong made an appointment with Kim Do-Jin forte afternoon the next day. Around noon, Jin Yu-Ri headed to the dungeon to train and further develop her skills. Even though she had hurriedly made a schedule, any hunter with an ability like hers was weed in any party or attacker team.

    Yu-Ri was going to leave the house first. Before she left, she gave Yu-Seong the contact information of the so-called ¡®Jenny¡¯ that she had mentioned when they had been trapped in the room of sacrifice. ¡°When I¡¯m away, feel free to contact her if you need anything. She¡¯s a smart kid, so she¡¯ll do a good job for a lot of things, oppa.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she your friend who you tried to keep in secret?¡±

    ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, that¡¯s when you liked to flirt with girls too much. Jenny is quite a beauty, you know.¡±

    ¡°How about now? I still don¡¯t hate women.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s not like you¡¯re flirting with anyone. And, you¡¯re clever enough,¡± said Yu-Ri with a smile.

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders. Yu-Ri was speaking rather indirectly, but it was obvious why she finally gave Yu-Seong Jenny¡¯s contact information.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s because I can be trusted now.¡¯?</i>

    A secret organization was a secret for a reason. It should be as untraceable as possible even to those who had arge influence, such as Woo-Jae. To do so, the fewer people who were aware of them the better. Also, they should not reveal a secret organization¡¯s information to foolish people who could easily expose them.

    If it was the original Yu-Seong, there was a high probability that he would have quietly bragged to even a bar woman that he even knew about a usible secret organization. It would have soon be a secret that everyone knew about. Wasn¡¯t this amon story?

    Yu-Ri didn¡¯t want to easily reveal the card in her sleeve. Also, as mentioned, now that she believed in Yu-Seong, she could inform him of their existence. He felt proud and happy that he now had one more secret weapon for himself.

    In the afternoon, Yu-Seong headed to the meeting ce¨CItaewon¨Cwith Do-Yoon as an escort and driver. He thought it wouldn¡¯t take too long because it was close to home in Hannam-dong. However, when they got closer to the downtown area, there was so much traffic that he thought it would take longer than expected.

    Yu-Seong took out his phone and texted Kim Do-Jin that he would be a littlete. Then, he spoke to Do-Yoon. ¡°It would be faster to just walk from here.¡±

    ¡°¡­I forgot that it was a busy weekend,¡± replied Do-Yoon as he grabbed the steering wheel with a stumped look.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not your fault. I didn¡¯t know today was Saturday either.¡±

    After losing track of time for a while, Yu-Seong did not even realize the day of the week. He looked at Itaewon street, which was full of green and red decorations, with a strange gaze and smiled. Hemented, ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s Christmas soon.¡±

    ¡°This year ising to an end. Time seems to go pretty fast. There¡¯s been a lot of things recently¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to be even busier in the future. By the way, don¡¯t you want to date someone?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I am qualified yet, young master.¡± Do-Yoon¡¯s face stiffened at the rather insignificant question. He grabbed the wheel tightly. This was because the fight with Baek Cheol from a few days ago hade to his mind.

    <i>¡®¡­I think I have just uselessly woken up a sleeping wolf. Do-Yoon is the type of person who¡¯s too serious about certain things.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, it was the same for Yu-Seong, who had no intention of dating himself, so it felt like he had been swept off by the word ¡®Christmas¡¯ and had asked a useless question.

    ¡°Too much is as bad as too little. There¡¯s nothing to worry that much about all the time.¡±

    ¡°I will take your words to heart.¡±

    Do-Yoon¡¯s personal thoughts couldn¡¯t be discerned from his face, but he gave Yu-Seong a good answer. That did not mean he could be persuaded by long talk, so Yu-Seong decided to shut up. Just in time, a text notification came on his phone.

    - You are already 5 minuteste. Are you kidding me?

    - I¡¯m not kidding, there''s really a lot of traffic.

    - ¡­I¡¯ll head over there. Where are you at?

    Yu-Seong closed the messenger window on his phone and looked at Do-Yoon. ¡°I can¡¯t wait anymore. Just drop me off on the side at the red light.¡±

    ¡°Are you going alone?¡±

    ¡°We''re downtown in the evening. It¡¯ll be hard to cause trouble in this kind of ce unless they are certainly crazy. Perhaps I¡¯m sure the Special Police Force is also dispatched there just in case.¡±

    It wasmon for the Special Police Force¨Cthe hunters in charge of Viins¨Cto be on standby in downtown areas, hiding their identity in case of sudden events or acts of terrorism.

    ¡°I understand, young master.¡±

    There were many talented people in the Special Police Force. And in fact, it was quite rare for big incidents and idents to take ce in these downtown areas.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve now decided not to let my guard down, but¡­¡¯</i>

    It did not mean that Yu-Seong was going to hold his breath without doing anything, as if he were scared. If he ever had that mindset, he would not be able to hunt dungeons. The important thing was to be always aware of the fact that idents could ur and to be fully insured.

    Before getting out of the car, Yu-Seong checked the location tracker that was attached to the pocket inside his coat and it was working properly. He nodded. ¡°My location will be sent on a real-time basis anyway, soe to me after you park the car.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Do-Yoon stopped the car on the side road, dropped off Yu-Seong, and then left.

    It had been a while since Yu-Seong went out onto the street alone, and was in a somewhat strange mood.

    <i>¡®Now that I think about it, I was always with Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon.¡¯?</i>

    How long had it been since they had been so far apart from him like this? It felt awkward, but Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t afraid.

    <i>¡®At least, I am in Itaewon.¡¯?</i>

    He had many safeguards in ce, but there was one thing that would assuredly keep him secure.

    <i>¡®There is the lounge bar that Choi Mi-Na uses as a hiding ce.¡¯?</i>

    It was a simple reason why the second daughter of the Comet Group¨Calso famously known as a monster¨Cwas hiding in Itaewon.

    <i>¡®Because she belongs to the Special Police Force and she hates Viins.¡¯?</i>

    At this point, she seemed to have a terrifying personality which no one could stop. However, she also had her own pain.

    It happened when Mi-Na was about 5 years old.

    Viins invaded the mansion where Mi-Na and her mother lived together after they had moved out of Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s ce. As Choi Woo-Jae was abroad at the time, he had no time to deal with it. Thus, it was an incident that resulted in many victims.

    Above all, the memory that remained intensely in Mi-Na¡¯s mind was the death of her mother. She had died while Mi-Na could only watch while hiding in a secret space behind the closet Mi-Na hadn¡¯t even been able to burst into tears and could only crouch down holding her breath. At that point, she had been too young, weak, and miserable. It was a rather natural step for her to join the Special Police Force.

    Surprisingly, Choi Woo-Jae did not know that Mi-Na was currently in the Special Police Force. If he had known, he would have strongly opposed it, saying not to do useless things. And no matter how famous Mi-Na was for doing whatever she wanted in the whole family, she would not be able topletely go against Woo-Jae¡¯s will.

    In fact, this was Choi Mi-Na¡¯s position or perspective: She wanted to catch Viins, but they were so clever and vicious that it was too much to pursue without any information. However, if she ran a private organization that could deal with such information, it would certainly be seen by Choi Woo-Jae. Therefore, Mi-Na joined the Special Police Force.

    The identity and affiliation of each individual within the Special Police Force were known only to one person in the country ¨C the Leader of the Special Police Force. The information of members in the Special Police Force was strictly abided by the principle of confidentiality even to the chairman of the Korea yer Association just in case.

    The strange thing was why the Leader of the Special Police Force epted Choi Mi-Na. Even though it was clear that if Choi Woo-Jae found out about this, the risk of the Leader of the Special Police Force would be severe.

    As always, there was no detailed description of this setting in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Choi Mi-Na is thest resort anyway.¡¯?</i>

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong was not very curious about what the truth would be. In fact, it was better not to bump into her. Mi-Na hated evils, and so she disliked Yu-Seong who usually used to act like a rascal. He did not expect that her thoughts would have now changed much from then.

    <i>`Rather, it¡¯s a relief if she doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m worse because she thinks I¡¯m just acting for my reputation.¡¯?</i>

    Anyway, thest resort was Choi Mi-Na. Just in case the future has changed,st night he also investigated the lounge bar run by Mi-Na which appeared in the original novel.

    ¡®Fortunately, nothing has changed here.¡¯

    Both the lounge bar and Mi-Na were still in Itaewon. No matter how much she hated Yu-Seong, she would not let him die when a dangerous situation came. That was the reason why he dared to choose Itaewon as the ce to meet Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®By now, Ji-Ho hyung-nim would have asked her about that. Oh,e to think of it, how rted would the Special Police Force be with hyung-nim?¡¯?</i>

    His thoughts wandered here and there as he walked on the street. No one recognized Yu-Seong because he deliberately wore a hat, sses without lenses, and even a mask to hide his appearance.

    <i>¡®I feel like I am a famous celebrity for some reason.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, almost everyone knew about Yu-Seong in Korea¨Cthis world¨Cso he could be called a famous celebrity.

    <i>¡®I indeed have the skill of an attention seeker, but I don¡¯t need to draw useless attention for a day like this.¡¯?</i>

    The important thing was the conversation with Kim Do-Jin. Yu-Seong thought Kim Do-Jin was probably thinking the same thing. His thoughts continued on until he faced Do-Jin who grandly appeared on the other side of the crosswalk with a huge crowd behind him.

    <i>¡®That crazy guy. He''s quite an attention seeker as well if you get to know him.¡¯</i>

    Come to think of it, Do-Jin never hid his appearance when heading somewhere even in the original novel. Thanks to this, there were always idents and incidents regarding him, but he did not care at all. Rather, he just used all of those things as a stedder for his growth.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s like this, isn¡¯t it meaningless for me to cover my face?¡¯?</i>

    Would Do-Jin recognize him in this state? Yu-Seong continued thinking about it, because he felt it was rather burdensome to approach and talk to Do-Jin.

 Chapter 48

    <h4>Chapter 48 </h4>

    Yu-Seong was confident that he waspletely disguised but, in front of the crosswalk, Kim Do-Jin was staring at Yu-Seong with zing eyes.

    <i>¡®Did he recognize me?¡¯?</i>

    After the light turned green, Yu-Seong got an answer. Do-Jin immediately approached Yu-Seong with big strides, directly faced him, and said, ¡°Follow me, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sharp. How did you recognize me at once?¡±

    ¡°I can tell it¡¯s you even from a kilometer away.¡±

    ¡°¡­It wasn¡¯t such a sloppy disguise, though.¡±

    In the first ce, no one except Do-Jin recognized Yu-Seong. Even now, most of the crowds taking pictures of them were asking who the masked man beside him was. The only reason Yu-Seong could think of was that Do-Jin was the original novel¡¯s main character.

    ¡°It¡¯s noisy here. Why did you ask to meet me on the weekend?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just because it was yesterday when I asked you to meet and you said yes. You also didn¡¯t know it was the weekend, right?¡±

    Do-Jin paused his steps, his earlobes turning red at Yu-Seong¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®This guy, he¡¯s flustered.¡¯?</i>

    When Kim Do-Jin was flustered, the tip of his earlobes turned red. Yu-Seong was suddenly reminded of Do-Jin¡¯s description, which mentioned this fact about three times in the original novel.

    ¡°You really didn¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Yes I did.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bad at lying.¡±

    ¡°I just said I knew.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, where are we going now?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Restaurant, I made a reservation.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡±

    Even in the original novel, there was no scene where Do-Jin did something like making a reservation. It was because ces that needed reservations were mostly ordered by others. Come to think of it, it was likely that the reservation Do-Jin just mentioned was also ordered by someone who followed him.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s an important meeting.¡±

    Do-Jin turned back to Yu-Seong and smiled lightly. It wasn¡¯t a smile of anger, but Yu-Seong flinched without realizing it.

    <i>¡®¡­How bloody.¡¯?</i>

    The ce that they arrived through the crowds was a franchise budae-jjigae restaurant.

    ¡°Here?¡±

    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you like budae-jjigae?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yes, I do. Come to think of it, you really loved food such as ham.¡±

    ¡°Have I ever said that to you?¡±

    Do-Jin tilted his head and climbed the stairs with an indifferent look. It was an ordinary franchise house, but there were no other customers inside. Also, the people after them were not allowed to enter.

    ¡°Did you reserve the entire budae-jjigae restaurant?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better that way so that it¡¯s easier to talk.¡±

    Do-Jin talked lightly as they sat face-to-face with a round table with a burner in the center. After a while, a budae-jjigae with plenty of ham was ced on the top of the burner.

    ¡°Enjoy,¡± the owner said with a wide smile as she disappeared to the kitchen.

    <i>¡®What should I start talking about?¡¯?</i>thought Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Kim Do¡­¡±

    The moment Yu-Seong opened his lips after some thinking, Do-Jin interrupted him. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Ah, go ahead,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I won¡¯t refuse,¡± said Do-Jin confidently. His gaze was even more intense than the blue me heating the boiling budae-jjigae. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong. I¡¯m thinking of making a guild.¡±

    So what? Yu-Seong tried hard to filter the words that came to his mind. He took off his mask and hat, then scooped the soup of budae-jjigae for himself. His gesture signaled for Do-Jin to continue talking.

    ¡°Come into my guild. I promise to treat you the best.¡±

    ¡°Cough-!¡±

    In the ensuing words, Yu-Seong had no choice but to cough up the soup roughly in front of Do-Jin. After that, he rejected Kim Do-Jin¡¯s offer right away. Yu-Seong was a bit concerned that his rejection might offend Do-Jin, but surprisingly, Do-Jin took it lightly while he wiped the soup that sshed onto his face with a wet tissue.

    ¡°Considering your family situation, I understand that it may be a difficult offer for you to consider. I know that I say this often, but it¡¯s just that¡­I quite like you. It¡¯s to the point where I want to be with you for a very long time.¡±

    It had changed.

    Yu-Seong had thought that there would be some changes, but Do-Jin was treating Yu-Seong so differently from the original novel. He looked much more rxed and calm. To be specific, it could be said that Do-Jin tried to look that way? If Yu-Seong was a woman, he might have thought Do-Jin was seducing him.

    <i>¡®Actually, it¡¯s true that he¡¯s trying to seduce me.¡¯?</i>

    However, the meaning in this context was just slightly different. Anyway, due to this situation, Yu-Seong was aware that he should not continue the conversation with Do-Jin thinking of the Do-Jin he knew from the original novel.

    <i>¡®He is treating me like this, despite the fact that I am a member of his enemy¡¯s family. Then maybe it would be easier than I thought to resolve his grudge?¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong was aware that this was acent thought. Thinking a little deeper, it was highly likely that this process itself was Do-Jin¡¯s trap from the beginning.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s because I have changed. He''s trying to seduce me in a different way. Let¡¯s not forget. For Kim Do-Jin, I¡¯m just a bridge to Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯</i>

    If Yu-Seong was ced within Do-Jin¡¯s field of view in a guild, it would inevitably befortable for Do-Jin in many ways.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be easier for him to get closer to me.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes sparkled at the word that suddenly crossed his mind.

    <i>¡®By the way, father told me to keep Kim Do-Jin by my side.¡¯?</i>

    This was because one should always keep their opponents close, just like the saying ¡®take the bull by the horns¡¯. From that perspective, joining Do-Jin¡¯s guild would not be bad for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Since Do-Jin doesn¡¯t know that I have knowledge of his goal.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, it was dangerous.

    Kim Do-Jin was quick-witted and skilled at getting things done, so he would quickly establish the evidence and circumstances and if any doubts were raised about Yu-Seong¡¯s actions. Then he would sh his throat at once. Wasn¡¯t that the reason he initially tried to keep his distance from Kim Do-Jin?

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a high-risk high return sort of situation.¡¯?</i>

    Although he intended to consider it, Yu-Seong refused Do-Jin¡¯s offer for now.

    After they finished their meal at the budae-jjigae restaurant, the two went out for a drink. In fact, Yu-Seong had been the one to invite Do-Jin to drink together, and also it was necessary for him to have more time to feel out Do-Jin. He also asked Do-Yoon, who hade nearby, to keep an appropriate distance.

    <i>¡®If Jin Do-Yoon is too close, I think this guy will try to hide his true feelings even more.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin and Yu-Seong roamed the Itaewon streets for a longer time than they expected. Fortunately, it waste and the number of people chasing Do-Jin had decreased a lot, so they did not feel like the environment was too disruptive.

    Originally, it was said that there was a bar that Do-Jin had picked just like the eating ce. However, Yu-Seong firmly refused after he saw the sign of the name of the lounge bar, Luna.

    <i>¡®Out of all the other bars, how could he choose the very bar that Choi Mi-Na owns.¡¯</i>

    Mi-Na had never appeared in public, so the general public did not know her face properly. Thanks to this, she quite actively acted as the lounge bar¡¯s owner and roamed around the store. What if she and Yu-Seong identally bumped into each other in the store? A fairly difficult situation could have urred.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get why you disliked that store.¡±

    ¡°I just don¡¯t feel good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already paid 500,000 won[ref] about $400 in usd [\ref] to reserve.¡±

    Even though it was a weekend, how could it cost as much as 500,000 won to rent a normal bar room overnight?

    Originally, Yu-Seong was an ordinary citizen so he smiled bitterly inwardly.

    <i>¡®How could the business be that prosperous and there are still many customers who are willing to pay that much?¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong now belonged to a conglomerate family. Like what had been shown, he could easily spend much more money than that as long as it was meaningful.

    ¡°Give up. I¡¯ll give you that money. Don¡¯t be grumpy and let¡¯s go anywhere except there.¡±

    ¡°I think your celebrity disease[ref] a condition in which the celebrity bes too aware of their fame and status that they start taking it for granted[ref] will be quite a problem if we just go anywhere, though?¡±

    Do-Jin snorted as he stared at Yu-Seong who was wearing a mask, a hat, and even sunsses.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not a celebrity disease. It¡¯s because a lot of people recognize me, seriously.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s usually called celebrity disease. And even if it¡¯s not you, the eyes will still be drawn because of me anyway.¡±

    Kim Do-Jin pointed behind them with his index finger. Although it had decreased, there were still crowds chasing after the two. However, the crowd rarely came close enough to bother them.

    ¡°So can¡¯t you also cover your face?¡±

    ¡°Why should I? I didn¡¯tmit any crime or anything. They are all adults who know manners. Rather, you¡¯re the one who¡¯s too sensitive.¡± Do-Jin shrugged.

    ¡°You want to befriend me, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m behaving like this because I want to befriend you. I don¡¯t pretend in front of my friends.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so generous when you¡¯re on a magazine or TV.¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s not in front of my friends. Again, I like you quite a lot, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    Do-Jin smiled at Yu-Seong. Many people would exim or scream at that handsome magnificent smile, but Yu-Seong always thought his smile was indeed bloody.

    ¡°Don¡¯t smile. It¡¯s scary.¡±

    ¡°Why? Afraid to get attached?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    In the end, Yu-Seong sighed and took off his ufortable hat, sunsses, and mask. At that moment, the number of surrounding gazes doubled.

    ¡°Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°He is crazily handsome. Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Seems like Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    ¡°No no. Look at the person next to him. Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong? It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    It was a moment where the confusion and questions turned into conviction. A burst of exmation mixed withmentation came from here and there. Also, there were voices of people who immediately picked up their phones and made calls.

    ¡°Hey, Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong couple appeared in Itaewon!¡±

    ¡°Seriously, this view is a masterpiece, I mean it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have any regrets if I die today.¡±

    ¡°My gosh. I¡¯ll sleep without washing my eyes today.¡±

    Yu-Seong being next to Do-Jin, whose handsome appearance stood out even when he was alone, was truly eye-catching for people around them. Amid the fuss, a smile bloomed on Yu-Seong as he checked the skill window with his expectations.

    ¡°Oh my, flowers just bloomed!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s crazy. Choi Yu-Seong is truly so handsome¡±.

    ¡°Hey hey, I¡¯ll hang up, so hurry up ande here. If you miss seeing them, you¡¯ll regret it.¡±

    On the other hand, Yu-Seong could not even hear the people¡¯s voices.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor E

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (35¡ú48/100).

    Current eleration rate +50% ¡ú +70%¡»

    It was because of the explosive growth of Star Factor skill, which had been slow for a while.

    ¡°Now that you look morefortable and it¡¯s much better to see.¡±

    At Do-Jin¡¯s words, Yu-Seong nodded without hesitation. In other words, Yu-Seong was an attention seeker himself. He rather suppressed his instinct by thinking too much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go to the nearest pub.¡±

    Being more rxed, Yu-Seong led Do-Jin.

    1. Spicy sausage stew that is a type of Korean jjigae (stew), made with ham, sausage, Spam, baked beans, kimchi, instant noodles, and gochujang. It is also associated with the army as it was created after the Korean War, a Korean stew made with American ingredients. https://.maangchi/recipe/budae-jjigae

 Chapter 49

    <h4>Chapter 49 </h4>

    The lounge bar Luna was actually one of the most famous ces in the entire Itaewon. The only disadvantage was having to climb a fairly steep hill road to get there, but there were many other advantages to make the trip worth it.

    First of all, it was built on the hillside and was eight-story high, so the scenery of downtown Itaewon could be seen at a nce when standing by the window. Also, the desserts and snacks were made by a patissier scouted from a five-star hotel in France, and the bartenders also consisted of handsome men and beautiful women.

    Nevertheless, if one used the lounge and not the room, the price was not that expensive. It was great to take pictures to post on social media, and people were always excited and refreshed just froming by and taking a look around. There were even rooms for VIPs, with interior designs that cost hundreds of millions won. Thus, there were inevitably many guests regardless of weekdays or weekends. It wasn¡¯t for nothing that Kim Do-Jin tried to bring Choi Yu-Seong to Luna.

    However, Mi-Na did not really care about how popr her store was. She did not open it to earn money. Itaewon had many foreigners, and most importantly, it was one of the ces where foreign Viins usually hid in Korea.

    <i>¡®Well, she¡¯s just looking for Viins here.¡¯?</i>

    The store''s growth was unexpected, and it was due to the enthusiastic work of the professional manager, who had been hired with a lot of money. Mi-Na did not put any direct energy, physically or mentally, into managing the lounge bar Luna. Nothing was that different even now, though she had to go to work almost every day as the owner unless things rted to the Comet group or her family got too busy.

    Most of the time, she yed the part of a wallpaper and looked for Viins in the store or observed the outside world through the window to look for Viins in Itaewon.

    <i>¡®Who would be today¡¯s Wally?¡¯?</i>

    It was when Mi-Na sat on a window watching that she would think of <i>¡®Where¡¯s Wally?¡¯</i>, something that she used to enjoy as a child.

    ¡°Hey, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin are in the Frozen Pub right now!¡±

    Mi-Na heard an unpleasant name.

    ¡°Those two are together?¡±

    ¡°I heard that it looks extraordinary when they both are together.¡±

    ¡°Any pictures?¡±

    ¡°I just received some from my friend¡­ But, are you going?¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding? Of course!¡±

    Rumors spread in an instant. The store full of guests was emptied at an unbelievable speed. The employees seemed bewildered by the unusual situation. However, despite looking out the window as if she was not interested, Mi-Na¡¯s mind filled up with even moreplicated thoughts than usual.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong. That kid is here now?¡¯?</i>

    She remembered the request she had received on the phone from Choi Ji-Host night. She did not think that something might go wrong, but she was concerned about Yu-Seong somehow.

    <i>¡®Should I go and see him? Just to see his face.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Mi-Na leaned against the window, nervously tapping a fairly high heel on the floor, and soon shook her head.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t be bothered.¡¯?</i>

    Originally Yu-Seong was not the Wally she was looking for.

    <i>¡®Is there any Viin standing out today?¡¯?</i>

    Mi-Na yawned while she looked out the window again.

    ***

    Humans were indeed excellent at adapting. At first, Yu-Seong was not used to the gazes and interest pouring into the pub. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t express his inner thoughts through conversation. However, as he had a conversation with Do-Jin, who was quite calm, he was able to easily bring up what he wanted to say. For example, the conversation was about such topics¡­

    ¡°Why are you making a guild suddenly?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a woman who keeps asking me to make it.¡±

    ¡°A woman?¡±

    At that moment, a name passed through Yu-Seong¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡®Baek Ah-Rin.¡¯?</i>

    Even in the original novel, Baek Ah-Rin had yed a big role in getting Kim Do-Jin to create a guild. She would y a pivotal role among Do-Jin¡¯s colleagues along with Baek Cheol in the future. Her potential was, of course, an EX-rank.

    <i>¡®By the way, Baek Ah-Rin and Kim Do-Jin are already in contact?¡¯?</i>

    Time had flown faster than Yu-Seong thought. He felt like something was moving forward, but Yu-Seong did not take it too seriously since there was no big loss for him. Other than that, their conversation was not overly deep. It was just the process of getting to know each other slowly.

    <i>¡®Because I should not poke too deep from the start.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, Do-Jin was depicted to have a rather deep grudge. As he didn¡¯t think it would be easy to solve from the beginning, Yu-Seong tried to find the answer slowly rather than being impatient. And for that, his first step was to make Kim Do-Jin warm up to him so that he could be honest with him.

    <i>¡®Somehow, I¡¯vee to this point where I need to get closer to Kim Do-Jin.¡¯?</i>

    The flow of the conversation became more and morefortable as they had the same goal. When they finished drinking and went back out to the street to walk for a while, Yu-Seong came up with one thought.

    <i>¡®If it wasn¡¯t for the original novel, he might have been a really good friend¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had such a thought, but he shook his head vigorously to clear his head.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s not forget. This guy is a reaper who would drive me to death if anything goes wrong.¡¯</i>

    The conversation continued even while they were walking through the bustling Itaewon streets, which seemed to overflow with people even though it was already quitete at night.

    ¡°I actually thought you were quite a fool.¡±

    ¡°Is that a confession? It¡¯s quite unpleasant.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because now I think differently.¡±

    ¡°No, it matters. Why did youe to befriend me if you thought I was a fool at first?¡±

    ¡°Because you have a lot of money.¡±

    Of course, even though Yu-Seong knew Do-Jin¡¯s real purpose, it seemed like a pretty usible answer.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re hiding inside, but I¡¯ll trust that you¡¯ll tell me someday.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit.¡±

    Was it because of alcohol? Or maybe it was because there was a change of heart? Yu-Seong was already talking quitefortably with Do-Jin. Even though he was surprised to admit it himself, Do-Jin also seemed to feel the same way about Yu-Seong.

    Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong with surprised eyes and soon hardened his face. His silent and deep ck eyes looked straight at Yu-Seong as if to see right through him. Then, Do-Jin¡¯s red lips slightly twisted into a crooked smile. ¡°¡­It would be nice if you weren¡¯t a Choi.¡±

    At the end of those words, a heavy, strange, short silence passed between the two.

    ¡°Why are you upsetting the mood? Do you have any grudge against the Choi family?¡± Yu-Seong tried to calm the vibe down with an awkward smile.

    <i>¡®This is dangerous.¡¯?</i>

    He crossed the line spontaneously.

    .

    <i>¡®How crazy. Why do I always make mistakes while things go well like this?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong continued to smile awkwardly to calm his pounding heart. On the other hand, Do-Jin did not loosen his stuffed face. His two dark eyes looked darker than the night.

    A question suddenly passed through Yu-Seong¡¯s mind as he was trying to get out of this situation.

    <i>¡®¡­Why is it so quiet?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t feel the crowd around him anymore. Although they entered a somewhat deserted road, there was always a crowd passing by from time to time until a minute ago. However, all of the sudden, the crowd had disappeared.

    Do-Jin, still having a stiff look on his face, reached out to the air. Then, a phenomenon appeared where space seemed to have copsed.

    <i>¡®Subspace</i>!¡¯

    Yu-Seong recognized which skills Do-Jin had performed at a nce. As the name suggested, the Subspace skill, used to create one¡¯s own secret space, was an ability created for the main character Kim Do-Jin¡¯s convenience. It was so that he could be equipped at any time even though he was asionally unarmed.

    <i>¡®By now, since he would be about C-Rank, this should be a space about thirty-six square feetrge?¡¯?</i>

    Later, when he would be beyond the S rank, Do-Jin would store food, water, and other supplies, as well as instable bunkers purchased from the dimensional merchants in the subspace. In any case, Do-Jin did not show his subspace ability recklessly except for his supporters. As much as it was not visible to others, it would be fatal if more people didn''t know about it.

    Choi Woo-Jae was also caught off guard when he saw Kim Do-Jin unarmed and was killed by a weapon he took out from the subspace.

    Looking at this skill right in front of his eyes, Yu-Seong felt somehow shameful.

    <i>¡®Oh, that looks so cool. Though, what a shame.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong desired to duplicate this skill. Even if there was a limit to the number of uses, subspace ability would be quite useful. The problem was that Kim Do-Jin¡¯s subspace skill was a C-rank skill as mentioned and was not a skill that could be obtained by Yu-Seong¡¯s Eye of Replication, which was only an E-rank. And in fact, there was a separate fact that he had to focus on now.

    Do-Jin did not show his subspace skill unless it was to his supporters. To be precise, there was one more exception.

    <i>¡®He just shows it to his enemy who would be killed by him anyway.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, he won¡¯t kill someone just by swearing once. Moreover, Do-Jin seemed to want to get along with Yu-Seong¡­ At least Yu-Seong felt this was real. However, the road was quiet with no one else around.

    Do-Jin¨Cwith a stuffed face¨Cdrew a sword and pointed it at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Why are you suddenly acting so scary?¡± Yu-Seong asked. He looked directly at Do-Jin. The momentum seemed to rise from the tip of Do-Jin¡¯s sharply forged sword. Yu-Seong¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple, the sword¡¯s target, greatly trembled.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, trust me.¡±

    The cool winter wind passed between the two.

    <i>¡®Hey, you nutcase. What kind of madman would trust you while being pointed with a sword?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong swallowed what he wanted to say quite heavily as a silver light shed in front of him.

    <i>¡®That was really fast.¡¯?</i>

    It wasn¡¯t a matter of believing or not in the first ce. It could be seen obviously, but he couldn¡¯t see the shape perfectly. A silver sh passed right next to Yu-Seong¡¯s neck and dug into the air. The gap between them was so close as a sheet of paper.

    ¡°Hup¡­!¡±

    Along with the voice of someone swallowing air, there was a long tearing sound. At that moment, Yu-Seong used Wind Control to create an illusion and flew himself sideways. A disorganized human figure, as if popped out of old television, leaned back and stabbed the heart of the illusion with a hidden de rising from the tip of his toes. If Yu-Seong was still there, he would have died immediately without knowing anything.

    ¡°That was a quick response,¡± said Do-Jin after licking his lips with the tip of his tongue. He cut off the toes of an unidentified figure¨Cwho split Yu-Seong¡¯s illusion in half¨Cjust before.

    In that short time, the opponent who seemed to be counterattacking in a precarious positionpletely hid his appearance. Then, there was silence.

    Yu-Seong frowned at the sticky yet stinging sensation felt from his left hand, and swept the side of his neck.

    <i>¡®Blood.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s palms were stained with dark red. This was because Do-Jin¡¯s sword that narrowly passed him actually injured his neck as well.

    ¡°You told me to trust you, you jerk.¡± Yu-Seong tried not to swear, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    ¡°Ah, slipped,¡± Do-Jin said calmly and looked around with a cold gaze. Although it could not be seen, he must be convinced that the person who had attacked him was still here. Then, Do-Jin suddenly ran toward somewhere and swung his sword again.

 Chapter 50

    <h4>Chapter 50 </h4>

    Do-Jin looked like a madman cutting through the air because no one took a hit. However, his movement itself was elegant and antique. Meanwhile, Yu-Seong breathed out and swept up his hair which was messed up by the sudden movement.

    <i>¡®I really thought I was going to die.¡¯?</i>

    To be honest, if Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t recall the conversation between Do-Jin and Baek Cheol from the original novel scenes¡ªwhere Do-Jin tried to secretly attack the enemy that appeared behind Baek Cheol¡ªYu-Seong would have flown to another ce even before Do-Jin started moving. In fact, the most dangerous thing was the fact that the opponent who had appeared from behind Yu-Seong definitely tried to kill him. There had been no hesitation in the enemy¡¯s move wielding the hidden de protruding from the tip of the shoe.

    <i>¡®That makes me even more upset.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had already guessed the invisible opponent¡¯s identity through his ability and weapons.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the Demon King Worshiper, the Ghost.¡¯?</i>

    The Demon King Worshiper was the name for the evil organization that unsurprisingly appeared in the novel. Ghost was the nickname of the Viin, who would probably be a yer currently listed as B-rank Max Level. Their target was none other than Kim Do-Jin.

    Strictly speaking, their goal was to convince Kim Do-Jin to join them. Do-Jin had a natural talent and was cold-hearted, which made him one of the figures with everything that Demon King Worshiper valued. Finally, the reason why Ghost ¨C one of the Demon King Worshipers¡ªhade here now was to convince Do-Jin. In such a process, they attempted to kill Choi Yu-Seong who was considered an unnecessary obstacle for them.

    This was the conclusion that wouldn¡¯t have happened if Yu-Seong hadn¡¯t met Do-Jin in the first ce. Although he survived, Yu-Seong certainly felt that the situation was unfair. The more absurd feeling followed because admiration for Kim Do-Jin arose inside him even in that meantime.

    <i>¡®Besides, how did he find and follow someone that can¡¯t even be seen? I knew that he¡¯s the main character, but he is beyond my expectation.¡¯</i>

    Ghost¡®s invisibility ability would not be able to be prated even with Insight, which was the burning blue mes in Do-Jin¡¯s eyes. The reason for this was simple.

    <i>¡®Because Ghost is a B-rank hunter.¡¯?</i>

    With the C-rank skill Insight, it was impossible to identify the higher B-rank skill, invisibility. That was why one of the nicknames of Ghost¨Cthe Psychic type Viin, whose main talent was invisibility¨Cwas called ¡°the invincible underdog.¡± There was no way for a lower-rank hunter to find Ghost, since even the skill of the main character, Insight, could not see through it.

    However, Do-Jin was fighting Ghost not through the ability of his skill but with his sense as a returnee or some subtle changes and sounds around him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy for Do-Jin either. It was like skating on thin ice. He was avoiding fatal injuries, but it was clear that he was sustaining more and more injuries.

    In a way, it was a matter of course. Basically, Ghost was a B-rank Max Level hunter who was one rank above Do-Jin. Also, the enemy who was not visible would be difficult to deal with no matter how great their senses or skills were.

    Ghost was bewildered by Do-Jin¡¯s first surprise attack and was initially unable to show his skill, but he was now regaining his rhythm

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be dangerous over time.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong should not just wait and watch Do-Jin with admiration. Yu-Seong slightly bit his lower lip.

    In fact, the current situation was definitely unexpected.

    <i>¡®Originally, the Demon King Worshiper should have appeared only after Kim Do-Jin reached B-rank Max Level.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, Ghost that appeared in the original novel was much easier than the current Ghost in front of them and had been more easily suppressed by Do-Jin. In other words, it was Ghost¡®s role as a supporting character to help showcase the main character¡¯s strength.

    However, Kim Do-Jin was still currently a C-rank.

    <i>¡®Variables are created because of me.¡¯?</i>

    There was nothing more to say. Yu-Seong has changed too many things since he entered this world. Moreover, that change even affected Kim Do-Jin. This situation was not good in any way.

    <i>¡®If Kim Do-Jin is overpowered or killed by Ghost here¡­¡¯?</i>

    It could lead to apletely different story from the original novel. It was very unlikely, but in the worst case, Do-Jin may be reborn as a Viin after being brainwashed by the Demon King Worshiper. That would be an extremely terrible case.

    <i>¡®Heukhwa</i><i>?Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯?</i>

    How much faster would Do-Jin¨Cthe main character who has yet to transcend his potential¨Cgrow if he got stronger without having any conscience by being among the Viins?

    <i>¡®It would be better to be the Demon King¡¯s enemy.¡¯?</i>

    And as mentioned, Do-Jin should not die in that sense.

    <i>¡®If Kim Do-Jin dies, who¡¯s gonna stop those crazy cults and Demon King?¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong himself? That was nonsense. The Demon King who would appear in this world in theing future was terrifying. He even made Kim Do-Jin, who had such deceptive abilities, desperately fight. Those guys used cruel and terrible powers to ravage humans and destroy their minds.

    It was something that Yu-Seong should absolutely avoid, since his goal was to eat well and live well moderately, and live to the point where he won¡¯t die, then enjoy life in peace and die as the ninth son of a conglomerate family. For him to reach that goal, Kim Do-Jin had to remain alive.

    <i>¡®That damned guy is the hero who will save this world.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, Yu-Seong had to think soberly. It would be stupid to step in and attack Ghost together. Yu-Seong was still only an E-rank from the beginning, and was likely to be unhelpful in the fight between Ghost and Kim Do-Jin. It would be fortunate if he avoided being a burden to Kim Do-Jin, who was already struggling.

    <i>¡®Jin Do-Yoon is¡­¡¯?</i>

    .

    Do-Yoon still wasn¡¯t here, so Yu-Seong had to assume that there was a problem.

    People had suddenly disappeared from Itaewon street on the weekend and Do-Yoon should have been the first to run if he had seen a crisis. Choi Yu-Seong quickly found the answer.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a barrier.¡¯?</i>

    The question was, how did the barrier activate? The first usible method was to hire the Barrier Master, one of the Psychic-type yers. The second was to use the Barrier Scroll produced by that Barrier Master. Barrier Master was notmon even among yers throughout the entire world. It would be about ten people at most. Thanks to that, the price of Barrier Scroll was also at an enormous level.

    <i>¡®There are 2 Barrier Masters among Demon King Worshippers.¡¯</i>

    However, it was still too early for those precious talents to move. Even in the original novel, Barrier Master of Demon King Worshiper appeared only after the middle of the fifth volume.

    Therefore, inevitably, there was only one possibility left¨Cthe Barrier Scroll.

    <i>¡®If they used the Barrier Scroll, there must be a Gate of Life somewhere.¡¯?</i>

    Among the contents of [Modern Master Returns], there was a setting that said the Barrier was a kind of Battle Formation and that it could be broken apart if the Gate of Life was found. Currently, it was clear what Yu-Seong had to do in a situation where they desperately needed help from the exterior.

    <i>¡®I have to find the Gate of Life.¡¯?</i>

    Having decided what to do, Yu-Seong threw off his heavy coat and began to run.

    ***

    There were severalws inside the Barrier. First, the Barrier was a virtual space. The entire building and the objects that existed in the Barrier seemed to be real, but they were all <i>¡®fakes¡¯</i>. In other words, it was a usible form of illusion. If one were aware of this fact and had the ability to see through the phenomenon, it was not difficult to find the Gate of Life.

    Most of the fakes would be passed through like holograms and he would be able to find the actual force, the Gate of Life, at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, Yu-Seong could not use this method. If it was a Barrier Master who could produce Barrier Scroll, it meant that he was a yer who was at least B-rank.

    <i>¡®It wasn''t found even with Kim Do-Jin¡¯s Insight, so of course, it would not be found with my duplicated Insight.¡¯?</i>

    Thus, Yu-Seong should focus on the secondw of the Barrier. There was a limited number of people and space that could be amodated by the Barrier. Also, it was impossible to pinpoint and lock-on to only one person precisely. This was also why Yu-Seong being near Do-Jin was involved as well when the target was Do-Jin. It was a penalty that could be taken for granted as the Barrier itself has such aplicated structure, but some parts could be guessed through this.

    <i>¡®There are at least three people, there may be more but that¡¯s it for now. Then the size of the space itself would not be that big either.¡¯?</i>

    If the Barrier was of a quiterge scale, people other than Yu-Seong and Do-Jin would have been caught up. However, there was no disturbance or miracle from the surroundings. Also, the Gate of Life was the starting point of the Barrier. Basically, it would be located in the center.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong could easily make his decision as it was the only choice he could make.

    <i>¡®First of all, I need to figure out the exact size and shape of the Barrier.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a form of a spear while running, and left traces of different forms here and there. There was always a wall at the end of the Barrier. An invisible wall that could not be crossed! And exactly two minutester, in front of the traces of his spear, Yu-Seong was convinced.

    <i>¡®This block is the end of Barrier.¡¯?</i>

    Any step forward would lead to another space inside the Barrier. After repeating the process over and over again, Yu-Seong was able to roughly grasp the scale and shape of the Barrier.

    <i>¡®The barrier is Circr, and the scale is within a 2km radius.¡¯?</i>

    It was just the right level whenpared to the number of people. This allowed Yu-Seong to start finding the center, which was a process for the actual breaking of the Barrier. It was not that difficult to draw a map and shape in his head.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll say it¡¯s until¡­somewhere around that building.¡¯?</i>

    The error may ur in the range of several other buildings located on both sides and front-back of that point, but it would certainly be around that surrounding area.

    Yu-Seong returned Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice back into a ring and headed to the building that he thought was the center.

    ¡®<i>Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice could also be a hidden variable for the enemies, even though it''s not as unnoticeable as Do-Jin¡¯s Subspace that is not even visible.¡¯</i>

    The maximum capacity of the circr space of 2km was about four people. If there was one more person, there was no reason not to show up at the battle of Ghost and Do-Jin, however, this was something he could not be certain about.

    There may be someone guarding the center of the Barrier. In preparation for that, it was better to hide the weapons as much as possible.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s quiet.¡¯?</i>

    Entering a five-story building with a rather dark atmosphere, Yu-Seong felt a cold sweat running down his cheek.

    <i>¡®This must be the center of the Barrier.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had a strangely heavy feeling pressing down on his shoulder. Although it felt somewhat unrealistic, that made it more certain on the other hand. It was because the air itself was different from the other spaces inside Barrier where Yu-Seong was busy running around. Climbing the stairs with hasty steps, Yu-Seong¡¯s movement paused for a moment.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s be careful. As long as Kim Do-Jin doesn¡¯t overdo it, there¡¯s still time.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, there wasn¡¯t much time. There was also no guarantee that Do-Jin would not overdo it. Do-Jin hated to lose the fight more than to lose his life.

    If the fight against Ghost began to flow in an overly unfavorable direction, there was a high probability that he would do kamikaze and bust his ass. There were many concerns, but Yu-Seong tried hard to demand inner calm. It was an emotion he didn¡¯t feel when holding onto the spear.

    <i>¡®How could it be this different that the skill effect disappeared? I still have a long way to go.¡¯</i>

    Feeling pity for theck of the skill Cool-headed (E), which was an additional effect of the skill Spearmanship Prodigy, he smiled bitterly. The more urgent and difficult situations, the better he had to control his mind. However, maintaining such a solid mental power was not as easy as it sounded.

    <i>¡®It can¡¯t be helped. Because I¡¯m also just an ordinary human.¡¯?</i>

    Whenever a life crisis came like this, this particr thought always resurfaced. Some of the settings regarding him such as being a member of a conglomerate family, being an Irregr with excellent possibilities¡­were a mere background after all. Yu-Seong did not have great mental power or a particrly strong heart like Do-Jin. He felt unsatisfied as it was a shoring, but he felt that there was nothing he could do.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m just still inexperienced. Rather, being good at it from the beginning is like a monster.¡¯?</i>

    The best thing Yu-Seong could do was to fight against such fear and anxiety to grow more and more mature. After thinking this or that and a few deep breaths, Yu-Seong regained hisposure on his own¡ªwithout using the skill¡ªand quietly climbed the stairs while holding his breath.

    1. literally means ¡°be darker¡±. Thus it means fallen, corrupted, depraved

 Chapter 51

    <h4>Chapter 51 </h4>

    .

    As mentioned, it would be illogical for Yu-Seong to fight and win if there was another Demon King Worshiper.

    <i>¡®Viins belonging to the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ group are at least B-rank.¡¯?</i>

    This was because most of them had gained strength through contracts with the Demon King, who was still crouching in another world.

    In other words, even Ghost who could kill Yu-Seong right away was only a trivial soldier 1 from the Demon King Worshiper¡¯s standpoint. Therefore, Ghost was merely a role that appeared and died a vain death in the original novel when Do-Jin had grown to some extent.

    Yu-Seong let go of the original novel written from Kim Do-Jin¡¯s point of view that he had lightly read in the past. For him at this point in time, all the Demon King Worshipers were the Grim Reaper. While he climbed up the stairs, he took a breath and wiped his sweat away. However, his troubled thoughts made him sweat all over his forehead again.

    <i>¡®It¡®s not just a feeling, but I think there¡¯s one more person for sure.¡¯?</i>

    As he went up the stairs one step at a time, the weight on Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulders gradually became heavier. Would this simply be because of the dissonance between knowledge and reality?

    Yu-Seong walked up the stairs, feeling suspicious. By the time he reached the third floor, it was difficult to even breathe. His vision was blurred and he was filled with an intense desire to run away immediately. He was scared, but he was used to this. He had already fought against simr fears over and over again. As he expected, he was growing through experience.

    Yu-Seong arrived on the building¡¯s 4th floor.

    <i>¡®That''s it?¡¯?</i>

    It definitely felt like Yu-Seong had been going up the stairs for quite a long time, but it seemed to have been an illusion. Checking the number written in the dark and damp hallway, Yu-Seong clenched his fist, bit his lips, and stepped on the next stairs. Then, he passed the fifth floor and climbed the stairs leading to a higher ce.

    Beyond the wide-open rooftop door, Yu-Seong found a yellow amulet floating in the air and the strange patterns spreading around it. It was the center of formation to use the Barrier Scroll.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the Gate of Life!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong found it. It was at that moment that the sweat on his tense face fell to the floor of the quiet hallway.

    <i>¡®Drop.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong stiffened at the quiet sound that clearly rang in his ears. Then, there was silence, a silence that gave Yu-Seong hope.

    <i>¡®Is there¡­no one?¡¯?</i>

    Maybe the unknown threat and the momentum was the only thing present. With that in mind, he took courage again and went outside the rooftop door. Then at that moment, ¨C ¡®Woosh-!¡¯ ¨C a hand popped out of nowhere and grabbed Yu-Seong¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Kek-!¡± Yu-Seong¡¯s face turned white as he was pushed to the wall.

    <i>¡®What the heck¡­?¡¯?</i>

    A red-haired woman was holding Yu-Seong¡¯s neck with one hand. She tilted her head in front of Yu-Seong, who did not know what was going on. Shemented, ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s this? I was looking forward to seeing the one who broke through my threatening energy, but it¡¯s just a greenhorn.¡±

    The woman¡¯s gaze was mixed with disbelief and curiosity, both of which were superficial. Yu-Seong read thetent emotions deep in her red eyes somewhat instinctively.

    ¡®<i>Intentions of murder and anger</i>.¡¯

    The problem was that such feelings were superabundant. ¡®Horrible¡¯ might be a more urate word. Just facing her alone was enough to cause him to tremble without realizing it. It waspletely different from the energy that Woo-Jae emitted, since hers was more essential and wilder than his ¨C rather an unrefined kind of emotion. It was swirling around the woman as if about to explode.

    ¡°Oops, almost killed this kid.¡± With a bright smile, the woman released Yu-Seong¡¯s neck. She tilted her head as she looked down at Yu-Seong, who slumped helplessly on the floor like a doll with broken threads. ¡°Seriously, how did youe all the way here? You kid, are not even breathing properly now.¡±

    To tell the truth, Yu-Seong was suffocating like he was submerged in the water despite the freed neck. He covered his shoulders with both arms unconsciously, with the fear of death surging in his mind. He felt like a child who met a tiger in the wild. The torrent of emotions was so violent that he struggled to even make eye contact.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong forced himself to raise his head and look at his opponent. How did he dare to do that? Was it because of his determination or tenacity? Or did he have a lot of courage? Honestly, it wasn¡¯t from those cool feelings at all.

    <i>¡®If I don¡¯t raise my head, I¡¯ll die.¡¯</i>

    This was what Yu-Seong could read from the momentum of the red-haired woman. It was only her curiosity that was keeping Yu-Seong alive right now.

    ¡°You¡¯re quick-witted. And¡­you haven¡¯t given up yet. The eyes are alive ¨C and I like that very much.¡± With a smile, the woman slowly bent her knees and made eye contact with Yu-Seong. ¡°You have pretty eyes. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Choi¡­Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Rachel, Rachel Lopez.¡± Rachel smiled and held out her hand.

    Looking at Rachel with a rather nk gaze, Choi Yu-Seong parted his dry lips and said, ¡°The ughterer Queen.¡±

    An S-rank Viin ¨C one of the future Disasters was standing in front of his eyes.

    ***

    It was somewhat ironic why Rachel Lopez ¨C also known as the ughterer Queen ¨C had be part of Demong King Worshiper.

    <i>¡®Will it feel different to cut the Demon King¡¯s head from cutting the head of the humans?¡¯?</i>

    This pure curiosity and desire were always wiggling deep in Rachel¡¯s heart. Going back to the beginning, it started with a thought - ¡®<i>Would I feel at ease if I killed the stepfather who beat my mother every day and treated me mercilessly</i>?¡¯

    On her 13th birthday, Rachel was able to answer the question after cutting the neck of her stepfather ¨C who crawled into her bed like a worm ¨C with a kitchen knife she had hidden under the bed.

    ¡®<i>It¡¯s nothing.</i>¡¯

    Seeing her mother ¨C who was an adult much bigger than her ¨C wringing her hands without even rebelling, Rachel had thought her father was a fairly scary and strong human being. However, when she cut his neck with a knife, he just died in vain.

    There had also been some danger that followed, but it had all been a lot easier than Rachel had expected. Her curiosity about the Demon King was simr. She was curious about how he looked, how strong he was, and she wanted to kill him.

    The Demon King Worshiper guys said that Demon King would ascend from another world someday to destroy this world and that the dungeon¡¯s appearance was the start of it. However, everything was unknown until Rachel could personally experience it. Therefore, Rachel entered Demon Lord Worshiper. Certainly, the only way for her curiosity to be satisfied was for the Demon King to appear. Moreover, Demon King Worshipers could meet the Demon King before anyone else.

    Except for the fact that she had killed her stepfather as a child and was an Irregr, Rachel was a rather ordinary(?) hunter. Her only reason for joining the nonsensical organization called Demon King Worshiper was truly curiosity. The feeling she had while looking at Yu-Seong now was also curiosity.

    ¡®<i>This kiddo is interesting.</i>¡¯

    Rachel hade to Korea under the organization¡¯s order to convince Do-Jin, but she didn¡¯t want to do anything directly. Working together with her colleagues was tedious for her. Even in the entire Demon King Worshiper organization, she was a loner who yed alone. She feltfortable alone and also found it was much easier to get things done. This made her somewhat unrivaled even within Demon King Worshiper.

    It was annoying to keep pace with someone. Even so, this time, she was told not to fight and kill but to convince. She did not like it at all. However, she had no justification to refuse the request of the leader Godfather ¨C her only favorite figure in the entire group of Demon King Worshipers.

    Previously, Rachel didn¡¯t fulfill three of the missions suggested by Godfather himself. This was because none of the missions given recently were to her liking. If she refused another request by this point, she would be disgracing the Godfather¡¯s honor.

    Also, there will be a lot of talk from the Presbytery ¨C who did not like her. Since Rachel wanted to fight the Demon King first than anyone else, she could notpletely ignore such words of the Presbytery even if she was annoyed by it.

    Thus, this trip to Korea was somewhat forced. The one good thing was her hearing that Ghost ¨C one of the moderately easy-to-manage soldiers ¨C was in Japan just in time and had summoned him.

    Anyway, if she went out on a half-forced mission that was to convince Do-Jin in person, Rachel could kill him if he didn''t listen to anything and bothered her. She was convinced that the right person for this job was Ghost, not herself. Of course, she would have to pretend that she did some work as well. Only then would the Presbytery ¨C who may be monitoring somewhere ¨C have nothing to say.

    Therefore, she yed the role of opening the Barrier Spell and protecting it. Of course, she would still have to pretend to work to some extent¡­

    Rachel was just lying and rolling about on the rooftop, eating Korean snacks after sending out Ghost. Even so, it wouldn¡¯t cause any problem for her. Even if Rachelid down and idly rxed, most Hunters would not even dare to approach her.

    <i>¡®It should be at least an A-rank Hunter to break through my?</i>threatening<i>?energy, though.¡¯?</i>

    This wasrgely influenced by one of her skills, Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave (S). Not only could the ordinary people not bear it mentally and physically, but just approaching it closely would drive them crazy in fear.

    As mentioned, even hunters were not much different unless they were a high rank. However, Yu-Seong, who looked just about an E-rank yer in all directions, broke through her Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave. It was impossible in the first ce to avoid the effects of her skill -- Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave with just luck. In fact, Yu-Seong ¨C who came up to the rooftop ¨C was already full of fear even before he met her.

    <i>¡®It looks like he¡¯s going to suffocate right away. That¡¯s pretty cute.¡¯?</i>

    Rachel smiled inwardly, and tilted her head.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you shake hands with me?¡± Rachel asked.

    ¡°¡­¡± Yu-Seong reached out his trembling hand and held Rachel¡¯s white but calloused hand.

    ¡°Since you seem to understand what I¡¯m saying, I guess you can speak English. Good. I¡¯m going to ask questions now. I hope you sincerely answer. How did youe up here?¡±

    ¡°¡­By foot.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been easy, though?¡±

    It wasn¡¯t even about how easy it was. It was generally impossible to do so. Yu-Seong looked at Rachel¡¯s eyes instead of answering. What more could he say?

    Rachel nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying. So let me ask you the second question. What do you think will happen to you in the future?¡±

    ughterer Queen was a nickname Rachel got while working as a mercenary for the U.S. Department of Defense. Those who had met her on the battlefield at the time ¨C including soldiers, Hunters, and civilians ¨C all died in terrible looks. ording to the records, those who fought ughterer Queen were torn to pieces, tossed to the ground, and turned into corpses in a very rough form. Could Choi Yu-Seong end up different?

    ¡°I want¡­to live.¡±

    At the words of Yu-Seong biting his lower lip tightly, Rachel tucked her red hair behind her ears. Shemented, ¡°That¡¯s what I like about you. Everyone desires to live. But Choi Yu-Seong, you seem to have a much stronger will than others. Nevertheless, you came this far ignoring my Threatening Intent¡¯s Wave. Is your request possible?¡±

    While Rachel was overwhelmed with curiosity and questions, Yu-Seong gradually began to calm down from the suffocating fear. To be precise, he started to rack his brain to survive her.

 Chapter 52

    <h4>Chapter 52 </h4>

    ¡®<i>ughterer Queen Rachel, the Irregr.</i>¡¯

    Rachel was one of the few powerful Viins in the original content, ying an active role only in the second half of the original novel.

    It went without saying. In the original, Rachel killed one of the Demon Kings with her own power. That was made possible after Do-Jin''s party had killed all Demon King¡¯s servants and she had made a surprise attack. However, it was an achievement that even Do-Jin ¨C the main character ¨C could not do at the time. Of course, it came at a price ¨C she died.

    Rachel was a Viin who appeared in the second half of the story and was quite popr. It was not just a disaster, but the Great Disaster when she died after crossing the wall in a fierce battle with the Demon King. And because of that, there were quite a few readers who were sad about Rachel¡¯s death.

    There were small numbers of the readers who wanted to see Do-Jin, the main character, meet his proper opponent and be overpowered and struggle. Very ironically Yu-Seong also was one of those readers.Obviously now in this situation, he wanted to p his cheek in a row at the time. ¡®A fan of Rachel as a reader¡¯ ¨C was something that could never be said after experiencing her in person.

    <i>¡®Rachel is really dangerous.¡¯?</i>

    Perhaps even the author could not handle Rachel and had ended her life in such a way. Her personality and characteristics themselves were too intense and intimidating. Her only weakness was that she was a bitzy in things that did not interest her, the somewhat excessive curiosity and that she was a little unlucky although she liked gambling a lot.

    If Rachel had continued to be alive, it couldn¡¯t even be imagined how much tougher thepleted journey of the first part that Do-Jin would have been. After recalling Rachel¡¯s strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and personalities, Yu-Seong recalled the weapons she could use.

    ¡°Oh my, your gaze ising back now,¡± said Rachel.

    Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to find a way out if he got caught up in her pace, so he quickly opened his mouth and said, ¡°Rachel.¡±

    ¡°Tell me, sweetie¡­Remember that you¡¯ve pushed your head into the lion¡¯s mouth, yet you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°I want to suggest a game.¡±

    ¡°Game?¡± Interest glistened in Rachel¡¯s eyes.

    <i>¡®What is this cutie pie saying?</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong spoke quite well for someone whose shoulders shook in fear. He then said, ¡°If I win the game¡­ Do me a favor.¡±

    ¡°What if I win?¡± Rachel¡¯s curious expression suddenly showed a hint of excitement.

    Yu-Seong took time to think. As he had told Choi Woo-Jae, it was meaningless to risk his life. Yu-Seong¡¯s life was already up to Rachel.

    Then, Yu-Seong asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you¡­like money?¡±

    To be exact, Rachel needed money for gambling. She often lost because of her bad luck, so, surprisingly, Rachel often suffered from poverty.

    ¡°Pfft¡­ sweetie. I don¡¯t know where you heard my rumors, but the amount is out of your league. Do you know how much money I spend on gambling? If you think E or D-rank Hunters can handle such an amount¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°I know. Cute sweetie, you¡¯re Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°You know the Comet Group, right?¡±

    ¡°How couldn¡¯t I? The boss there is quite a scary old man¡­¡± After talking to herself for a while, Rachel¡¯s lips twisted. ¡°So, you¡¯re <i>that</i> Choi Yu-Seong? Now that I see it, you¡¯re not just a sweetie, but a cute gold nugget.¡±

    Recognizing Yu-Seong¡¯s true identity, she startedughing while slowly getting up from her seat. With her cold gaze, she studied Yu-Seong from head to toe as if she were evaluating an animal. ¡°I don¡¯t think that geezer will give money for threatening him with you, so there¡¯s a way, right?¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded silently.

    ¡°If you break your promise, I won¡¯t just kill you. I will take out all your intestines while you¡¯re alive and stuff them.¡±

    Rachel¡¯s threat wasn¡¯t an empty one. She actually was capable of doing such a terrible thing since there were Necromancers who were afraid of Rachel all over the world.

    Instead of answering, Yu-Seong increased the tension in his trembling thighs as he raised himself up.

    ***

    The rules of the game were suggested by Yu-Seong. Rachel was confident she would win no matter what method he used.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over again. Rule number one, my cute gold nugget wins if I get out of this circle.¡±

    Rachel looked around at a small circle that she drew after Yu-Seong¡¯s suggestion. It was small, and a person could barely stand within it. Surprisingly, she made a circle by piercing the thick concrete floor with a single index finger.

    Seeing that, Yu-Seong started to tremble again. How the hell could Rachel manipte a concrete floor with a finger using a small amount of mana he could not even feel? The concrete floor was like whipped cream to her.

    He already knew that S-rank Hunters were like monsters, but it felt like Rachel was one step above that. He felt like she was an unrivaled S+ rank among the S-ranks. He was even able to realize how strong a survived Irregr was by simply looking at her.

    ¡°Secondly, I¡¯ll have to use only one finger.¡± Rachel lifted her left index finger and waved it lightly.

    ¡°You¡­are not confident?¡± Asking a quite impactful question, Yu-Seong¡¯s voice quivered.

    ¡°How cute. I won¡¯t kill you. Don¡¯t tremble too much, my gold nugget. You wanted to live so much, but in the end, you got the right to survive, right? Whether you win or lose. Because you¡¯ll survive at least at this point. How did you roll your brain so well in that short time? Huhu.¡±

    Rachel was right. In the game suggested by Yu-Seong, he could get out of this ce whether he lost or won. Although it would not be able to stop Rachel from killing him after she took the money.

    <i>¡®Anyway, I have to live.¡¯?</i>

    However, Rachel did not know that Yu-Seong had a second goal. He had to save Do-Jin. Rachel was a strong yer iparable to Ghost, who was currently fighting Do-Jin. Even if Do-Jin led the fight against Ghost to victory, as expected of the main character, everything would be pointless if Rachel was involved. No matter how overpowered a main character Do-Jin was, there was no way he could handle Rachel at this point. Eventually, he would be taken to the Demon King Worshipers. Initially, Rachel¡¯s early appearance on the stage was a big butterfly effect.

    <i>¡®I have no idea what the future I changed has caused but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want Do-Jin to get caught up in that typhoon. That was why he suggested this type of game. He thought that Rachel ¨C who liked gambling ¨C had no reason to refuse.

    The problem was the odds. Rachel had a huge limitation on her movement and had to use only one finger. Nevertheless, the winning rate in Yu-Seong''s mind converged to zero. Rachel¡¯s thought probably would not be much different from his own. Yu-Seong had to take advantage of her confidence. Her only weak point was the gap in her mind, thinking that she would not lose no matter what he did.

    ¡°And¡­can I have some time to make slight preparations?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Rachel shrugged and answered lightly. She looked quite rxed. To be more specific, she was enjoying the situation. What interesting thing would Yu-Seong do after already surprising her this much?

    In the beginning, Yu-Seong summoned the Dimensional Merchant.

    ¡°This body hase-! Where¡¯s the lollipop you promised thest time?¡± Regardless of the Barrier space, Ping Pong popped out of a small pink door while he asked and looked at Yu-Seong.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have it now.¡±

    ¡°You traitor!¡±

    ¡°Even the Dimensional Merchant you signed is adorable, my cute gold nugget,¡± Rachel said as she burst intoughter at the appearance of Ping Pong, which did not match the deste vibe in the ce. Then, her gaze briefly turned to a distant ce. ¡°But I don¡¯t think you have time to rx. Is it Kim Do-Jin? That cheeky brat also seems to be on the line, you know.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Kim Do-Jin will lose.¡±

    .

    ¡°Hm, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if Ghost dies as well?¡±

    From the conversation with Rachel, Yu-Seong felt an unexinable creepy feeling.

    <i>¡®She knows what I¡¯m thinking.¡¯?</i>

    Rachel already clearly knew why Yu-Seong had suggested the game. While Yu-Seong was thinking, it was clear that she also thought about it in many ways.

    <i>¡®It doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯?</i>

    Nevertheless, Rachel had epted all of Yu-Seong¡¯s suggestions.

    ¡°Mr. Ping Pong. I promise. Next time youe, I¡¯ll have ten ¨C no ¨C fifty free lollipops ready. So please get me some stuff quickly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not lying this time, right?¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡±

    Ping Pong smirked. Then, his gaze turned to Rachel, who seemed to be interested in them. ¡°Human woman! My contractor made a sacred promise to me. If you kill him, this Mr. Ping Pong won¡¯t forgive you!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, how scary. But I can¡¯t promise that I won¡¯t kill him.¡±

    When Rachel smiled and waved her hand, Ping Pong looked at her and snorted.

    ¡°I need spears. Whether it¡¯s wood or iron, cheap, I need a lot of them if possible.¡±

    "I think it''s a waste to buy those with Karma points..."

    ¡°I urgently need to use them now.¡± Yu-Seong bitterly smiled. Wooden spears or ordinary iron spears could also be easily found on Earth. Consuming Karma Points for those was a huge waste, but he needed them right away. He had no other choice.

    ¡°How many do you need?¡±

    ¡°As many as possible.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the Dimensional Store doesn¡¯t have that many items of the reference point you want. Since we try to put out mostly those expensive items¡­ There would be only about thirty of them.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the price?¡±

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s the minimum price, it¡¯ll cost at least one Karma Point per unit.¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anything special about the items just because they were purchased at the Dimensional Store. What a waste. It was such a waste that even Ping Pong felt bad about it, but there was no other way.

    ¡°Give me all of them.¡±

    Yu-Seong bought thirty spears. Among those, even ten of them were wooden ones.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Hum, don¡¯t die. You¡¯re the first contractor of this body.¡± Ping Pong opened the pink door with a rather strange expression and went back to its own unknown world.

    "I''ve never seen a dimensional merchant threatening someone. You have a lot of interesting aspects to you¡­" Rachelmented to Yu-Seong after watching them.

    Yu-Seong did not answer while he ced all thirty spears on the floor. In fact, Yu-Seong himself was surprised as well.

    <i>¡®In principle, Dimensional Merchants pay no attention to their rtionship with contractors other than the transactions between them.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, whether the contractor died or lived, suffered or not, it was of no interest to the Dimensional Merchant.

    In any case, the role of Dimensional Merchants was to purchase and sell, nothing more. It was unsurprising, of course. It was said that within [Modern Master Returns], those who contracted with Dimensional Merchants were widespread throughout the universe.

    It was a short and sloppy description, but that sentence alone showed that Dimensional Merchants did not have to be obsessed with one simple customer. Moreover, Yu-Seong had known Ping Pong for quite a short time.

    <i>¡®Also I¡¯m not a VIP customer.¡¯?</i>

    As always, currently, Yu-Seong was infinitely short of Karma Points. It was difficult for him to make a big deal that could satisfy the Dimensional Merchant. Perhaps the first contractor may be quite meaningful for Ping Pong, but even so, it was clear that it was something quite mysterious.

    Anyway, thanks to Ping Pong, the pressure on Yu-Seong¡¯s mind slightly lessened. Even though the spear he held onto was just made of wood, he felt more stable as the effect of the Cool-headed skill was activated the moment he held it.

    <i>¡®Maybe it''ll be easier than I expected.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, such thoughts disappeared the moment Yu-Seong made eye contact with Rachel.

 Chapter 53

    <h4>Chapter 53 </h4>

    Despite the effect of Cool-headed skill, Yu-Seong immediately felt light-headed. After taking several deep breaths to calm down, he transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into the form of a battle suit.

    ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s cool. I was wondering what that ring was¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong was pressed for time, but he couldn¡¯t be hasty about things. He was nning to carry out his preparation slowly, one spear at a time. He nced at the Gate of Life behind Rachel with the Barrier Scroll inside.

    As mentioned, the Barrier was made up of quiteplex forms. Even if only a part of the pattern drawn in the scroll was distorted, problems would arise throughout the Barrier. As a result, the Gate of Life would open the way.

    <i>¡®Though, it would be better if it could bepletely crushed.¡¯?</i>

    But likewise, the possibility of Yu-Seong being able to do it was extremely low. It was impossible to reach the Barrier Scroll by passing Rachel, who was blocking the way.

    <i>¡®The only way is to use the Jump Ring, the second ancient relic I received from Ji-Ho hyung.¡¯?</i>

    Jump Ring was one of the gifts Choi Ji-Ho had given Yu-Seong. It was an ancient relic containing the ability to take a short leap of about 10 meters and it could only be used once. If this was used, even Rachel wouldn¡¯t be able to prevent Yu-Seong from reaching the Barrier Scroll. Unfortunately, however, the probability of opening the Gate of Life was extremely low even if he arrived at the Barrier Scroll.

    <i>¡®Considering Rachel¡¯s abilities¡­ Likewise, it¡¯s impossible.¡¯?</i>

    As if reading Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts, Rachel shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think about useless things. If you aim for that, I might get a little angry.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all set. Let¡¯s start.¡±

    With that, Yu-Seong grabbed the bunch of spears gathered on the floor and threw them at Rachel as vigorously as possible to scatter them. There was no significant intention of using it as an offense. He was literally trying to put weapons all over the ce. After repeating that several times in a row, he ran to the front¡­ No, he pretended to run, then picked up the closest fallen spear, and threw the spear toward the Gate of Life behind Rachel.

    Rachel lightly hit Yu-Seong with the tip of her index finger and floated him into the air. She smiled at him as he threw out a spear at her. ¡°I can¡¯t tell whether you are scared or not scared. Well, shall I look forward to seeing how much you could entertain me?¡±

    Rachel easily blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s attack with one index finger. She didn¡¯t use any strength. First of all, it was due to her curiosity about Yu-Seong¡¯s skills.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Rachel saw that Yu-Seong immediately gave up the spear and fell back to the floor. She stretched her index finger, aiming an attack at Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s body blurred after being stabbed in the shoulder. It was an illusion, the Wind Control.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Rachel widened her eyes in surprise, but she still received Yu-Seong¡¯s attack easily and gave her first counterattack.

    On the other hand, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t afford to rest.

    <i>¡®Although it¡¯s good to save Illusion of Wind Control as much as possible¡­¡¯?</i>

    Speaking of it, Yu-Seong¡¯s attack and the Wind Control was one of his groundworks. However, there was no room to fight against Rachel, the S-rank monster, while not using it.

    Also, Yu-Seong expected her to watch his skills in the beginning with ease. For Rachel, this was all just a game, something she could enjoy while Ghost was doing the mission. Thanks to that, he was able to do it easier than expected.

    <i>¡®As nned¡­¡¯?</i>

    Rachel and Yu-Seong''s positions changed. While she was focused on the Illusion, Yu-Seong once again used Wind Control to pass her side at once and got behind her. Now, Rachel could not guard the Barrier Scroll behind her back.

    <i>¡®Up to here.¡¯?</i>

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong did not run toward the Barrier Scroll. To be exact, he <i>couldn¡¯t</i> run to it. Rachel¡¯s hatchet ¨C which suddenly appeared ¨C was above Yu-Seong¡¯s head and even passed right in front of his forehead. If he had taken just one more step, he would have been split in half and died instantly. He did not quite cross the line.

    Yu-Seong''s forehead was drenched in cold sweat as he sighed with relief.

    Rachel smiled with cold eyes. ¡°Hey, gold nugget, that was dangerous. You know that, right?¡±

    Instead of answering her directly, Yu-Seong took out an index finger and shook it at Rachel¡¯s hatchet. ¡°You just broke a rule.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame. Instead, I¡¯ll also close my eyes as a penalty.¡±

    Before Yu-Seong said anything, Rachel shut her eyes immediately.

    <i>¡®How cunning¡­¡¯?</i>

    Would a skilled person like Rachel be unable to read Yu-Seong¡¯s movements just because she closed her eyes? Instead, she would not make the mistake of being confused by an Illusion as she did before. She even naturally treated it as part of the game, as if it were a penalty on her part.

    ¡°And hereafter, I will swing this ax whenever you try to cross the line. Anyway, I still promise to use only one finger in the sparring game with you.¡±

    ¡°All right, but how about something like this? For example¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong swiftly picked up a spear on the floor, rotated his body, and threw the spear away. At the same time, or actually even faster than that, Rachel¡¯s hatchet flew, halved the soaring spear, and stuck to the ground. The real surprising thing happened shortly after that.

    <i>Kwajik-!?</i>With a destructive sound, the hatchet that was stuck on the rooftop floor returned to Rachel¡¯s hand when she lightly reached out for it.

    ¡°This is what happens.¡± Rachel smiled.

    Yu-Seong gasped.

    <i>¡®I knew it, but it¡¯s like Thor¡¯s hammer.¡¯?</i>

    Mjolnir, the hammer used by Thor, who was the god of battle in Norse mythology, had the characteristic of returning to the user¡¯s hand like a boomerang. Thankfully, Rachel¡¯s ax was not a special weapon like Mjolnir.

    <i>¡®Special Skill, the Thread of Destiny.¡¯?</i>

    Many people thought that the ughterer Queen was a physical-type yer because she engaged in intense meleebat. However, surprisingly she was a psychic-type user who led the battle based on Thread of Destiny skill which dealt with transparent threads that could not be seen with normal Skills. Of course, no one in the world knew this truth except Rachel herself.

    Skilled hunters hid more than 30% of their abilities. This was to draw the opponent¡¯s oversight and cut the opponent¡¯s life using a trump card at the decisive moment.

    The more simr their abilities were, therger the difference was in knowing the opponent¡¯s abilities or not in determining the life-or-death oue. Thus, it was a matter of course. In that sense, Rachel¡¯s fighting style was very useful to confuse the opponent.

    <i>¡®Basically, it makes people mistake me as a physical type. And it doesn¡¯t matter if he is lucky enough to find out about the thread.¡¯?</i>

    It was not just inanimate objects that the Thread of Destiny could control. As the Skill name suggested, Thread of Destiny could control even human movement. However, if only paying attention to Rachel wielding the ax, one couldn¡¯t even imagine that the Thread of Destiny had such ability.

    <i>¡®The more I know her, the more I¡¯m scared of her.¡¯?</i>

    Rachel was cunning enough to make people creeped out. She enjoyed her nickname ¨C ¡®<i>ughterer Queen</i>¡¯ to deceive her Special ability ¨C the most powerful weapon she owned ¨C and set up most of her General Skillsposition into physical reinforcement type.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong thought it would be useless to approach the Barrier Scroll.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a relief if I don¡¯t get caught by the Thread of Destiny and get taken back to this ce.¡¯?</i>

    Perhaps Rachel ¨C offended by Choi Yu-Seong crossing the line ¨C would behead him right away. Rachel was different from Kim Do-Jin. She did not have a strong sense of pride and was not thatpetitive. She enjoyed ying games and didn''t care about breaking rules. If Do-Jin did not take advantage of being the novel¡¯s main character, she might be a more demanding enemy than him.

    ¡®<i>Nevertheless, the first goal has been achieved, so all I have to do is just toplete the next step safely.</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong gasped and picked up a fallen spear again.

    Rachel waited for Yu-Seong to make his move in a rxed manner with her eyes closed and arms folded. She said, ¡°Hey gold nugget, shall this noona give one piece of advice? Sometimes having too deep thoughts is rather poisonous.¡±

    At the same time, Rachel¡¯s hatchet flew through the air once again. This time, the target was Yu-Seong who had stopped trying to organize his thoughts. The hatchet narrowly cut the tip of Yu-Seong¡¯s ear as it passed.

    The moment blood sshed into the air, Yu-Seong felt his heart clench and bowed his head.

    <i>Whiririk-!</i> The hatchet that cut Yu-Seong¡¯s hair just now flew back in the opposite direction by the Thread of Destiny and returned to Rachel¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m adding a third rule. If you bore me from now on, this ax will continue to fly toward you.¡± Rachel smiled brightly with her eyes closed as she spread three fingers exactly in the direction where Yu-Seong was standing.

    There was no more time to think. Yu-Seong did not hesitate anymore and rushed toward Rachel. He picked up a spear and aimed at Rachel¡¯s ankle.

    Jumping lightly and turning over in the air, Rachel held out only one index finger at the end of the spear that Yu-Seong wielded and said, ¡°And from now on, I¡¯m going to pull some strings too.¡±

    ¡°Keck¡­?!¡±

    Along with Rachel¡¯s words, a direct breaking force was applied to Yu-Seong¡¯s wrist that was holding the spear. Yu-Seong did not hesitate again this time, putting down the spear and picking up another. Then, he stabbed in the middle of Rachel¡¯s forehead as she fell back to the floor. The spear seemed to dig into her forehead, but Yu-Seong could not feel anything getting caught in his hand or digging into the flesh.

    <i>¡®Illusion?¡¯?</i>

    No, it wasn''t an illusion. Yu-Seong just felt that way because Rachel was moving too fast.

    ¡°Our gold nugget, it¡¯s going to hurt a little.¡± Standing upright again, Rachel used the tip of her index finger to flick the end of the spear. The vibration of her movement shook Yu-Seong entirely.

    ¡°Cough-!¡±

    In the end, Yu-Seong coughed up an entire mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m bored.¡± Rachel let out a sullen voice.

    Yu-Seong intuitively felt what those words meant. He turned sideways, even though he was in a dizzy state, and he saw a hatchet tearing his shoulder and passing right next to him.

    There was no time to hesitate. Yu-Seong rolled on the floor and threw out a spear. On his back, a cool yet hot feeling swept fiercely and passed.

    Holding the hatchet that returned after tearing Yu-Seong¡¯s back with her left hand, Rachel removed his spear with an index finger and nodded with a gaze full of madness. ¡°It¡¯s a bit more fun now!¡±

    Feeling the adrenaline rush into his head as the battle reached its extreme, Yu-Seong even forgot his fear somewhat and cursed, ¡°You¡¯re the only one having fun! Damn it!¡±

    1. "Older sister" in Korean if the speaker is male

 Chapter 54

    <h4>Chapter 54 </h4>

    Rachel giggled. In the meantime, Yu-Seong simultaneously picked up two spears with both hands, then threw one of them straight toward the Barrier and ran head-on.

    ¡°You crafty gold nugget!¡± Rachel threw the hatchet toward the thrown spear once again and blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s attack with her index finger.

    <i>ng-!</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s spear shot high into the air with a metallic sound. He felt a shock in his stomach from the counterattack again. However, his spear did not stop. He tried to hit Rachel¡¯s head using the spear while winding it straight inside from his lifting action.

    Of course, the trick did not work at all. Rachel recovered the hatchet with her left hand and struck Yu-Seong¡¯s spear with her index finger once more.

    ¡°Kueeek-!¡± cried Yu-Seong. He spat out blood, feeling extreme pain even though he was wearing the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice which had turned into a battle suit that reduced the shock.

    <i>¡®I would have already died if I did not wear this battle suit. Damn!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong cursed inwardly and picked up the spear. He threw it at the Gate of Life once again, even though his vision was blurry. At the same time, he stretched his right foot toward Rachel and tried to hit her chin.

    ¡°You¡¯re still crossing the line. You should get punished, my gold nugget.¡± Rachel smiled and lightly flicked the tip of Yu-Seong¡¯s toe with her index finger.

    <i>Crakakack-!</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s heel was tattered and twisted with the sound of bones breaking. His pupils became wider than amp. His scream rang loudly while he rolled on the floor in extreme pain, as if his brain was burning up.

    ¡°Aaaaaagh-!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, gold nugget. Humans don¡¯t die just because they lose each one of their limbs,¡± Rachel said as she retrieved the hatchet that was stuck on the floor again. She purred, ¡°But if you lie down like that, I¡¯ll want to throw this again since I¡¯m bored. Ah, for reference, you won¡¯t die easily even if your limbs get cut.¡±

    ¡°¡­uck. Shit!¡± Yu-Seong swore and got up. He had to stand on one leg because of the bent ankle, so his posture was quite awkward. However, he couldn¡¯t lie down. He red at the smiling Rachel with bloodshot eyes, as if wanting to tear her to death.

    ¡°Marvelous!¡± Rachel eximed.

    Spark shot out from Yu-Seong¡¯s entire body.

    ¡°Huh? You still have a hidden ability.¡±

    After that, Yu-Seong used Wind Control and rushed toward Rachel, though he didn¡¯t get a proper speed since he had to rush on only one leg.

    ¡°Uwaaah-!¡±

    Using her index finger, Rachel stabbed into Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder when he reached to hit her with a scream. Then, a hot and sharp touch stirred his shoulder indiscriminately.

    ¡°Ahhhhh¡­¡±

    While he struggled with pain, his sensation of touch disappeared. Through his bloodshot eyes, Yu-Seong could see Rachel licking her index finger which was soaked in dark red blood.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Sweet taste.¡±

    ¡°Ha¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. Rachel had received his Spark head-on as if she did not feel anything.

    <i>¡®I did expect this, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    This was an extremely huge gap. The idea of fighting and winning against such a monster was also absurd. It was something impossible in the first ce.

    Rachel tilted her head. She saw Yu-Seong kneeling and bowing his head deeply as if drooping on the floor. She asked, "Are you giving up now?"

    ¡°No way.¡± Yu-Seong raised his head andughed. Then, he lifted a spear on the floor with his intact right hand and used Spark again. He threw the spear toward the Gate of Life once more and gave strength to his kneeling knees.

    <i>¡®I never expected I¡¯m going to actually do this.¡¯?</i>

    One would have seen this in aic on Earth, a stance reminiscent of a powerful attack that gains momentum. Likewise, Yu-Seoung¡¯s head brushed past Rachel¡¯s chin by bending the knees. Rachel¡¯s eyes, both full of madness, showed off her deep murderous intent as she saw Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®His eyes are alive even in the midst of this. Cute gold nugget.¡¯?</i>

    Suddenly, Rachel felt very regretful. ¡°Aah, I would¡¯ve killed you right away if it wasn¡¯t for the money.¡±

    Rachel threw the ax once again with her left hand toward the flying spear. She could feel her heart beating.

    <i>¡®How long has it been since I¡¯ve been this excited? Regardless of how much I get¡­¡¯?</i>

    She desired to kill Yu-Seong right away and be able to observe his brain. How could he still have that gaze after being beaten this much? Generally, people might feel quite scared or desperate at this point.

    <i>¡®This is fascinating!¡¯?</i>

    Rachel unknowingly aimed the tip of her finger at the center of Yu-Seong¡¯s forehead.

    <i>Crakakack-!?</i>

    There was a loud sound that everyone could hear.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    First of all, Rachel turned her gaze in the direction of the sound. Yu-Seong ¨C who soared high with his head stretched in a rather ugly position ¨C also turned his head.

    The hatchet flew, cut Yu-Seong¡¯s spear in half, and heavily struck the ground. It caused many cracks like lightning. It was copsing.

    Rachel¡¯s mind was first filled with curiosity about Yu-Seong recklessly rushing toward her. However, a thought suddenly came to her mind. She eximed, ¡°You¡­There¡¯s no way. Did you n this from the beginning?¡±

    Rachel looked at Yu-Seong with surprised eyes. The first thing that came to her mind was the time when Yu-Seong scattered arge number of spears, which she had thought was apletely useless action. Then, she remembered him throwing the spear that seemed like it had little meaning. All that time, Rachel was focusing on keeping the Barrier Scroll and threw the hatchet toward him.

    <i>¡®Since I¡¯ll lose If I go out of the circle.¡¯?</i>

    .

    Rachel didn¡¯t mean to keep the rule, but she kept it to enjoy the game with Yu-Seong. But now, it seemed her position was theplete opposite.

    <i>¡®It wasn¡¯t me ying with the kid. Instead, I was following the path this crafty gold nugget guy nned.¡¯?</i>

    The thick concrete floor could not be broken with Yu-Seong¡¯s ability. In contrast, for Rachel, it was easier than a piece of cake. It was a very simple but ridiculous matter like how the lightly thrown hatchet broke the ground. That was why she didn¡¯t take it seriously¡­ Her carelessness had led to this situation.

    Rachel turned toward Yu-Seong in surprise, spotting the smile on his face.

    This had been Yu-Seong¡¯s first thought from the moment he had first spoken to Rachel. The Barrier could not be broken from the outside unless by the same Barrier Master. However, on the outside, there must have been people waiting to help Yu-Seong. For example, Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri who may have been contacted, people following Rachel, or countless people who would flock after hearing the fuss.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong¡¯s goal was not to win the game against Rachel from the beginning. His goal did not change even a bit from the first moment Ghost appeared.

    <i>¡®To break the Barrier and open the Gate of Life.¡¯</i>

    Actually, it was close to gambling. If Rachel ¨C who was arrogant but clever ¨C had noticed Yu-Seong¡¯s intention in the middle, all ns would have been in vain. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s n was sessful right now. What else could be said more?

    ¡°You were lucky.¡±

    Or as always, Rachel¡¯s gambling luck was bad.

    <i>Kwakwakwang-!</i>

    A loud thunder sound ranged out then the floor began to copse and pour down as she ended her words. Then, a distortion phenomenon that seemed to sway the space urred briefly and the Barrier began to break.

    At the same time, a roar like ss breaking was heard. Starting with the area where the Barrier Spell was drawn, the rooftop copsed. However, in front of Rachel¡¯s toes, the building stayed still as if afraid and could not move on any further.

    ¡°Ahaha, hahahaha-!¡± At the chaotic and destructive scene, Rachel burst into a crazyugh. There was no more rationality left in her eyes.

    ¡°How fun! Choi Yu-Seong, I¡¯m having so much fun!¡± Rachel lifted Yu-Seong, who was on the verge of falling due to standing right in front of her, by the cor. She looked straight into his dark eyes with a mad gaze. ¡°Wanna live, right? So, you really want to live?¡±

    Seriously. That was Yu-Seong¡¯s only thought even when he felt like he was going to fall off the copsing rooftop. Rachel¡¯s cheeks reddened when she saw Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes, responding as if she had just witnessed the most beautiful artwork in the world.

    <i>¡®Like it, like it, like it, I like it so much. They¡¯re such gorgeous eyes that I want to dig them out whole and use them as a decoration at home.</i>¡¯

    She couldn''t bear it. Rachel could no longer stand her raging instinct,ughing. ¡°But what should I do? I just want to kill you so much. Of course, I won¡¯t kill you easily. I¡¯m already looking forward to the moment when you beg me to kill you, you know? Before that, how much fun could you make me! How much fun will it be? Kyakyakya!¡±

    It was at that moment that a silver sh shed over Rachel¡¯s right wrist.

    <i>sh-!?</i>Rachel was monstrous and untouchable to Yu-Seong, but her wrist was cut in vain. Because of that, Yu-Seong thought he would fall like a broken kite again. That would have happened if there wasn¡¯t the hand holding him at the back of his neck, dangling not much different than Rachel. In the blurry vision that seemed to be far away, Yu-Seong struggled to turn his head to the side and looked at the person who held him like a mother cat lifting her baby.

    ¡°You idiot. You are messed up like a rag.¡±

    The person spoke quite bluntly and had a rather odd appearance.

    <i>¡®A rabbit mask?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had expected support from someone like Jin Do-Yoon or Jin Yu-Ri, but the person who had shown up waspletely unexpected. However, he definitely saw the word ¡®rabbit mask¡¯ in the original novel. The problem was that he didn¡¯t remember it clearly. To be exact, it was difficult to even maintain consciousness right now.

    The Rabbit Mask was a figure also known by the code name ¡®Myo¡¯, belonging to the Special Police Force.

    Choi Mi-Na faced Rachel, who was looking at her with a gaze full of anger. It was quite a contrast from Mi-Na¡¯s bizarre wide smile.

    Regardless of Rachel''s heart-fluttering expression that was likely to be seen in any horror movie, Mi-Na didn¡¯t seem to get affected by it. She lightly stretched her stiff neck.

    ¡°Still, you did well. It¡¯s weird to say this is a gift, and I don¡¯t really like you, but don¡¯t worry. From now on, this noo-nim will protect you,¡± Mi-Na said.

    Was there ever a time when the word ¡®<i>noo-nim</i>¡¯ and the sound of bones rubbing and cracking were this reliable?

    <i>¡®Please¡­ I leave it to you.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong thought he felt quite at ease for some reason. He replied with his eyes and then went unconscious. Clearly, he had reached his limit.

    1. The respectful form of noona, which guys call their older sisters

 Chapter 55

    <h4>Chapter 55 </h4>

    It was about five minutes before Yu-Seong broke the Barrier. Do-Jin, who was wounded all over, suddenly had a thought while continuing the battle against Ghost.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡­ Did he run away?¡¯?</i>

    When Yu-Seong suddenly ran elsewhere while Do-Yoon was fighting, Do-Jin thought that Yu-Seong had some kind of n. Do-Jin knew it by his skill¨CSixth Sense¨Cwhich maximized his intuition. This thought initially brought about no doubts, but¡­Yu-Seong did note back even after quite a long time.

    <i>¡®I wonder if he¡¯s up to something.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin frowned and stopped in ce while pointing his sword at the ground. After a short silence, he heard a voice that resonated from some other ce.

    ¡°Have you finally given up?¡±

    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t that you <i>couldn¡¯t</i> speak. Is it a Voice Amplification Skill?¡± Do-Jin smiled strangely while hearing the voice spreading out of nowhere.

    Voice Amplification Skill was a skill that was seldom used since it was not beneficial for ordinary hunters. However, it was quite useful for Ghost, whose main ability was stealth. This showed that Ghost was a fairly skilled hunter since he had the ability to select skills that suited his aptitude.

    ¡°I just thought there was no need to talk with you because my mission is to win you over. I just waited for you to get tired first.¡±

    ¡°Win me over?¡±

    ¡°The Godfather of the Organization wants you, Kim Do-Jin. Come with us.¡±

    ¡°Organization, huh. So, it must be quite big.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details¡­ But, it can be said that it is powerful enough to overthrow a small country like this.¡±

    At Ghost¡¯s words, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes slightly lit up.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s at the level that can overturn Korea?¡¯</i>

    Though Korea was surrounded by powerful countries, it was still globally considered one of the Top Ten yer powerhouse. Many predicted that Korea would be in the top five in the next few years since there were a lot of talented hunters and cream-of-the-crop rookies. Do-Jin, being one of those rookies himself, obviously believed that Korea would soon be the best.

    Anyway, Korea currently had a formidable power, despite Ghost¡¯s casualment that his organization could simply overthrow this country.

    <i>¡®It means there''s a bunch of them who are like this guy fighting against me.¡¯</i>

    With a few words of conversation, Do-Jin had guessed the size of the organization. He sneered bitterly. There was no particr reason, but he felt a bit angry all of a sudden.

    <i>¡®If I hadn¡¯t lost my strength when returning, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about these trivial things now.¡¯?</i>

    Not only that, but this painstakingly nned revenge would be much easier for Do-Jin. However, of all things, most of his initial power had been lost in the process of crossing the dimension from the Aliode Continent. His body, which was extremely trained, had returned to its regr form while he was on Earth and the pure yet heavily umted mana had disappeared without leaving any.

    When he first realized this change, Do-Jin had felt indescribably empty and frustrated, but he did feel at ease thinking that was the price for returning afterward. He had also been excited to think that he could be stronger when he gained new abilities as an awakened yer. However, he couldn¡¯t help but get annoyed whenever he faced a situation like this.

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin, now I get how powerful your skills are. It¡¯s definitely incredible. I know I won¡¯t be your match in about a year. I guess that¡¯s why Godfather himself nominated you. But for now, I rmend that you just give up. You can never get out of here.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are to decide that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my decision. Rather, I¡¯m just telling you the obvious oue.¡±

    Ghost felt both admiration and astonishment in the fight with Do-Jin. It was because Do-Jin was only at the beginning of C-rank, which was severely different in rank with Ghost himself. He felt a sense of crisis that he might lose to Do-Jin.

    This was a feeling Ghost had never felt before toward a lower-rank hunter since he had gained dark mana from joining the Demon King Worshiper, which allowed him to indefinitely maintain invisibility. However, he could not back off.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin would die the moment that monsteres here.¡¯</i>

    Ghost unconsciously trembled as he recalled Rachel, the ughterer Queen who was like a demon with a beautiful appearance and a distinct crazy personality. Perhaps he felt like Do-Jin could grow into an existence no less than her. Though that would only happen if he survived.

    ¡°I¡¯ll say it again,e join our organization. Just by joining us, you can have an entirely different level of power than you have now.¡±

    ¡°A different level of power?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ghost shut his mouth. He was smart enough to know that if he led the story any further, he would be giving too much information.

    ¡°There are very few ways to strengthen power other than rank-up and level-up¡­ Hm¡­I see. You guys are Demon King Worshipers.¡±

    The problem was that Do-Jin was a person excellent enough to see through the situation with that brief clue alone. Ghost was startled but he remained silent. He had no reason to show agitation here.

    ¡°Now I understand. Demon King Worshiper¡­ Not bad since it would be easy to regain strength there. Good, I¡¯ll ept your offer. But there is something I¡¯d like to request for as well.¡±

    Ghost tilted his head at Do-Jin¡¯s vague words about regaining strength. He asked, ¡°What do you want? Money, beauty, authority, we have a lot of things. Maybe you can achieve most of what you want.¡±

    Ghost was confident. Whatever desires Kim Do-Jin had, the organization called Demon King Worshiper could satisfy them all. Mission was aplished. A smile crept to his lips. However, Do-Jin¡¯s following words easily caught him off-guard.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the leader.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°What I''m saying is, when I enter the organization, all Demon King worshipers must follow me.¡±

    Ghost¡¯s brain stopped for a moment.

    <i>¡®What nonsense did I just hear?¡¯?</i>

    He had never heard of such a proposal while convincing numerous hunters before.

    ¡°Oh, for your information, the Demon King must also be under my feet. So, the name of the organization should be changed.¡±

    A dejectedugh escaped from the red-faced Ghost¡¯s mouth. ¡°Haha, hahaha.¡±

    Ghost was now convinced that Do-Jin was fooling him.

    ¡°How dare you y with me? The sin of insulting the Godfather and the Demon King can only be repaid by death.¡±

    Anger soared to the very top of Ghost¡¯s head. Instantly, He got rid of themand from his head.

    <i>¡®This kind of guy would only be harmful to the Godfather.¡¯?</i>

    Ghost would be somewhat reprimanded, but that wasn¡¯t a problem for him anymore. First of all, he would beat Do-Jin until the man became a half-dead person and make him beg for his wrongdoings under his feet. After that, with a snort, he would decapitate Do-Jin, who would be weeping by then, and throw him away. Otherwise, his anger would not go away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. I¡¯m pretty serious, you know.¡± Do-Jin tilted his head.

    Instead of answering, Ghost approached Do-Jin¡¯s side and swung his toes. Do-Jin avoided the attack by tilting his neck andughed. He said, ¡°You¡¯re not very pleased with my proposal, then.¡±

    ¡°From now on, I will do my best to kill you. Don¡¯t expect me to cut you some ck as before.¡±

    Ghost followed Do-Jin and kicked him frantically. Subsequently, he aimed for Do-Jin¡¯s neck or heart using a throwing tanto, which he had never taken out unless for contingencies.

    Ghost¡¯s Special Skill¨CInvisibility¨Cwas to make everything that directly touched his body invisible. Therefore, the thrown dagger was bound to be exposed, but the direction of the attack became much more unpredictable. Kim Do-Jin would not be able to hold out for a long time, since Ghost¡¯s attacks would be several times more varied than before.

    In fact, Do-Jin¡¯s wounds increased rapidly. Nevertheless, he managed to avoid fatal injuries despite the unchanging nature of his movement speed. In fact, he was seemingly adapting to Ghost¡¯s attacks and even slowing himself down. And in the meantime, his asional counterattacks were still sharp.

    Barely escaping a crisis that almost cut his front by stepping back, Ghost clenched his teeth. ¡°You¡­!¡±

    ¡°Who gave ck to whom? You¡¯re very mistaken.¡± Do-Jin snorted while listening to Ghost. Then, he raised the sword and cut his left wrist, making a long wound.

    At the sight of a handful of blood gushing out, Ghost was puzzled.

    <i>¡®Self-harm?¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin did not seem like a person who would do something like that, so why? The question lingered in the air for a mere moment.

    At Do-Jin¡¯s ensuing provocation, Ghost rushed forward in anger. ¡°What are you doing, coward? Don¡¯t have the courage to fight now?¡±

    With a cool smile, Do-Jin blocked Ghost¡¯s following attacks with his bare body. He did not flinch even at the burning sensation that extended from his upper left chest to the shoulder de. He swung his left arm out.

    <i>¡®Blood? There¡¯s no way¡­¡¯?</i>

    Ghost came to his senses when he saw the blood being sttered in front of him.

    ¡°If I do this, I can see you clearly,¡± said Kim Do-Jin coolly. He had sprayed blood all over Ghost¡¯s face and clothes.

    As mentioned, Ghost¡¯s Invisibility made everything that directly touched his body invisible. However, what if the blood was sttered over the already invisible clothes? Ghost had fallen into Do-Jin¡¯s trap after all.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not a big problem. I can just take the clothes off!¡¯?</i>

    Unfortunately, Do-Jin had no intention of waiting anymore. Toward the bewildered Ghost, Do-Jin swung the sword urately.

    Ghost twisted his body to take his foot off Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder, but he couldn¡¯tpletely avoid Do-Jin¡¯s sword attack this time. ¡°Keaargh-!¡±

    After screaming, Ghost realized that one of his legs had lost all feeling. ¡°My, my leg, my leg! Aaargh!¡±

    Psychic-type yers tended to have poor physical protection abilities. For Ghost, who mostly ughtered the weak through his Invisibility skill, had an extremely poor defense.

    Do-Jin pulled out the heavily stuck dagger in his shoulder and slowly walked toward the screaming Ghost.

    Ghost still maintained Invisibility, but his bloody hem clearly exposed his position. His thought about taking off his clothes had already been erased from his mind. He was dying. This fact made Ghost¡¯s mind go nk.

    ¡°Do- don¡¯te! Don¡¯te here!¡± Ghost retreated slowly by using his butt while shouting with a desperation to live.

    Do-Jin ignored Ghost and slowly approached with a face simr to that of the Grim Reaper. He raised his sword and said with an indifferent look, ¡°Please be aware of this one thing. It wasn¡¯t you who cut me ck. I just waited because I was curious about what Yu-Seong would do.¡±

    Was it important to have such pride in this situation?

    ¡°Un- understood. Admit. I admit it. I lost and you wo¡­!¡± Ghost crazily nodded. He spoke with desperate eyes, but his expression couldn¡¯t be seen by Do-Jin.

    And even if his expression could be seen, the results would be no different. The sword swung in a beautiful trajectory in the empty space. Ghost was praying with both hands together and eyes wide open, but¡­his head still fell to the floor.

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56 </h4>

    Ghost¡¯s Invisibility lifted after his death, so his limp body could be seen copsing vainly to the floor. Kim Do-Jin looked at the figure with indifferent eyes and snorted.

    <i>Crakakack-!?</i>

    At that moment, with the sound of ss cracking, the quiet surroundings began to get noisy. It was unexpected, but Do-Jin could quickly guess what had happened after looking around. He drew a smile on his lips.

    <i>¡®¡­So, you didn¡¯t run away. Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin did not know what Yu-Seong did, but it was clear that Yu-Seong had solved a problem that he had been unaware of.

    <i>¡®As expected, you did not disappoint me.¡¯?</i>

    The more Do-Jin thought about Yu-Seong, the more he liked him. Yu-Seong¡¯s every behavior was so favorable that, as time went by, Do-Jin¡¯s desire to possess him increased.

    <i>¡®The problem is that he¡¯s a more blessed guy than he looks, so it won¡¯t be easy.¡¯?</i>

    With his burning eyes, Kim Do-Jin could see the figures crossing the night sky through the broken cracks. None of them hade to find him, because he didn¡¯t have any colleagues yet. In other words, it meant that all of those guys were Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s supporters.

    <i>¡®Already, there are quite a fewpetitors. How hard.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin had to meddle between them and win Yu-Seong¡¯s tricky heart. Moreover, Do-Jin was nning to kill Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s father, Choi Woo-Jae. There were too many obstacles in the way, but still, Do-Jin thought it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    <i>¡®Because I already want him.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin had strong self-esteem and a greedy personality, so he was only satisfied upon getting his hands on what he had desired. He would use any means necessary to achieve that. It was no exaggeration to say that, thanks to this determination and personality trait, he had survived on the Aliode Continent and had even defeated that world¡¯s Demon King.

    <i>¡®Well, it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯?</i>

    The harder the treasure was to obtain, the more attractive it would be. Do-Jin¡¯s eyes were filled with longing.

    ***

    In a green meadow, there was a rabbit running. No¡ªit was a strange human running around in a rabbit mask. Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to wonder about the very bizarre scene.

    <i>¡®What is that?¡¯?</i>

    The question popped up just for a moment. The person wearing the rabbit mask skipped across the meadow as if flying. Then, the person lifted a blood-dripping ymore and said, ¡°Die.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡± After Yu-Seong first answered, a huge ymore fell over his head and he screamed out in fear, ¡°Aargh-!¡±

    Yu-Seong opened his eyes wide and shook his head while waving his arms in the air. Jin Do-Yoon, who was watching him from the side, opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Did you have a nightmare?¡± asked Yu-Ri who was on the other side.

    When Yu-Ri quickly brought a wet towel and wiped his sweaty forehead, Yu-Seong realized that the bizarre and terrible scene was a dream. He breathed a sigh of relief.

    <i>¡®Oh well, a mysterious human wearing a rabbit mask and wielding a ymore? There''s no way such a person exists¡­¡¯</i>

    There was. Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he recalled the rabbit mask hest saw before losing consciousness. Then, he murmured, ¡°Oh my gosh. Choi Mi-Na.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± At the sudden mention of such a dangerous name, both Jin siblings simultaneously looked at Yu-Seong and asked.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, these two don¡¯t know about her.¡¯</i>

    Mi-Na wearing a rabbit mask and working in the Special Police Force was a well-kept secret that very few people know about. Therefore, the two would naturally be surprised when Yu-Seong suddenly brought up the name of Choi Mi-Na, who was the family¡¯s most mysterious person.

    ¡°No, nothing. It¡¯s just that Mi-Na noo-nim appeared in my dream.¡±

    As always, half of the lies had to be true.

    ¡°The Second Lady suddenly appeared in your dream?¡± Jin Yu-Ri asked with a suspicious gaze.

    ¡°Yeah, really. Anyway, what happened? I¡­¡± Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze first drifted to his right foot, which was raised on the bed with a splint as support. As he looked at it, he could feel the pain again.

    ¡°Fortunately, it broke cleanly, so they said it wasn¡¯t difficult to fix it up. The same goes for other injuries. The most severe thing was the bleeding¡­ But since you opened your eyes safely, it should be okay.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, his shoulders and the rest of his body were wrapped in bandages. It would be urate to say that his limbs were entirely injured in many different ces. Yu-Seong let out a bitter smile inwardly. Even thinking about it again, him surviving that situation itself was really based on luck.

    <i>¡®Because I met the ughterer Queen¡­¡¯?</i>

    The ughterer Queen, Rachel, was even caught in a certain madness and tried to kill him at the end. To be exact, he would have ended up being kidnapped and murdered. Anyway, he had now escaped from that crisis.

    Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°So, I¡¯m alive.¡±

    Now that he recalled the crisis of that time, Yu-Seong knew that it had been real life and not a mere dream. That had been a moment of exceedingly great danger that was iparable to any danger he had ever experienced before.

    ¡°It¡¯s because the opponent was Demon King Worshipers who even had a Barrier Scroll. What made it worse ¡­ The ughterer Queen.¡±

    Yu-Ri bit her lower lip as if she could understand it, and nodded. ¡°I wasn¡¯t very helpful this time either.¡±

    On the other hand, Do-Yoon looked so upset while he clenched his fists.

    Although she didn¡¯t express it, perhaps Yu-Ri was also feeling miserable.

    Yu-Seong smiled and shook his head at the two. ¡°It¡¯s not either of your fault. It''s too big a variable, whether it''s the Devil Worshiper or the Barrier Scroll.¡±

    Considering the order of the novel progression in the first ce, this was too severe a crisis to already appear. This was because the novel [Modern Master Returns] was close to a genre where the munchkin main character actively showed great performance. Thus, difficult things that could not be handled easily shouldn¡¯t havee quickly.

    However, this world, which was Yu-Seong¡¯s reality, was different from the novel. If so, then what could he do?

    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself too much, guys. I survived anyway. And this is a really rare situation. Let¡¯s just assume that I was unluckily struck by lightning while walking on the street. Haha.¡± Yu-Seong smiled as brightly as possible andforted the two.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Barrier Master that we can hire through Jenny. That¡¯s because we don¡¯t want the same thing to happen again from now on,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy. As mentioned, there were only around ten Barrier Masters even after searching all over the world. Also, they did not externally reveal their identities. This was because there were so many people who wanted to secure them due to their useful abilities.

    Of course, Yu-Seong, being aplete reader of the original novel, knew one of those Barrier Masters. He was already in the process to hire him in preparation for a time like this.

    <i>¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Ri would have no idea that the person she was looking for at Yu-Seong¡¯s request was a Barrier Master. Of course, Yu-Seong could not say that they were already looking for the Barrier Master. Otherwise, he would surpass the epted level of foresight and be aplete prophet. It was best for Yu-Seong to soothe Yu-Ri within appropriate boundaries for now because he was not confident in handling that aftermath.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush too much. They¡¯re not easy people to find and they¡¯ll show up when the timees.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering, Jin Yu-Ri smiled.

    Yu-Seong knew that Yu-Ri was stubborn and wouldn¡¯t easily back down even if she answered. Therefore, he simply changed the topic of the conversation rather than persuading her. Turning to Do-Yoon, who still looked quite gloomy, he asked, ¡°So, can you tell me the situation in detail?¡±

    ¡°A person named Myo from the Special Police Force brought you to us, saying that there¡¯s no time to dy as the opponent was the ughterer Queen¡­¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°Then?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I ran straight to the hospital to save you, young master.¡± Do-Yoon looked perplexed, suggesting that he didn¡¯t know anything about the situation at the time. Perhaps he was distracted by the thought that Yu-Seong had been in an emergency.

    ¡°Thanks, you saved my life.¡±

    In any case, if the treatment had been dyed, Yu-Seong could have faced healthplications. Fortunately, his condition seemed to have no problems as long as he recovered well. That alone exined how reasonable Do-Yoon¡¯s action had been.

    ¡°I was not there, but I can summarize what had happened. First of all, it¡¯s been half a month since you woke up, young master,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°What¡­? So, what¡¯s the date today?¡±

    ¡°To be exact, it is January 3rd, 2030.¡±

    ¡°Oh my¡­¡±

    That meant Yu-Seong was no longer twenty years old. He also blew away Christmas¨Cthe biggest event at the end of the year¨Cin vain. In fact, none of these were very important.

    <i>¡®My goal was to achieve D-rank before I turned twenty-one!¡¯?</i>

    When he woke up, Yu-Seong automatically aged upon the arrival of a new year. Unlike levels and ranks that stagnated without his effort, age had an unreasonable summation rule that went up on its own over time.

    ¡°And a lot of the people from the Special Police Force were dispatched beside Myo, who saved you, young master. ording to the news, it was such a mess. Several buildings were destroyed and quite a few people were injured. Many people are still hospitalized because of that incident,¡± revealed Do-Yoon.

    Fortunately, there were no casualties thanks to the quick reaction of the yer Association¡¯s hunters who had been stationed at the site and the Special Police Force¡¯s members who had been dispatched on time.

    <i>¡®Indeed, it¡¯s the ughterer Queen.¡¯?</i>

    No matter how strong Mi-Na was, Rachel was too strong to make a 1:1 match. It had been a situation where problems had inevitably urred after fighting for quite a long time. The most important things here were two things:

    ¡°As a result, the ughterer Queen ran away. No matter how strong she was, she couldn¡¯t handle three from the Special Police Force alone.¡±

    ¡°Who was dispatched with Myo?¡±

    ¡°I heard they were the Inn and Hae .¡±

    ¡°Tiger and pig, huh¡­¡±

    Rachel was missed despite the dispatch of Inn, who was in the top five in terms of force alone among the Twelve Zodiac of the Special Police Force, and Hae, who even had a lot of misceneous abilities though his force was somewhatcking, alongside Myo.

    Likewise, Yu-Seong had to admit that Rachel was certainly a monster.

    ¡°Although they are still tracking her, it¡¯s said there¡¯s a high possibility that she has already left the country. It¡¯ll probably be hard to move for a while. Since it became known that the ughterer Queen¨Cthe S-rank hunter¨Cbelongs to Demon King Worshiper, the World yer Association has designated her as a Disturbance grade Viin,¡± exined Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong realized that Rachel had not yet been designated as a Viin until just before this point. This incident had changed her from a dangerous person with some experience as a war mercenary into a Viin at once. It had originally been scheduled to happen, but it could be said that the time has been moved forward somewhat.

    <i>¡®By the way, Disturbance grade¡­ Is it just below the Catastrophe?¡¯?</i>

    Among Viins, the especially powerful and dangerous beings were graded separately to increase the risk figure and to focus on pursuing them. And up to this point, the maximum realm that human Viins could reach¨Crather than the powerful beings from another world like demons¨Cwas the Disturbance grade. Of course, thismon sense would soon be broken.

    What was important was that Rachel, the ughterer Queen had acquired the worst danger level for Viins at the moment. This had led to considerable restrictions on her movement.

    <i>¡®Fortunately, I won¡¯t have to worry about her for a while.¡¯</i>

    1. Sign of the tiger, the third sign of the Chinese zodiac

    2. Sign of the pig, the twelfth sign of the Chinese zodiac

 Chapter 57

    <h4>Chapter 57 </h4>

    Considering Rachel¡¯s madness at thest moment, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if she suddenly appeared in front of Yu-Seong right away. However, it seemed that the World yer Association was so formidable that, even after she ran away, she had not appeared even after fifteen days had passed.

    <i>¡®Well, that¡¯s why even the Demon King Worshiper can¡¯te out into the open recklessly.¡¯?</i>

    Blessed by the rather fortunate situation, Yu-Seong then asked the most curious question, ¡°What happened to Kim Do-Jin?¡±

    In fact, since Do-Jin was the main character with so many stunning abilities, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t think he would have died unless he had been very unlucky. Moreover, his opponent hadn¡¯t been the ughterer Queen, who Yu-Seong had personally faced.

    ¡°He¡¯s also hospitalized with injuries.¡±

    ¡°Injury? Is he seriously injured?¡±

    Yu-Ri¡¯s expression slightly hardened at Yu-Seong¡¯s rather serious question. She replied, ¡°Yu-Seong oppa, personally I¡¯m very anxious about the rtionship between you two. You guys are getting closer.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but why¡­¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s necessary,¡± Yu-Seong answered briefly and looked at Yu-Ri.

    ¡°What is it that you are hiding?¡± asked Yu-Ri.

    ¡°I can exin that tomorrow. It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Having met Ji-Ho, Yu-Seong was already aware of his own future. He would be able to tell Yu-Ri a convincing story without having to lie.

    ¡°First of all, tell me how Kim Do-Jin¡¯s condition is. How is the injury¡­?¡±

    ¡°There was a lot of bleeding, but he was in a much better condition than you, young master. He was in the next room just a few days ago¡­ But he has been discharged,¡± exined Do-Yoon. He didn''t appear to be satisfied either.

    Yu-Seong nodded while sighing in relief.

    <i>¡®Good.¡¯?</i>

    Everything was alright. This event had been greatly threatening, but it didn''t change the overall flow of events. Yu-Seong feltpletely relieved. At that moment, the fatigue that he had momentarily forgotten when he woke up from the dream rushed back to him.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯m definitely not in good shape yet.¡±

    The two siblings smiled at Yu-Seong¡¯s words and nodded.

    ¡°Rest well, oppa. No matter what, recoveryes first.¡±

    ¡°We will be by your side. No one can bother you, young master, from now on¡­¡±

    Hearing the words of Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon, Yu-Seong lightly smiled and slowly closed his eyes. Although they had recently been unable to use their power due to various serious situations, as always, they were the two people he trusted the most.

    <i>¡®As expected¡­ They¡¯re reliable.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong closed his eyes. And when he opened his eyes again, he was greeted by apletely unexpected guest.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? If you have opened your eyes, speak up,¡± a woman with long ck hair, a rather tall stature, and a sharp cat-like figure said coldly.

    It was Yu-Seong¡¯s first time seeing her, but he didn¡¯t find the meeting awkward or ufortable.

    <i>¡®Is it a dream again?¡¯?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong felt like this moment was too realistic and vivid to be a dream.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even recognize your noo-nim anymore?¡± Mi-Na asked sharply.

    Yu-Sung¡¯s mind immediately cleared, no longer feeling hazy.

    <i>¡®Choi Mi-Na came to see me? Why?¡¯?</i>

    This was totally unexpected. Yu-Seong tried to calmly understand the current situation.

    <i>¡®Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri are¡­¡¯?</i>

    When his eyes swept the surroundings, Mi-Na¨Cwho was sitting with a crossed leg¨Cgrinned as if she had been waiting for this moment. She said, ¡°I kicked out the two puppies you raised. ¡®cause I was ufortable.¡±

    ¡°¡­They just epted that?¡±

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t ept it?¡± Mi-Na clenched her fist and shook it in front of Yu-Seong. Well, she had always been reckless.

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but click his tongue.

    <i>¡®But those two are already upset enough about not being strong these days¡­¡¯?</i>

    Choi Mi-Na had properly touched their reverse scales. In the future, it would be difficult for Jin siblings and her to get along well in many ways.

    ¡°It¡¯s not time to worry about useless things. Are you not curious why I am here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t guess at all,¡± Yu-Seong said with a serious look.

    ¡°Oho, let me hear that.¡± Mi-Na nodded with a somewhat dissatisfied look. She would seemingly snap off one of Yu-Seong''s arms if he misspoke, regardless of his current injuries.

    Wiping a drop of cold sweat from his temple, Yu-Seong revealed a slightly awkward smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t you get a request from Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you did to Choi Ji-Ho, but he told me something weird. But that wasn¡¯t enough to make mee and find you, obviously.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be at least the basis of it. I agree that it''s not enough. I am guessing that it would simply be just enough reason for you to not refuse when father asked you to visit me.¡±

    Ji-Ho had requested Mi-Na to protect Yu-Seong, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to show her face in front of Yu-Seong. If she ran just wild enough so that the other siblings in the family had no time to care about Yu-Seong, Ji-Ho¡¯s worries would naturally disappear without her directly helping Yu-Seong.

    Thus, Yu-Seong felt confused at first because Mi-Na was here visiting him. However, when the name Choi Woo-Jae was mentioned, the entire puzzle took form in front of him.

    <i>¡®Because he came to visit even when I was hurt before.¡¯?</i>

    This meant that the cold-blooded Woo-Jae also cared about his children getting injured. Perhaps Woo-Jae himself had alreadye to see Yu-Seong when he was unconscious.

    Despite it being just a simple logical assumption, Mi-Na looked quite surprised after Yu-Seong spoke. She muttered to herself, ¡°I thought he was just lucky, but¡­¡±

    Mi-Na revealed a smile that was somewhat different from before. Perhaps she was thinking about what made Yu-Seong survive from Rachel. Of course, Yu-Seong should act like he didn¡¯t know about that.

    <i>¡®Who¡¯s in front of me right now is not Myo of the Special Police Forces but the second child of the Comet Group family, Choi Mi-Na.¡¯?</i>

    Mi-Na did not want to let anyone in the house know that she was working in the Special Police Force. This was only natural. If Choi Woo-Jae found out about this, Mi-Na must immediately stop her Special Police Force activities. Perhaps the organization called ¡®Special Police Force¡¯ itself may disappear from this country. It would be reborn as a simr organization with a different name, but Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes and ears would already have infiltrated then.

    Mi-Na did not even care about small controversies, but she hated not being able to do what she wanted. That was a simrity both Kim Do-Jin and Choi Mi-Na shared.

    <i>¡®They have to do what they want to do, and they hate losing even if they could die.¡¯?</i>

    To put it simply, they had strong self-esteem and a sense of independence. Mi-Na probably wouldn¡¯t want to reveal secrets or even talk rted to them.

    ¡°Hey, I heard you survived after meeting the ughterer Queen?¡± Mi-Na voiced her thoughts.

    Well, by now, this particr topic wasn¡¯t suspicious to talk about. ughterer Queen was probably the hottest keyword in the world right now.

    ¡°I was lucky.¡±

    ¡°Of course, it was luck. But there''s a saying in the world that luck is also a skill.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You know, but I hate Viins very much. In particr, indiscriminate killers such as ughterer Queen are even more hateful.¡±

    Choi Mi-Na wasn¡¯t exactly right. There were actually some fairly convincing principles in Rachel¡¯s murder, which seemed reckless when reading the original novel, [Modern Master Returns]. However, Yu-Seong nodded unconditionally.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s hard to see good things if touched her feelings for nothing.¡¯?</i>

    Come to think of it, there were also several narratives in the original novel that Mi-Na was chasing Rachel. As a result, there was no win or lose between the two.

    <i>¡®Maybe they were in a deeper rtionship than I thought.¡¯?</i>

    .

    Yu-Seong did not think deeply about theter matters. It was dangerous if his thoughts continued and led to a tongue slip. As soon as Mi-Na realized that Yu-Seong knew that she was active in the Special Police Force, she would try to shut his mouth regardless of means and methods.

    ¡°Since we don¡¯t have time, let me ask you two short questions. Did you have a secret n that would help you survive the ughter queen?¡±

    ¡°That could be a possibility.¡± Yu-Seong could not stop himself from gaining some level of validation.

    Mi-Na¡¯s line of questioning waspletely logical. Yu-Seong, who was only an E-rank hunter, had survived a meeting with the ughterer Queen, who was the S-rank Viin who belonged to Demon King Worshiper and was now designated as a Disturbance grade. In a way, it was understandable for someone like Mi-Na to think that Yu-Seong¡¯s survival was due to mere luck. And in fact, Mi-Na¡¯s words were not wrong.

    <i>¡®Because I seduced Rachel with money.¡¯</i>

    However, what Mi-Na suspected was one step ahead of that.

    ¡°Noo-nim, you think that I might have joined the Demon King Worshiper, right?¡±

    "It''s not impossible,¡± Mi-Na stated with a shrug.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s aura felt rather threatening. He asked, ¡°Then let me exin it like this. Let¡¯s say I belong to Demon King Worshiper. How long do you think it¡¯llst?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unknown whether I can fool noo-nim and other siblings¡¯ eyes, but have you forgotten who is above my head?¡±

    Yu-Seong did not necessarily ask for trust and faith in himself. It would be great if he could persuade Mi-Na who was full of suspicion in such a way, but he knew that it would not work. So, he brought up Choi Woo-Jae instead.

    ¡°It won¡¯tst a month at the longest. There are only a handful of people in Korea who can fool Father¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s no exaggeration to even say that it¡¯s impossible among our siblings.¡±

    Before she could speak anymore, Mi-Na frowned and became lost in thought.

    <i>¡®She would have to ept it. If she refutes and says she is doing a good job fooling him, she¡¯ll be the one in trouble.¡¯?</i>

    This was also Yu-Seong¡¯s intention. Saying that it might be possible to deceive Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t be favorable for Mi-Na herself. Yu-Seong¡¯s excuse might not have worked if she was stupid, but fortunately, Mi-Na was quite clever.

    Mi-Na¡¯s intelligence was not emphasized much in the original novel because it focused on the main character Kim Do-Jin. However, if the reader observed closely, they would see that Mi-Na also was quite smart. For example, her entricities and recklessness that others would not understand looked absurd, but the results alone always were favorable for herself.

    Was this just a simple realm of luck? Yu-Seong thought it was not. And with Choi Mi-Na¡¯s subsequent agreement, his belief was only reaffirmed.

    ¡°Impossible¡­ You''re right. Okay. I¡¯ll trust Father, not you,¡± answered Mi-Na with a slight smile.

    Yu-Seong smiled back, but he didn¡¯t let his guard down since Mi-Na still had one more question left.

    ¡°Okay then, the second question. You, why have you been hiding yourself all this time?"

 Chapter 58

    <h4>Chapter 58 </h4>

    The question was unexpected but not difficult.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m rather surprised since it¡¯s a question I¡¯ve always prepared to answer.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong, the rascal, hadpletely changed overnight. At first, it was seemingly a simple whim, but they could easily tell that it was something beyond that the more they saw him. Thus, anyone would have doubts about him. Most likely, among other doubts, they would think that he had been hiding his abilities until now.

    In the past, he had thought that it was an obvious clich¨¦ for a person to be possessed by the novel since it was a typical storyline in ordinary regression novels. Now that Yu-Seong was personally experiencing it, it made sense that no one would even imagine his truth.

    <i>¡®Because no one has ever experienced this kind of soul possession or regression.¡¯?</i>

    It was impossible to open up possibilities with imaginary stories, for bothmon sense and smart people. Therefore, Yu-Seong was always on the lookout for someone who came to this conclusion and would ask him a question someday. However, it was definitely unexpected that the first person to ask him was Choi Mi-Na.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even try to avoid giving a clear answer, such as saying that there¡¯s a reason you can¡¯t tell me. Despite myck of intentions, I¡¯ll be ying your nanny for a while, so I need a convincing reason to carry out my duty. Otherwise, I have no reason to try so hard at keeping my promise. You know, even to the day of my death, I never want to do what I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Mi-Na with a confident smile.

    Yu-Seong deliberately sighed deeply. ¡°I have no choice but to answer since you are asking me that seriously. I will be honest with you. I am¡­afraid of dying.¡±

    Yu-Seong had to start sincerely. As always, scams worked only when truth and falsehood were half-mixed. He continued talking while acting all sincere, with his voice and eyes expressing as much regret as possible for his past.

    ¡°As you know, my mother passed away early in an ident. Honestly, I can¡¯t even remember my mother¡¯s face now. But suddenly, a question arose in my mind. Was my mother¡¯s death really an ident?¡±

    Mi-Na¡¯s mother also died suddenly from the Viins¡¯ attacks, so Mi-Na could rte to Yu-Seong¡¯s concerns. In fact, her gaze had be quite serious, which was different from before.

    ¡°I¡¯m born to the Comet Group¡¯s founding family. It may be a very envious realm for some, but for me¡­ It feels like I¡¯m alone in the jungle,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°So, you n to hide to survive? If that¡¯s the case, you should have stuck yourself somewhere without even thinking about breathing.¡±

    ¡°Because I am a coward. I don¡¯t dare to let go of everything I already have and go live a normal life. In a way, I¡¯ll be more defenseless when that happens, right? It¡¯s the same with attracting people¡¯s attention in a rather bizarre way. I am just a useless troublemaker at home, but everyone in the world knows me. If someone tries to harm me, wouldn¡¯t they have no choice but to pay attention to those gazes? I think noo-nim should be able to understand.¡±

    ¡°Then, why are you suddenly changing your attitude?¡±

    It worked. Yu-Seong raised his head once he felt that Mi-Na, who was called a nutcase by the entire family, was quite sympathetic to him. She had cold and calm eyes. In a way, she seemed to strongly resemble Woo-Jae, but the emotions reflected in her gaze was more than just fierceness.

    ¡°I have been thinking about the days after father passes away, which woulde one day.¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae was an absolute ruler who epassed the whole family and was respected by many powerful people around the world now. However, like everyone else, he was just a person. No one thought that his life wouldst forever unless he found some kind of an elixir nt that existed only in the imagination.

    ¡°The ninth child, who is far from the family and a lout who only causes idents. Even if I say I don¡¯t want wealth or power, there would probably be more skeptics than believers.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you suddenly changed your stance?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Because I do not want to die. Just hanging on to a limited life¡­ That¡¯s not something I can continue to do for a long time.¡±

    Mi-Na quietly looked at Yu-Seong, who calmly finished his sentence. Soon after, she suddenly got up with an unknown expression of perhaps anger or sadness, and threw something at Yu-Seong.

    When he reached out and received the object in a daze, Yu-Seong widened his eyes. It was an unknown object in the form of an arm bracelet, which was recognizable by all but idiots. Hemented, ¡°An ancient relic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have eyes to see for yourself.¡± Mi-Na did not deny Yu-Seong¡¯s guess, but her following words were somewhat absurd. She revealed, ¡°But actually, I also don¡¯t know what it¡¯s for.¡±

    ¡°¡­Does it mean that noo-nim don¡¯t even know what kind of ancient relic this is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wasn¡¯t that curious.¡±

    Yu-Seong stared at Mi-Na, wondering if he should take her word as it was and believe her.

    <i>¡®Probably not.¡¯</i>

    It was an ancient relic, after all. If one got it, wouldn¡¯t they want to know its properties and use? How could she never try to find out just because she wasn''t curious? It didn''t make sense. Yu-Seong would rather believe that people could make bean paste from shit. In other words, two spections could be thought of here.

    <i>¡®Research has been done, but Mi-Na still can¡¯t find out how to use it.¡¯?</i>

    .

    Or it could be that Mi-Na already knew but pretended she didn¡¯t. Either way, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. It was ¡®<i>the ancient relic</i>¡¯, so it would be enough to think about the useter and just rejoice for now.

    ¡°Thank you. Noo-nim.¡±

    ¡°I can hear the sound of your heart thumping in excitement. Don¡¯t pretend to be innocent, kid.¡± Mi-Na smiled and continued talking with her arms folded, ¡°I can only help you, for a year at most, decrease the family¡¯s interest in you. No matter how aggressive I am, the rest of them aren¡¯t idiots. ording to my rough calctions, it wouldn¡¯tst a month. Also, I can¡¯t protect you from every single thing. There¡¯s no way for me to cover the sky with one hand. I¡¯m sure there¡¯ll be some guys approaching you through the gap.¡±

    To interpret her words, Mi-Na seemingly liked Yu-Seong quite a lot. It was a short conversation, but it was enough to change her mind about helping him for a year rather than just a single month, which had been her original n.

    Yu-Seong thought that Mi-Na¡¯sst words were sufficient. No matter how outstanding her ability was, Mi-Na was not Choi Woo-Jae after all. She didn¡¯t hold and wield all the family¡¯s power, so it would be impossible to block all of the siblings¡¯ actions. That was why the best thing that Mi-Na could do was to avert attention.

    Of course, it would be nice if she could block all threats that came, like a real nanny, but if she did that, she would go against Woo-Jae and get on his nerves. That would cause a bigger problem, so Yu-Seong also did not want such extreme protection.

    Anyway, with Mi-Na¡¯s renewed promise, the intensity of interest and contaminants that should be directed toward Yu-Seong would be greatly reduced. In other words, he would be able to use time in a much more rxed fashion. Why would he be dissatisfied by this?

    ¡°That is enough,¡± Yu-Seong said with a smile.

    Choi Mi-Na answered with a nod, then said, ¡°And in the future, if possible, stay around Itaewon when you go outside.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I often go there to y, you know.¡± Without any further exnation of her cryptic words, Mi-Na turned her head hard and strode toward the door with her cheeks dyed red, regardless of whether Yu-Seong was flustered or not. ¡°Father has alreadye. So, you don¡¯t have to be unnecessarily nervous. Kid, say bye to your noo-nim.¡±

    With that, Mi-Na left the hospital room. Left alone, Yu-Seong looked at the ckish-gray bracelet that seemed to have been burned for a long time.

    <i>¡®A gray bracelet¡­ I¡¯m sure there was a simr mention in the original novel.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t remember well. After tilting his head this way and that, he ruffled his hair andid on the bed.

    <i>¡®Oh, whatever. I¡¯ll eventually remember it.¡¯?</i>

    If he couldn¡¯t think of it even if he forcibly tried to, it would be hard to find the answer no matter how hard he tried. Rather, there were times when an important memory woulde to mind while being absent-minded.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s rest for now.</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong needed a break.

    ***

    After leaving Yu-Seong¡¯s hospital room, Mi-Na briefly met and greeted the Jin siblings before leaving the hospital alone. There was no such thing as a fancy procession or a limousine waiting for her, unlike the other family members. Some might enjoy such privileges and treatment, but Mi-Na found all of it cumbersome.

    <i>¡®Honestly, it¡¯s faster to run than to drive if they tried hard enough. I don¡¯t understand why people drive cars.¡¯?</i>

    No matter how great a hunter was, theymonly preferred transportation that kept them out of prying eyes. However, for Mi-Na, who valued efficiency above all, all of those considerations were useless and irrelevant.

    However, today, Mi-Na did not run fast toward her next destination. Contrary to her typical thought, she chose to get on a bus even though it was public transportation. She sat down and thought deeply, not caring about drawing other people¡¯s attention.

    As mentioned, Mi-Na had never officially appeared in public events. Thanks to this, only people in the family, a small number of political and business giants, or a few fearless reporters knew her face. The probability of the former two groups getting on a bus was extremely low. Strictly speaking, it would be zero. How about the fearless reporters? Unfortunately, they had be simr to cowards these days.

    In the name of social experience, Mi-Na directly taught them the true fear of the world. If not, how could she openly operate a lounge bar then? Anyway, she didn¡¯t know if he did it consciously or not, but Yu-Seong had said a lot of pretty shocking things in his conversation with her. To organize all those thoughts, she couldn¡¯t afford to walk or run as usual.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s clear that he¡¯s hiding something about Rachel.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Mi-Na was not a fool. She didn¡¯t interrogate Yu-Seong in detail since it could also reveal her weakness. However, she did notpletely dispel her doubts about Yu-Seong. Rather, she felt suspicious of Yu-Seong¡¯s confident attitude, but most of the reasons that came to her mind were absurd.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way that the kid knows that I¡¯m a member of the Special Police Force.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Ji-Ho seemed to like Yu-Seong, but he would not have revealed Mi-Na¡¯s secret. In the first ce, Ji-Ho was not a man with loose lips.

    <i>¡®If he made fun of me lightly, I would chase him down tomorrow and pull out his tongue so that he can¡¯t talk again.¡¯?</i>

    With that terrifying thought in her mind, Mi-Na¡¯s eyes became sharp. In fact, she would be able to find a brief answer through investigation if she spent more time thinking about this. What made itplicated for her was none other than the story of Yu-Seong¡¯s mother.

    <i>¡®The kid¡¯s mother¡­ It¡¯s that woman, right? Baek Yu-Ri.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 59

    <h4>Chapter 59 </h4>

    When she was very young, Mi-Na had seen Yu-Seong¡¯s mother before. Yu-Seong¡¯s mother was a woman with shoulder-length ck hair and a fairly gentle look like a puppy, but Mi-Na did not have any special memory about her. She wasn¡¯t from a great family and her academic background wasn¡¯t significant. She was a normal woman except for her beautiful appearance, which was obvious since she was Yu-Seong¡¯s mother.

    Everything about Yu-Seong¡¯s mother was too ordinary, which made her rather strange. How on earth could she be a woman after Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s heart?

    Mi-Na narrowed her eyes and slightly bit her lower lip.

    <i>¡®It was so natural that people didn''t even bother.¡¯?</i>

    Some might think that Woo-Jae was not picky about women since he had a lot of children, but that couldn¡¯t be further away from the truth. Woo-Jae thoroughly chose and selected his women. Whether it was because of political position, economic ideal, or future investments, since it was ultimately the process of creating another sessor of his, he had never chosen his wife easily. So, how did an ordinary woman, who had no other special factor but beauty, be Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s wife?

    Everyone didn¡¯t even care about the sudden death of Yu-Seong¡¯s mother, Baek Yu-Ri. She had died at a fairly young age, so obviously something strange had happened.

    <i>¡®Something¡¯s definitely fishy.¡¯?</i>

    Now that Mi-Na thought about it, Yu-Seong was the only one who had noticed this throughout the family. That was absurd, but interesting and surprising as well.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s the only person who felt suspicious about it, while no one in the family or the entire country cared about it.¡¯</i>

    Since the matter involved his own mother, this might not be considered a strange thing. However, it was an unspoken rule within the entire Comet Group¡¯s founding family that no one should doubt an incident that Choi Woo-Jae tried to keep the lid on for himself. But Choi-Yu-Seong, that timid ninth child of the family, was paying attention to that matter. Then, wouldn¡¯t Choi Woo-Jae know that?

    <i>¡®Nevertheless, father¡¯s not hiding his favoritism toward that small brat.¡¯?</i>

    This was actually because Yu-Seong had not even tried to investigate his mother Baek Yu-Ri, but Choi Mi-Na¨Cnot knowing the truth¨Cthoughtpletely differently.

    Things were changing within the family. Perhaps the ninth kid, who no one cared about, had be a big variable but the majority had yet to notice him. However, it was only a matter of time.

    <i>¡®Like awl in the pocket. [ref] It means that a person with great talent will stand out even if they are hidden. [\ref] In the end, it¡¯s bound to stand out.¡¯</i>

    The moment the awl popped out of the pocket, the other siblings would press on it to prevent it froming out ever again. Or, the awl itself would be broken or thrown away by a resentful someone who got stabbed by its protrusion.

    Now Mi-Na could understand why Ji-Ho asked to take care of Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®This kid is neither a fool nor a coward.¡¯?</i>

    Rather, Yu-Seong was courageous enough to break the family¡¯s unwritten rules. He was also a sensible person who had been hiding his true purpose for a while to only reveal it at the proper time.

    Woo-Jae was watching the ninth kid¨Cwhich may be somewhat cheeky¨Cand regarding him as cute. Mi-Na couldn¡¯t even understand how Yu-Seong had gently softened that iron-d stubbornness, which could never be broken stubbornly.

    <i>¡®To think that he¡¯s a stiff geezer that doesn¡¯t give a single reaction to my aegyo[ref]denoting a Korean cultural style that emphasizes the quality of cuteness though cute voice or actions[\ref].¡¯?</i>

    Mi-Na smiled as she lightly tapped the bus window with her index finger.

    <i>¡®Very well.¡¯?</i>

    Before, there was no kid Mi-Na liked among her stupid siblings, who were always just conscious of Choi Woo-Jae. For the first time, her ninth sibling had caught her eye.

    Mi-Na was uninterested not only in the chairman¡¯s position but also in the family¡¯s affairs. However, after Ji-Ho was eliminated from being a candidate for the next chairman because of the unexpected ident, everyone else had naturally expected her to be the most likely candidate.

    Even though she was annoyed and had tried to hand the position over to the other siblings, Choi Woo-Jae had blocked her from doing so. As a result, as time passed, the people in the group collectively expected Mi-Na as the next chairman.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a shitty situation.¡¯?</i>

    For Mi-Na, Yu-Seong was a light that suddenly appeared in her annoying and displeased situation.

    Of course, it could just be the empathy that arose from their simrity of losing their mother at a young age. She couldn¡¯t deny that Yu-Seong¨Cwho she once had poor judgment of¨Cmay have entered a corner of her heart because of that. It was not that shepletely trusted him, but she was more willing to actively help him after things got resolved. Because of this, she even unexpectedly handed over items to Yu-Seong out of goodwill.

    It was an ancient relic called ¡®<i>the Fragments of Destruction God</i>¡¯. Choi Mi-Na had never used it herself, so she didn¡¯t know the exact effect. However, as could be guessed from its name, it was clearly an ancient relic with considerable power.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a bit of a pity since I gave it away ording to my sudden mood, but anyways, it¡¯s something that I can¡¯t use¡­¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, most of Choi Mi-Na¡¯s abilities had the opposite property of powerpared to the ones of gods, so she couldn¡¯t use the ¡®<i>Fragments of Destruction God</i>¡¯ at all. She had kept it, initially thinking that it would be a waste to just hand it over to someone else. Though she did decide to hand it to Yu-Seong after her sudden change of heart.

    Mi-Na looked out the window, with her index finger lightly twisting a lock of her hair.

    <i>¡®When will that kid discover the bracelet¡¯s purpose?¡¯</i>

    Thinking Yu-Seong would have toe and say thank you more than a thousand times once he figured it out, Choi Mi-Na was already looking forward to that day.

    ***

    Yu-Seong was only able to be discharged fifteen days after Mi-Na had visited.

    The doctor greatly praised Yu-Seong¡¯s resilience; he was a yer indeed. Though for him, it was full of frustration because he didn¡¯t want to waste his time in the hospital.

    After spending half a month stuck in the hospital, he headed back to the dungeon and got into the car that Do-Yoon was driving. He felt that it was time to give an answer about concerns he had put off.

    <i>¡®This meets my initial expectation exactly.¡¯</i>

    This was a pretty exciting moment.

    - [Private] A Joke-loving Prankster marvels at you. 200 Karma Points are sponsored. He says he has a skill that really suits you. Will you learn the skill? Y/N

    - The Oldest Hunter is really fond of yer Choi Yu-Seong. 300 Karma Points are sponsored. He says he very much wants to give you a skill. Will you learn the skill? Y/N

    - The Silky Beard pays tribute to yer Choi Yu-Seong. 250 Karma Points are sponsored. He wants to transfer a very strong skill. Will you learn the skill? Y/N

    - The Emperor of Great China refers to yer Choi Yu-Seong as the most excellent man she has recently seen. 300 Karma Points are sponsored. She wants to give you a skill that suits you. Y/N

    - The Red Fang of the Dark Night feels a strong longing when seeing yer Choi Yu-Seong. 100 Karma Points are sponsored. He threatens that you will regret it if you don¡¯t receive the skill. Y/N

    - The Cnn¡¯s Hound judges that yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s spearmanship has a very high potential. 500 Karma Points are sponsored. He promises that if you learn the skill, you will be able to be the strongest spearman. Will you learn the skill? Y/N

    After the incident of Demon King Worshiper along with Rachel, all the gods who were watching Yu-Seong sent messages about passing on their skills. Most of these messages would have been sent at the end of the fierce battle with Rachel.

    <i>¡®At the time, I was so out of it that I couldn¡¯t even think of checking the messages.¡¯?</i>

    If he could afford to beid-back then, Yu-Seong would have recognized Choi Mi-Na at a nce. He properly checked and looked through the messages while he was hospitalized¡­ Since then, Choi Yu-Seong had fallen into deep thought.

    As mentioned, the reason why the lofty gods gave Karma Points and skills was that the achievements made by their sponsored humans were returned to their Karma figures and then copied to help raise their dignity.

    Obviously, god¡¯s stake in a human increased more when they passed on skills that were equivalent to their ability than when sharing some of the karma points they had. Also, if it was possible, the first god to transfer the skill to the human would gain an advantage in the battle for shares among the other gods. That was why, from the very beginning, Loki had begged Yu-Seong to learn his skill.

    Yu-Seong had been ignoring Loki¡¯s messages for a while. But now that all six gods had put up their skills, he could no longer continue to ignore this request anymore. Even for those who were waiting, he eventually had to make a definite choice. Now that Yu-Seong had taken the best route for his growth after much consideration, he finally decided to announce his decision.

    ¡°I have no bad intentions,¡± Yu-Seong spoke to himself and smiled somewhat apologetically, and replied to the six gods¡¯ skill transfer messages.

    There were two things Yu-Seong had worried about for fifteen days before he decided his current answer. First, he had to be sure of the sponsoring gods¡¯ true names. Second, he had to guess the skills that the gods would give through their true names.

    The first one was rtively easy. Except for only one god with a rather difficult and unknown nickname, all the others were using nicknames that had been mentioned at least once in the original novel or had nicknames that were easy to guess.

    Except for Loki, Guan-Yu, and Cnn, all of whom with already clear identities, there were three remaining gods left. Among them, the first god that Yu-Seong found the answer to was the Emperor of Great China.

    <i>¡®This one never came out in the original novel, but it¡¯s actually easy to guess.¡¯?</i>

    Since the nickname was ¡®the Emperor of Great China¡¯, Yu-Seong could guess that it was the name of a country¡¯s monarch during her lifetime. In the end, it was inevitably easy to know who she was after a little research about the rulers¡¯ titles.

    <i>¡®Sacred Divine Golden Empress Zetian.¡¯</i>

    The nickname being used was only an abbreviation of this, and the part that Yu-Seong had to pay attention to was thest word.

    <i>¡®Zetian, Wu Zetian.¡¯?</i>

    Better known by the name of Ze Tian Wu Hou, she was China¡¯s first female emperor to ascend to the throne at ate age and had held power for a long time. It was true that she had great achievements and had a reputation enough to reach Divinity, but unfortunately, Yu-Seong was not going to choose her skill.

    <i>¡®There are some of her skills that I can roughly guess, but it¡¯s not the kind that I want.¡¯?</i>

    What hade to mind when thinking of Wu Zetian was the strong power and dignity that held people down so that no one could surpass her. It was certain that her intangible power would be formidable since she had ascended to the throne at ate age and had remained in emperor position for a very long time. Perhaps Yu-Seong might have as much pressure and vibe as Choi Woo-Jae with the power of her skill. In other words, however, Yu-Seong could have such an ability without using this skill when the time came.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure there are a few other great abilities since she has risen to Divinity, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    Anyway, she was removed from Yu-Seong¡¯s options. The Emperor of Great China was one of the candidates that he had decided to reject at the time her true name was revealed.

    Recalling the memories of that time, Yu-Seong sent the very first refusal to the Emperor of Great China¡¯s message.

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60 </h4>

    -The Emperor of Great China is very displeased. She says she will never give Yu-Seong a second chance in the future.

    At the same time, Wu Zetian left Yu-Seong. Yu-Seong felt sorry for her, but he wasn¡¯t disappointed by the oue.

    <i>¡®The seat is empty.¡¯?</i>

    The other gods who had stepped back from the seemingly already overheatedpetition and were still secretly coveting Yu-Seong could now take a step forward in the stake fight.

    The Red Fang of the Dark Night also did not use a nickname that openly revealed himself, which was simr to Wu Zetian. Thus, it was somewhat difficult for Yu-Seong to investigate and find out more information. Fortunately, Yu-Seong remembered reading the name of this terrifying being in the original novel.

    <i>¡®d ?epe?.¡¯?</i>

    When he began investigating the name, Yu-Seong hade up with a much more famous and straightforward name. It was ¡®<i>d III Dr?culea</i>¡¯, which was the origin of humanoid bloodsucking monsters that weremonly seen in ssical Western horror movies. This name was also known as the origin of vampires in modern times.

    d ?epe? was initially a human, like Wu Zetian, Guan-Yu, and Cu Chinn. However, his legend and achievements were valued in apletely different way from ordinary characters and he eventually became an extraordinary being, the First Vampire.

    For reference, as the novel progressed, countless races other than humans appeared in [Modern Master Returns]. One of them was the vampire n, and the god they served was ¡®the Red Fang of the Dark Night¡¯ also known as Drac. Drac¡¯s power and abilities were iparable to other people who rose to Divinity from humans because he gave birth to a powerful race called vampires.

    <i>¡®Although, considering his big influence on Earth, he could be a stronger supporter than Loki¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong gulped and sent a rejection to Drac as well.

    -The Red Fang of the Dark Night leaves the yer Choi Yu-Seong with a cool smile.

    The Red Fang of the Dark Night<i>?</i>did not run wild like the Emperor of Great China. However, it was a much scarier response.

    As mentioned, Drac had a stronger influence on Earth than Loki. This was obvious since the vampire race who followed him could not be seen directly, but was still active in the dark. Drac had even threatened Yu-Seong in the message that he would regret it in the future for rejecting him. He had only sent a message saying that he was smiling, but that most likely suggested a possible retaliation in the future.

    To be honest, Yu-Seong was scared to the point of slightly trembling, but he couldn¡¯t ept Drac¡¯s offer no matter how many times he thought about it. It was not because Drac''s skill did not match him. Rather, the reason for rejecting his offer was very simple.

    <i>¡®Because if I learn Drac¡¯s Skill, I¡¯ll be a vampire too.¡¯?</i>

    Even if not immediately, Yu-Seong would slowly but eventually be a vampire. It was inevitable. To put it bluntly, considering Drac¡¯s first Skill to Yu-Seong would likely be <i>¡®Bloodsucking,¡¯</i> even if Yu-Seong was wary, by sucking and drinking the opponent¡¯s blood he would naturally turn into a vampire. He could try to be careful, but the transformation couldn¡¯t be helped.

    This was because Drac¡¯s ability was that strong. And unless he was in an unavoidable situation, Yu-Seong wanted to remain a human.

    <i>¡®Most of all, if I be a vampire, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the sunlight for a while.¡¯?</i>

    .

    That wasn¡¯t all. The powerful Demon Hunters from the Vatican would chase Yu-Seong for the rest of his life. Now that Yu-Seong was working hard for lifelong safety, there was no reason to put another tag that would threaten his life.

    <i>¡®And the third, The Oldest Hunter¡­ It was really hard to find out who this one is.¡¯?</i>

    The Oldest Hunter, Scathi, was the god whose identity the then-hospitalized Yu-Seong took the longest time to track.

    <i>¡®Although I¡¯m actually still half doubted about his identity¡­¡¯?</i>

    Quite a few parts were also just epted as facts. And if The Oldest Hunter was Scathi, it was no exaggeration to say that she was the strongest of the four remaining gods excluding Loki.

    <i>¡®The god of hunting who rules the Isle of the Dead.¡¯</i>

    Scathi, a rather unfamiliar god to people, was rumored to be the sister of Freya¡ªa goddess of beauty that often appeared in Norse mythology¡ªand there was also a story that she was once Loki¡¯s lover. Whatever it was, her name was not well known but it was highly likely that she had enough powers to form ties with prominent gods in Norse mythology.

    <i>¡®Because even Odin offered a deal to control her anger in the mythical story. No more words are needed.¡¯?</i>

    Such a great figure had shown her interest in Choi Yu-Seong more than anyone else. The reason was unknown, but it was no secret that Scathi liked men a lot. Also, the more handsome a man was, the more she liked him. It was a bit absurd, but it meant that Yu-Seong¡¯s appearance might have led her. Furthermore, it made sense that Loki had approached Yu-Seong faster than other high-ranking gods.

    <i>¡®What Loki and Scathi have inmon is that they are half-god and half-giant.¡¯</i>

    The rtionship between the two might go beyond whatever was shown in the mythical story. If there was any close rtionship between the two gods, it made sense that Loki had approached Yu-Seong at a high speed.

    In that sense, Yu-Seong procrastinated giving an answer to Scathi¨Cthe Oldest Hunter.

    <i>¡®Scathi isn¡¯t a bad choice if I want a stable and powerful skill.¡¯?</i>

    Having made a decision, Yu-Seong looked at Guan-Yu and sent a message of rejection. No matter how powerful the skill was, it was meaningless if the natural synergy didn''t go along with him.

    -The Silky Beard smacks his lips out of shame. He leaves while wishing the good fortune of war for yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    Indeed, since he was called the Chinese God of Martial Arts, Guan Yu¡¯s attitude of leaving was quite polite. Therefore, Yu-Seong felt more sorry, but he could not reverse the decision he had already made.

    Come to think of it, there were three gods left¡ªa Joke-loving Prankster, the Oldest Hunter, and the Cnn¡¯s Hound.

    <i>¡®Loki, Scathi, Cu Chinn.¡¯?</i>

    Somehow, only the gods of Nordic descent remained. It could be a simple coincidence, but Yu-Seong found this situation interesting. And of course, in terms of god¡¯s status alone, Cu Chinn was the mostcking.

    <i>¡®However, he¡¯ll be a great help to my spearmanship.¡¯?</i>

    Cu Chinn would pass on a skill that would be unconditionally rted to spearmanship. On the other hand, Scathi, who was also known as the witch¡¯s guardian, was highly likely to pass on a skill that was close to psychic-type, especially magic.

    <i>¡®And Loki would¡­¡¯?</i>

    Honestly, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t make any guesses regarding Loki, who was too versatile and unpredictable. Loki¡¯s abilities were great enough to be called the best talent in Norse mythology, and were more difficult to guess than Odin in a sense. Though, Yu-Seong could make a single guess that Loki wouldn¡¯t pass on the powerful skill that could be enough to be called his signature ability.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not an inferior who just reveals his best skill from the beginning. Also, I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle his level.¡¯?</i>

    The powerful ability beyond Yu-Seong¡¯s level must be sealed and couldn¡¯t be used by him. Wasn¡¯t this the reason why he had first rejected the offer of Odin(though it was surely Loki in disguise)?

    Anyway, after much consideration, Yu-Seong was sure about Loki¡¯s identity and finished making guesses about his skills. After narrowing down the candidates so far, Yu-Seong carried out the bold decision he had made.

    <i>¡®epting all three of them.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong sent a consent message in the order of Scathi, Cu Chinn, and Loki, and gasped.

    The skills transferred by the gods were not affected by Fusion¡¯s empty skill slots. In other words, it was possible to be simultaneously given the skills of many gods in this way. However, the above method might feel undesirable only from the standpoint of the gods who wanted to take the lead rather than fighting for the stake of Yu-Seong¡¯s Karma figures with the others.

    If so, there were two options the gods could choose.

    <i>¡®One is to simply withdraw their will to transfer skills and leave.¡¯?</i>

    The second method was to transfer a skill as they wanted, even if it was a little unpleasant. Since Yu-Seong epted their messages, the decision-making authority was now given back to the gods.

    What kind of answer would the three gods give? Perhaps, at this moment, Loki¡¯s message would not be hidden but shown to the other two gods.

    Once a skill was transferred to a certain person, it could not be given to another person ever again. Therefore, if the gods did not think they would get as much stake as they wanted, they had the right to leave now. That was why the private message had to be disclosed, and this was an unbreakable rule set among the gods.

    Among the particrly tense silence inside the car, there was a god who answered first.

    - The Oldest Hunter is delighted to say that it is an excellent choice. She is transferring a skill exclusively for the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    As always, ¡®The Oldest Hunter¡¯ Scathi reached out first.

    -A Joke-loving Prankster nods with a look full of dissatisfaction. He is transferring a skill.

    Then, Loki epted the offer.

    Up to this point, Yu-Seong¡¯s n was clearly sessful.

    <i>¡®Because it¡¯s no different than saying that two powerful Norse gods have be my supporters.¡¯?</i>

    However, it seemed like Cu Chinn had no choice but to give up in this case.

    <i>¡®Because hecks strength and influencepared to the two gods¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡®The Cnn¡¯s Hound¡¯... Cu Chinn had too weak a name value to greedily fight for the stake. In fact, the optimal result that Yu-Seong wanted was for Cu Chinn to transfer his skill first.

    <i>¡®He¡¯ll probably give up.¡¯?</i>

    If it was a rational judgment, it was right for the god to give up. However, Cu Chinn seemed to have a different thought.

    -Cnn¡¯s Hound snorts and is willing to ept your arrogance. He is transferring a skill.

    ¡°No way.¡± Yu-Seong unconsciously burst into an exmation inside the silent car.

    Do-Yoon, who was holding the steering wheel, tilted his head. ¡°Yes, young master?¡±

    Do-Yoon had no time to obtain an answer from Yu-Seong. It was because, all of a sudden, three lights of purple, ck, and blue began to swirl around Yu-Seong¡¯s chest and brain. Yu-Seong epted the lights with his eyes closed. There was no way that Do-Yoon could not understand the situation since he himself had experienced it before once.

    <i>¡®The gods are transferring their skills to the young master.¡¯?</i>

    Moreover, the number was as much as three. Do-Yoon held the steering wheel tightly while looking straight ahead in case of a traffic ident, but his mind was filled with joy and thrill.

    <i>¡®Oh my goodness. Who learned the skills of three gods during E-rank? Madness Bernard? Timewalker Christian? Who else is there?¡¯?</i>

    The names of hunters discussed as the world¡¯s strongest passed through Do-Yoon¡¯s mind. The problem was that he didn¡¯t have that great a mental capacity¡­so he decided to send a message to ask Jin Yu-Ri as soon as he got out of the car.

 Chapter 61

    <h4>Chapter 61 </h4>

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know for sure, but there will only be a few even if I search the whole world. No, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be in the top 10!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seongined that he seemed stagnant and his level didn¡¯t rise, but it wasn¡¯t like that at all. At least in Do-Yoon¡¯s eyes, he could see that Yu-Seong was growing faster than anyone he knew.

    Do-Yoon was thrilled and his heart was beating like crazy. His eyes facing straight ahead turned red unconsciously. He muttered to himself, ¡°How careless. Get your mind together, Jin Do-Yoon.¡±

    Fortunately, Do-Yoon didn¡¯t shed any tears perhaps because he was focused on driving.

    ***

    It was 3 am and two days after Yu-Seong had received the skills of the three gods.

    There were two men wearing thick, long padding jackets and hats. They stood near the entrance of a dungeon square connected to the entrance of 2nd rank dungeon¡ªGoblin Fortress¡ªlocated in Sinwol-dong, Seoul. What was unusual was that both men were clutchingrge titanium-based ck bags with thick fur gloves on their right hands.

    It was rather reasonable that their somewhat suspicious appearance would draw attention to them, but no one was passing by since it was a time when the floating poption was so small.

    A man on the left, who had a rather small physique and a stubborn mouth, was the Reporter, Park Jin-Hwan. He frowned slightly at the long road with his back against the dungeon square. He asked, ¡°Reporter Kim. Do you know what time it is?¡±

    The other reporter on the right, Kim Jin-Young, put his hand in his pocket and took out a handphone to check the time. ¡°Do you not have hands or feet, Reporter Park? It¡¯s currently 3:03. Was the appointment time 3:10?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Did wee 30 minutes earlier in vain? We were just early since they said he might arrive about 10 minutes earlier¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re looking forward to it pointlessly. Reporter Kim, did you forget who the opponent is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    No matter how quiet Yu-Seong was, not causing any idents recently, his rascal image did not get forgotten easily.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fortunate if hees on time.¡±

    Jin-Young scratched his cheek at Jin-Hwan¡¯s smirking expression. He didn¡¯t have to spit out whatever was on his mind.

    <i>¡®Well, you also look excited. You seem to be looking forward to it in case hees early too.¡¯?</i>

    And naturally, they set aside their expectations. At that moment, three human silhouettes appeared blurry in Kim Jin-Young¡¯s sses, which were foggy from his breath.

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± said Park Jin-Hwan, rejoicing as expected. Then, he took out his cell phone, checked the time, and his lips tugged up into a strange smile.

    <i>¡®Arrived five minutes early. Faster than expected.¡¯?</i>

    Was it because he didn¡¯t have high expectations from the start? Jin-Hwan felt good for no reason, even with this trivial thing.

    Meanwhile, Yu-Seong approached the two at a fast pace and greeted the two reporters first. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting. Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Park Jin-Hwan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Kim Jin-Young.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to your cooperation today,¡± said Yu-Seong politely with a smile.

    Seeing Yu-Seong, Jin-Hwan felt his reporter¡¯s instinct wriggling.

    <i>¡®Ah, I should¡¯ve shot it now.¡¯?</i>

    He felt a bit regretful not taking out the camera since he had thought the filming process should start a littleter. The cold winter air was so severe that even Yu-Seong, who was a yer, had a red face. Still, he looked just as amazingly handsome as Jin-Hwan had thought the other day when he had taken Yu-Seong¡¯s pictures.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, even the dawn cold wind of January melted down with his smile. This smile would go straight to women¡¯s hearts. Ugh, it¡¯s a good title just by imagining it.¡¯?</i>

    Was it because of his thoughts? Without realizing it, Jin-Hwan blurted out, ¡°Do you have any ns to be a model? Oops, pardon me.¡±

    For a moment, Jin-Hwan thought Yu-Seong would be offended, so he quickly apologized.

    However, Yu-Seong just shook his head calmly. He then looked at Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri who followed and addressed them. ¡°I¡¯ll be back, wait for a bit. If it¡¯s cold, go to the car and rest.¡±

    ¡°It is not cold at all,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°Me too. Compared to the snowy dungeon, it¡¯s not cold at all,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    Yu-Seong smiled at their confident replies and nodded. He then looked at Park Jin-Hwan again. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    He didn¡¯t say anything else other than that. That wasn¡¯t a particrly unpleasant expression or action, but Park Jin-Hwan sensed a strange hostility from it. He felt cold sweat running down his back.

    Wasn¡¯t there a phrase about how one''s rxation could make people look up to them? That was exactly how Park Jin-Hwan felt right now. Looking at the silent Yu-Seong, awe unconsciously began rising up in his heart.

    ¡°Reporter Park. Take good pictures. Got it?¡± Yu-Ri quietly said to Park Jin-Hwan from behind.

    Jin-Hwan turned back and agonized. Usually, he would offer amon saying as his typical response.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll work as much as I got paid.¡¯?</i>

    However, today was different.

    ¡°I will do my best.¡±

    When he remembered Yu-Seong¡¯s back, it felt like Jin-Hwan had to say that.

    <i>¡®Still, it¡¯ll be a pointless effort if the results don¡¯te out well¡­¡¯?</i>

    Jin-Hwan grabbed a ck bag containing a magic tech drone that could do filming inside the dungeon. The reason why he and Kim Jin Young hade here today was because of Yu-Ri. Of course, no matter how much money they were being paid, if there was no incident to blow up into a big story, the reports wouldn¡¯t try waiting for them from dawn in this chilly weather.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s first Boss attack. The target is the most difficult 2nd rank dungeon, the Goblin Fortress.¡¯?</i>

    As he followed Yu-Seong who first entered the dungeon square after showing his hunter dungeon pass, Jin-Hwan felt his heart pounding for some reason even though the results have yet toe out.

    <i>¡®Usually, for Goblin Fortress, a hunter will be recognized as a rookie the moment he seeds Boss attack by Solo ying before rank-D, level 50.¡¯?</i>

    ording to the information Jin-Hwan had obtained, Yu-Seong was currently at rank-E level 90. This was no surprise since it had been less than three months since he first obtained the hunter license. Rather, the speed of his leveling up was surprisingly fast. Even so, failure should still be considered first, but it somehow felt like he would definitely seed.

    <i>¡®The important thing is the record, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    There were only five people in Korea who had officially attacked Goblin Fortress at a simr level, before E-rank max level, as Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®If narrowing them down to the person who made the most recent record¡­ There¡¯s only one person, Kim Do-Jin. Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, Jin-Hwan remembered one of his published articles¡ª<i>¡®The rascal who fooled the world raised Kim Do-Jin¡¯s fighting spirit!!</i>¡¯ He clenched his fist as soon as he entered the dungeon square after showing a special ess pass.

    <i>¡®If this goes well, I might be able to post a decent series of stories.¡¯?</i>

    It was now impossible for Jin-Hwan¡¯s heart to not race in excitement.

    ***

    Upon entering the Goblin Fortress dungeon, Yu-Seong could describe his surroundings with a single sentence. It was green and full of a grassy smell. Everything was green, from unidentified sharp leaves that rose to the height of a person¡¯s waist like a pole, small hills covered with vines popped out all over the field, and even small flying insects passing by at high speed¡­

    <i>¡®Even the Goblins upying this ce are green.¡¯?</i>

    This was a world of one color unified enough to feel somewhat monotonous. Even if the Goblins did not try to hide their appearance here, they would blend into the surrounding colors and stay naturally hidden. This was the reason why the dungeon was called the <i>¡®Goblin Fortress¡¯</i> despite itcking a building structure to be called an actual fortress.

    <i>¡®I can see why this ce has the worst difficulty among the 2nd-rank dungeons.¡¯?</i>

    It waste in the day. The unpreferred high-risk dungeon had the sound of insects hiding among bushes that would have cut the skin if anyone was not wearing suits transformed from Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. Moreover, there was a settled darkness since the world had no sunlight. Due to various factors, Yu-Seong¡¯s muscles tightened in nervousness at the surrounding scenery that had no other presence.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s okay. I already looked around once yesterday. It¡¯s quite familiar.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong entered this dungeon the day before to grasp the environment and difficulty for today. He let out a short breath and tightened his grip on the spear.

    Goblins, the second rank monster, were actually a rather weak entity to be called ¡®monster¡¯. In fact, it would be enough for an ordinary adult man who was not a yer to deal a 1:1 match as long as he had his mind straight. To put it simply, Goblins could be easily overwhelmed by any average man in terms of strength alone.

    Nevertheless, the reason Goblins were ssified as second-rank monsters, which was a rank higher than the first-rank monsters which hunters would meet and hunt for the very first time, was that they had dangerous traits that couldpensate for their weak physical abilities.

    The first trait, needless to say, was aggression and ferocity toward humans. Goblins had a more violent nature than most fierce wild beasts for subjects that were very small and weak in power. In particr, their aggression reflected on humans was exceptionally strong among monsters of simr rank.

    It would be so rough that a general person could lose hisposure if they encountered Goblins for the first time. Then, they would be scared and that could lead to serious injury or death in the short period they froze up without any defense.

    <i>¡®I was also surprised to see them for the first time yesterday.¡¯?</i>

    When Yu-Seong read web novels on Earth of the original world, the description and depiction of Goblin came out pretty funny that he had looked down on them. However, his thoughtspletely changed after meeting them in person for the first time yesterday.

    <i>¡®If you let your guard down, it will lead to injury straight away.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong went through the bushes little by little and recalled other dangers Goblins had in his head.

    <i>¡®They are secretive and agile.¡¯?</i>

    And unlike ordinary monsters, Goblins knew how to handle small tools. However, there was something else that made them even more dangerous.

    <i>¡®They never move alone.¡¯?</i>

    Goblins were smart enough to handle tools, so they knew well that it was dangerous to move alone. They were socialized like humans, and they gathered together to hunt humans in their respective roles. As these social factors made humans the top predators in the world even without operating in dungeons, Goblin¡¯s collective action was bound to be quite dangerous.

    <i>¡®Goblins are hiding throughout this Dungeon.¡¯?</i>

    Goblins were hiding in the grass, between the vines of the rising hills, and even beneath ground level. Amid such threats, Yu-Seong entered the dungeon alone to attack the boss monster which was regenerated once a month. He wasn¡¯t very worried about threats within the dungeon, such as the previous kidnapper incident, because he believed in Choi Mi-Na.

 Chapter 62

    <h4>Chapter 62 </h4>

    <i>¡®What happened at that time was something that one of my siblings did.¡¯?</i>

    There was no doubt whatsoever about it, especially since Choi Woo-Jae confirmed it. In such a situation, Yu-Seong did not have to worry about it happening again at least for a year since Choi Mi-Na had promised to draw and keep their attention to herself so that none of them would pay attention to Yu-Seong.

    Of course, Yu-Seong was aware that some unexpected threats could suddenly emerge out of nowhere like the Itaewon incident a while ago. But should he keep all those dangers in mind wherever he went? Of course, he should. However, being cautious and hiding like a coward were twopletely different things.

    <i>¡®Just because I am exposed to danger doesn¡¯t mean I should just hide and crouch down inside the room.¡¯?</i>

    Anyway, Choi Yu-Seong had to grow. The farther he went and the stronger he became, he naturally would be freer from these threats.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t help it until then.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong''s choice was to gain more and more attention.

    <i>¡®Celebrity disease? Attention seeker? I don¡¯t care what they call me. I need such a title anyway, because of the Star Factor skill.¡¯?</i>

    The more people paid attention to him, the more careful those who wanted to pose a threat to him had to be, since there would be more eyes on him. Conversely, the easier it would be to threaten him if he hid.

    <i>¡®Now I¡¯llpletely show myself.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong was already famous. However, it was the ¡°chaebol Choi Yu-Seong¡± who was famous. From now on, he was going to reveal and show more of the ¡°hunter Choi Yu-Seong¡± in particr. As a result, more people would pay attention and look at him wherever he was and whatever he did. Moreover, their gazes would follow him even to the inside of a dungeon.

    .

    Undeniably, this would cause certain inconveniences. That was why he had been grappling with this issue for a while¡ªrevealing himself more¡ªbut he concluded that this was still the best choice he could make.

    Jin Yu-Ri also supported Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s decision. That was why they called the two reporters who were able to shoot pictures with the magic tech drones today, which was the day when the Goblin¡¯s boss monster respawned.

    Although money was quite tight from personally hiring such expensive manpower, this choice would have a great effect on promoting the hunter Yu-Seong. As mentioned, that was because the Goblin Fortress had a particrly high level of difficulty among the second-rank dungeons. Indeed, it was even called a gateway¡ªa credential for rookies who wanted to raise their ransom or enter a well-known guild. One could not even be called a rookie if he could not attack the Goblin Fortress alone before he reached rank-D level 50.

    Because of the name value of Goblin Fortress, Yu-Seong nned to target this ce alone today. For reference, the time when Kim Do-Jin attacked the Goblin Fortress was when he was rank-E level 85.

    <i>¡®His time attack record was 2 hours 28 minutes¡­and how many seconds was it?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong recalled the world¡¯s record at the time, and smiled strangely. He did not need to be greedy.

    <i>`In the first ce, Kim Do-Jin is the protagonist of the novel. Even if I¡¯m confident in this attack, I shouldn¡¯tpare it to his record.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, even so, Yu-Seong still had an interest in the record.

    <i>¡®Anyway, the faster the running record, the better it would be to attract people¡¯s attention.¡¯?</i>

    Hunting the monthly respawned boss monster was an important task to prevent the dungeon break, which was treated as a natural disaster on Earth. ordingly, the hunt would inevitably draw a lot of attention.

    Of course, firstly, the attention would focus on the security factor. No matter how low rank a dungeon was, the casualties and property damage would inevitably be serious once the monsters poured out after the dungeon break. Therefore, hunting must be sessful within a week before the dungeon break urred after the boss monster respawned.

    Therefore, countries generally gave the priority of hunting the dungeon to hunters who needed it for their growth, but if the attack period exceeded four days, they would actively intervene and target the boss themselves before the fifth day passed.

    This was a fairly general idea until the early days of dungeon creation. In modern times, there was one more additional perspective along with this. Commonly referred to as ¡®dungeon racing,¡¯ it was so-called ¡®record-setting¡¯ on the Inte. It was a somewhat bizarre view that arose toward some dungeons which were considered easier to attack and less threatening because the break had not urred for nearly ten years. The public began to pay attention to how quickly and cleverly the hunters cleared the boss monster andpared them with famous hunters who had already cleared it in the past. It was like enjoying a sports game.

    Obviously, the elderly who went through the early days of dungeon creation, schrs and politicians, or associations who still considered the dungeon as a threat, terribly hated this dungeon racing.

    However, as the number of hunters who used those gazes to make their names known increased exponentially and even more fans supporting them emerged, there was no other way to rectify the situation. They also had no other way to deal with the situation at the time, since the number of hunters using the attention to promote their names to the public was increasing exponentially. Moreover, the hunters had their fans cheering for them.

    <i>¡®Because they can¡¯t forcibly prevent dungeon racing in a democratic country¡­¡¯?</i>

    In fact, the culture of dungeon racing itself felt somewhat absurd for Yu-Seong, who knew the future of this world.

    <i>¡®Even in the novel, there were several idents caused by dungeon breaks¡­¡¯?</i>

    Because of that, the other countries that had first-hand experiences suffered from tremendous damage. They strenuously overcame the crisis by requesting help from the Republic of Korea, to be exact, the protagonist Kim Do-Jin. As a result, it would have been a somewhat inevitable choice for the writer to include such settings to make the readers¨Cmostly Korean¨Cproud in terms of nationalism.

    However, despite such a crisis, it was also strange that the culture of dungeon racing itself did not disappear until thepletion of the original novel¡¯s Chapter 1.

    <i>¡®Are the ufortable feelings and entertainment different matters?¡¯?</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong decided to fully utilize the dungeon racing culture in such a situation.

    <i>¡®This world is different from the original novel.¡¯?</i>

    As Yu-Seong has already experienced, any insufficient gap must be filled in some form. When he tried to challenge solo y to set a record, he had to go through more procedures than expected.

    <i>¡®Although Yu-Ri took care of most of it for me¡­¡¯?</i>

    In addition to Yu-Ri¡¯spetence, the rmendation of Park Cheol-Ho, the ¡®Iron Wall¡¯¡ªwho was one of the decision-makers of dungeon racing or formally called DBB (Dungeon Brake Block)¡ªhad a significant influence on Yu-Seong getting permission for the exclusive use of the dungeon from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the respawn day of the Goblin Fortress¡¯ boss monster.

    In other words, the country was already aware of the damage that might ur due to overheated interest in dungeon racing and was fully prepared for it. Yu-Seong could promote his name without harming others, while safety was ensured, and he could raise his skill level. If this performance was good enough to even surprise the people overseas, the national prestige or the so-called ¡®jingoism¡¯ would be filled too.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no reason not to do it.¡¯</i>

    It was not for nothing that skilled hunters chose dungeon racing as a means of making their names known.

    Yu-Seong lightly shook away his useless thoughts. At that moment, from under his feet, a sharp dagger flew under his chin where the suit¡¯s thickness was rtively thin.

    Already feeling the movement, Yu-Seong took a light step back and swung his spear wide. As the silver sh left behind a thin crescent-like shape and cut the sharp bushes, purple blood rose high into the air through the gap.

    <i>¡®Two.¡¯?</i>

    After confirming the number of corpses, Yu-Seong smiled bitterly.

    <i>¡®As expected, they are quite quick on their feet.¡¯?</i>

    There was only one visible dagger that came up to stab under Yu-Seong¡¯s chin, but there were also others who were aiming for his waist and ankles. Three Goblins had attacked Yu-Seong, but only two corpses could be seen. In other words, there was still one left.

    <i>¡®No.¡¯?</i>

    <i>Shaaa-!</i>

    Beyond the wind that shook the tall bushes roughly, Goblin¡¯sughter could be heard. Goblin wasughing at him.

    -Kikig.

    -Kikikig!

    -Kigigigigi.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s at least ten of them hiding.¡¯?</i>

    Maybe more than that. Anyway, they were still just Goblins even though they were quick and clever. They were not even elite monsters.

    <i>¡®It feels quite bad when these trivial guys see me as a prey to be hunted.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had no intention of waiting for the Goblins to seek an opportunity. He decided to use the skill he recently inherited from the three gods, the first of which he liked the most.

    ¡ºInheritance Skill, Magic Spearmanship E++ ¡ú D-

    Fusion is not possible.

    Cu Chinn, the ¡®Cnn¡¯s Hound,¡¯ was a hero who excelled in both spearmanship and magic. The basic Irish Royal Court style is melted into the user¡¯s spearmanship.

    Due to the low rank, many additional effects are sealed.

    ¡´¡´The skill exceeds the limit grade due to Special Skill, Spearmanship Prodigy E.¡µ¡µ

    One of the sealed abilities is unlocked in an unstable form.

    When using Magic Spearmanship inherited from Cu Chinn, you can choose one of the four major elemental attributes (fire, water, wind, earth) to make it stay in the spear.

    The usage time is limited¡ª3 seconds. The number of uses is limited¡ª5 times a day.

    Other abilities are sealed. Please raise the rank to unlock the sealed ability.¡»

    The Goblin Fortress was filled with green bushes. As soon as he remembered the dungeon¡¯s peculiarity, Magic Spearmanship was the first skill that Yu-Seong thought of.

    <i>¡®Change attribute to fire.¡¯?</i>

    Kicking off the ground at once and rushing forward, Yu-Seong swung the spear widely and swept away the entire surrounding area. The transparent light that emerged from his fingertips flowed through the spear and soon became a shy red light that sparked once it reached the de tip.

    <i>¡®Good luck trying to escape to the end, you Goblins.¡¯?</i>

    The fire sparksted for three seconds. It was a very short duration, but the spear¡¯s range was hardly narrow. Centered on Yu-Seong, the fire sparks began to dance splendidly on the bushes that were cut down by the half-moon shape. The green world quickly became dyed in red, resembling the sunset. The ming fire spread widely and acted as a disaster for the Goblins who used these bushes as their best shield.

    -Kieeee-!

    Without even ncing at the Goblins who were screaming and running away, Yu-Seong watched the gap in the rising mes and ran forward using Wind Control.

    <i>¡®No need to pay attention to each normal monster. There¡¯s only one goal I have to focus on.¡¯?</i>

    It was the boss monster, Hobgoblin.

    ***

    ¡°Reporter Kim! Get your mind straight and raise Unit 3¡¯s altitude!¡±

    At Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s urgent cry, Kim Jin-Young, who was sitting right next to him and looking at the monitor together, hurriedlyunched a drone that was lowering its altitude into the air.

    The drone, which was almost swallowed and exploded by the ming fire that covered the surrounding area, rounded halfway through the air as if relieved. It quickly chased after Choi Yu-Seong who ran like the wind.

 Chapter 63

    <h4>Chapter 63 </h4>

    ¡°Any guesses about the skill just now? Is it an elemental type?¡±

    ¡°It looked like a firelight came out of the spear, but¡­¡±

    Upon the activation of the splendid skill, questions arose for a moment. However, the two reporters had to focus on the drone¡¯s controller which they gripped with both hands. They shut their mouths.

    <i>¡®He is faster than I thought!¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll miss him if I don¡¯t focus hard.¡¯?</i>

    Chasing Choi Yu-Seong, who was moving within the splendidrge me in a blur, the talkative reporters found themselves speechless. However, their tense silence did notst for too long.

    Both Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young were experts even among the reporters who could handle magic tech drones. They were also experienced in chasing hunters who were much more agile than Yu-Seong. Their initial carelessness and fluster gradually went away, their movements bing calmer. They could organize their thoughts at a rapid pace.

    ¡°Reporter Park, wasn¡¯t there a rumor saying that Yu-Seong is an Irregr?¡±

    ¡°He has never admitted it himself though.¡±

    ¡°Then he¡¯s not officially an Irregr.¡±

    As if they had alreadye to a conclusion, the two reporters had simr smiles as if they had already made a conclusion.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong is definitely an Irregr.¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®Can this be used as an article?¡¯?</i>

    Because Choi Yu-Seong looked around the dungeon, seemingly appreciating the scenery for a while when he had first entered, the two reporters initially thought he was not that interested in the previous record. Normally, most hunters would try crazily hard to beat the record, even by a single second.

    However, the reporters thought differently as soon as Yu-Seong rushed forward and set the fire.

    ¡°He¡¯ll have no choice but to run fast, because the fire would roast him otherwise,¡± Jin-Young stated.

    Jin-Hwan¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, he is such a crazy guy.¡±

    Jin-Hwan didn¡¯t hesitate to talk behind Yu-Seong¡¯s back, as if he had forgotten that they were hired by Yu-Seong. After all, people tend to talk where no one was there to listen, but more importantly, the silent Jin-Young also shared his thoughts.

    Rough winds blew in the Goblin Fortress dungeon every day. The sound of the strong wind was also a nuisance that prevented previous hunters who had tried to clear the dungeon from reading the Goblin''s movements. And now, the same wind was spreading the fire that Yu-Seong had lit up throughout the dungeon.

    The ming fire took no sides. It could even swallow the fire starter himself, Choi Yu-Seong, so he also had no choice but to look ahead and run. This brought about two clear advantages.

    Firstly, there were only a few Goblins who managed toe his way. Most Goblins who should have jumped out of the bushes and interfered with him were now scattered, fleeing in all directions. Secondly, Yu-Seong still umted experience points every time the Goblins died by being burned alive.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯s leveling up by gaining experience points even while running right now.¡¯?</i>

    Park Jin-Hwan once again thought that Choi Yu-Seong was quite smart.

    ¡°Reporter Park. There¡¯s an assumption I can think of, want to hear it?¡±

    ¡°I bet that our thoughts are rather simr, but sure, tell me.¡±

    ¡°So Choi Yu-Seong is leveling up by killing the Goblins with the fire he had lit, and thanks to that, minor injuries suffered while running are treated quickly. It looks somewhat dangerous, but in fact, he could maintain the best condition until he enters the boss room.¡±

    ¡°Same thought.¡±

    ¡°¡­Reporter Park, has Choi Yu-Seong ever been on something like a young talent tv show when he was young perhaps?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be true, silly. Kekek.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m joking.¡±

    The two reporters shook their heads while exchanging light jokes, but their inner thoughts were simr as well.

    .

    <i>¡®Rank-E level 90 is the perfect time, since it allows him to try raising his rank and level even with normal monsters. Choi Yu-Seong must have calcted the experience points he could gain from the beginning when he had nned to start the dungeon racing.¡¯</i>

    In general, there were three benefits to raising the level.

    The first benefit was the strengthening of physical ability. This was a simple matter; the yer would be faster, stronger, and his eyes would be sharper.

    Secondly, the amount of mana would increase. The amount of mana was not expressed in exact figures, but it was clear that each yer possessed different mana. In addition, this figure steadily increased every time the level was raised.

    Andstly, the recovery effect urred immediately after the level was raised. It was simr to how the stamina and mana were filled up whenever the yer leveled up in general games.

    <i>¡®The difference is that it''s not at the level of bingpletely full immediately after death like how it¡¯s like in the game.¡¯</i>

    When the level was raised, most of the small things were healed except for major injuries such as a body part being cut off, bursting internal organs, and bones bending in reverse.

    ¡°That must be a very expensive battle suit. It¡¯ll probably filter out serious burns.¡±

    In reality, it was the transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice¡ªthe ancient relic that couldn¡¯t be obtained even with money¡ªbut the two reporters could not know that far. However, one thing was certain. Unlike the other hunters, Choi Yu-Seong could reach the boss room in almost the best condition.

    ¡°This is a trick that supposedly cannot be done¡­¡± Kim Jin-Young muttered.

    Park Jin-Hwan nodded. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s a trick. Unless you have already applied for a DBB exclusive attack like now, how could you set fire to the entire dungeon when there are a lot of other people in the dungeon?¡°

    ¡°You¡¯ll be reported right away. If someone gets caught and couldn¡¯t afford the fine, it¡¯ll even be a prison sentence.¡±

    This was why the dungeons made of forest areas including the Goblin Fortress were one of the most reluctant ces for hunters with me-type psychic abilities.

    <i>¡®The most important thing is that even the people who set the fire wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the fire.¡¯?</i>

    Most psychic-type yers were naturally quite poor in physical ability. Therefore, no one in Korea had practiced the idea of setting fire and running away in the Goblin Fortress until now.

    <i>¡®By the way, he would sufficiently be able to reach the entrance of the boss room before dungeon restoration at this speed.¡¯?</i>

    The principle of Dungeon Restoration indicated that all dungeons returned to their original form after an hour no matter what natural disasters urred. Anyway, considering that Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s movement was incredibly fast, chances were high that he would arrive at the entrance of the boss room before that no matter how wide the Field of Goblin Fortress was.

    ¡°Insanely clever and daring. Choi Yu-Seong¡­ How did hee up with this idea and put it into action? No matter how much he calcted, he¡¯ll kick the bucket if he makes a mistake. Is he not afraid of death? That can¡¯t be true. A conglomerate is also a person, no, he shouldn¡¯t want to die even more because he has a lot. Damn. But he burnt his bridge like that and ran? Is it possible? Crazy, he¡¯s crazy!¡±

    Jin-Hwan tended to talk a lot whenever his emotions became greatly agitated. Jin-Young looked sideways and said with a strange smile, ¡°Didn¡¯t someone write an article around a half year ago about Choi Yu-Seong, the worst idiot in the history of the conglomerate family?¡±

    ¡°That jerk is dead.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°He died just now. Stupid jerk, since he doesn¡¯t have an eye for man of ability.¡±

    Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s lips twitched as he insulted himself; it was hard to tell whether he was angry or pleased. Of course, Kim Jin-Young¡ªwho had been by Jin-Hwan¡¯s side for a long time¡ªknew exactly what his feelings were.

    <i>¡®Reporter Park. He must be so excited he¡¯s going to die.¡¯?</i>

    When something really interesting and exciting happened, Park Jin-Hwan made that expression so as not to show his feelings. He said, ¡°Leave the dead alone. Hey, Reporter Kim. How long did it take for Kim Do-Jin to reach the boss room?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­The record¡­I think it was close to an hour and 20 minutes¡­¡±

    The two reporters predicted that Yu-Seong, since he just had to recklessly run forward, would take at most an hour until he reached the boss room.

    ¡°Won¡¯t Choi Yu-Seong be at least 20 minutes faster than him? Isn¡¯t that the best record in Korea?¡±

    Kim Do-Jin held the best record in Korea for reaching the entrance of Goblin Fortress boss room. Also, the Goblin Fortress Dungeon also existed abroad in a very slightly different form. Representatively, there were five dungeons in China, three in the entirety of North America, and two in Europe. Come to think of it, there did exist a figure who used a simr strategy to Yu-Seong overseas. It was so long ago that they forgot, but they suddenly remembered at this moment.

    Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young looked at each other and shouted.

    ¡°The me Emperor!¡±

    ¡°Exactly an hour!¡±

    The two reporters recited the name and records of one of the Chinese heroes, who were considered one of the top five psychic-type yers. Then, they turned their gaze to Choi Yu-Seong.

    Lin Xiao Nuo, ¡®the me Emperor,¡¯ was a yer granted the title of Emperor as a nickname. This was very rare in China.

    No one could recklessly have titles such as Emperor and King in China without the permission of the President, who was regarded as the country¡¯s absolute power. Naturally, those with the title of Emperor rather than King were treated more highly,manding more respect and awe.

    Simply put, Lin Xiao Nuo, ¡®The me Emperor,¡¯ had the second highest level of power and benefits. In China, he was right below the President who had absolute authority.

    Now, Yu-Seong was moving toward a record that could beparable to that. Perhaps he could even achieve a better record than me Emperor in his E-rank period.

    ¡°In fact, Choi Yu-Seong is an all-rounder type hunter.¡±

    ¡°He will definitely be faster than the me Emperor.¡±

    Paying attention to the monitor again, the two were convinced.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s unknown until clearing the boss¡­¡± Park Jin-Hwan wondered aloud.

    ¡°Well for now, isn¡¯t it definitely breaking the world record before reaching the boss room entrance?¡± Kim Jin-Young replied.

    The reporters looked at the monitors with anticipation and great interest. The moment Yu-Seong reached the Boss Room¡¯s entrance, which would lead him underground, the two reporters checked the stopwatch. Their jaws dropped. They were left speechless.

    ¡°Hey, get a grip!¡±

    Jin-Young was so surprised that he almost dropped the drone controller to the floor. He shook his head at Jin-Hwan¡¯s shout to refocus his thoughts and covered his mouth with one hand. There was nothing else to be said. He gasped, ¡°Holy moly! Choi Yu-Seong, he''s crazy!¡±

    For reference, Jin-Young studied abroad.

    ***

    Yu-Seong took 49 minutes 38 seconds to enter the boss room. Lin Xiao Nuo, the ¡®me Emperor,¡¯ had a one-hour record, which was the best record for reaching the Boss Room entrance among the past world records rted to Goblin Fortress. It simply crumbled with noparison to be made.

    It was no wonder that the two reporters who rushed to capture Yu-Seong, who entered the boss room, on their drones cheered for a moment. It was as if they were watching a goal in a Korea-Japan ser match.

    After entering the boss room, Yu-Seong also felt excited.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t know the exact time, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m the fastest so far.¡¯?</i>

    He set fire throughout the dungeon field and ran without looking back.

 Chapter 64

    <h4>Chapter 64 </h4>

    Yu-Seong imitated ¡®me Emperor¡¯ Lin Xiao Nuo¡¯s attack strategy, which was briefly mentioned in the original novel. Perhaps, that was why he was sure that this method would seed even though he had never experimented with it before. And because he was busy running in the dungeon, he could not measure the exact time himself but he was still confident that his record would definitely be faster than Lin Xiao Nuo, who was a psychic-type yer.

    <i>¡®Because Lin Xiao Nuo didn¡¯t put all his skills into strengthening his physical abilities like how Rachel did.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, Yu-Seong was an all-rounded yer and his entire body naturally strengthened whenever he leveled up. This applied even if he did not have rted skills. Thus, he was bound to be faster than Lin Xiao Nuo even if he used the same method.

    However, above all, there was a separate fact that excited Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®At least, at this moment, I¡¯m ahead of Kim Do-Jin.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, it didn¡¯t matter that the record so far was better than Lin Xiao Nuo. The important thing for Yu-Seong was that even Lin Xiao Nuo would be kneeling down after being overwhelmingly defeated by Do-Jin in the nationalpetition that would be held in about six years. In the end, the one who was originally decided to be this world¡¯s protagonist was Kim Do-Jin.

    And, at least for this moment, Yu-Seong was ahead of Kim Do-Jin. It wasn¡¯t something big, but Yu-Seong was aware of the origin of this strange feeling.

    <i>¡®For some reason, I¡¯m feeling a littlepetitive¡­¡¯?</i>

    At first, Yu-Seong thought it would be okay even if he didn¡¯t achieve a good record. However, after having a record that was already this outstanding, he changed his mind, thinking that it would be nice if he did well after all.

    No, even though he didn''t know what woulde next aftering this far, Yu-Seong became eager to set a better record than Kim Do-Jin. At least in a ce like the Goblin Fortress, where it was advantageous for him.

    Perhaps, thanks to the stylish skill that he had activated on the way after burning the entire dungeon, his condition felt exceptionally good.

    <i>¡®I want to win against him¡­at least once.¡¯</i>

    Thoughts soon led to action. Entering the boss room, the basement of Goblin Fortress, Yu-Seong began to run forward and cut through the green grass that rose above the stone floor for some reason.

    In this world, the dungeon¡¯s boss rooms were usually divided into two forms. The first was the boss room¡¯s fundamental basic form where the boss appeared in front as soon as the yer entered. The second form was a kind of passage that required the yer to run to the ce where the boss was even after entering. Yu-Seong had to continue running as the Goblin Fortress belonged to thetter. That was another reason why Goblin Fortress¡¯ clear time was usually longer than that of normal second-rank dungeons.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t even set fire here.¡¯?</i>

    A one-way narrow passage kept going deeper and deeper underground. Of course, if Yu-Seong set fire carelessly, he would have no choice but to die in this dark and narrow ce. There was no ce to escape.

    <i>¡®Did it take an hour for the me Emperor to enter the boss room and then more than two and a half hours until the final clear?¡¯?</i>

    Thus, the me Emperor¡¯s final clear time went over 3 hours and 30 minutes. It was because, after entering the boss room, having the me property as his main attack ability had somewhat hindered him. Of course, this was not a problem for Yu-Seong at all.

    Yu-Seong was an all-rounder-type hunter. He could demonstrate his ability through skills such as Magic Spearmanship, but fundamentally, his physical abilities were not weakpared to other physical-type yers. Well, actually, he was proud of the fact that he had a much better physical abilitypared to others in his rank and level, perhaps because of the constant training and the characteristics of an Irregr.

    <i>¡®Currently, I¡¯ve reached rank-E level 93.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s level had risen by two so far, and this was right after gaining the experience point from burning the entire field of Goblin Fortress. Overall, the increase he had achieved in a short time was remarkable. Thus, Yu-Seong thought his physicalbat ability was notckingpared to a rank D, level 20 yer.

    After dealing with the elite monsters¡ªthe Goblin Assault Crew and three Goblin archers¡ªalone in less than five minutes on the passage, Yu-Seong continued to run forward without pausing to take a breath.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin would have taken less than 3 minutes.¡¯?</i>

    It wasn¡¯t just a guess. In the original novel¡¯s narrative, there was a part where Do-Jin casually ughtered a group of Goblin Fortress¡¯ Elite Monsters in 2 to 3 minutes. This was the first event that showed Do-Jin¡¯s overwhelming fighting ability, which had him recognized by people in South Korea and in the world.

    Until now, the time difference between Yu-Seong¡¯s and Do-Jin¡¯s arrival at the boss room entrance was about 30 minutes. It was safe to say that if he was dyed 10 times in this situation, than Yu-Seong would be overshadowed by Do-Jin¡¯s record.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s senses were also sending simr signals.

    <i>¡®In general, I encountered the group of elite monsters on the way down the passage around five times. If I meet elite monsters more than six times before even seeing the boss, it would be difficult for me to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.¡¯?</i>

    No, the time difference may be too great for him to even dream of getting close to the record. In other words, Yu-Seong had enough chances to break the record if he met less elite monsters.

    <i>¡®Certainly, this would only be within this Goblin Fortress¡­¡¯?</i>

    It was an opportunity that may nevere again. So far, Yu-Seong was going down the underground passage at high speed. During that, he faced a total of five battles. Then, he felt the rather steep ground ttening out. He was approaching the end of the underground passage, which felt quite long before. There was only a very short distance left, but he had information that there would be no more groups of Elite Goblins encountering him from now on.

    Although he knew future information, Yu-Seong did not enter this room without any investigation. Like everyone else who challenged dungeon racing, he also conducted a thorough preliminary investigation, which was why he had this knowledge in the first ce.

    <i>¡®In the end, I¡¯ve done the average number of battles. At least, itforts me that I¡¯ve leveled up at the end and sped up a little.¡¯</i>

    Just a little further and Yu-Seong would be able to meet Goblin Fortress¡¯s boss monster, Hobgoblin. There was only one more hurdle to ovee before that.

    <i>¡®The Crossroads of Choice.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong stopped for a while, then looked at the two forked paths in front of him.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be okay to say that I¡¯m still about 20 minutes ahead of Kim Do-Jin so far.¡¯?</i>

    It was an estimated figure, but Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts were rather urate. He had taken 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the Crossroads of Choice. Kim Do-Jin had taken 1 hour and 36 minutes to reach the same ce.

    <i>¡®There are two roads, and both sides are bound to reach the boss room.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had already found out through preliminary investigation that there were no other pitfalls. However, there was one peculiarity.

    <i>¡®The left passage is extremely far away. It is said that it takes at least 50 minutes for a D-rank physical-type hunter to run with all his might.¡¯?</i>

    It would truly be a long journey around the boss room. It was a path Yu-Seong didn''t really want to choose when he had to set a record doing the dungeon racing. However, there existed an advantage for the left passage.

    <i>¡®There would be no elite monsters appearing. All I have to do is to run.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, there were no variables.

    <i>¡®On the other hand, the right passage is short but there are a lot of Elite Monster groups.¡¯?</i>

    If anyone wanted to set a record and was confident in fighting power, they would usually choose the right path. Yu-Seong was also confident that he would make a pretty good record if he chose the right path.

    <i>¡®However, I won¡¯t be able to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.¡¯?</i>

    If he chose the right passage, Yu-Seong would meet at least ten Elite Goblin groups. In fact, that meant the match against Kim Do-Jin would be considered as a game over.

    <i>¡®Which way should I choose?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly nced at the two passages. After a short silence of less than ten seconds, he made a decision and took a step forward.

    ***

    The two reporters, Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, continued to check the stopwatch without meaning to while filming various angles of Yu-Seong making his way through the boss room. Currently, Yu-Seong¡¯s record had passed over 1 hour and 15 minutes and was heading towards 16 minutes.

    Observing Yu-Seong, who stopped in front of the Crossroads of Choice, Jin-Young smiled in a somewhat rxed way. He said, ¡°I guess it¡¯s up to here. Even if he¡¯s definitely superior to the me Emperor, it would be hard for him to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    But instead of agreeing to his words as Jin-Young expected, Park Jin-Hwan simply kept his mouth shut and kept his eyes on the monitor.

    ¡°Reporter Park?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Thinking about Jin-Hwan¡¯s words for a while, Jin-Young smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I admit that Choi Yu-Seong is amazing. If I try to recall the names of the yers who can hunt as fast as him who¡¯s an E-rank¡ªnot even D-rank¡ªthere are only about ten peopleing to mind. But still, Kim Do-Jin is overwhelming in battle. Whichever path Choi Yu-Seong picks, he¡¯s bound to catch up.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Jin-Young suddenly felt suspicious of Jin-Hwan, who answered indifferently while watching the monitor video that disyed the inside the dungeon being taken with a drone.

    <i>¡®Is there something on the monitor?¡¯?</i>

    The question only lingered for a while because Yu-Seong took steps forward. At least for that moment, Jin-Young¡ªwho had somewhat lowered his expectations¡ªhad no choice but to draw attention back to the monitor.

    <i>¡®Which path are you going to choose, Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯?</i>

    It was a choice between the left path, which was long but stable, and the right path, which was full of variables but short. Jin-Young inwardly hoped Yu-Seong would choose the right passage. He was certain that Yu-Seong would do just that if he was greedy for the record.

    <i>¡®If he still has more hidden abilities, he¡¯ll probably show it this time.¡¯?</i>

    Jin-Hwan¡¯s expectations were understandable. Yu-Seong was still hiding something. In fact, Jin-Young could also tell that for a fact.

    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±

    However, the moment Yu-Seong stepped forward, Jin-Young had no choice but to unconsciously sigh. He felt ashamed after checking the young man¡¯s path.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s going toward the left passage.¡¯?</i>

    It was the long and stable road Yu-Seong had chosen. This meant that he had given up breaking Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record.

    <i>¡®Tch, it¡¯s unfortunate, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¯?</i>

    By the time Jin-Young smacked his lips with regret, Jin-Hwan¡ªwho was still staring through the monitor while controlling the drone¡ªhad a sparkle in his eyes. When something hazy flowed out of Yu-Seong¡¯s hand and began to crawl on the wall, Jin-Hwan asked, ¡°Reporter Kim. Can you see that?¡±

    ¡°Huh. But what skill is that?¡±

    It was a form of skill that Jin-Young had never seen before. At first nce, it was not intended forbat. Above all, Yu-Seong was not running even though he had just entered the left passage. Naturally, questions turned into curiosity and then expectations.

    <i>¡®What if Choi Yu-Seong hasn¡¯t given up yet?¡¯?</i>

    What if that action meant something, something that they couldn¡¯t predict until now?! Gripping the drone¡¯s controller tightly, Jin-Young was also looking at Yu-Seong as if falling in love with his appearance.

    Then, to the amazing scenery that soon unfolded, the two reporters had no choice but to open their eyes very wide for the first time in their lives. Jin-Young, who had dered Yu-Seong¡¯s game over previously, was shouting loudly once again. ¡°Holy, god damn! What the heck, Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    Kim Jin-Young was nning to designate today as his most surprising day of the year.

 Chapter 65

    <h4>Chapter 65 </h4>

    During the first part of the original novel [Modern Master Returns], Kim Do-Jin was on a roll almost every time as the returnee protagonist. However, he had been defeated before.

    <i>¡®There were about three times that he lost. Once to the Demon King, once in the tower, and...''?</i>

    Onest time to a person who could be said to be the final weapon of mankind. That was someone who even the main character Kim Do-Jin couldn¡¯t beat until the end of chapter 1. In fact, thest defeat was a trigger for growth rather than a crisis.

    <i>¡®At any rate, she also yed the role of Kim Do-Jin''s teacher.¡¯</i>

    One day, Choi Yu-Seong might have to meet her as well but that was in the future. Those were things to think about in the very distant future, only after he was more ready.

    <i>¡®After all, she¡¯s someone I should not provoke.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, except for these few defeats, Kim Do-Jin was rarely upset by any other obstacles. Well, the episode that suddenly went through Choi Yu-Seong''s head while he had been agonizing at the Crossroads of Choice was one of those rare cases.

    In three years, a super rookie named Arnold would appear in the United States like aet. In the near future, he would be nicknamed the "Dungeon Master" throughout the United States and considered to have no rival in dungeon racing, thanks to one great skill that only he owned in the world.

    <i>''Special skill, Map Master.''?</i>

    This ability was often described in the form of a map window floating in one corner of the screen when ying simtion games on aputer. The difference was that, generally in simtion games, in order to check theplete form of a map, the yer had to move it by himself at least once to grasp the topography. However, Arnold''s Map Master skill did not have that penalty.

    As soon as he entered and executed his skills, he could immediately open a map of the entire dungeon. That allowed him to know the whole way through a maze at once, and find a secret space or a hidden path.

    Simply put, Arnold''s Map Master skill was the ability to grasp the entire terrain as soon as he entered the dungeon. It went without saying that it was natural that his speed of clearing the dungeon would increase significantly through this skill.

    Moreover, if he was lucky enough, Arnold could often find the hidden ancient relics or treasures of the world in the dungeon¡¯s secret room. Unfortunately, the trap or the monsters¡¯ location was unknown. However, everyone still agreed that the Map Master skill was quite unique and it was a great ability to have.

    At this moment, when Yu-Seong was standing in front of the Crossroads of Choice, it was not just a coincidence that Arnold''s name and his skill passed through Yu-Seong''s mind.

    <i>¡®When Arnold was in E-rank, he boarded a ne to Korea to showcase himself.¡¯?</i>

    And Arnold had evene to Sinwol-dong and had asked for an exclusive use in the boss regeneration season. He did seem very confident that he would be able to break Kim Do-Jin''s record, which had never been officially broken. In the end, however, Arnold had failed to break Kim Do-Jin''s record of 2 hours 28 minutes 33 seconds.

    ¡°Arnold''s record in the original novel was 2 hours 28 minutes 38 seconds.¡±

    The difference in records was only five seconds apart but after that, Arnold acknowledged his shorings and left Korea, dejected.

    Although it had been a rather trivial and meaningless episode, Korea had been able to express their pride through Kim Do-Jin. It had been a somewhat boring and unexpected episode for Yu-Seong as well, but at this moment, the contents went through his mind.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m d I habitually thought of the contents of the novel [Modern Master Returns] before going to bed and wrote them down on my cell phone''s notepad every night.¡¯?</i>

    The contents of the original novel¡ªwhich was originally very clear in his mind¡ªwere definitely getting blurry day by day.

    <i>¡®And now, these little episodes are noting to my mind without any stimtion.¡¯</i>

    As expected, Yu-Seong was d that he had started to record his memories. Thanks to this habit, the speed of forgetfulness had reduced and he could immediately recall such things in the moment.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, Arnold said in the interview that he even used a secret weapon at the Crossroads of Choice, but eventually failed.¡¯</i>

    Arnold''s secret weapon? Yu-Seong did not even have to think about what it would have been. Truthfully, Arnold was at an overwhelming disadvantagepared to Kim Do-Jin in terms ofbat power. And yet, the fact that he had left behind such a high record meant that he had great abilities as a Map Master.

    <i>''If it''s not in the left path, it''ll be in the right path.''?</i>

    Either way, there existed a third path somewhere, which was the shortest way to run into the boss. The only problem was that the original novel did not express its detailed location, since it had been a trivial episode. Nevertheless, the reason why Choi Yu-Seong first came to the left path was simple.

    <i>¡®If there was a secret passage, wouldn''t it be more likely to exist in the long one?¡¯?</i>

    In fact, this wasn¡¯t a big concern for Yu-Seong now.

    <i>¡®Or I can quickly go back to the other side and check. Thank you, Scathi. Without your skill, I would have to give up here.¡¯?</i>

    This was the second skill that Yu-Seong had recently inherited from the three gods.

    ¡º Inheritance Skill: Twin snakes biting their tails E

    Fusion is not possible.

    Scathi, the Oldest Hunter, has never missed a single target.

    Summon a translucent twin snake that is not easily visible to the eye and track down its opponent.

    Think of the name and appearance of the goal as urately as possible in your head.

    Additional effects are sealed due to low rank.

    The ability is limited.

    You cannot pass through walls or obstacles.

    If the tracking distance is outside the 2 km radius, the twin snake automatically disappears.

    Reusetency exists¡ª3 minutes.¡»

    In fact, it was a skill that Yu-Seong thought would be sealed for a while since it seemed to be useless.

    <i>¡®But now it¡¯s a different situation.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not have a skill like Arnold¡¯s Map Master ability. However, the twin snake that he just released would somehow find the Hobgoblin¡ªthe boss monster that Yu-Seong recalled in his head¡ªeven if they had to find a hidden path.

    <i>¡®It would be nice if they could find it at once¡­¡¯</i>

    With a small hope, Yu-Seong looked at two haze-like snakes that had already left his hand. Then, one of the two pushed his head toward somewhere in the gap in the wall that Yu-Seong had been looking at.

    "Good," Yu-Seongmented. Afterward, he jumped toward the wall after he saw the snake disappearing like a mollusk was dragging it in. Then, he began to trace the wall recklessly.

    <i>¡®If there''s a secret space, it¡¯ll be somewhere around here¡­¡¯</i>

    Sure enough, with a rattling <i>¡®ck,¡¯?</i>the part of the wall that was touched by the tip of Yu-Seong''s right palm created a deep concave. That was when the third road opened with the rumble of an operating engine. It was the secret passage.

    Yu-Seong ran through a path that no one had ever thought of before. The wide dome-shaped interior was stretched through a secret path without a single monster.

    Standing at the end of the passageway¡ª-which was like a cliff located somewhat high up¡ªYu-Seong looked down. At the end of the huge crowd of the Elite Goblin group, the Hobgoblin was sitting on a chair and leaning back like a king. He screamed violently when he found Yu-Seong.

    Goblins with poison needles, or bows, posed a threat by pointing their own weapons. Then, there were threatening attacks aiming right at Yu-Seong. The sounds of the Goblins spread, reflected, and rebounded, causing him to be dizzy.

    In the turmoil and the overflowing scenery of flesh, Yu-Seongughed.

    <i>''At least the time is reduced by nearly two times!¡¯?</i>

    The actual consumed time was 25 minutes. Within the total time of 1 hour and 41 minutes, Yu-Seong had finally reached the boss room faster than anyone else. It was simply the best record ever.

    Yu-Seong grabbed his spear. He arrived on a rather high hill, but there was no need to worry about the time gap ofnding.

    <i>¡®In fact, it¡¯s better. The record for dungeon racing is set at the moment the boss monster dies.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong just had to attack the boss''s head from the beginning. He jumped high without hesitation and carried out the Wind Control Execution. Then, he hit the arrow that flew toward him with the spear and opened his palm. The boss monster, Hobgoblin, and the elite group who were raising their heads with angry eyes looked at Yu-Seong while everything seemed to be happening in slow motion.

    <i>''Loki, I''ll make sure to use the skill you gave me in a very grumpy way.''?</i>

    It was thest skill that the three gods had handed over. The skill that was passed down by Loki¡ªwho was one of the strongest gods in Norse mythology¡ªwas executed through Yu-Seong''s palm.

    ***

    Yu-Seong felt tremendous excitement, just as Do-Yoon did when the first three gods had simultaneously handed over the skill. After regaining consciousness, he had even felt a thrill when he checked his skills with his own eyes.

    <i>¡®The Magic Spearmanship! Cu Chinn''s been very generous!¡¯?</i>

    Was it because the god had been aware of hisck of dignitypared to the other two gods? From the beginning, Cu Chinn had passed down one of his representative skills, that was not even too high in rank, but had the perfect form for Yu-Seong to use.

    Yu-Seong had expressed his admiration inwardly.

    <i>¡®Indeed, you are the Prince of Light in Irnd! You''re a light, just like your nickname.¡¯?</i>

    When he had seen the second Inheritance Skill, which was the Twin snakes biting their tails, Yu-Seong had tilted his head in confusion.

    <i>''It''s also a growing skill, but it''s unclear where to use it for now.¡¯?</i>

    It wasn¡¯t bad, but Yu-Seong initially couldn¡¯t think of some practical usage of the skill. He felt quite pleasant when using this skill quicker and more effectively than he had thought in this process of dungeon racing.

    Andstly, the third skill had been given by Loki. In a way, Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to click his tongue at the first moment when he had confirmed the skill given by Loki¡ªwhich he had high expectations from the start as it was from the god with the highest name value among the three.

    <i>''Wow, is this for real? How petty of him. Is it because I epted himst or what?¡¯?</i>

    ¡ºInheritance Skill, Disturbing Dance Moves F (MAX)

    Fusion is possible.

    This is a skill that ¡®Joke-loving Prankster¡¯ has given to test you.

    Spread your palm and emit a shing light about 100m in front.

    The light dances and disturbs the opponent''s vision. ¡»

    It was called <i>¡®Inheritance Skill¡¯,</i> but it actually had the same effect as a general skill. Moreover, there was no possibility of growth that there was even a sign that the F rank was in Max level.

    ¡°Loki, you¡¯re as narrow-minded as Odin."

    - The Joke-loving Prankster finds your abusive words very unpleasant.

    He is sending a direct message to the yer Choi Yu-Seong, saying ¡®<i>You¡¯re the one that has a narrow vision, you idiot!</i>¡¯.

    Loki''s message was transmitted in a colorful form several times more than usual,ing after Yu-Seong¡¯s unconsciously spoken self-talk. It was the first direct message Yu-Seong ever received. The part of the message that Loki himself had uttered was burning as if they were on fire.

 Chapter 66

    <h4>Chapter 66 </h4>

    In fact, Yu-Seong could understand why Loki would feel so upset after beingpared to Odin, who he dreadfully hated. He quickly apologized, "I own up to my mistake, it was too harsh. I¡¯m sorry!"

    Do those on god¡¯s throne always hear the voice of the hunter they kept their eyes on? Yu-Seong sincerely gave a short apology though the answer was unknown. Of course, that apology didn''t just escape his lips without any thought. Through that message, Yu-Seong immediately realized what he had first missed.

    <i>¡®It can be fused.¡¯</i>

    In general, the inheritance skills were often impossible to fuse. The twin snakes biting their tails was one such example. This was because of the strong characteristics of the god who inherited the skill. However, the Disturbing Dance Moves skill did not seem to be of that kind.

    <i>¡®But it looks quite simr to the Fancy Disco that I got rid of in the early days¡­¡¯</i>

    The difference was that it was an emission-type skill, which was the most favored skill-type among the psychic skills.

    <i>¡®What the heck does he expect me to use it for?¡¯?</i>

    Unlike back then, Yu-Seong smiled brightly and immediately invoked his Fusion skill. As a result, among the skills he had for now, a skill that could be called the ¡®<i>strongest</i>¡¯ in terms of general attack had been born.

    * * *

    Yu-Seong''s dungeon racing was over. After checking the records and reviewing them once more, the two reporters packed their bags and headed out of the dungeon square to their affiliated media. Then, all night long, they scribbled the article, added a video, and pressed the update button early in the morning when the other employees started to head to their work.

    Park Jin-Hwan, the Min-Guk Newspaper¡¯s reporter, immediately checked the main screen of one of the rival mediapanies¡ªthe Dae-Guk Newspaper. He then sighed with a fairly relieved look. "It¡¯s not up yet."

    "What is not up? Sunbae-nim, did you stay up all night to write an article?¡± Seo Yu-Rim, a junior in her third year with the Min-Guk Newspaper, approached Jin-Hwan and asked. She thought that Jin-Hwan looked like hell.

    "Of course. It feels kind of bad to be pushed to second ce when there¡¯s an opportunity to report on big issues such as this,¡± Jin-Hwan said. He smiled like a winner. As if nothing could fluster him, he once again refreshed the Dae-Guk Newspaper¡¯s main website.

    ¡ù Unbelievable! Goblin''s recent DBB record has been broken! Who''s the man of the hour?

    - Reporter Kim Jin-Young

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I was a minute faster. And the title of my article is better. It¡¯s my victory, Kim Jin-Young, haha,¡± Jin-Hwan gloated.

    "Oh, youpeted with reporter Kim from the Dae-Guk Newspaper. By the way, there¡¯s a new record for Goblin dungeon racing? Umm... Who was first ce before?"

    "Kim Do-Jin."

    "What? Someone broke his record? Who?¡± Seo Yu-Rim grabbed Jin-Hwan''s mouse and tried to head over to the article posted by Jin-Young, since she was simply too curious. Just before she could do so, she cried out, "Ouch!"

    "Oh, not that way. You¡¯re going to raise thepetitor¡¯s number of views."

    Jin-Hwan pped the back of Yu-Rim¡¯s hand, naturally took over the mouse, and clicked on the Min-Guk Newspaper¡¯s main website.

    "I made a mistake. By the way, the article... Oh, my goodness, is this real?¡± Yu-Rim asked after just reading the title. Before even reading the entire article, she widened her eyes and covered her mouth in shock.

    ¡ùThe fool of the chaebol group? Not anymore! He¡¯s a talented conglomerate! Choi Yu-Seong has beaten Kim Do-Jin and made an ''overwhelming'' new record.

    "Would I put this on the main page as a joke? We even filmed everything with drones.¡±

    "Wow, he''s the Choi Yu-Seong I know of, right?¡±

    "If you''re talking about Choi Yu-Seong, who¡¯s the best ipetent rascal and drunkard in the Korean Financial World¡­ You¡¯re right."

    Seo Yu-Rim¡¯s jaw fell to the floor in disbelief. She clicked on the video at the top of the article. Then, the first thing she did was check the video¡¯s total duration.

    <i>¡®1 hour, 59 minutes, 26 seconds.¡¯?</i>

    Park Jin-Hwan could guess what Yu-Rim was thinking, so he said with a smile, "For your information, it''s a full version without any editing. I didn''t even have time to do that."

    "...What was Kim Do-Jin''s record?¡±

    "2 hours, 28 minutes, and 33 seconds."

    "Then, there''s about...a 30-minute difference?¡±

    "It''s crazy, right?¡±

    Yu-Rim couldn¡¯t have expressed it any better herself. Out of sheer disbelief, she shouted, "You''re lying!¡±

    As she pressed the video yback button, her shout had attracted the other reporters of Min-Guk Newspaper who were just arriving at work. They began to flock around Park Jin-Hwan¡¯s monitor.

    "What''s going on?"

    "Hey, reporter Park, did you catch another big one?¡±

    "A picture is worth a thousand words. You guys should just watch the video." Park Jin-Hwanfortably leaned back in his chair and shifted the monitor screen for everyone¡¯s easy viewing. Then, he watched their backs with his arms folded.

    Those who came a littlete and couldn''t get past the crowd to take a look at the monitor quickly turned theirputers on. They checked the video by clicking on the article which was on the main banner of their ownpany¡¯s website.

    There was a long silence. A long time was passing everyone by, but no one seemed to care.

    "Wow, awesome!"

    "Is that really Choi Yu-Seong?"

    "His entrance level is 91? Should I buy Comet Group stock now?"

    ¡°Hey, reporter Park. Did you spread this on foreign media?!¡± The Min-Guk Newspaper¡¯s editor-in-chief, who was silently watching the video among the employees, urgently asked Jin-Hwan.

    "Of course I did," Jin-Hwan answered with a smile. He raised two fingers in the shape of a V.

    "Good job. That''s amazing. It¡¯s a big hit, a <i>really</i> big hit. Great job, reporter Park!"

    "Wow... It would be crazy if it¡¯s stered on foreign media."

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, wouldn¡¯t he get a nickname right away?¡±

    "Why don¡¯t we give him one ourselves?"

    Everyone looked extremely excited, just like the time when Kim Do-Jin had first cleared the dungeon.

    Park Jin-Hwan, who had been trying his best to remain calm until now, stood up and also took part in the reporters¡¯ enthusiastic talk. He chimed in, "The progress itself was quite smart, and it was amazing that he found a hidden secret passageway.¡±

    "That second skill, right? At first nce, it looked like a tracking system, but doesn¡¯t it look like some kind of sensory skill upon second nce? I don¡¯t think he found the secret passage with that skill.¡±

    "If he has a super-sensory skill, it''s actually hard to say that he is just a regr hunter."

    "But what''s slightly strange is that Choi Yu-Seong''s behavior was so natural. It¡¯s as if he knew there was definitely a secret passage."

    "Did he have any information?"

    "If the information has not yet been revealed, it should be considered a personal ability."

    Once they opened their mouths, the reporters¡ªwho often referred to themselves as the hunter experts¡ªactively expressed their opinions. While watching them, Park Jin-Hwan slightly pulled his chair back and smiled. Without realizing that Park Jin-Hwan had backed up, the reporters continued on with their conversations.

    "After all, it''s one of the two. It was Yu-Seong''s n from start to finish, or his super-sense instinctively led him toward the optimal path."

    "It''s crazy either way, but I feel like it¡¯s the former."

    "Was there a hunter in Korea who could n and do all that during E-rank?"

    For a moment, the reporters looked at each other and fell speechless. They shook their heads firmly.

    "Even for Kim Do-Jin. His power was just overwhelming. He didn¡¯t y strategically.¡±

    "In fact, Kim Do-Jin is a bit like a beast. He''s instinctive and wild. And yet, his swordsmanship is artistically elegant. That¡¯s why he is popr."

    "Then, let¡¯s see. In our opinion, Choi Yu-Seong is a scheming-type yer who is one of the best. I mean, the best among the domestic rookies. On the other hand, Kim Do-Jin is certainly an outstanding instinct-type yer?¡±

    ¡°Why even bother to distinguish their types? Just by looking at the results right now, Choi Yu-Seong has beaten Kim Do-Jin at least in this Goblin Fortress¡¯ race, right?¡±

    Yu-Seong¡¯s record was about 1 hour and 59 minutes, which was less than two hours too. Recalling this fact once again, the editor-in-chief who had been listening to the reporter''s words, tapped his chin. He said, "It''s not just about nning. I''m sure there was some kind of bone-cutting effort. If you look at it, the movement using skills was quite natural, and the mana operation was incredibly good. I''m sure he trained himself over and over every day.¡±

    "Who called him ¡®thezy guts¡¯...?"

    "We''ve beenpletely deceived.¡±

    Park Jin-Hwan sat back up in his seat and raised his head among the smirking reporters. He asked, "Everyone must be surprised. But you all agree that <i>¡®that¡¯</i> is the best part, right?"

    "Oh, I think I know what you¡¯re talking about, Sunbae-nim. <i>That</i>, you mean?¡± Seo Yu-Rim raised her hand with sparkling eyes and pulled the already finished video scroll bar slightly forward to y it again.

    It was the point where 1 hour and 41 minutes had just passed. It was when Choi Yu-Seong had encountered a group of Elite Goblins after he had escaped from the secret passage. He had flown into the sky before opening his palm, using a skill that left a strong impression in everyone''s head who watched the video.

    * * *

    Rewinding the time back to dawn, this was when Yu-Seong had encountered the Goblins and flew over to them. He opened his palm and released a group of colorful and dazzling lights.

    A group of Goblins did not even think that such a group of lights would be a disaster for them, but they ended up screaming and swinging their weapons at the group of lights. And at that moment, the group of lights that appeared to be splitting apart from the Goblins¡¯ weapons began to dance like crazy and shook electric shocks in all directions.

    ¡ºSpecial, Fused Inheritance Skill Dancing Electric Doll E

    Fusion is possible.

    Unfold your palm and release the dancing electric doll within 100m of the front. The electric doll emits 12 electric sparks per second to the surrounding area during the dance.

    The duration is 5 seconds. There is no wait time for reuse.

    The mana consumption of this skill is quite intense.¡»

    Spark, which was Yu-Seong''s unique attack skill until now, and Disturbing Dance Moves, the skill Loki had handed over, hadbined to be Choi Yu-Seong''s best attack skill in existence. Yu-Seong consecutively used that skill three times in the air.

    <i>''This is the limit. If I try to invoke another one, I¡¯ll get a mana overload.¡¯?</i>

    In the Goblin Fortress¡¯ final core, there were elite monsters clustered in groups.

    Choi Yu-Seong already knew that from the information he had, so he had saved his most powerful attack skill, the Dancing Electric Doll, until now. This was because it would consume a lot of his mana.

    Thanks to this, the group of Elite Goblins, who were preparing to attack Yu-Seong at once, burned in agony and twisted their bodies in a morbid dance alongside him.

    While watching their writhing figures, Yu-Seong drew a smile. He looked somewhat pale. When fighting directly with a spear without the electric doll, he barely caught two or three Goblins in over about five minutes.

    However, as the Dancing Electric Doll began to run wild, ten of the Elite Goblins simultaneously died in less than three seconds.

    If it wasn¡¯t Yu-Seong¡ªwho was the rich conglomerate who could afford to drink the mana juice every day¡ªit would be hard to execute this skill even once a day. This was because it had an excessive mana consumption rate. However, he very much liked this skill.

    At the same time, Yu-Seong was somewhat disappointed.

    <i>¡®If the bushes were spread out like other terrains, the Goblins would have been exterminated by this already.¡¯</i>

    1. A Korean word that refers to a far more experienced person within the same school,pany, or group

 Chapter 67

    <h4>Chapter 67 </h4>

    The electric sparks basically had thunder properties, but they also had fire properties since they blew fire mes.

    If it was a battlefield full of bushes, like the topography so far, all of the Elite Goblins would have instantly died in this attack no matter how strong they were.

    The Goblin Fortress¡¯ final settlement, where Hobgoblins were located, was like the inside of a cave made of pure stone. It was unfortunate, but in a way, it was a relief for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®If the ce burned down, I would have a hard time trying to escape too.¡¯?</i>

    Or simrly, Yu-Seong might have had to hide at the end of a secret passage where there were no bushes and wait an hour for the dungeon to naturally recover.

    In any case, Yu-Seong settled in a somewhat safe spot even before the five seconds of the Dancing Electric Doll finished.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s electrifying!¡¯</i>

    Despite wearing a battle suit with a fairly high electricity cutoff rate, Yu-Seong could feel the thrilling sensation all over his body. The back of his head tingled. However, thatsted for only a short time. Yu-Seong jumped to the Hobgoblin, who stood up from the throne and aggressively jumped.

    The Hobgoblin was wondering what to do with the electric doll¡¯s sudden attack.

    <i>¡®The Stylistic is at its peak.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s spear once again became glowing red; it was enhanced by the Magic Spearmanship¡¯s fire property. When it prated directly through the Hobgoblin¡¯s shoulder, Yu-Seong could feel the cool sensation that ripped through the boss monster¡¯s flesh and broke its bones. The smell of the Goblin''s disgusting flesh and the fishy blood assailed Yu-Seong¡¯s nose as the monster was grilled in various forms.

    At the same time, Hobgoblin shouted while grabbing Yu-Seong''s spear with one hand despite making an expression of pain and misery.

    -Keeeek!

    Being a headrger than the typical Goblins, the Hobgoblin had a thick forearm. With that, the Hobgoblin tore its shoulder and pulled out the spear. Then, it swung its uniquely curved sword toward Yu-Seong and hit his abdomen.

    Although the sword could not prate the battle suit, Yu-Seong was shaken by the blunt weapon¡¯s strong blow. Then, the Hobgoblin''s curved sword did not miss the opportunity and flew toward Yu-Seong''s neck.

    Yu-Seong escaped the crisis by using Wind Control Execution and wiped the blood flowing from his mouth with the back of his hand.

    <i>¡®So you''re a boss monster after all, huh. You''re a pretty tough guy.¡¯</i>

    Time slipped away and all the electric dolls were soon gone. There were five Elite monsters, and a somewhat scarred Hobgoblin left.

    <i>¡®Not bad. I can do it.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong took a deep breath andpletely immersed himself in battle¡­ As a result, after roughly 20 minutes of the bloody battle, he was about to put the long spear de in the center of the open-eyed Hobgoblin¡¯s neck.

    The level has risen.

    The level has risen.

    The level has risen.

    The level has risen.

    The level has risen¡­

    The E-rank MAX level has been reached. Challenge yourself on the promotion evaluation!

    Yu-Seong read the messages that energized him while sweeping up his sweat-soaked hair. He smiled brightly as he looked at the drone filming himself in the air.

    <i>¡®Great.¡¯</i>

    If he did this much, it would look amazing to the public from any possible perspective.

    * * *

    Korea, no, the whole world waspletely overturned after Yu-Seong''s Goblin Fortress dungeon racing video had been released.

    Kim Jin-Young¡¯s article was a step slower than Park Jin-Hwan, but his video editing process was much faster. The number of views of his uploaded video on NewTube exceeded 50 million views in less than a week. People expected that the video would soon reach 100 million views.

    Park Jin-Hwan did not only step back and watch Jin-Young''s good performance. He had also received a solo report video from Choi Yu-Seong''s stan, edited the video, reported and posted it on both the website and NewTube in less than half a day.

    ¡ùChoi Yu-Seong has already won a fight against the second-rank dungeon''s boss Monster? Feat. Sand Officer

    After half a day passed since Park Jin-Hwan released the second video, the first and second most popr videos on NewTube were all about Choi Yu-Seong. Naturally, the world focused all of its attention on Yu-Seong. There was even news about him in the United States, CNL.

    ¡ù Who is Choi Yu-Seong who broke the record of top prospect Kim Do-Jin?

    ¡ù The Millionaire genius hunter!

    There was also news on the British Broadcast station, BBD.

    ¡ù The Discovery of the New Talent in the Republic of Korea

    ¡ù A fearless viin, revered as a genius

    There was also news on the Japanese Broadcast station, NHN.

    ¡ù Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, the dragon and the tiger.

    ¡ù Yamamoto Kyosuke, the King of Patience, said the Korean talents have reached their starting point. But we should not rush to judge as the bubble may burst soon.

    The world''s leading media reported news and articles about Yu-Seong. There were pouring interview requests. That wasn¡¯t even the end.

    Choi Woo-Jae went to work and sat in his office to read press releases from each country. He suddenly smiled when he remembered receiving a phone call from Chinese President Wang Kaist night.

    After that, he picked up the phone straight away and quickly made a call somewhere. He could hear quite a lot of rings as the call remained unanswered for a long time. If there were others nearby, they would have been quite surprised. Choi Woo-Jae, the Comet Group¡¯s chairman, was calling, and he waited for a long time. This was certainly a rare case.

    Soon, a voice mixed with a loudugh came from the other end of the phone with a tter.

    -Oh, look who¡¯s here! What got the busiest man in Korea to call me?

    "Haha... Even if I''m busy, I do what I have to do. You''ve been quiettely. Everything okay?"

    -Thanks to you, I''m spending myst years very peacefully.

    ¡°Your grandchild is so cute. When are you going to show him off?¡±

    -Ah, I¡¯ll show him off for sure, since it¡¯s you who asked. I, Baek Joon-Kyung, have aplished all that I have because of you.

    If Choi Yu-Seong heard this name¡ªBaek Joon-Kyung¡ªhe would have understood Choi Woo-Jae''s unfamiliar behavior while looking surprised.

    Baek Joon-Kyung was the Republic of Korea¡¯s former President, who was once an S-rank hunter. During Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s heyday as a hunter, Joon-Kyung had been the hunter who was the team¡¯s leader. Now, Joon-Kyung had taken a step back from the hunter world and retired from politics but was still called one of the living legends of the country.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal. By the way, why don''t we meet and y golf? That way, I can see your grandchild as well. I¡¯ve not seen you in a long time.¡±

    -Golf?

    Perhaps it was an unexpected word, because Baek Joon-kyung uttered that word in an unreadable tone from the other end of the line.

    -Ahhh¡­ Now I see. You called to brag about your son! Yes, Choi Yu-Seong. This clever one caused a serious ident this time, right?

    Choi Woo-Jae shook his head from side to side at his quick-witted friend''s words. He said, "It¡¯s not a big deal and just a small thing to talk about. Oh, well, there was an annoying call yesterday night just when I was going to sleep. Has it been 10 years? You know, King Kai."

    -The Chinese President? You mean that old python? Come to think of it, he¡¯s still alive. But what about him?

    "Oh, well, he said if I send Yu-Seong to China, he will drive sales profits of about 30 trillion won to the Comet Group every year.¡±

    -That scoundrel¡¯s very generous. He seems to like your son very much. So what did you say?

    "What do you mean? You think he¡¯s worth only 30 trillion won? It makes no sense.¡±

    -Of course not. If that rascal had said so, he would have asked you to transfer your ninth child''s nationality. But no way. I''ve heard a rumor, but that child¡ªhe¡¯s our country¡¯s treasure. Don''t even think about giving him away. Otherwise, even I won''t forgive you.

    Woo-Jae nodded while somehow feeling better at Baek Joon-Kyung¡¯s rigorous words. He replied, ¡°Of course not, even if he said he would give 300 trillon won, I wouldn¡¯t send Yu-Seong to China. Not even if they treat him as a King or something.¡±

    -Hahaha, now I see that you have a lot to brag about. Yeah, golf¡ªwe should y sometime for sure. When do you have time?

    "If you''re free, I can go meet you right away."

    -Right now? We''re in Goseong right now. Wouldn¡¯t it be afternoon when you arrive?

    "Oh, it doesn''t matter. It¡¯ll be a perfect time to go there by car, have lunch, and y golf."

    -Hahaha. You are certainly an active hunter¡ª-full of energy. Yeah, I¡¯ll go meet you when you arrive.

    ¡°Then, hang in there.¡± Woo-Jae hung up the phone with a snap and rose from the warm chair that supported him. Then, he connected the inte to the secretary''s office.

    -Yes, chairman.

    "I''m going to go to Baek Joon-Kyung. Tell them to get ready at once."

    -Yes, sir.

    After the inte was cut off, humming, Choi Woo-Jae dressed in a tracksuit that looked several times lighter than what he wore to thepany. He also wore a thick padded jacket on top of it.

    Then, he suddenly trembled and said, ¡°...If Kim Pil-Doo, that friend, was here, he would be nagging me.¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae briefly recalled his right-hand man, who was currently in Ennd due to his work. Then, he shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°Thanks to Yu-Seong, I¡¯m on cloud nine these days. I should think of a gift for him while ying golf today.¡± Woo-Jae decided so, and left the chairman''s office with a light step.

    ***

    In a sunless eight-story building located somewhere in Jong-ro, Seoul, there was a new signboard hanging on the fifth floor. There was not even an elevator, so it could only be reached by climbing the high stone stairs on one¡¯s two legs. The writing on the signboard said¡ª ''<i>The Hunter Guild, Eclipse</i>.¡¯

    Inside, Kim Do-Jin tilted his head. He had entered a little more than thirty pyeong of space that has not even been organized yet. "Is this all?"

    Right behind Kim Do-Jin, Baek Ah-Rin replied in a depressed voice while putting her hands together as if she were a sinner.

    "...Yes."

    "I think you said you wanted to build apany building."

    "Well¡­ That¡¯s the goal. But thisnd in Seoul was more expensive than I thought. The building I originally aimed for was exactly ten times more expensive than this! Wahahaha!" shouted Ah-Rin as she burst intoughter. Then, she scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

    "So, you only bought one floor of this building?" asked Do-Jin.

    "No. I only bought this room. At least, I can see my goal building out of the window here," Ah-Rin replied.

    Kim Do-Jin once again nced around the inside of the room and nodded lightly. "It''s not bad.¡±

    "Okay. Sorry for my greed... What?" Ah-Rin blinked in surprise.

    "If you and I had put our names on the line, there would have been quite a few ces to support us. Doesn''t it mean that you rejected everything that started in a small ce like this?"

    ¡°Well, that''s true... But usually, people prefer to start with support," Ah-Rin said.

    "Well done. Once you start borrowing someone else''s hand, you¡¯ll have to repay them in any form. And I can''t give you such a small sum of money for what I''m doing myself."

    "But you know, the price of the building I''m going to buy is over 80 billion won."

    "I''m Kim Do-Jin. From now on, my ransom will be ridiculously over ten times that.¡±

    "Um... You¡¯re so full of yourself.¡±

    Whether Baek Ah-Rin cried or not, Kim Do-Jin looked at the city scenery filled with quite a few buildings that looked somewhat suffocating while he was standing in front of the room¡¯s sunny window.

    <i>¡®So there¡¯s an area that only the guild can buy¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin could roughly predict where it would be. However, that was all, so he didn''t pay much attention.

    <i>¡®Baek Ah-Rin is a good colleague. I¡¯m not getting the short end of the deal. ¡®?</i>

    Anyway, now, the two were in the same boat.

 Chapter 68

    <h4>Chapter 68 </h4>

    Kim Do-Jin nned to create a kingdom full of supporters to help him, just like he had achieved from a different dimension. He looked around the ce, which seemed rather shabby and unattractive, and said, ¡°And soon, we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the money.¡±

    "What?" Baek Ah-Rin tilted her head at Do-Jin¡¯s suddenment.

    "My friend, who will soon join our guild, has quite a lot of money."

    "Your friend?" asked Ah-Rin.

    Most people in the world were being deceived by Kim Do-Jin. He appeared to be quite kind, cheerful, and humble on TV and media, but Ah-Rin found him to be a very different person. She had only met him for a short time, but still.

    <i>¡®He''s confident, shameless, and narcissistic. He believes he is the center of the world¡­ He¡¯s also a little psychotic, for sure.¡¯</i>

    Ah-Rin was surprised that such a person would actually call someone a friend. To be honest, she wondered if she had misheard Do-Jin.

    ¡°It''s a name you would also know well¡ªChoi Yu-Seong," Do-Jin said.

    "Choi Yu-Seong? The new star of the Comet group?" Ah-Rin asked.

    ¡°...Isn¡¯t it the rascal from a Comet group?¡± Kim Do-Jin was the one to express surprise at Baek Ah-Rin¡¯s unexpected reaction this time.

    "Oh,e to think of it, you''ve been stuck in a dungeon for more than a week until this morning so wouldn¡¯t know about this. Choi Yu-Seong, broke your record from¡­.where was it? Oh, from the Goblin Fortress dungeon racing.¡±

    "...What?"

    "It''s still crazy. Why didn¡¯t you watch the news as soon as you came out?"

    "I didn''t have time to watch it, since I washed up and came straight here to keep my promise.¡±

    "I see. Anyway, it was amazing. There''s a video on Newtube. You know, he¡¯s nearly half an hour faster than your record¡­¡±

    "30 minutes?" Kim Do-Jin furrowed his thick ck eyebrows and hurriedly took out his cell phone. He quickly opened the NewTube app and searched Choi Yu-Seong''s name. While watching the video, his facial expression changed from minute to minute.

    <i>''This is fun. What exactly is the rtionship between these two?''</i>

    Baek Ah-Rin had never seen Kim Do-Jin¡¯s anxious look before. After watching Do-Jin out of seeming appreciation, she said in a yful voice, "I saw the video and it was no joke. At this rate, wouldn¡¯t Choi Yu-Seong be going to beat you soon?"

    "...Bullshit," Do-Jin answered lightly while clicking his tongue. He continued watching the video, then said with a bright smile, "Choi Yu-Seong¡­ So that wasn''t everything you''ve shown me.¡±

    "Huh? Are you angry, Kim Do-Jin?¡±

    Do-Jin did not answer Ah-Rin''s question and immediately opened the closed window wide.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I''m going to the dungeon. Wherever the boss is created."

    "Suddenly? You just came out from the dungeon, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I have to prove it again.¡±

    "Prove what?"

    "That I''m the best."

    "What... You crazy narcissist¡­ Hey!"

    Do-Jin lightly warmed-up before Ah-Rin finished her words and jumped to the ground from the five-story building without hesitation. Ah-Rin shouted at him while he was moving away from the window, "You crazy guy, I have to pay my guild creation registration by tomorrow-!"

    Fortunately, Kim Do-Jin and Baek Ah-Rin''s guild¡ªEclipse¡ªwere able to be established on the scheduled date.

    * * *

    In today''s era, the most direct way to gauge one¡¯s poprity was rather simple. It could be shown by the number of followers on social media.

    Ferguson, the district''s world-famous ser coach where Choi Yu-Seong had previously lived, called watching social media a "waste of life.¡± In fact, many people made mistakes and wasted their time on it, but social media and the poprity game were not going away anytime.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s no different here in this world.¡¯</i>

    In the afternoon, after finishing the morning training, Yu-Seong returned to his room for a short break. Then, he suddenlyunched the Outstagram app on his cell phone. Its instation was not needed.

    <i>''I already have an ount.¡¯</i>

    Indeed, since the original Choi Yu-Seong himself was a seed of interest, it would be rather strange if he did not have such social media activities.

    <i>¡®His number of followers¡­ Only thirty? It''s a lot less than I thought.¡¯</i>

    This was Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s first time using the social media app, but he had an idea that thirty followers was considered very few.

    <i>¡®There are over tens of thousands of famous people among even some popr ordinary people.¡¯</i>

    Although he was a rascal, it was still quite a small number of followers for the well-known Yu-Seong. After a short while, he found out the reason why.

    ¡°Oh, the ount is private."

    There was only one photo uploaded on Yu-Seong¡¯s Outstagram¡ªwhich was just an ordinary selfie he had taken in front of the mirror. Even his ount ID waspletely unrecognizable.

    <i>¡®Then what did the original Choi Yu-Seong do on social media?¡¯</i>

    If Choi Yu-Seong had installed social media, it meant that he wanted to get attention. However, his social media ount was too quiet for that. Fortunately, it was not difficult to find answers. There were several direct messages, also known as DMs, that had been sent by the original Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Kim So-Ra, Min Hye-Rin, Jung So-Young¡­¡¯</i>

    They were all beautiful female entertainers or yers who had been quite sessful in the present or in recent times. In the past, Choi Yu-Seong had one-on-one conversations with such women and had left quite a few messages¡­ But he clearly had no intention of meeting them ever.

    Yu-Seong''s face immediately turned red, because he didn''t do it himself. Still, it was practically the same as he did.

    <i>¡®What the heck has this crazy guy been doing?¡¯</i>

    At this moment, Yu-Seong was almost envious of the original world, which had many loopholes in the setting.

    <i>¡®Why is there such a detailed setting for the viin who was thrown away by the main character in the beginning?¡¯</i>

    Although he had been driven to the point of madness, it was fortunate that there had only been a few replies.

    <i>¡®So, about three of them replied.¡¯</i>

    Surprisingly, about three out of twenty women had responded. Of course, the replies were not ttering at all.

    "Crazy, asshole, freak..."

    There were even cases where dozens of unfinished letters ¡®?¡¯ had been attached in the replies.

    "The only reason he hasn¡¯t been used is thanks to the influence of his family.¡± Yu-Seong felt that the original one had been quite the garbage.

    <i>''And now this shame is on me. By the way, this guy even sent a message to Jo Yu-Ri. In a different sense, he''s really fearless.''</i>

    Jo Yu-Ri was a famous curse-type hunter of the S-rank, who became a guild master of the ck Magic Society which was one of the top ten guilds in Korea as a woman. She wore quite thick makeup and was famous for having a toxic personality. There were quite a few rumors that some male hunters who flirted with her had be crippled for the rest of their life.

    <i>''And one of them was even one of the top ten guild masters.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, Choi Yu-Seong had sent a message to Jo Yu-Ri asking if she would like to meet him seriously. There had been no reply, which made the entire experience even scarier.

    <i>''I''m d at least I know it now. I should run away if I see Jo Yu-Ri from afar.¡¯</i>

    For some reason, Yu-Seong felt a part of his lower body going numb for no reason. He closed the message window with a dry cough.

    It was naturally meaningless to send a message to exin the old story and make an excuse for his past actions.

    <i>¡®Now, there¡¯s more reason for me to be strong.¡¯</i>

    After giving one more definite motivation toward his goal, Yu-Seong headed for the original purpose of turning on the social media application.

    "Let''s see. This is the search box and the ID is..."

    While Yu-Seong was focused on the morning training, Jin Yu-Ri¡ªwho was looking at her cell phone next to him¡ªsuddenly burst into a bigugh. Yu-Seong was curious about her reaction and asked her why.

    Yu-Ri tried to show her cell phone right away, but then she changed her mind and wrote an ID on a piece of paper. She told him to find out for himself.

    Yu-Seong opened the white paper that he had folded in his pocket and searched for the Outstagram ount "@H_Mohammed." Then, he entered the person¡¯s ount and smiled after checking the profile picture.

    <i>¡®Huh? He seems like an Arab prince who¡¯s interested in such poprity. But what about this person?¡¯</i>

    While he was thinking, Yu-Seong entered the opponent''s ount details. Surprisingly, the photo at the top of Muhammad''s ount was none other than Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s own. He stuttered, "...Me?"

    Choi Yu-Seong clicked on the picture out of curiosity, and then coughed at Muhammad''s writing in English. He spat out the water that he was drinking. "Hmmm..."

    ¡¸@H_Mohammmed

    He is a favorite hunter.

    That''s why I''m thinking about it.

    How much do I have to call to have him? Hmm...¡¹

    Fortunately, Muhammad didn¡¯t have the dangerous tastes that Yu-Seong had been worried about. He was just very rich (probably more than Choi Woo-Jae) since he was Saudi Arabia''s prince. He also enjoyed making quite a variety of investments as a hobby. For example, he would buy one of the major league teams in the United States and then spend a lot of money to rebuild the team.

    <i>¡®He''s like Mansour on Earth where I lived.¡¯</i>

    As he learned about Muhammad little by little, Yu-Seong understood why he wanted him.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s setting up a team of hunters for dungeon racing. Well, there are a lot of noblemen who think of this as a sport these days.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong now knew the intention, but there was no reason for him to panic.

    <i>''Not as much as Muhammad, but I already have quite a lot of money.¡¯</i>

    By then, a new message was posted on Muhammad''s social media feed.

    ¡¸@H_Mohammmed

    About $1,000,000,000?¡¹

    One billion dors was more than 1.1 trillion won. If Choi Yu-Seong could have that much money at his disposal, there would be a considerable increase in what he could do.

    "I will. I want to join the team, my prince." Stating that aloud, Yu-Seong tried to start a DM conversation with Muhammad.

    ¡¸@H_Mohammmed

    Only if he''s an S-rank hunter. :) ¡¹

    "...This wicked gentleman is making fun of me.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong was somewhat distressed. He closed the Outstagram app and checked the time. It has already been an hour, which meant that his break time hade to an end.

    "This is certainly a time-consuming ghost. I shouldn''t turn it on unless I really have to."

    For the first time, Yu-Seong could feel the danger of social media.

    1. It is one of the Korean vowels. If you send ''?'' over text to somebody, you are showing the middle finger to him/her.

    2. The English was left as it was written in the raws

 Chapter 69

    <h4>Chapter 69 </h4>

    It was already afternoon. If still on schedule, it would have been time to head to the dungeon to hunt. However, Yu-Seong had been focusing all his energy on training until now. In particr, his afternoon training was several times more intense than his morning training, so it was inevitable for him to train in multi-family vis that resembled apartment houses. Thus, the entire hunter-only gym located nearby was rented.

    The gym which Yu-Seong had visited with Jin Do-Yoon before he first qualified as a hunter was quite expensive. This was because it had a mana barrier that could withstand all the mana below the A-rank. It was also private and quiet, so it was considered the best ce to focus on training alone.

    Yu-Seong had been training his spearmanship and mana skills with extreme concentration for about two hours in the gym. He soonid down on the floor with thick drops of sweat. "Haa...haa..."

    He panted roughly, his lungs feeling a stabbing sensation. However, he couldn¡¯t help smiling. It was because he believed that the current pain would eventually pay off during a dangerous moment.

    <i>''It''s good, but... If possible, I¡¯d like to build a mansion like my father and build a simr training center in my house...''?</i>

    Clearly, there was no end to human greed. Once he began to enjoy convenience, Yu-Seong naturally started thinking about the next step. The problem was that if he poured money to that extent, his bank ount bnce would fall really low right away.

    At first, he thought he had a lot of money. When he started spending it, however, it ran out in an instant. As expected, it was exactly right to say that it was difficult to make money and easy to use.

    <i>¡®It would work if I could go somewhere near Gyeonggi-do with rtively lownd prices, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In this case, there would be a waste of time. This was especially considering the time traveling to and from Seoul.

    <i>¡®I need more usible sources of ie. It would be great if there¡¯s mana rocking out of thend, but then it would be a matter of luck.''?</i>

    For mana stone, even the lowest rank¡ªthe gray-colored one¡ªcost at least 10 million won. The next rank was the red-colored stone, which was 100 million won. Fortunately, Yu-Seong had won a red-colored mana stone in thest Hobgoblin hunt, but he wasn¡¯t very happy about that.

    <i>''The money I spend in a day is not normal at all.¡¯?</i>

    While thinking so, Yu-Seong smiled in vain.

    <i>¡®Wow, Choi Yu-Seong, you''ve changed a lot.¡¯?</i>

    When he was an ordinary office worker, Yu-Seong would have felt good for more than a month if he won second ce in the lottery and earned 50 million won¡ªnot even 100 million won.

    However, as the situation changed and his spending naturally increased, 100 million won was not as satisfying for him anymore. It was somewhat inevitable, but he couldn''t help feeling that he had changed.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a natural thing since my position has changed.¡¯</i>

    In a way, all the money he spent now was to escape the fate of "death" set in the future. No amount of money could be more valuable than life. If the chances of survival increased with the cost, it was obvious for him to not consider it as a waste.

    After organizing his thoughts, he could calm down his rough breathing.

    By then, he opened the system message window in front of his eyes, which he had already postponed for more than a week.

    ¡¶yer Choi Yu-Seong is currently at the E-rank MAX level.

    Challenge yourself on the promotion evaluation!

    The promotion is divided into two categories¡ªnormal difficulty level and an extreme difficulty level.

    In the normal difficulty level, the number of retries is infinite unless you die. Challenge yourself!

    In the extreme difficulty level, even if you are lucky enough to survive, you cannot try again.

    If you''re ready, challenge yourself!¡·

    Compared to the usual system message, this was a rather friendly one. Choi Yu-Seong had already made his choice.

    <i>¡®Obviously, I¡¯ll choose the extreme difficulty level, the hard mode.¡®</i>

    The system was not stupid, so why would the difficulty levels be divided for no reason? Naturally, if the yer passed a higher difficulty level promotion evaluation¡ªharder than the normal difficulty level¡ªthe yer would receive a greater reward. There was only one reason why Yu-Seong was concerned.

    <i>''Cause there¡¯s only one trial. I''ll go in when I''m ready to clear it for sure.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, there was nothing special about preparation. No one knew the details of the promotion evaluation¡¯s extreme difficulty level. It was impossible to use any data or future information because the examination given was different for each individual and the method was arbitrary. In other words, Yu-Seong literally had to pass the promotion evaluation only with his own wit and skills. To do so, he had to bring out the best ability from his current standard rank and level.

    <i>¡®Maybe during the day after tomorrow? I think I''m finally adjusted to the physical condition of the E-rank Max level, so I¡¯ll try after I take a break tomorrow.¡¯</i>

    In other words, until today, the body had to be pushed through extreme training. Yu-Seong made his decision, jumped from his ce, raised himself, and grabbed the spear again. He calmly looked at his condition, feeling calm thanks to the Cool-headed E triggered by the Spearmanship Prodigy effect.

    <i>¡®I can go a little further.¡¯?</i>

    Time passed quickly as Yu-Seong continued his training without much effort. And two dayster, he finally challenged the promotion evaluation.

    ***

    It was 7 a.m. on the day Yu-Seong decided to challenge the promotion evaluation. He woke up early in the morning and loosened up a little, using the spear near the front yard as usual.

    The spear was quite expensive, since it was made by the world''s best craftsman. However, despite the extreme training, the de remained sharp with minimal sharpening. The texture and bnce also aided a rather good grip too.

    Usually, Yu-Seong would have focused on the training as if he were drunk on thefortable sensation of using his spear. However, with important things scheduled forter on, today definitely felt different.

    <i>¡®Slowly, lightly, as if warming up my body.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong spent about an hour and a half in the morning stretching and doing light training. After that, Chae Ye-Ryeong came to work 30 minutes early as usual.

    "Hello, boss!" Ye-Ryeong called out. Still covering her face with shaggy hair, she greeted Yu-Seong who was catching his breath.

    It was a typical daily routine, but today felt slightly different. This was becausest night¡¯s short conversation with Jin Yu-Ri passed through Yu-Seong''s mind.

    <i>¡®She said that all the re-Awakening materials I asked for would be gathered soon.¡¯</i>

    Thus, Yu-Seong grabbed Ye-Ryeong who greeted him energetically as she entered the house. He immediately asked, "Ye-Ryeong, can I talk to you for a second?"

    "Yes." Ye-Ryeong didn¡¯t ask why. She simply tilted her head at him.

    Actually, the conversation wasn¡¯t going to be a long one. That was because Yu-Seong and Ye-Ryeong already talked about the re-Awakeningst year.

    "Do you remember the story we talked about in the hospital room before?¡± Yu-Seong asked.

    "Yes."

    "It¡¯s almost ready. And as I said, it can be quite dangerous."

    "Yes."

    "...do you have any other questions or concerns? If you want to quit now, just tell me."

    As it was based on the original novel, Yu-Seong definitely wanted to y it safe. However, it was inevitable that some risk remained. Therefore, he asked Ye-Ryeong with a serious look, and this time, Ye-Ryeong also remained silent as if hesitating to answer.

    Ufortable with the rather long silence, Yu-Seong urged, "Ye-Ryeong?"

    "Yes?"

    "Didn''t you hear me just now?¡±

    "Yes, I heard you."

    "Then..."

    "I don¡¯t actually have any questions or concerns. Well, to be honest, I''m a little embarrassed about this but... " With her hair slightly covering her face, Ye-Ryeong scratched her blushing cheek. "You told me back then that it¡¯s dangerous, but I¡¯ll certainly gain a lot of strength if I do it."

    "Yes, that''s what I said," Yu-Seong replied.

    "You said there would be a better life and a lot of rewards waiting for me than now, but I''m not really interested in that. No, it''s not that I''m not interested, but I''m very grateful and satisfied with my current life." Ye-Ryeong looked up at Choi Yu-Seong with sparkling eyes.

    It wasn''t different from when they first met. Ye-Ryeong didn¡¯t be easily desperate in any situation.

    <i>¡®How could such a person be a disaster in the original novel?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t even imagine how terrible Ye-Ryeong¡¯s life would have been in the original novel.

    "It''s all thanks to you, boss."

    "Well, to say the least..."

    Yu-Seong had just invested in Chae Ye-Ryeong''s future value. Before Yu-Seong could say anything out of embarrassment, Ye-Ryeong said with her head down once again, "That''s why I''d rather ask you to do it. Please give it a try! If I wake up again, I can be of greater help to you, right?¡±

    "It''s going to be a tremendous help.¡±

    It was because Chae Ye-Ryeong was a talented person who could possibly be a disaster in the future, so her minimum growth potential was about SS+ rank.

    "That''s all I need. I want to be a person who is more helpful to you and to everyone in this house. I''ll work hard and be a person who earns my keep!" With a strong shout, Ye-Ryeong raised her head. Now even her two fists were clenched.

    What else could Yu-Seong say?

    "Okay, then, I''ll tell you again as soon as it''s ready."

    "Yes sir! I''ll be waiting for that."

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day now. Have a good day."

    "You too, boss! Have a good day." After waving a lively greeting at Yu-Seong, Ye-Ryeong entered the house. Around that time, she met Jin Yu-Ri who wasing out of the front door. She enthusiastically said hello once more. Yu-Ri smiled, nodded, and she lightly patted Ye-Ryeong''s head.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, the two of them would be the same age... Since Ye-Ryeong calls Yu-Ri "unnie", they kind of look like sisters.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong looked at them with a rather pleasant and thoughtful expression as Yu-Ri approached him. Before Yu-Ri could say anything, he asked, ¡°When are you going to tell Ye-Ryeong your age?¡±

    "I think I already told her."

    "And she still calls you ''unnie''?¡±

    "She can do whatever she wants. Haha, she¡¯s such a cute kid," Yu-Ri said.

    In fact, looking at the vibe, Yu-Ri definitely seemed like an older sister.

    "By the way, you said you were going to challenge the promotion evaluation this afternoon, right?¡±

    "Yes."

    "You know, if it''s dangerous, dere your abandonment right away. Someone said that dying in the promotion evaluation is the stupidest thing of all," Yu-Ri said.

    "I know."

    Promotion evaluation was not easy to attempt, since it was an examination. However, if the evaluated person decided to give up, he or she may quickly escape with their life still intact.

    In a way, there seemed to be no death at all, but there had been quite a few people who died in this promotion evaluation. The reason was literally because of their greed. yers felt like they could get promoted after going just a little further, and tried again and again despite consecutive failures. The moment they had a sense of hope and tried to take a step further, they lost their precious lives.

    As such, if the yers died during the promotion evaluation, they would seldom receive sincere condolences. That was because everyone could clearly assume their reason for death.

 Chapter 70

    <h4>Chapter 70 </h4>

    <i>¡®In particr, more yers died in the extreme difficulty level than the normal difficulty level. That¡¯s because of the risk¡­ Once they give up, they will never be able to re-enter.¡¯?</i>

    It wasn''t that Yu-Seong couldn''t understand Jin Yu-Ri''s worries. It was just that he also wanted to enter the extreme difficulty level and obtain the best results.

    "You really know that, right?¡± asked Yu-Ri.

    "Trust me. I¡¯m a person who values my life the most.¡±

    "It doesn¡¯t sound like something that the person repeatedly throwing his life away would say."

    What happened in the past was just Yu-Seong acting in a show. Just by looking at Yu-Ri¡¯s expression, folded arms, and rigid posture, it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t believe it even if Yu-Seong told her that he never intended to throw his life away.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong cleared his throat with a dry cough and quietly looked elsewhere. "Hmm..."

    "Do-Yoon oppa hasn''t beening home for a few days because he''s reaching his promotion level soon. It''s a shame since if we were together, he would be nagging you with me."

    "I won¡¯t overdo it, so no need to worry about me," said Yu-Seong.

    Listening to Yu-Seong¡¯s determined words, Yu-Ri nced over at him and loosened her arms. She said, "Actually, even if I speak harshly¡­I do believe in you. And I''m rooting for you. There''s nothing else I can do besides this.¡±

    "Thank you."

    "Oh, and there¡¯s an important thing. This is about Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who you mentioned at the time."

    Yu-Seong''s head jerked back toward Yu-Ri. Paying greater attention to her, he asked, "Did you find him?"

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk, the so-called demonic beast tamer, was a very important figure in Yu-Seong¡¯s future ns along with Chae Ye-Ryeong. In this world, the ability to summon, tame, and handle the demonic beast was rare and had high versatility. Along with such an ability, Yoo Jin-Hyuk even had the ability of the Barrier Master¡ªwhich was very rare. In the original novel, he appeared as a viin and died miserably. However, if he could be a supporter of Yu-Seong, he would truly be a rare and unique talented yer.

    "Yes. As you said, he was reported dead."

    The news could be discouraging, but Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t seem to be so. He asked, "That''s not all, is it?"

    "Yes. He was reported dead alongside both his parents. The unusual thing is that his brother Yoo Jin-Hwan is alive,¡± replied Yu-Ri.

    "That''s Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡±

    "You seem to be so sure about that."

    "Yes, you know I have the skill.¡±

    Actually, Yu-Seong knew it from the original novel. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, the Viin, had used the pseudonym Yoo Jin-Hwan in his early appearances. Yu-Seong didn''t know that it was the name of Jin-Hyuk¡¯s brother, but this was enough for him to piece the puzzle together in his head.

    "Anyway, please investigate where Yoo Jin-Hyuk, I mean, Yoo Jin-Hwan, is currently at. If possible, find out all about the ident his family had. I''m going to visit you right after the promotion evaluation. So I¡¯m hoping you can find out as soon as possible..." Yu-Seong said.

    "Don''t worry. It''s already in progress."

    "You¡¯re the best, thanks Yu-Ri. You are our Ace.."

    "Don''t just say empty words. I¡¯d rather you reward me with a vacation soon. I feel like I''m the only one who''s falling behind because Do-Yoon oppa is working hard to raise his level."

    "Isn''t it meaningless when you go on a dungeon hunt as a vacation?"

    "It depends on how you think. So my morning report and your training is all over now, right?¡± Yu-Ri asked.

    "Yes, that''s it for today. I''m going to wash up, have a light meal, and start the promotion evaluation right away.¡±

    "Make sure you eat well. There were people who couldn''te out for a month once they entered the examination room.¡±

    ¡°That won''t be my case. I''m lucky in this way," Yu-Seong casually answered.

    And after exactly three hours, Yu-Seong med the standard that he had set.

    ***

    ¡¶Choi Yu-Seong, the E-rank MAX level yer, is entering the extreme difficulty level D-rank promotion evaluation.

    Good luck.¡·

    As soon as he epted the promotion evaluation, Choi Yu-Seong''s view was covered with darkness after a short message. He felt moisture enveloping his whole body, as if he had been swallowed by a whale. It made him rather anxious.

    A light shed in front of his eyes, and a rabbit with longer legs than a decent human adult¡ªthat looked to be about 190cm tall¡ªappeared in a tuxedo.

    "Ta-da-!"

    Literally, the rabbit appeared like <i>¡®ta-da¡¯</i>.

    "Nice to meet you, yer Choi Yu-Seong. I''m your judge, Mr. Nice Guy. You can call me Mr. Guy for short."

    In fact, the rabbit looked like a clich¨¦ character that Yu-Seong had previously seen a lot of. However, for some reason, the rabbit¡¯s smiley expression and wide open arms felt strange.

    <i>¡®Don¡¯t such tuxedo dolls have a rather serious vibe in general?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s eyes momentarily sparkled in anticipation. He hoped that Mr. Nice Guy would show some magic trick with a hat or ck cane in his hand. However, the so-called Mr. Guy made the mistake of dropping his hat while returning to an attentive position with open arms.

    "Oh no! This hat is new. What a waste." Mr. Guy urgently picked up his fallen hat and gave Yu-Seong an embarrassed look. He lightly swept his long mustache into ce. For some reason, some of his white fur had been stained red. Hemented, "Hong hong! It seems like you are the type of person who doesn''t enjoy talking. Usually, when peoplee here for the first time, they express a lot of curiosity."

    "Because I knew about it already."

    Upon entering the promotion evaluation, the yer would meet the judges assigned to them. This assignment of judges was simr to the promotion evaluation, since there were no specific rules or information. It was simply a random assignment. Depending on the judges¡¯ characteristics, the aspects of the promotion evaluations varied. However, Yu-Seong had no idea what Mr. Guy in front of him would be like.

    "Usually, the yers I have met so far always questioned me even if they had some information¡­ By the way, Choi Yu-Seong, you are such an interesting person. For example, don¡¯t you have any questions like where I came from, who created the system, why this happened to the?¡±

    There was no way that Yu-Seong would question such a thing. With a subtle smile, he shook his head.

    The existence of the judges were conclusive evidence that an absolute being intervened and artificially made the Awakening system. Therefore, those who meet the judges for the first time would ask even the smallest of questions. They all wanted answers, but would in fact get none.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you right now that I don''t know anything. There''s just a very, very, very important man up there, and below him is a slightly less important man. I¡¯m just doing whatever that slightly less important man told me to do a very long time ago. Hong hong hong!" Mr. Guy said.

    Thanks to this, Choi Yu-Seong could know one thing for sure.

    <i>¡®I was wondering what that mushy sound was, and it¡¯s augh.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong encountered a pretty talkative judge after all. After a while, he asked, "What''s my promotion test?"

    Mr.Guy, who had been giving an excited monologue, had a subtle change in his expression. Having heard Yu-Seong''s first question, he made a clear smile without a flutter ofughter. "That''s a very good and wonderful question, yer Choi Yu-Seong. But rather than just listen to what I have to say, why not just see it with your own eyes and experience it?¡±

    Not noticing how creeped out Yu-Seong was from his answer, Mr. Guy once again stretched out his arms. Then, except for their surroundings, the overwhelming darkness slowly retreated to make way for a colorful light.

    Yu-Seong felt quite dizzy when he saw the light. As if hypnotized, his mind was getting hazy and everything in front of him was getting very far away.

    "Choi Yu-Seong. If you fall asleep and wake up, a very bad thief would have stolen your very precious thing. Did you ask what that means? Yes, that''s right. yer Choi Yu-Seong''s first promotion evaluation is... Ta-da! It¡¯s Catch the Thief-!"

    Mr. Guy''s voice¡ªwhich resonated within the hallucination¡ªechoed in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. As Yu-Seong rxed, his eyes began to close.

    "By the way, yer Choi Yu-Seong, your promotion evaluation is very special! I put a lot of effort into it, since the Joke-loving Prankster god asked me to pay attention to it. I hope you get good results," said Mr.Guy. He was referring to Loki when he said ¡®the Joke-loving Prankster¡¯.

    <i>¡®Loki, all of a sudden?¡¯</i>

    In fact, it was not surprising that a god¡ªwho was interested in his sponsoring yer¡ªwould intervene in the promotion evaluation. This was mentioned several times in the original novel. However, if that happened, the level of difficulty would rise by a level.

    Therefore, even Kim Do-Jin, the main character of the original novel, encountered this situation in the promotion evaluation after his D rank. Of course, he would receive better rewards after achieving sess.

    <i>¡®But still, isn¡¯t this too fast?¡¯?</i>

    At the same time,ints could not escape from Yu-Seong, who quickly fell unconscious.

    ***

    When Choi Yu-Seong opened his eyes again, he felt rather heavy and weighed down. It was like a heavy bear hadnded on his shoulder, or someone had sandbags tied to both his arms and legs. Thanks to this, he took a considerable amount of time to wake up.

    "Whoa...did I say I¡¯m lucky? Are you kidding me? Damn, Loki." With a deep sigh, Yu-Seong forced himself to lift himself up. He regretted speaking too soon with Yu-Ri earlier on. At the same time, he aired all of the grievances he couldn¡¯t say before falling unconscious just now.

    -A Joke-loving Pranksterughs mischievously. He wishes you good luck.

    "You bad-tempered dude."

    Come to think of it, even in Nordic mythology, the character Loki was unpredictable and could hardly be said to have a good personality.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no point being frustrated about what has already happened... I should figure out the situation first.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was standing alone in a rather bright room. It was just one room, but it was square-shaped and not narrow at all. It seemed to be more than 50 pyeong.

    The ceiling was also rather high, high enough for several tens of vigorous men to stand upright like an adult long pole and still not reach it. The need for such a high ceiling was because of the huge doors at the front, left, and right of the room, centering on Yu-Seong who was in the center of the room.

    <i>''The height of the doors alone would be at least 30 meters.¡¯?</i>

    The doors¡¯ width could barely be covered even with five or six open-armed adult men stuck together. Anyway, they were huge and probably led elsewhere. If Yu-Seong had to pick something more unusual here, it was an intaglio engraved on each door.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a star on the left, a sun in the center, and a moon on the right.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled and recited to himself. "Then I could call each room the Star room, the Sun room, and the Moon room.¡±

    The second thing Yu-Seong had to do after getting up to speed was to understand his health condition.

    ¡¶Currently, yer Choi Yu-Seong is in the process of the extreme difficulty level of the promotion evaluation.

    As a result, you will receive a penalty for reducing your ability.

    Mana bes extremely low.

    Physical strength and strength be extremely low.

    The movement gets slower.

    yer Choi Yu-Seong can dere a ''waiver'' on the promotion evaluation at any time.¡·

    After Yu-Seong turned on the system message window and checked his current state, he unwittingly gave out rave reviews.

    1. 50 pyeong is about 165 square meters

 Chapter 71

    <h4>Chapter 71 </h4>

    "Wow, what an amazing situation!"

    Of course, it was a sarcastic response to stop any swear words from bubbling up. If Loki or Mr. Guy from earlier was in front of him right now, Yu-Seong might have punched them without much thought.

    "There''s no point in monitoring my condition for a week." Yu-Seong thought he was in a situation simr to a patient. He next checked the main message, which had the contents of the promotion evaluation.

    ¡¶Catch the Thief! Difficulty level ++ version

    A very bad and nasty thief stole half your soul and hid.

    Find the thief and retrieve your soul!

    You only get two chances to choose the door! If you''re lucky, you might find a hint somewhere.

    Special ¡ï

    Part of the penalty can be mitigated by defeating the thieves'' minions scattered in each room.

    Currently, the yer Choi Yu-Seong''s condition is 30%.¡·

    Mr. Guy said that the thief had stolen Choi Yu-Seong''s very precious thing. He certainly didn''t seem to be wrong about that.

    <i>¡®Half of my soul? I don''t know how they did such a thing, but wouldn''t I die quickly without it?¡¯</i>

    The message from the system answered Yu-Seong¡¯s questions by suddenly turning red.

    ¡¶Special ¡ï

    Some of the penalties can be mitigated by defeating the thieves'' minions scattered in each room.

    Hurry up! With half of your soul gone, your condition deteriorates quickly over time. The current condition of yer Choi Yu-Seong is 29%.

    When the condition reaches 0%, yer Choi Yu-Seong dies.¡·

    ¡°Even better!" Yu-Seong once again magnified his praise. Instead of sighing, he immediately made a move, since he clearly knew what he had to do next.

    <i>¡®Let''s clean up the wicked thief''s subordinates first. Raising my condition is undoubtedly my first priority.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong didn''t have to think about where the minions would be.

    <i>''There¡¯s probably gonna be a whole crowd of them if I open the door.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong first opened the Sun room, which was the center one of the three doors¡ªthe sun, the moon, and the stars.

    <i>¡®It said I had two chances to make a choice.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, out of the three rooms, one had the thief who stole his soul. The probability of finding the right room was about 33.3%. But why would Yu-Seong choose the Sun room as his first choice?

    "A man should only go forward."

    The door rattled. Then, the big door opened easily.

    ***

    After opening therge door, Yu-Seong encountered a wide in, damp cave, or harsh natural environment such as a stormy cliff. He muttered, "...It¡¯s just like a mansion¡¯s hallway."

    Yu-Seong was literally trapped in arge mansion¡¯s room until just now. In the room, he found a couple of special things. There were colorful windows withrge paintings that remind him of Catholicism,plete silence, and cleaning tools that had been randomly tossed around.

    <i>¡®The cleaning tools became trash too.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t at all curious about who lived in the mansion and what its purpose was.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just a test site anyway. There must be monsters somewhere, and if I¡¯m lucky, I might get a hint.''</i>

    Yu-Seong walked out of the hallway without hesitation. He felt depressed from how heavy his body felt, but he swept his sharp gaze across his surroundings.

    <i>¡®There must be something¡­¡¯</i>

    While he walked around with a thoughtful expression, the thrown-away broom started to shake and slowly rose into the air. Yu-Seong was ignorant of the quiet movement, and before he knew it, the broom approached his back and swung greatly.

    "Ouch-!" After getting hit in the head, Yu-Seong turned around screaming. He quickly grabbed and broke the broom that attacked once again. He was hit in the head, but he didn¡¯t feel too much pain since it was just an ordinary broom. If anything, he was surprised.

    <i>¡®What the?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wondered to himself.

    ¡¶Special ¡ï

    The yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s current condition drops to 27% due to the attack.

    When his condition reaches 0%, the yer Choi Yu-Seong dies.¡·

    After checking the message that shed in front of him and the cleaning tools that were between the corridors, Yu-Seong quickly changed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a suit and once again spat out an encouraging statement, ¡°Wow, this should certainly be the level of so-called ¡®the Korean difficulty¡¯. Extremely excited!"

    If his words were tranted directly, it would be a string of aggressive swear words.

    ***

    The fierce battle, which was short but never easy, had finally ended. The floor waspletely littered with cleaning tools that were split in half or broken in vain and scattered in all directions. What was surprising was the mansion¡¯s interior; only a part of the wallpaper was torn from such a battle.

    However, Yu-Seong focused more on knocking down the many cleaning tools. Despite feeling heavier than usual, he moved fluidly and did not allow himself to receive any more attacks.

    <i>¡®As expected, I''m d that I did my training consistently.¡¯?</i>

    Even though his mind was blurred and his movement was dullpared to his usual condition, Yu-Seong could rely on his muscle memory and reflexes. If not for that, he would have already died or had to dere abandonment from the cleaning tools¡¯ attacks.

    ¡¶Special ¡ï

    Disying the current state of the yer Choi Yu-Seong: 32%¡·

    <i>¡®Now my condition has improved for sure. 2% higherpared to the start.''</i>

    There were approximately fifty cleaning tools that had been knocked down.

    <i>¡®Is it +1% per 10 tools?¡¯</i>

    It didn¡¯t seem to be very efficient, but anyway, Yu-Seong could recover his condition by simply knocking down the strangely moving cleaning tools like this. Above all, he realized one definite piece of information from the first battle.

    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t just walk by without thinking.¡¯?</i>

    Since even the cleaning tools could move and attack, it was highly likely that each item ced in the mansion was a potential threat. Feeling alert and vignt, Yu-Seong carefully crossed the hallway, and thanks to this, he was able to defeat quite a few cleaning tools, frames, or flying sedentary toilets without repeating the first mistake.

    <i>¡®It''s strange. It doesn''t feel like I''m fighting with a monster, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Most importantly, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition rose to a surprising 48% by the time he reached the end of the hallway. He recovered close to half of his usual condition. It wasn¡¯t a bad resultpared to the first situation, which was considered the worst.

    <i>¡®This is the end of the hallway. And do these stairs go downstairs?''?</i>

    There was no option to go upstairs. Yu-Seong carefully went down the stairs that continued leading him forward like the open hallway from earlier on. Fortunately, the stairs were not that long, and there were no perils¡­ However, by the time he reached the first floor, he felt chills and fear when he saw a huge armored knight that was over three meters tall in the center of the spacious living room.

    "Would that also move?"

    The armored knight held onto a shield that was as big as Yu-Seong. The giant sword on its shoulder was also twice Yu-Seong¡¯s size. It was natural that Yu-Seong did not want to fight such a huge armored monster in his current condition. However, as always, he didn¡¯t always get what he wanted.

    <i>Screeeech-!</i>

    The huge iron-armored knight turned toward Yu-Seong while throwing up the sound of rusty iron.

    "Ah... Damn it," Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but curse. With nothing else to say, he flew from the top of the stairs and quickly climbed up the armored knight. He stabbed a spear into the visor, which was the only gap he could see.

    Yu-Seong did it just in case he might feel anything in his hand, but it was empty. Instead, red mes burst out of the dark ck space to form pupils. Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly and greeted it, "Hello?"

    <i>Booooom!</i>

    The response was reced by a huge tremor. Choi Yu-Seong could feel it intuitively.

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t be able to beat him in my current state.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong didn''t even think about trying to fight. Didn''t Yu-Ri say the same thing?

    <i>¡®It''s the stupidest thing to die during the promotion evaluation.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, when Yu-Seong saw the armored knight letting go of the huge shield, he reached out toward it and jumped up the stairs using the Wind Control without hesitation.

    <i>Whoo-!</i>

    The giant armored knight¡¯s hand passed through the ce where Yu-Seong was standing just now in vain.

    <i>¡®Fortunately, his moves aren''t that fast.¡¯</i>

    If so, there was only one way for Choi Yu-Seong to proceed. He said, ¡°I give up on you. I''ll see youter if I can.¡±

    Without hesitation, Yu-Seong climbed the stairs he had passed. He then passed the hallway, and returned to therge room where he first opened his eyes. The result was not bad.

    <i>¡®He doesn''t follow me to the second floor.¡¯?</i>

    To some extent, things went ording to Yu-Seong¡¯s expectations. In addition, he also confirmed that the Sun door was not closed once it was opened.

    <i>¡®Maybe that armored knight is the thief or a guy with a hint.¡¯?</i>

    It would be enough to designate the armored knight as the boss of this promotion evaluation.

    "Let¡¯s get back to himter. Now my current condition is... 46 percent."

    Certainly, as time went by, the rate of decline in his condition was elerating.

    <i>¡®There''s no time for hesitation.¡¯?</i>

    The remaining rooms were the Moon room and the Star room. This time, Yu-Seong opened the Star room¡¯s door and encountered a long hallway again. The only difference this time was that the only thing he could see in the hallway were wooden nutcracker dolls instead of cleaning tools.

    <i>¡®Perfect opponent to recover my condition.¡¯</i>

    Since it wasrge, the nutcracker dolls were easier to deal with than the cleaning tools. In a sh, Yu-Seong''s spear cut the wooden dolls. Then, he encountered the stairs to the first floor again.

    "And downstairs..."

    There it was. Yu-Seong quickly returned to his original room after spotting the armored knight and checked his condition again. He said, ¡°66%.¡±

    Of course, it was not the best. Even the rate of decline was getting faster.

    <i>¡®I''ve already opened two doors.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong returned to the first room that had three doors. Then, he sat at the center of the room, rubbed his chin, and pondered.

    <i>¡®Let me think objectively. Can I win the armored knight if my condition is at 100%?¡¯</i>

    Because Yu-Seong was holding a spear with one hand, the effect of skill Cool-headed E continued naturally. Thanks to this, even in such an urgent situation, he remained calm and wasn¡¯t too shaken.

    Although somewhat slow, Yu-Seong calmlypared and analyzed his power against the armored knight. He finally could draw a conclusion¡ªthat it was impossible. He believed that the armored knight was not a monster that was here for the yer to catch in the first ce.

    <i>¡®This is why they called it an extreme difficulty level and plus.¡¯</i>

    Comints such as whether it would have been easier without Loki''s intervention or not had long since been forgotten. Rather than crying over spilled milk, Yu-Seong had to produce clear results now.

 Chapter 72

    <h4>Chapter 72 </h4>

    <i>¡®Is there any way to knock it down? In thisrge living room, would there be a tool that could hurt the armored knight...''?</i>

    Looking around, Yu-Seong found it hard toe up with a good idea. The empty living room was a perfect environment for a fair 1:1 head-on match.

    <i>''Then, next. What would be the weapon for me? If there¡¯s something special that was used at this time in the original novel...''?</i>

    It was not that Yu-Seong didn¡¯t have options, but he would have to consume a lot of Karma points that had been saved in preparation for the uing future.

    <i>¡®I need to save the Karma points for future use. Maybe it''s better to backtrack to the general difficulty level promotion.¡¯?</i>

    His condition fell to 56%, so it was clear that the situation was getting worse. Yu-Seong was taking too much time to think.

    <i>¡®Why did they make a monster that no yer can catch? It''s just a promotion test.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, the purpose of this may have been to have Yu-Seong suffer since the difficulty level was high. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder whether it was better to give up here. He didn¡¯t have to risk his life to clear the extreme difficulty level promotion evaluation. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing to go back and choose the general difficulty level.

    His condition fell again to 48%.

    <i>¡®No¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong mentally shook his head. It was ridiculous, but even Loki, the Joke-loving Prankster had intervened. A great reward was certain if he passed the evaluation test.

    There may still be a chance of sess somewhere.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s condition dropped to 39%. The figure dropped quickly, and as a reflection of it, his mind began slowing down. Soon, his condition was 30% again. At that moment, Yu-Seong''s eyes momentarily sparkled. He had been thinking over and over again when a thought urred to him.

    <i>''Wait, so it''s not a monster that I¡¯m supposed to capture?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong also recalled Mr. Guy saying that if he was lucky, he would find a hint. Suddenly, he jumped up after he realized something. He escaped toward the open door and ran down the stairs on the first floor, where there was the huge armored knight in the spacious living room.

    After checking everything, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition fell to 29%. He thought back to what he remembered about the mansion¡¯s interior structure, returned to his original position, and then checked the structure of the separate room¡¯s first floor. His eyes sparkled.

    Choi Yu-Seong did not continue to hesitate anymore.

    <i>¡®If my condition falls below 20%, I can''t afford to do anything anyway.¡¯</i>

    It was the time to make a winning move. On the stairs leading down to the first floor of the Star room, Yu-Seong took a breath and stood in front of the armored knight again.

    <i>Screeeech</i>

    As if it had been waiting, the red mes bloomed splendidly in the roaring armored knight¡¯s eyes.

    "Hello."

    In fact, they weren¡¯t on good enough terms to greet each other.

    As if replying to Yu-Seong¡¯s greeting, a huge sword hit the spot where Yu-Seong was standing just now. Looking at the huge explosion, the clouds of dust rising, and the slightly cracked ground, Yu-Seong clicked his tongue.

    <i>¡®Even if it''s slow, it''s quite risky to avoid its attack standing this close to it.¡¯?</i>

    First of all, the armored knight was too big. With a single move, it surpassed the distance that Yu-Seong could only cover in 10 separate moves. Thus, it was not efficient to bump into each other. Yu-Seong believed that even if his condition was 100%, he could not defeat the monster.

    <i>¡®Unless I know its weaknesses, I¡¯ll lose all of my stamina by fighting with it.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, even at this moment, Yu-Seong''s goal was clear. He didn¡¯t have even the slightest intention of fighting and knocking down the armored knight. He avoided a series of attacks and continued to lead the armored knight on. In the end, Choi Yu-Seong''s back touched the wall.

    "Huwuu..."

    The armored knight lifted the sword with both hands, quickly swinging it down at Yu-Seong as if he was merely a mouse in a corner.

    <i>¡®Wind Control, shadow.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was tired of the armored knight¡¯s enormous pressure. He slid through its legs quickly, then turned back to look at the huge sword¡¯s power. The sword was falling faster with the force of gravity. Subsequently, Yu-Seong smiled when the huge sword stretched over the edge of the wall.

    <i>¡®It''s broken.¡¯</i>

    <i>Booooom-!?</i>

    A heavy sound was heard. Then, as if lightning had passed, the cracked wall copsed.

    <i>¡®It''s my specialty to break something with other people''s strength.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t see beyond the dust cloud that was thicker than the fog. However, he clearly saw the armored knight wiggling its shoulders as it struggled to yank out therge sword from under the copsed brick.

    <i>¡®If I¡¯m right, then there would be¡­¡¯</i>

    There was going to be another change. Choi Yu-Seong stepped back a little, just in case. He prepared to fly to the side at any time while waiting for something to happen.

    Then, a loud sh of iron rang out throughout the room. From right next to Yu-Seong, another giant armored knight flew in the air andnded within the room of less than 10m in width.

    <i>Booom! ng!</i>

    There were sounds of something breaking and copsing. Subsequently, a huge doll with red-fire lights in both eyes appeared between the thick clouds of dust as the wall copsed. It was the second armored knight.

    In a way, it was a gloomy situation, but Yu-Seong thought otherwise. Rather, he quickly jumped up the stairs on the second floor, paying attention to the movement of the second armored knight.

    <i>''ording to the mansion¡¯s interior structure, it was the right wall that broke apart. This should be the armored knight in the Sun room.¡¯</i>

    Since the right wall of the Star room was broken, it should lead to the center of the Sun room. The following situation was crucial, because Yu-Seong had discovered the rules that applied to the armored knights.

    <i>¡®If it doesn''t feel any movement in its area, it returns to its original position and freezes up again.¡¯?</i>

    The question was, do the armored knightse to life even if the movements wereing from the non-living? This was the main question. If it only reacted to the living thing, since Yu-Seong had to return to the second floor, the armored knight had to return to its original ce and stop.

    <i>''Because then it wouldn¡¯t detect any more movement.¡¯?</i>

    What would the result be? Soon, the armored knight of the Sun room, which appeared briefly, turned its back as if it had nothing to do and returned to its original position.

    "Ah..." Naturally, sighs flowed from Yu-Seong''s mouth.

    <i>¡®So it won¡¯t be served up on a te, nice and easy.¡¯</i>

    However, there were still variables left. As if responding to Yu-Seong''sment, the armored knight of the Star room, which flew in the air first, slowly raised itself up, and soon began to stomp and run. Then, it hit the Sun room armor knight with its shoulder to return to its original ce ording to the rules.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    This time the armored knight from the Sun room flew.

    "...What¡¯s going on?"

    While Yu-Seong tilted his head in confusion, the Sun room¡¯s armored knight jumped up after rolling in the middle of the room. It then held its own sword and charged toward the Star room¡¯s armored knight.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The full-scale sh of the two armored knights began, and Yu-Seong pped like an excited seal from the stairs.

    <i>¡®I thought about this on the off-chance, but certainly the armored knights were not made with any specific goal in mind.¡¯</i>

    In other words, basically, when someone entered its territory, the armored knights moved to kill its opponent. If it was attacked, it would fight back. Also, it appeared that the entire first floor was its territory to guard.

    If the armored knight moved only by acknowledging Yu-Seong, he would be exhausted by trying to get the armored knights to fight each other. Fortunately for him, he didn¡¯t have to do that.

    - The Joke-loving Prankster criticizes the yer Choi Yu-Seong. He asks the yer to go out and show him his bravery in fighting!

    At that moment, Loki''s message appeared in the air. Of course, Yu-Seong''s reaction to seeing the message was simple.

    "Wow-! What a smart idea. But I prefer to sit down and drink honey.¡±

    This was the so-called catching enemies by using enemies, which was an operation that used the enemy themselves to destroy one another.

    "Whoever wins! Winning side, my side!"

    - The Joke-loving Prankster is disappointed and sticks his tongue out at the trickster Choi Yu-Seong.

    After creating the situation where he could drink honey as he wished, Yu-Seong suddenly smacked his lips with regret. He gave the knight of the separate rooms the nickname "the Star Knight" and "Sun Knight" with excitement.

    "Oh, that''s good. But Loki, this is like watching a robot cartoon. Do you have something like popcorn?¡± Yu-Seong responded with a joyful expression to Loki¡ªwho made him suffer¡ªbut there was no answer.

    <i>¡®Is he upset? Well, it doesn''t matter. Let''s just enjoy it.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong enjoyed the scene as if he had returned to his childhood after a long time.

    ***

    The battle between the two armored knights with simr specifications¡ª-no, actually, with exactly the same specificationssted quite a long time. Yu-Seong felt the passion and romance of a man, and admired the appearance of armored knights who exchanged fists at each other even though their teeth were broken and their whole bodies were torn in half.

    "Wow, this is not easy, not easy."

    Yu-Seong truly wanted to see who would win, but unfortunately, he couldn''t afford to sit back any longer.

    <i>¡®My condition is at 18%.¡¯</i>

    It needed to be sorted out.

    <i>¡®Above all, I can''t give up on thest hit.¡¯?</i>

    The armored knights fought among themselves, but the experience points should be Yu-Seong¡¯s. With that goal in mind, Yu-Seong approached the knights that attacked each other and stumbled backward from thest hit. He first went to the "Sun Knight", which struggled to pick itself up. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong could quitefortably rise above the knight''s head.

    "Were you the Star Knight?" Yu-Seong asked. To be honest, he couldn''t remember its nickname properly. He had been confused since the midpoint of the battle, since the armored knights looked so identical.

    "Anyway, this is my full strength now." Yu-Seong spread his palm toward the red pupils blooming in the dark and shouted, "Skill, the Dancing Electric Doll."

    Yu-Seong was worried that it might not have much effect since the armored knight was just like a lump of metal. However, the moment the dancing electric doll shed with light after entering its ck pupils, the armored knight trembled all over. Soon, the red me that shone in the pupilspletely disappeared.

    <i>''...Caught it.''?</i>

    There was no doubt. Yu-Seong hadpletely lost his strength due to the use of skills that consumed a lot of mana. However, his physical strength returned in an instant.

    <i>¡®In fact, my condition figures are... 53%... Wow.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong only caught one of them and had recovered about 45 percent.

    "Yes, I knew that thest hit would be the best!"

    Yu-Seong''s excited gaze was now trained on the second armored knight, who raised its upper body halfway through. "Hi, Sun Knight? No, are you the Star Knight? Anyway..."

    Choi Yu-Seong jumped up from his dead¡ªsupposedly Sun Knight¡ªand approached the trembling Star knight on the other side. He opened his palm to the darkness under his helmet.

    Yu-Seong felt like the armored knight was shaking its head from side to side, but he didn''t intend to stop what he was going to do. ¡°Activate, the Dancing Electric Doll."

    The second armored knight danced and shook before Yu-Seong had a huge grin on his face. He confirmed the closest figure of 98% of his condition.

    <i>Whoooog!</i>

    A gray portal¡ªthat seemed to allow a single person to pass¡ªopened between the two fallen knights.

    1. Korean use ¡®honey¡¯ for ¡®delightful or great/ best situations¡¯ so in this case, it would be the best thing for Yu-Seong to sit still, rest easy, and still get the job done.

 Chapter 73

    <h4>Chapter 73 </h4>

    ¡°Oh, so the real thief isn¡¯t here, right? Wait, then does it mean that these guys were just middle bosses?"

    Somehow, Loki remained silent. Yu-Seong felt a bit anxious by the silence, but he still wanted to believe that he could encounter the rewards after entering the portal.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way the Korean difficulty level is beyond this.¡¯</i>

    With that thought, Yu-Seong took a step toward the portal with a smile.

    ***

    It was a field without any particrly tall reeds or grassy leaves. To be more precise, a veryrgewn that was just right for ser spread out in front of Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®What am I supposed to do here?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong tilted his head for a moment, looking at the vacant world beyond the portal.

    "Hong hong hong, yer Choi Yu-Seong. You knocked down my toy friends in a really clever way. I was very impressed," shouted Mr. Guy with his arms wide open as he hopped toward Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong looked at the figure with a rather absurd gaze for a while, then asked, "Is the promotion exam over?"

    "No way. If that¡¯s the case, then wouldn''t the message<i>?¡®Completed¡¯</i> appear?¡± answered Mr. Guy.

    "Damn, Korean difficulty."

    "Please refrain from harsh swear words. I also get hurt, too. But more importantly,, yer Choi Yu-Seong, you haven''t been able to catch the thief yet, right?¡±

    After all, there were no thieves anywhere in the Sun, Star, and the Moon rooms. From the beginning, the three rooms were merely gateways for the yer toe to this field.

    <i>¡®In the meantime, they ced monsters like the armored knights there.¡¯?</i>

    If the difficulty level was constructed in this way, there would be so many people who would not be able to pass even the first gate. However, promotion evaluations consisting of step by step levels had one clear advantage.

    <i>¡®The promotion evaluation is supposed to reward the yer as much as they have suffered.¡¯</i>

    Maybe he could hope for a bigger reward than he first expected. With such expectations in mind, Yu-Seong asked Mr. Guy, ¡°Then, do I have to find a needle in a haystack from now on?¡±

    "Hmm, finding a needle in the haystack? That''s quite an interesting expression. It might be simr, but this is different. yer Choi Yu-Seong, look over to where I¡¯m pointing with your eyes wide open."

    "Umm..." Yu-Seong hummed. Following Mr. Guy¡¯s index finger, he looked near the horizon of the field.

    "Can''t you see?¡±

    "What?"

    "If you look closely, you¡¯ll see a very small and cute..."

    "Bunny?"

    "Yes, that''s right. There''s a bunny."

    Though not visible at first, shadows were gradually blooming across the horizon.

    "...They keep increasing."

    "I haven''t counted them, but there''s probably about 5,000 of them," said Mr. Guy.

    "No way..."

    ¡°Among them, there''s a cute friend I¡¯ve raised. His name is Tory, and he''s got snow-white fur. I''ll tell you one of his characteristics: he''s got a star on the bottom of his belly. But unfortunately, well, he suddenly ran away a few hours ago and hid among the crowd.¡±

    Yu-Seong narrowed his eyes at Mr. Guy, who went on to say, "Yes, that''s right. That brat is the thief who ran away after stealing half of the yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s soul. Hong hong hong.¡±

    "What nonsense is that¡­ Weren''t you the one who gave it to him?¡±

    "Whatever. That¡¯s not important. For now, just know that our cute Tory is the thief."

    "Then, my promotion screening is to find a bunny named Tory before my condition reaches 0%.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong immediately started to warm up.

    <i>¡®The remaining condition, 98%.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps because his condition level was high, the speed it fell was noticeably slower than before.

    <i>¡®I have to catch all of the rabbits and turn them upside down one by one.¡¯?</i>

    Heavybor could be expected, but it wasn¡¯t an impossible feat. Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t afford to be rxed though. He had to save time as much as possible.

    Just when Yu-Seong made up his mind and was about to run forward, Mr. Guy put his index finger up and continued to talk. "Oh, wait. You know the basic rules, but there¡¯s another rule in this second round.¡±

    "I don''t have time, just get to the point quickly," said Yu-Seong.

    "You have a quick temper. To exin briefly, this evaluation is a match between me and you, yer Choi Yu-Seong," said Mr. Guy.

    "...What?"

    "It''s about finding my cute pet Tory, so I can''t just sit and watch, right? We should find him together.¡±

    "It sounds like apletely disadvantageous match for me. I feel like you already know which one is Tory..." said Yu-Seong.

    "Hong hong hong, you¡¯re quite right. I can tell where he is just by the smell,¡± said Mr. Guy. He swept his long beard once again, and continued, "So, with the penalty, I¡¯ll start in exactly half an hour. Isn''t this a fair match?"

    "It still doesn¡¯t seem fair, but you¡¯re not going to give me more time even if I ask you, right?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°That would render the ¡®promotion evaluation¡¯ meaningless, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    "How perfectly reasonable!" Yu-Seong praised sarcastically while looking straight at Mr. Guy who giggled.

    <i>¡®The time limit is 30 minutes.¡¯</i>

    Within that time, Yu-Seong had to find Mr. Guy''s pet bunny named Tory.

    <i>''Among those 5,000 rabbits in front of me.¡¯?</i>

    No matter how many times he thought about it, there was no way that Yu-Seong could not be stunned.

    Did someone say wn¡¯?

    <i>¡®No, it¡¯s a rabbit field.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong scratched the side of his head as he looked at therge number of rabbits.

    <i>¡®Finding it may not be the problem if I check them one by one.¡¯</i>

    However, could Yu-Seong be faster than Mr. Guy, who would start in half an hour? What was worse, these rabbits were gathered together when they first appeared, but were scattered everywhere now.

    <i>¡®Just by ncing over the white bunnies, I suppose there¡¯s more than 1,000 of them.¡¯?</i>

    Mr. Guy never even said that Tory had <i>''only''</i> white fur.

    <i>¡®Thinking about it in this way, I would have to check about 3,000 of them.¡¯?</i>

    If possible, Yu-Seong wanted to levitate the rabbits at once with some great magic spell and easily check their tummies by passing through them. Of course, it was not something that Yu-Seong¡ªwho was about to be a D-rank yer¡ªcould do.

    "But instead, I can do this¡­ Summon Dimensional Merchant."

    Ping Pong appeared after opening the dimensional door. He toddled out with his arms folded. Then, he raised his hand toward Yu-Seong and said, "Choi-Hi!"

    "...What?" asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°It means Choi Yu-Seong, hi. Long time no see!"

    "Where did you learn that?¡±

    "It''s a popr greeting among the merchants these days," said Ping Pong.

    The one who started the trend was probably a fellow who was greatly familiar with the Earth¡¯s intemunity in Korea.

    "Anyway, I bet ten lollipops on the next summon, and I have things to ask for quickly,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    "If it''s ten lollipops, I''ll have to show you everything except for what I don''t have!"

    Ping Pong exhaled a big breath and opened a bundle from his chest pocket. Then, he found some of the items that Yu-Seong had in mind. After that, Yu-Seong started to get busy.

    ***

    15 minutester, Mr. Guy had been lying on the field, looking at the blue sky when he was covered by Yu-Seong¡¯s shadow.

    "Huh? Did you give up already? Just to let you know¡ªif you give up now, I bet you''ll be very disappointed." Mr. Guy turned his head slightly and smiled after seeing Yu-Seong, who looked like a mess from running around and falling over many times. He continued, "The rabbits are pretty quick, aren''t they?¡±

    "Since I have to catch the one I didn¡¯t catch before," said Yu-Seong with a deep sigh. He spun the pen in his left hand.

    "Well, I see that you summoned the dimensional merchant earlier to buy a pen! It¡¯s not a bad method to not repeat the mistake of catching the same guy even though it seems to be a rather primitive way. But, aren¡¯t you pressed for time?"

    "I am pressed for time, but I want to ask you to promise me something,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°What promise?¡± asked Mr.Guy as he tilted his head with curiosity.

    ¡°This promotion evaluation ends as soon as Tory is found, right? Whether I find him or <i>you</i> find him.¡±

    "Kind of," said Mr.Guy.

    "But I think it would be upsetting if Mr. Guy found Tory first while I was searching for him and I got kicked out of the promotion examination,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Well, I understand. But the rules of the examination are inevitable." Mr. Guy brushed his long beard once again and looked at Yu-Seong. He asked, "If you don''t want to be eliminated, why don''t you run around with all your might now?"

    ¡°I¡¯m going to. Though, as I said before, please promise me one thing."

    "Oh, I hope you, yer Choi Yu-Seong, will pass the promotion evaluation¡­ But what a shame that you are wasting your time like this.¡± Mr. Guy nced at Yu-Seong''s innocent look and raised his body as if he had no choice and nodded. "Tell me."

    "If you find Tory first, promise to let me know too. At least I deserve to know what Tory looks like, don¡¯t you think so?¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Hmm... Well."

    "On top of that, your bunny would be very cute, right?¡±

    People were usually happy to receivepliments of their children and pets, and Mr. Guy was no exception.

    "Of course. I guarantee you, Tory is the cutest bunny in the world." Mr. Guy soon smiled and responded with a nod and a loud, rough sniff. "I promise. If I find Tory first, I will give you a chance to see its cuteness. But I¡¯m telling you in advance, that doesn''t mean that the results of the evaluation will change.¡±

    "Of course, then, promise?" Yu-Seong smiled and put out his pinky covered with ck dust.

    Mr. Guy looked at Yu-Seong with a rather strange expression and soon hung his pinkie on Yu-Seong''s dirty finger. He thenmented, "You''re quite innocent, yer Choi Yu-Seong."

    "I know, haha. Mr. Guy," responded Yu-Seong.

    They unlinked their fingers after showing simr smiles toward each other. Yu-Seong then turned his back and said, ¡°Then, see youter."

    "Keep working hard. For now, I will lie back down to enjoy the rest of my break," said Mr. Guy.

    There were 13 minutes left. Mr. Guy rxed on the grass while Yu-Seong ran toward the rabbits with all his might.

 Chapter 74

    <h4>Chapter 74 </h4>

    Thirteen minutes could feel long for some people and quite short for others.

    "Hmm... I should get started.¡± Mr. Guy sighed after he saw Yu-Seong struggling alone in the distance. Looking at the man catching rabbits and numbering them, Mr. Guy muttered, "That''s too bad. This evaluation could be a good opportunity for him since it¡¯s a special test. But well¡­rules are rules.¡±

    With his long legs, Mr. Guy strode in the opposite direction that Yu-Seong was running in.

    <i>''You are barking up the wrong tree, Mr. Choi. Unfortunately, you must have run out of luck.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, even Mr. Guy thought that this rabbit-hunting¡ªthe actual thief-catching test¡ªhad a harsh level of difficulty.

    If Loki¡ªa fairly powerful god¡ªwas not involved and there was no support of the Karma points for the other god who had yet to reveal itself, it would have been impossible to create such a difficult test in the E-rank promotion evaluation.

    <i>¡®I can see why the Joke-loving Prankster participated, but I didn¡¯t expect even ¡®him¡¯ to be interested in Yu-Seong already.¡¯</i>

    In any case, it was natural for the difficulty of the test to significantly increase sincepensation would be excessive with the intervention of two deep pockets. Normally, even if it was considered difficult, the promotion evaluation should have already ended once the armored knights were knocked down.

    "Let''s see. Where are you, my cute Tory?¡± Mr. Guy walked forward with his big ears pricked up and his nostrils red. He found quite a few small groups of rabbits, but his pet bunny wasn¡¯t there.

    "It''s roughly this way..." Mr. Guy''s eyes glistened as he followed the trail of a familiar scent. A group of about ten bunnies was gathered together less than 300m to the east. Among them, he could smell a familiar and lovely scent. He cried out, "Hong Hong, my Tory. There you are. Hurry up ande into my arms. And now, I only have to go and keep my "<i>promise</i>" to the yer Choi Yu-Seong. The test is now over¡­¡±

    Mr. Guy got excited and approached the rabbit herd while waving his arms. At that moment, a sh of light appeared to envelop him.

    Then, Yu-Seong popped out of the gap with a startled expression.

    "Oh..." Yu-Seong pondered for a bit, then saw a group of rabbits located not far from the changedndscape. He ran forward after checking about five white rabbits. He murmured, "It worked."

    It was obvious that Yu-Seong had purchased not only a single pen after summoning Ping Pong, the dimensional merchant.

    <i>¡®Spell, the promise of a double-sided mirror. I didn¡¯t have enough Karma points to buy something to hunt the armored knights, but this was affordable.''?</i>

    In fact, the promise of a double-sided mirror was one of the mostmon spells sold in the dimension store. It was priced at around 500 karma points per use.

    The method of use was rather simple. After invoking the spell book and hanging the thread that linked the pinky fingers, the user had to set the agreed keyword with the opponent as "Promise." Finally, they had to physically pinky promise as a token of promise.

    The effect was that, if a promise was made through this process, the two could reverse each other''s position through a single spell. It would be as if they were located on the other side of the mirror only in agreed circumstances.

    The important thing here was that the opponent had to clearly say the keyword, that is, the word "promise." In a way, the invocation itself was simple, but it was quite tricky to secretly apply it to the opponent. The promise of a double-sided mirror was basically an invisible spell, but once activated, the thread linking the pinky fingers would sh pink and a strange sensation would bubble up. In the meantime, the user had to secretly make a pinky promise with the opponent and have them utter the keyword.

    Therefore, originally, this double-sided mirror''s promise spell was often used between the allies in the original novel to confuse the enemy by changing their positions.

    <i>¡®Of course, such methods were only used after the double-sided mirror''s promise spell was revealed to the world¡­¡¯</i>

    The promise of a double-sided mirror was a spell that was yet introduced to the world.

    <i>¡®ording to the novel, it first came out to the world about a yearter¡­¡¯</i>

    However, this was a spell book that no one on Earth had ever looked for before then. Thus, after he heard that Mr. Guy was participating in the test, this was the first method that Yu-Seong had thought of.

    <i>¡®It''s almost impossible for me to find it myself. I had to use the other person''s ability again this time.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, it was a strategy that could have failed if the opponent was not a rather talkative judge like Mr. Guy.

    <i>¡®And I guessed that Mr. Guy would spit out the word in a fatal situation at least once.¡¯</i>

    In other words, Yu-Seong had assumed that Mr. Guy would surely spit out the word, ¡°promise¡± upon finding Tory. His prediction was absolutely correct. Of course, it would have been better if it was just before catching Tory, but the current situation was not bad.

    "Did you see? It''s my victory. Loki. No matter how hard you create a situation, I have a way to ovee it."

    Listening to what Yu-Seong had to say, the silent Loki sent a message as if he had been waiting all this time.

    -The Joke-loving Pranksterughs.

    It was a bit strange, though.

    "Did you justugh?" Yu-Seong wondered if Loki was proud of him or something. Feeling doubtful, he turned the first rabbit over to look at its tummy, which had no star-shaped dot. He marked it with a pen and anxiously ran toward the second one.

    Feeling suspicious as he ran toward the second bunny, Yu-Seong quickly flipped it over and marked it as well. There was no star-shaped dot. He was starting to feel anxious.

    <i>''Maybe I won¡¯t get through, but the distance between the fields is quite wide, so it will take Mr. Guy a while toe here.¡¯?</i>

    The ability of the judges in charge of the promotion evaluation widely varied. Some were like monsters jerking around with even the Earth''s S-rank hunters, while others couldn¡¯t even deal with D-rank hunters.

    <i>¡®But from the look of Mr. Guy¡­¡¯</i>

    Just in time, something ran toward Yu-Seong from beyond the horizon. It kicked up a huge cloud of dust like a whirlwind¡­ The ¡®something¡¯ was no surprising guest.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a monster.¡¯</i>

    "Hong hong hong! yer Choi Yu-Seong! How dare you deceive me!" cried Mr. Guy with a gravely hardened expression. He seemed to be speaking quietly, but his voice still rang and rattled Yu-Seong¡¯s mind.

    Naturally, the rabbits around Yu-Seong also freaked out and started running in all directions. Yu-Seong was surprised, freaking out like the bunnies when he saw Mr.Guy. Still, he continued to check the second rabbit''s belly.

    <i>¡®Not this guy either!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong naturally turned to the third bunny.

    "Where is he?!¡±

    As if to disprove that he has been somewhat lucky so far, Yu-Seong was definitely struggling.

    "Hong hong, although I¡¯ve been careless, I admit that you did surprise me! But if you fail the promotion evaluation, you know, everything would be meaningless after all!"

    Mr. Guy was just around the corner. He jumped up and flew in the air as if he was a fish swimming in water.

    During that short time, Yu-Seong barely caught the fourth bunny. A bright smile spread across his face when he lifted the rabbit and realized that hisst chance worked out for him after all.

    -A Joke-loving Prankster is suffering from extremely sour grapes due to the yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s luck.

    <i>¡®Did you see that?! This is the luck of the employee of the Korean gamepany, no, a son of a conglomerate family!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly stuck out a bunny at Mr. Guy, who was falling toward him. He yelled, "Tory! I found it first!"

    <i>Boom-!?</i>With a stiff expression, Mr. Guy fell down on the ground with a huge cloud of dust. His facial expression began to twist little by little. Then, his eyes drew a bright smile and his pupils drew a heart.

    "Oh! My love, cute little Tory! There you are!" Mr. Guy took Tory from Yu-Seong''s hand at once, held it in his arms, and began to rub his cheeks against it. "Hong hong hong¡­!"

    Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief while looking at Mr. Guy smiling happily. He did manage to find Tory at the veryst moment, so he didn¡¯t worry too much.

    ¡¶Catch the Thief! Difficulty level ++ version

    You¡¯ve recovered half your lost soul from a very bad, nasty bunny thief (Tory)! Congrattions!

    yer Choi Yu-Seong will be promoted to D-rank!

    Promotion reward will be given after settlement through the system.

    The user¡¯s consciousness will now return to Earth.¡·

    Yu-Seong did it.

    While Mr. Guy was arrested for losing his pet bunny, Yu-Seong was delighted to see the golden shing message. Before he knew it, some vague energy from Tory surrounded him and permeated into him.

    <i>''By the way, Mr. Guy, he really seems to care about Tory...''?</i>

    Apart from that, the white bunny Tory was actually really cute.

    Mr. Guy looked at Yu-Seong, who was gradually losing consciousness, after taking his eyes off of Tory. Hemented, "Wow, the promise of a double-sided mirror? How did you know something that no one has used yet? Well, you''re not in a situation to answer. Anyway, I will never make a promise to you ever again, yer Choi Yu-Seong. Since I have been upsettingly beaten by your wit. See you again, yer Choi Yu-Seong. Hong Hong."

    Thest thing Yu-Seong heard was Mr. Guy''s rather sulky but warm voice echoing from somewhere.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster offers a reward with a somewhat happy expression.

    - The gracious blue-eyed god received his proposal. He thinks for a moment and agrees to the reward.

    - Under the agreement of the two gods, the hidden... - piece urs. The Special skill is forcibly passed on to the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    Following that, there were more messages that Yu-Seong would have been surprised to look at.

    ***

    As if he were immersed in deep sleep and waspletely rxed, Yu-Seong''s consciousness slowly rose from a very low ce into a higher space. He opened his eyes and looked around, then breathed a sigh of relief.

    <i>''It¡¯s my bed. I¡¯m back to the exact ce where I first entered the promotion.''?</i>

    When a yer entered the promotion evaluation, the body in the earth disappeared without a trace. After the test, it returned to the location where the yer originally entered. What was surprising was the fact that there was no manifestation of any abilities or traces of magic in the process. Some schrs fell into research because they became curious about such miraculous effects, but it had yet to be revealed how the yer disappeared and appeared.

    <i>¡®Even in the original novel, only a few hints were given.¡¯?</i>

    It was the movement of consciousness through the system maker¡¯s absolute power. There were two things that could be inferred from this.

    <i>¡®First, the promotion evaluation itself took ce in a different dimension.¡¯?</i>

    And secondly, perhaps during the promotion evaluation, the yer¡¯s body itself may be hidden somewhere on Earth. Of course, the exact answer was not found.

    <i>''Also, in the first ce, those above reasons were made by Kim Do-Jin.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and decided to leave the difficult problem behind.

    <i>¡®It''s not something I can find out for now, anyways.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 75

    <h4>Chapter 75 </h4>

    Truthfully, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t actually want to know about the distant future either. Like the saying <i>¡®ignorance is bliss,¡¯</i> wouldn¡¯t he possibly be in danger if he knew too much about such a secret?

    After securing a stable position, Yu-Seong''s goal was to live afortable life and root for Kim Do-Jin from behind when he saved the Earth. Clearly, he did not want to pay attention to those secrets.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong turned his attention elsewhere. He opened his cell phone to find out the current date and time. "The date is February 3, 2030. It was around January 28th when I entered the promotion evaluation¡­so about five days have passed. Now I understand why they said the flow of time is unpredictable.¡±

    Yu-Seong thought the promotion evaluation ended shorter than he expected, but in reality, five days had already passed.

    "It''s 3 a.m. so everyone should be sleeping by now."

    Of course, in the meantime, if Yu-Seong made a slightly louder sound, the Jin siblings who were waiting in the room nearby would run into this room urgently.

    <i>¡®Do I need to call them?¡¯</i>

    Having enough rest was also important for his growth. Yu-Seong did not bother to make any noticeable sounds and opened his cell phone notepad to check what he had written down. He had also written down events that have yet to be recorded due to their rtively low importance.

    <i>¡®Now, if I don''t look at the memo pad, I can''t think of anything except the important episodes in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    At the very least, it was fortunate that the contents of the novel came to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind as if they had been imprinted when he first became possessed by the novel. Otherwise, he could not have even recorded it properly until now.

    <i>¡®Let''s not neglect this habit. This is as important as training.¡¯?</i>

    A good habit was hard to cultivate but easy to forget. Choi Yu-Seong had no intention to stop this process, even if it was a bit annoying and cumbersome. Anyway, this world was now his reality. And in case the cell phone broke, the contents were backed up on the secret hard drive. As he once said, he thought it was foolish not to write it down just because he was afraid that someone would know his secret.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no point if I forget before the others know.¡¯?</i>

    Like that, Yu-Seongpleted his habitual task, sighed briefly, and sat on the bed. He acted leisurely, but he had important work left to do after havingpleted the promotion evaluation and was back on Earth.

    <i>''Confirmpensation.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong needed to calm himself down so that he wouldn¡¯t scream from happiness. Therefore, even when he spent time doing this and that, his heart would still pound like a five-year-old child distracted by a Christmas present in front of him. It could not be helped.

    <i>¡®The heart when opening the gift box is no different from that of a child or an adult.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong first opened his status window.

    <Right before promotion evaluation>

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 21

    Series: All-Rounder

    Rank: E

    Level: 100

    Retention History: 1

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality E, Fusion E, Spearmanship Prodigy E

    General Skills: Stylish E, Eye of Replication E, Spark E, Insight E, Vision Reinforcement E, Protective Shield E (deleted)-> Physical Strength Reinforcement E, Stamina Reinforcement E

    Special Skills: Wind Control E, Dancing Electric Doll E, Twin snakes biting their tails E, Magic Spearmanship E++ ¡ú D-

    Current Deactivation Skill space: No space left. If necessary, you can delete and overwrite general skills except initial skills.¡»

    ----------------------

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 21

    Series: All-Rounder

    Rank: E ¡ú D

    Level: 1

    Retention History: 1

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality D, Fusion D, Spearmanship Prodigy D

    General Skills: Stylish D, Eye of Replication D, Insight E, Vision Reinforcement D, Physical Strength Reinforcement D, Stamina Reinforcement D

    Special Skills: Wind Control E(¡ü), Dancing Electric Doll E(¡ü), Twin snakes biting their tails E(¡ü), Magic Spearmanship E++ ¡ú D+(¡ü), Three Talent Mind Control E (added)

    Current Deactivation Skill space: There are currently 2 spaces left for general skills. Learn and add new skills!¡»

    Just by looking at the interface window, Yu-Seong definitely noticed the letter D rank that was finally achieved. Above all, after using all the Protective Shield he had stolen by the Eye of Replication, the basic maintenance skills such as Physical Strength Reinforcement, Stamina Reinforcement, and Vision Reinforcement had risen to D rank. He could clearly feel the direct growth of his physical ability.

    <i>¡®I felt like I could roughly do 300kg of bench press in terms of muscle strength, but now I feel like I can easily do 400kg.¡¯</i>

    The same was true of Vision Reinforcement.

    <i>''I deleted it once when I was in a hurry, but it''s good to have it.¡¯?</i>

    As if confirming that it was D rank, Yu-Seong could see his surroundings rather clearly in the dark. Just in case, he checked the raw video of a car running at about 100km/h on his cell phone. It was slow since it was an ordinary punch, like when Yu-Seong was an ordinary gamepany¡¯s employee.

    <i>¡®Before, 100km/h was like a fist wielded by a martial arts fighter.¡¯?</i>

    Perhaps this effect would be felt more clearly during an urgent battle. There was no way to check Yu-Seong¡¯s Stamina Reinforcement immediately through any media use for now.

    <i>¡®Before, I didn''t have a problem staying up all night for two nights... So, if the growth figures are roughlypared, I may be able to stay up for three nights and feel alright?¡¯</i>

    In fact, these physical abilities varied greatly as the level rose. The skill only acted as an additional help aside from the level increase. Therefore, Yu-Seong organized his mind about physical-rted skills while leaving his spection aside. He turned his gaze at the initial abilities that helped him improve until now.

    <i>¡®Let''s first take a look at them all¡­¡¯?</i>

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (50/100) ¡ú (86/100).

    D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras. (Added)

    Current eleration rate +70% ¡ú +90%¡»

    ----------------------

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Stylish D

    Cannot be used with Fusion.

    Additional effects are applied once the user demonstrates acrobatic and cool actions.

    Receive additional effects of always-on application due to rank-up.

    E-rank perks ¨C Increased resilience.

    D-rank perks ¨C Increased pain tolerance (Added) ¡»

    ----------------------

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, Fusion D

    .

    Except for the user¡¯s initial skills, it fuses two general skills into a new one. The contents of that created skill may alter depending on the user¡¯s luck. The skills used for fusion cannot be reused.

    D-rank perks ¨C Increase additional disable skill slots to 5 ¡ú 7 (Added)

    The user can freely delete or overwrite the skills listed in the unactivated skill slots that can be used for fusion. ¡»

    ----------------------

    ¡ºGeneral Skill, Eye of Replication D

    Cannot be used for Fusion.

    When used, a skill with a lower rank is copied by the user. The usage count and capacity of the copied skill varies ording to its rank.

    After copying a skill, this skill cannot be used on the same person for three months. Simrly, recopying the same skill also requires three months.

    D-rank perks ¨C Increases the number of times and ability coefficients of copied skills.¡»

    In a way, small but necessary growth had been achieved little by little.

    <i>''It''s just my first rank up.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong left behind some regrets, recalling that little drops make the mighty ocean.

    <i>¡®The important thing is¡­¡¯</i>

    These special skills with arrows, the ones that still remained in the E-rank¡­

    <i>¡®As expected, it''s the same with the original novel.¡¯</i>

    Special skills and general skills ranked up immediately. This was based on the premise that the rank was sufficient when the rank rose due to the yer¡¯s own unique ability. However, the general special skills were different.

    <i>¡®You need to spend Karma points to grow.¡¯</i>

    This was why Yu-Seong thought that he should save some of the Karma points he had collected until recently.

    <i>¡®I need to have enough skill points after I upgrade my rank, right?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong immediately pressed the rank-up button for Wind Control, which was one of his most frequently used skills.

    - yer Choi Yu-Seong''s special skill, Wind Control E ¡ú Wind Control D

    The required karma point is 2,500. Would you like to rank up? Y/N

    Choi Yu-Seong stiffened up slightly after he checked the message.

    <i>¡®2,500?¡¯?</i>

    For now, Yu-Seong''s Karma point was exactly 1,850.

    <i>¡®There were originally 2,350 points but¡­¡¯</i>

    This figure was achieved with the additional 600 Karma points that had been sponsored by the gods during the dungeon racing. However, the problem was that during the promotion evaluation Yu-Seong had spent 500 karma points to deceive Mr. Guy. Thanks to that, his current Karma points were 1,850.

    "...falls far too short."

    It was unfortunate, but it still wasn¡¯t a big problem. Considering the ability of Wind Control, Yu-Seong could understand why it required this many Karma points.

    <i>¡®Because powerful skills consume more Karma points¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought that he could raise other skills, and checked the second skill and other additional skills. He then muttered, "...Is this for real? The cheapest¡ªTwin snakes biting their tails¡ªis 1,900."

    Yu-Seong¡¯s special skills were very powerful, but he still found this situation unfair. He did try very hard to save Karma points.

    <i>¡®Is this not a time to cheer for joy? Instead, I have to go hunting right away and somehow get more sponsorship?¡¯?</i>

    For a while, Yu-Seong grinned in disappointment.

    <i>''Wait a second, what was the reward for the promotion¡­?''?</i>

    Suddenly, Yu-Seong''s gaze turned to the special skill ¡®Three Talent Mind Control E¡¯.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, Three Talent Mind Control E

    Cannot be used for Fusion.

    It''s a basic mana breathing technique that anyone in the Murim world has heard.

    When the skill is invoked in a sitting position, the maximum mana constantly increases.

    Skill invocation is automatically canceled when moving or speaking.

    If you use the skill in other postures, you can inject mana into the weapon to increase its strength.

    Perks are given if the rank is raised.

    You are the 168th person on Earth to acquire mana breathing skills.

    Special ¡ï

    There is a blessing of a special god.¡»

    "Wow...! This is awesome! Is this really a reward from the promotion evaluation?"

    After cheering out loud, Yu-Seong''s expression naturally hardened.

    <i>¡®You think you can let it slide this easily after putting me through all that hard work, huh?¡¯</i>

 Chapter 76

    <h4>Chapter 76 </h4>

    Of course, Yu-Seong was aware that the mana breathing skill itself was quite rare. It was considered a great ability in the world. The ability seemed to be insignificant right now, but the difference between those who possessed the ability and those who didn¡¯t only grew greater as the rank rose. Thus, it was also true that Yu-Seong considered it as a skill that he had to acquire someday.

    <i>¡®Well, it¡¯s true that the sooner I get it, the better it is.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, the sooner Yu-Seong obtained it, the better it was. That was because the maximum mana continued to increase without any cost of money or ability.

    "Honestly, Loki. But isn''t this too much?¡± Yu-Seong talked to himself, but there was no answer.

    <i>¡®If I suffered that much, wouldn¡¯t it be reasonable for the skill to be as powerful as the most powerful breathing skills of the Murim gods such as Cheonma-gong, Taeguk Ilgi-gong, Cheon Ji-gong, or at least a skill just below that level? But¡­Three Talent Mind Control? Isn¡¯t this the most basic breathing skill?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong almost spat out his thoughts out loud, and that would not have been good. He shook his head and rubbed his forehead angrily.

    <i>¡®Yeah, well, at least I obtained a breathing skill in my D-rank.¡¯</i>

    It was better than nothing. And as previously mentioned, it was unconditionally beneficial to obtain a breathing skill as quickly as possible.

    <i>¡®At least the Three Talent Mind Control is the breathing skill that hardly has any side effects when changed to other mana breathing skills in the future. He must have handed out such skill so that I could take time and grow step by step. But if I see Loki in person someday, I¡¯ll grab him by thepels of his coat and p him on the cheek.¡¯</i>

    Above all, Yu-Seong had considerable expectations for the special message regarding the god''s blessing.

    <i>¡®Maybe it¡¯s not just an ordinary Three Talent Mind Control method. There might be a great secret hidden within it, which could be incredibly strong¡­ Just like in a martial arts novel, right?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had some disappointment due to his initial anticipation. He invoked the Three Talent Mind Control skill. The blue energy moved as if it were drawn from the surroundings, and flew into him through his nose and mouth.

    <i>¡®This is how?</i><i>mana</i><i>?breathing feels like¡­¡¯</i>

    This ability was often transmitted by the martial arts gods and was often called the inner core method. It was certainly a unique skill. Yu-Seong felt peaceful, refreshed, and rxed. His tense expression gradually softened¡­before he heard a sudden cracking from somewhere.

    <i>¡®All of a sudden?¡¯</i>

    At the same time, the leisurely swimming manas within Yu-Seong began to scarily rush toward somewhere. For a moment, Yu-Seong could see exactly where his mana was headed.

    <i>¡®A bracelet?¡¯</i>

    The mana ran arbitrarily toward the gray bracelet that Choi Mi-Na had given Yu-Seong, flooding it entirely. The dark bracelet suddenly glowed with a colorful light that was mixed with red and blue. The lights began forming a letter in front of Yu-Seong''s eyes.

    <i>¡®What the heck¡­¡¯?</i>

    For a while, Yu-Seong was surprised by the unexpected changes and the unknown letters. The swirling text rapidly rushed right in between his eyebrows.

    <i>¡®Ughhh-!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to scream, but no sound escaped from his mouth. Feeling confused, he thought he heard the ringing of bells or wooden pping from somewhere. He followed that sound before his mind became hazy.

    <i>¡®Again?¡¯</i>

    Even before he questioned whether was going to faint again, a colorful message shed in front of Yu-Seong with a light.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster sent a direct message to the yer Choi Yu-Seong, saying, "Be grateful, you ignorant fool. I¡¯ve worked vastly hard for a long time to give you this reward."

    Of course, Yu-Seong had already lost consciousness by then. He couldn¡¯t reply.

    ***

    When Yu-Seong opened his eyes again, the bright morning sun blinded him.

    "Um... it¡¯s about 12:15." Yu-Seong habitually checked the time after waking up. Then, he smiled bitterly after he checked his right arm. He felt very empty, because the bracelet he had worn every day despite its unknown effect had disappeared.

    <i>¡®So, I still don¡¯t even know the name of this.¡¯</i>

    However, it did seem to have an effect.

    <i>¡®Since Loki sent me a message at the end¡­¡¯</i>

    The bracelet¡¯s skill wouldn¡¯t be a normal one. Therefore, this time, Yu-Seong opened the system interface window to check the special skill column with an excited face. He was like a child receiving Christmas gifts. No other skills were in sight.

    <i>¡®This is it.¡¯</i>

    There was a newly added special skill!

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, The God¡¯s Chakra E

    Cannot be used for Fusion.

    The hidden potential in the skill was released by the remnants of a royal god.

    All the mana¡¯s of the yer Choi Yu-Seong are reced with chakras.

    The skill is constantly working on the yer¡¯s body.

    This increases the absolute capacity of the chakra.

    This effect also applies when speaking or moving in an unconscious state.

    The current chakra 730/730 has been reced by yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    Daily growth rate + 1.

    Applying D-rank, the first chakra is released.

    D rank ¨C Mdhara Chakra.

    With Mdhara Chakra applied, the physical abilities of the yer Choi Yu-Seong will increase to the same level as those of the physical-type yer.

    Special ¡ï

    The application of God''s Chakra further enhances the effect of Mdhara Chakra.

    If the rank rises, the second chakra wakes up.

    You are the eighth person on earth to acquire chakra skills.¡»

    Yu-Seong¡¯s jaw dropped wide open.

    <i>¡®What is this, Chakra?¡¯</i>

    For a moment, Yu-Seong was confused. It seemed to be an ability different from the martial arts skills that the main character Kim Do-Jin would learn in the near future.

    <i>¡®Is it the skill from an Indian god? But I thought Loki was the one who gave me this skill.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong took a while to calmly organize his thoughts.

    <i>¡®I would have seen it in the original novel if it''s a considerably special ability.¡¯?</i>

    This was a problem of human memory. If he didn¡¯t write it down, Yu-Seong would have forgotten all about it. The feeling of frustration was only temporary, and his eyes sparkled soon enough.

    "Anyway, this skill is crazy."

    As its name suggested, the skill would actually suit the main character Kim Do-jin rather than Choi Yu-Seong, who was the viin. No, in a way, Yu-Seong had just acquired a skill that even Kim Do-jin could not obtain in the original novel.

    "God''s Chakra, huh?"

    Yu-Seong somehow felt very proud of himself.

    <i>''This is amazing.¡¯?</i>

    The skill was clearly as good as the ShinGongJeolHak, which was considered the best martial arts in the martial arts world¡ªfar above the other clumsy skills.

    "Wow..." Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help saying words of admiration.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster became snobby.

    - The Oldest Hunter looks at the yer Choi Yu-Seong with a proud expression.

    - Cnn¡¯s Hound cheers for the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The gracious blue-eyed god nods. He sent a direct message to the yer Choi Yu-Seong, <i>¡®I look forward to the day I return again.¡¯</i> He gently leaves the yer.

    As always, the gods¡¯ messages poured out. This time, there was one more god along with the three familiar names.

    "The gracious blue-eyed god?"

    Yu-Seong did not see the first message that came to mind at the end of the promotion evaluation, so he briefly tilted his head at the new name of the god.

    <i>¡®Why did he leave? The gracious blue-eyed god...''?</i>

    After pondering for a moment, Yu-Seong jumped out of his seat and freaked out. "Oh, my God! God''s chakra! The gracious blue-eyed god!"

    The shout was so loud that it rang throughout the room. Naturally, Jin Do-Yoon, who was guarding the door of Yu-Seong''s room, rushed in. He called out, "Young master!"

    The fact that Jin Do-Yoon was here meant that he also passed the promotion evaluation and had reached the A-rank. However, for now, Yu-Seong had no time to care about him.

    "Wait, let me think for a moment." Yu-Seong sat back in his ce and was lost in thought. He could not prevent his heart from pounding.

    <i>''Oh, my God. I see. The gray bracelet...it was a piece of the god of Destruction.¡¯?</i>

    All the pieces of the puzzle came together in Yu-Seong''s head. Choi Mi-Na''s present had been a piece of the god of Destruction.

    In the original novel, it was an ancient relic used by S-rank viin, Dalsim. The problem was that, in the original [Modern Master Returns], it came out as a simple tool to strengthen the ability of Chakra, and the Viin Dalsim was an insignificant character who died in vain.

    <i>¡®Nevertheless, Kim Do-Jin took the pieces of the god of Destruction as if they were very important tools.¡¯</i>

    Though, the first chapters did not cover the foreshadowing items until the novel ended. In fact, this part of the story was not very important since it was only a small episode which Yu-Seong had forgotten about. However, its importance and significance would be apparent once the gracious blue-eyed god¡¯s name was revealed.

    In fact, by just looking at the nickname alone, which may feel quite good and kind, the gracious blue-eyed god was a god reminiscent of an angel. However, there was another exact nickname that referred to him, and that nickname was quite far from a holy and benevolent vibe.

    <i>¡®The god of Destruction.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, the power with his blessing had been passed on to Yu-Seong by connecting with the god of destruction¡¯s sculpture.

    What was the meaning behind this?

    <i>¡®Chakra is deeply rted to Hinduism. And if it¡¯s called the god of Destruction¡­¡¯</i>

    In other words, the gracious blue-eyed god was Shiva, one of the three Hindu gods. Shiva had left after he confirmed that his skills had been safely transferred to Yu-Seong. It wasn''t because his interest had disappeared.

    <i>¡®He said he was looking forward to the day he¡¯ll return again.¡¯?</i>

    Shiva woulde back. However, he simply thought that Yu-Seong was not important enough for him to devote all of his attention yet.

    <i>''He is somehow arrogant, but that''s understandable.¡¯?</i>

    Although it was said to be one of the three gods, Shiva''sbat power was actually more powerful than Brahma, the creator god in Hinduism. In fact, there was a familiar tale that Shiva could fight against the union of all the Hindu gods and it would still be an equal match.

    <i>¡®No matter how much Loki was worshiped highly in Northern Europe, if he and Shiva did a 1:1 battle, he would fly to the other side of the world after Shiva raised one of his fists.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it was quite an exaggerated opinion, but for some reason, Yu-Seong imagined that scenario with a certain level of glee.

    In any case, Shiva gave God''s Chakra skill as a reward for the promotion evaluation and had made sufficient Karma point investment in Yu-Seong. It was not just Shiva who had worked hard to make this skill. Loki had also joined in.

    <i>¡®No, would it be more right to say that Loki called Shiva from the beginning, knowing that I had a piece of the god of Destruction?¡¯</i>

    Trying to discover the logic behind this entire situation, Yu-Seong¡¯s head spun with many rapid thoughts.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s no wonder that the promotion evaluation was too difficult for just an E-rank¡­¡¯</i>

    Loki and Shiva¡ªthe coboration between the two gods was not something Yu-Seong could understand at all, but he could tell that the rewards were exceedingly generous.

    <i>¡®So why would he even say that I wouldn¡¯t regret going back to normal difficulty and give up the reward?¡¯</i>

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong did not make such a foolish mistake in the past.

    <i>¡®Loki, now I definitely know that you¡¯re not honest.¡¯?</i>

    Loki seemed to enjoy bullying Yu-Seong quite a bit, but he had also prepared such a big gift for Yu-Seong. Obviously, this had to be his way of increasing his stake over Yu-Seong, but if it wasn''t for his willingness to help Choi Yu-Seong, he wouldn''t havee this far.

    "Thank you, Loki."

    "Sorry?" Jin Do-yoon replied to Yu-Seong¡¯s mumbling.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster snorts at the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    Then, Loki sent a message.

    1. It was originally written as Modhara Chakra but google research shows mdhara chakra

 Chapter 77

    <h4>Chapter 77 </h4>

    Jin Do-Yoon still looked suspicious when he saw the message. Yu-Seong simply smiled, shook his hand, and checked his cell phone again.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s 12:30, not a bad time to go to the gym.¡¯?</i>

    Once a new ability was gained, it had to be utilized for it to bepletely his. For the first time in a long time, Yu-Seong felt a desire for training, so he was about to open his mouth to tell Do-Yoon. Then, he suddenly froze.

    <i>¡®A text message?¡¯?</i>

    To be exact, it was a message sent to Coconut Talk. Yu-Seong never looked at most of those messages properly, but the name that popped up on the screen could not be ignored. He asked, "Do-Yoon, does my father know how to use Coconut Talk?"

    "I heard that he uses it from time to time," answered Do-Yoon.

    "Umm..."

    At least it was not a spam message.

    Looking back, Yu-Seong never received it himself, but there was information that Choi Woo-Jae was quite good at handling new technologies.

    <i>¡®And Kim Do-Jin sent a coconut talk message a few days ago.¡¯?</i>

    Before opening Choi Woo-Jae''s message, Yu-Seong checked Do-Jin¡¯s message briefly. The content of the message had a video and some Inte articles.

    <i>¡®I''m not interested. I''ll replyter. It''s nice to be quiet these days.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong casually ignored the message. Do-Jin would have rolled his eyes if he found out. Subsequently, Yu-Seong read Choi Woo-Jae''s message, which was a short and sweet one.

    -Father: Do you have a gift you want?

    Choi Yu-Seong briefly agonized over the message that delighted him.

    <i>¡®Obviously there''s a lot I want to get as a gift.¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong shouldn''t ask for too much nor too little. In a way, Choi Woo-Jae''s question was both easy and difficult to answer.

    Yu-Seong slightly scratched his cheeks and wrote exactly what he needed. Then, he sent the message to Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t ignore him after reading his message.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong confirmed that his reply had been sent to Woo-Jae in the Coconut Talk app. He then rose from bed and asked, "Jin Do-Yoon, you''re an A-rank now, right?"

    "Yes."

    "What''s your schedule for today?"

    "I don¡¯t have much nned," answered Do-Yoon. Perhaps he read Yu-Seong''s thoughts roughly, because he was soon saying with a smile, "I guess you got a good reward from the promotion evaluation."

    "Yeah, a pretty good one."

    "Then..."

    ¡°Don¡¯t do your best against a D-rank beginner, but let¡¯s warm up moderately,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "I should be careful not to get too excited,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    Laughing and chatting, the two men naturally headed for the hunter-only gym.

    ***

    Fortunately, the gym was empty for about six hours. Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Do-Yoon rented the entire building and changed into their usual uniforms. They warmed up lightly by exchanging hands and feet. During this moderately-paced process, Do-Yoon smiled and said, ¡°It seems like you¡¯re in a good condition.¡±

    "Do I look so? I think I''m definitely lighter thanks to the promotion effect. Shall we get started?¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Yes, sir."

    After warming up for about an hour, Yu-Seong held a training wooden stick and Jin Do-Yoon raised his body obliquely with two fists. At first nce, one could be reminded of a kickboxing posture after observing Jin Do-Yoon''s fighting style, which had him putting both feet neatly back and forth, but it was actually far from sports with such set rules.

    <i>¡®Instead, it''s very instinctive.¡¯</i>

    Do-Yoon¡¯s style of fighting was rough and ferocious, with no hesitation. It was essential that the movement of the body was very anomalous. In general, even the areas that were seldom struck would be hit without hesitation.

    Still, during the confrontation with Yu-Seong, Do-Yoon seemed to be suppressing his movements. Then, in the middle of the battle, he started to clearly strike out with his hands and feet.

    <i>¡®There was a time when he tried to bite me with his teeth.¡¯?</i>

    It felt somewhat threatening, but Yu-Seong really enjoyed the battle with Jin Do-Yoon.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s good practice to gain the sense of actual fighting. It''s a bonus that most of the potential monster¡¯s threatening vibe bes nothing from this practice too.''?</i>

    If there were skills such as immunity regarding the threatening vibe, Yu-Seong would have naturally be a D-rank by now. Today''s battle was no different. Actually, it was rougher than before. Even though Jin Do-Yoon showed as much restraint as possible after bing an A-ranked yer, he still stabbed Yu-Seong fiercely and sharply during battle.

    Yu-Seong, when looking into Do-Yoon¡¯s eyes during a practice battle, could already feel his body stiffening up.

    <i>¡®It''s not as terrifying as Rachel''s threatening vibe¡­¡¯</i>

    Considering that Jin Do-Yoon was not doing his best in the first ce, it was clearly proof that he had made great progress due to his promotion.

    .

    <i>¡®He''s an unusually strong yer amongst those within the same ranking in the first ce.¡¯</i>

    Do-Yoon was not an Irregr, but by ordinary standards, he was a talented person who could handle two or three hunters of the same rank alone. Likewise, it was because of the efforts he put in and the talent he already had. In that sense, there was something strange about it.

    <i>''Jin Do-Yoon is still strong, for sure.¡¯?</i>

    Despite Do-Yoon using less strength upon considering Yu-Seong''s lower ranking, Yu-Seong still found it difficult to even stop him and find a chance to counterattack. From fighting intensely, there were moments when his vision was blurred from the sweat dripping down his eyebrows. Still, for some reason, he felt less burdened than before the promotion evaluation.

    <i>¡®I became a D-ranker, and Jin Do-Yoon became an A-ranker. Our gap would still remain the same¡­¡¯</i>

    For some reason, Yu-Seong felt like the gap had be slightly smaller. He was not the only one who felt that way.

    During the fast-running battle, Jin Do-Yoon stretched his hand, grabbed Yu-Seong''s stick, and jumped into the air as if he were performing a stunt. Few of Yu-Seong¡¯s hairs were pulled out as he bowed his head and swung the stick at Jin Do-Yoon''s ankle.

    <i>¡®What happened? I''m sure the young master is just D-rank, level 1¡­¡¯?</i>

    Jin Do-Yoon then remembered that Yu-Seong clearly had a somewhat unique aspect within the same E-rank. In fact, after the E-rank 50 level, Yu-Seong had shown a strongerbat power than other average D-rank yers. But even so, D-rank and C-rank were very much different.

    There was a saying in the hunter''s world that <i>¡®There''s a thin line between E-rank and D-rank¡­¡¯.?</i>But in reality, it was extremely hard to ovee the difference between the D-rank and the C-rank. It was like going beyond one great stage. As if to prove it, there were quite a few hunters up to the D-rank around the world, but the number of C-rank hunters and above were less than half that number.

    About six out of 10 D-rank Max-level hunters remained in the same rank and level forever. That was because they couldn¡¯t pass the general difficulty level promotion evaluation. This was the gap that existed, causing such a difference in numbers.

    However, Do-Yoon could feel the gap closing during this battle with Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®He''s gotten this strong after going up by one rank?¡¯</i>

    Of course, when discussing the world''s top five strongest hunters, there was a story about a hunter named William Rothschild, who was in the D-rank when he won over the two or three C-rank hunters alone. However, it was just an urban legend that was full of rumors. In fact, there were very few people who confirmed this story, making this an unbelievable myth.

    <i>''If the story is true, the young master¡¯s on the same level as such a monster.¡¯?</i>

    Even if the story remained a mere myth, Yu-Seong¡¯s growth was clearly beyond the level that Jin Do-Yoon could imagine. While Do-Yoon was happier with Yu-Seong''s growth than anyone else, he also felt suspicious about the unbelievable situation.

    Do-Yoon grabbed Yu-Seong''s wooden stick with one hand, roughly tearing the air, and asked while feeling the pain in his palms, "Did you raise your level after the promotion evaluation?"

    "No way. I woke up for the first time yesterday morning,¡± answered Yu-Seong.

    Do-Yoon knew that for a fact. Nevertheless, the reason why he had no choice but to ask was because of Yu-Seong¡¯s unbelievable growth.

    From the short conversation, Yu-Seong was convinced of one fact. Jin Do-Yoon shared the thoughts that he kept to himself. With a smile, he then asked Do-Yoon, "Jin Do-Yoon. Can you raise your tension a little more?¡±

    "It''s possible, but it might get a little dangerous."

    So far, Do-Yoon had refrained from his lycanthropic ability to be a wolf as much as possible. Once he became a werewolf, it would be many times harder to suppress his reflexive battle instincts.

    "I don''t care, so raise it more," said Yu-Seong. Despite the danger, he wanted to check. He needed confidence in the growth that was happening within him. He also had some rity regarding why he became so much stronger with only one raise of rank.

    <i>¡®God''s Chakra.¡¯</i>

    The new skill was always applied to Yu-Seong and made his physical ability no different from an ordinary physical type yer.

    <i>¡®Actually, the special effects made me stronger than a physical yer of the same rank and level as me.¡¯</i>

    When he first saw the message, Yu-Seong didn''t think too much. Although he was an all-rounder type yer, which was a rather ambiguous type, he had no reason to be dissatisfied with his physical ability. After all, he had be much stronger and agile than when he was a normal person. However, the feeling waspletely different when the God''s Chakra was activated with the stylish skill as well.

    <i>¡®I mean, talented physical type yers like Jin Do-Yoon live in a world like this.¡¯?</i>

    It was a whole other level. There was a reason that the ordinary all-rounder type yers were called ambiguous, with no specialties.

    While Yu-Seong was organizing his thoughts, Do-Yoon groaned and also fell into agony. "Um..."

    "Don''t worry too much. How do you feel about me?¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "In fact, it''s safe to say that you''re above the state of D-rank level 50. This is my estimation from the talent I¡¯ve witnessed when you¡¯re E-rank. But, you know, this is all quite absurd¡­¡± said Do-Yoon.

    "That''s enough. I don''t have to doubt how good your instincts are," said Yu-Seong.

    In terms of simple intuition, Do-Yoon''s instinct was as good as Kim Do-Jin''s. That was why Yu-Seong could believe Do-Yoon¡¯s evaluation.

    "So, don''t worry and try to do it. You have to learn to control that wildness to a certain extent. If I''m the only one trained by this sparring, there''s no point. Most of all, I''m not fully showing my power yet either,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    As the Dalian was bing more intense, more and more additional effects were being added to the stylish skill. Actually, Yu-Seong had not even developed skills rted to the psychic type yet.

    <i>¡®No. If I really want to see it clearly¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had to use insight, which only had four uses left. He activated the skill¡ªalthough he wanted to save it as much as possible¡ªand his eyes became blue-naturalized.

    <i>¡®Now, the number of trials remaining is three.¡¯</i>

    It was a shame, but its usage was a necessity.

    <i>¡®It is necessary to know my current state clearly.¡¯?</i>

    As seen from the famous saying of Chungmugong, ¡¯<i>If you know both your enemy and yourself, you will never be defeated</i>.¡¯, Yu-Seong thought it was also important to grasp his limitations.

    Naturally, rough hairs began to sprout on Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 78

    <h4>Chapter 78 </h4>

    Do-Yoon¡¯s sharp fangs emerged, revealing themselves from his neat rows of teeth. His gaze also turned fierce. The transformation was not yetplete, but certain distinct changes could already be seen.

    "All right."

    "I''ll go now," said Do-Yoon. He uttered a low, animal cry as he jumped toward Yu-Seong. Although only a part of him had been transformed into a wolf, he appeared to be at least twice as fast as before.

    Choi Yu-Seong could still read the movement with Insight, avoiding Do-Yoon¡¯s attack perfectly and only with a single step.

    <i>¡®Oh, my goodness.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was astonished. His clothes were torn from Do-Yoon¡¯s following kick, but he couldn¡¯t believe that he had avoided the very first attack. No matter how much he thought about it, he was inplete disbelief.

    <i>¡®This is certainly a skill of god, the God''s Chakra!¡¯?</i>

    Indeed, it was no exaggeration to say that Shiva, the strongestbat god of Hinduism, had blessed the skill himself.

    In fact, theter battles were somewhat one-sided. Do-yoon, who had turned into the wolf, fought fiercely. On the other hand, Yu-Seong poured out all of the skills and power he could, but he only seeded in slightly touching Do-Yoon¡¯s clothes.

    Eventually, in less than five minutes, while exchanging quick attacks and defenses, Yu-Seong''s clothes became rags and he had gained quite a few scratches and wounds on his toned body. However, Do-Yoon did not stop and Yu-Seong did not shout to quit.

    It was only eight minutester that Yu-Seong stepped back. He had missed the stick that he was struggling to hold with both hands. He yelled, "That''s enough! That''s it!"

    Jin Do-Yoon came to an immediate stop, no longer running wild like a beast. Noticing this, he realized that his earlier worries had all been for naught.

    <i>¡®When I heard the young master''s voice, I could immediately control myself.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Yoon quickly became human again, and approached Yu-Seong. "Are you all right, young master? I''ll apply medication for you right away.¡±

    "...huff...huff¡­¡± Yu-Seong couldn''t answer, because he was breathing so hard. He closed his eyes and nodded. Despite being short, the battle did push him to his limits. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong was now certain about how strong he had be.

    <i>¡®Maybe he¡¯s already the best among the D-rank yers.¡¯?</i>

    It was ridiculous to think that Yu-Seong, who had just advanced to D-rank, was already the best in that rank from the start. However, it wasn¡¯t impossible. After all, Kim Do-Jin was already a C-rank yer at this point.

    <i>¡®I was just trying to survive... but I¡¯vee all the way here.¡¯?</i>

    It did feel strange, but it wasn¡¯t too bad. In fact, it even felt slightly pleasant.

    "Huff... huff..."

    "You may misunderstand because of the gap between our ranks, but the skills you performed were amazing," said Do-Yoon while Yu-Seong tried to breathe easy. He applied disinfectants and lotions to prevent scars all over Yu-Seong. He voiced his thoughts as if worried that Yu-Seong might be disappointed.

    <i>¡®No, I''m not disappointed, Do-Yoon. I''m very happy.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to offer an answer, but he couldn¡¯t even speak. He was really out of breath.

    "It''s not a joke or a sugar coated statement. I once told you that I think you are the strongest among the E-rank yers I know, remember?" said Do-Yoon. Perhaps from excitement or being uncertain of Yu-Seong¡¯s feelings, his face began to turn red.

    <i>''Of course I remember.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had received thatpliment not long after he was possessed, and that had been before he even took the hunter test. His improvement thus far was undeniable.

    <i>''It''s been a short time, less than half a year.¡¯?</i>

    There was still a long way to go, but Yu-Seong was satisfied with his journey so far. The results were pleasing.

    "At that time, I excluded Kim Do-Jin when I said that. In fact, I didn''t even know him well when he was in E-rank," said Do-Yoon. Then, he went on to mention an unexpected person. "I''ve seen a few videos of Kim Do-Jin fighting when he was in D-rank. Even for me, it was amazing.¡±

    "That... Whoo¡­¡±

    As soon as Yu-Seong tried to say¡ª¡®Isn''t that too much?¡¯¡ªhe once again lost his breath.

    "I think... Maybe you are stronger than Kim Do-Jin when he was in D-rank. You may not understand what this means..." continued Do-Yoon.

    Actually, Yu-Seong was very well aware of this.

    "Maybe, within 10 years, you¡¯d be called the world''s best hunter. You''re going to go beyond the chairman, Choi Woo-Jae. Do you understand?¡±

    Yu-Seong was very well aware of this too.

    <i>¡®But he''s saying something very unfavorable.¡¯</i>

    The title of <i>¡®the world''s strongest yer¡¯</i> was not actually a bad thing for Yu-Seong. It meant that he had acquired the necessary ability to protect himself as he desired. However, if he had such a title, how would the people look at Yu-Seong when disasters appeared on this earth someday and the devil came down for a visit?

    <i>¡®People would expect me to somehow step up and stop the disasters.¡¯?</i>

    If Yu-Seong turned a blind eye, people would me him. Maybe someone would hate him enough to chase him down and assassinate him. Yu-Seong got goosebumps just from imagining the situation.

    "I''m so proud of you. People in the world should know more about you and your skills, young master."

    "No... They don''t have to know that much,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Jin Do-Yoon looked suspicious for a moment, wondering about Yu-Seong¡¯s true intention. Then, he nodded as if he understood. "Are you choosing to be a hidden dragon again this time? Well, I understand that you need to be careful until you''re fully grown. I''ll be absolutely careful and keep this quiet. Of course, but if something happens to harm you, young master, I am ready to risk my life and..."

    "You don''t have to¡­ Just be careful," said Yu-Seong with a smile. He didn¡¯t have the strength to speak too much and clear up Do-Yoon¡¯s misunderstanding.

    Above all, there was one thing that everyone in the world was mistaken about.

    <i>¡®They think that they know everything about Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    For reference, Kim Do-Jin usually used a sword and acted as if he were a physical type yer. However, in reality, it waspletely different.

    <i>¡®He''s¡­an extremely gifted all-rounder yer.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin was the ruler of the world who mastered both magic and swordsmanship. Therefore, his type shown in the system window was an all-rounder type. And yet, why was he stronger than any other physical type yers?

    The moment Yu-Seong got the god¡¯s Chakra skill, he had a single thought.

    <i>¡®It''s called the skill of the main character.¡¯</i>

    This particr thought came about in a simple way. Kim Do-Jin had been dealing with the power that Yu-Seong had gained by acquisition of god''s Chakra, without any penalties, due to his specialized skill ¡®being genius¡¯ since the beginning of the novel. In fact, at this point, Kim Do-Jin could use magic. He was just choosing to not use it to hide that fact.

    <i>¡®He is hiding his magic skill to use it as a secret weapon.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong broke Do-Jin''s record at the Goblin Fortress.

    <i>¡®But that¡¯s because Kim Do-Jin hadn¡¯t mastered magic back then.¡¯</i>

    And even if Do-Jin could use magic, he would not have used it. Perhaps roughly a year from now he would continue to hide the fact that he could use magic.

    <i>¡®People would eventually find out, but¡­¡¯?</i>

    In any case,paring himself to Kim Do-Jin¡ªthe protagonist of such an extraordinary returnee¡ªwas nonsense.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s up to Kim Do-Jin to protect the Earth. For me, I just want to be known as a moderately strong yer, root for him behind the scenes, and live a moderate and safe life.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong hoped that he would just keep improving and growing without attracting too much attention from others.

    <i>¡®How much should I adjust to avoid excessive misunderstandings like those of Jin Do-Yoon?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong had his own goal and boundaries.

    <i>¡®Having just enough dignity that would be hard for others to look down on, but encounter dangerous situations very rarely.¡¯</i>

    In this way, Yu-Seong was just like his father, Choi Woo-Jae. Well, but for now, he had to bust his ass and do more than just adjust. While doing so, he had to asionally disappoint the people around him to manage their expectations.

    <i>¡®That would be best for me.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, even though it was a difficult goal, Yu-Seong was still in a position to move forward without any hesitation. Of course, it wasn¡¯t guaranteed that his goal and desire could be met.

    Suddenly, a thought shed within Yu-Seong¡¯s mind like lightning.

    <i>''Oh, wait, but isn¡¯t the god¡¯s Chakra skill a branch of the mana breathing technique? If it goes well¡­I might be able to do something quite fun.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to live in moderation. In other words, he really didn''t have any expectations for this toe true.

    ***

    Thanks to technological developments, Choi Woo-Jae had a cell phone that could usually be worn on his wrist like a watch. He switched to a wide screen and checked the messenger called Coconut Talk. He soon burst intoughter. "Hahaha¡­!"

    "Chairman?" Kim Pil-Doo, who was next to Choi Woo-Jae, asked with a surprised look.

    "Oh, well. I thought I forgot how to smile brightly, but there are plenty of fun things to smile about, no? Iugh so much these days, too,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    "It''s a good thing. But may I ask what''s going on?¡± asked Pil-Doo.

    "You know, I recently yed golf with the old man, Baek."

    "Yes, I heard you went to see him while you were on a business trip."

    "That''s right. I went and asked old man Baek, ¡®The ninth child is so cute these days. What kind of gift should I give him?¡¯ Then, he answered in anger, ¡®Why are you asking me and not the person who will receive the present?¡¯ It was a silly question but a wise answer," said Woo-Jae.

    ¡°That sounds like what Mr. Baek would say," said Pil-Doo.

    "Oh, I agreed with him. I then asked the kid what he wanted in a cell phone message earlier."

    Kim Pil-Doo''s eyes became sharp. Choi Woo-Jae''s suggestion seemed like a simple matter, but it was by no means easy to please him. If Yu-Seong wished for a disappointingly small reward, or if he wished for more than what he had done, that rigid old man would burst out in anger and give punishment instead of a gift. However, looking at Choi Woo-Jae''s reaction, Pil-Doo guessed that Yu-Seong seemed to have pinpointed the appropriate middle ground.

    "Do you know what the answer was?" asked Woo-Jae.

    "Did he ask for a person?" said Pil-Doo.

    In general, Choi Woo-Jae cared about talented people, so he usually enjoyed the above answer. That was why Pil-Doo had made that guess.

    However, Woo-Jaeughed and said something unexpected, "He asked for some pocket money."

    "...what?"

    "So, it¡¯s true that there''s nothing like pocket money to praise a good kid. That''s why I had to startughing. Haha...!" chuckled Woo-Jae.

    "As far as I know, there is quite a lot of money in Master Yu-Seong''s personal bank ount," said Pil-Doo.

    "What a fool! Even if you have a lot of money, you would need more and more. If there¡¯s such a thing as ¡®<i>enough money</i>¡¯, why would we be sitting here and doing such a thing like <i>¡®thinking¡¯</i>?¡±

    "This time, for my silly question, you, Chairman, have given me a wise answer,¡± said Pil-Doo.

    .

    "Secretary Kim, you take good care of this. Enough amount for a gift in my name.¡±

    "Yes, sir."

    Now, Pil-Doo was also put to the test. Choi Woo-Jae was a person who would easily take Kim Pil-Doo''s authority away if he made a mistake with the amount. Therefore, Kim Pil-Doo''s daily life was close to him walking on the de¡¯s edge every day, but he still wanted to remain in his position.

    <i>¡®Since I wouldn¡¯t learn anything from afar.¡¯?</i>

    Pil-Doo couldn¡¯t look away, either.

    "Go on. You can leave now."

    "Then I''ll see you tomorrow, Chairman."

    Choi Woo-Jae smiled and waved while Kim Pil-Doo bowed his head, stepped down, and left the office full of books. As soon as he opened the office door, he encountered the person¡ªwho he recently came across often¡ªstanding right in front of his nose. He said, "The seconddy, you are here. The chairman is inside."

    "I know. No need to tell me."

    Choi Woo-Jae smiled at Choi Mi-Na, who casually stood up and passed by Pil-Doo who was bowing his head. He said, "Oh, you''re here."

    Mi-Na had recently be one of the few people in the family who made Choi Woo-Jaeugh. It was surprising to think about the small rebellions that she had shown so far and the reactions she got out of her father.

 Chapter 79

    <h4>Chapter 79 </h4>

    Choi Woo-Jae''s power in the family was absolute. For this reason, when most of the family members stood in front of him, they had to walk on eggshells. The sharp words he spoke would only cause the family member¡¯s heads to fall low and go numb.

    In fact, Choi Mi-Na was the only one who deviated from that behavior. That naturally earned her the jealousy and envy of many siblings. Sometimes, they became angry at her due to their inferiorityplex.

    Thanks to this, and her arrogant personality which clearly resembled Choi Woo-Jae, Choi Mi-Na had be a loner in the whole family.

    <i>¡®If you are jealous, why don¡¯t you just work hard and do better? They can do nothing but choose to backstab¡­ Just go out to the dungeon, hunt, and train.¡¯</i>

    Choi Mi-Na didn''t filter her thoughts, and she also spoke arrogantly. In fact, she had surprised Choi Woo-Jae more than once because of that.

    <i>¡®She''s my daughter, but I agree that she''s persistent.¡¯?</i>

    From a young age, even before she became a yer, Choi Mi-Na was the only child who talked back to Woo-Jae and sometimes refused to listen. The biggest incident that had happened was when Choi Woo-Jae had tried to send Choi Mi-Na to the U.S. to study. She had refused to leave Korea just because she didn''t want to go abroad. She had even asked why she had to leave when she was good at studying anyway.

    Choi Woo-Jae had scolded her at that time, but Mi-Na¡¯s reaction had been very different from his other children. If it were like his other children, she would have dropped her head from the slight scolding. However, she had insisted until the very end and cried that she would not go abroad even if she had to die.

    Back then, Choi Woo-Jae had been so angry that he took away all of her authority, money, and cards, and had kicked her out of the house. Mi-Na had only been left with clothes, shoes, and the bag that she had at the time. She had also beenpletely broke.

    The interesting thing here was that Choi Mi-Na had simply spat at the front door while crying, shouting that she would not live in this disrespectful house. She had then turned her back and left the neighborhood.

    Choi Mi-Na had gone on to sell the limited-edition sneakers that she usually wore to raise funds to buy new sneakers, which turned out to be another limited-edition pair that she had to stay in line for 12 hours during a cold winter morning.

    However, the most surprising thing was that she had hired about ten foreigners who had lowbor costs with the money she had gotten from selling her original pair of limited-edition sneakers. Then, she had them stand in line with her and had eventually gotten her hands on three pairs of limited-edition sneakers, which she easily resold afterward.

    <i>¡®She left without a penny but deposited 800 won in her bank ount in three days.¡¯?</i>

    With that money in her bank ount, Mi-Na had gone on to start an illegal street business. She had set up the stall right next to those who had been lining up in the cold to buy the limited-edition shoes.

    The daughter of a conglomerate group had be the owner of an illegal street stall! So what did she, the princess who never did harsh work in her life, sell? She had sold the fish cake soup that she had learned to make from a Newtube video. Also, despite being a minor back then, she had even secretly bought and sold alcohol.

    On any ordinary day, a ss of soju with some hot fish cake soup wasn¡¯t anything special. However, due to it being in the middle of winter, the business had turned out to be quite sessful. It also did help that Choi Mi-Na was rather beautiful.

    If her story had finished here, Choi Woo-Jae would have just clicked his tongue and thought that Mi-Na would one day regret upon suffering a big loss.

    However, with the money she had earned, Mi-Na had gone on to design a few clothes that she had interest in, set up an Inte pop-up shopping mall, and advertised them through one of her acquaintances, a male entertainer.

    <i>''Was she 17 years old then? She earned about 160 million won, after five months of leaving the house.¡¯?</i>

    It was really incredible and hard to believe. In the end, Choi Woo-Jae had called Choi Mi-Na back home. He had learned to respect her opinion and had said he would never talk about studying abroad again. That had been on the condition that she had to end both the street stall illegal business and the clothing brand business.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s my daughter, but a crazy one.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Mi-Na still was like that. The other children would bow their heads as soon as they entered Woo-Jae¡¯s office, but Mi-Na just nodded slightly and casually went around the office with a big step. After saying, ¡°I¡¯m here¡±, she would simply sprawl out on the wide sofa.

    "Whew, I''m so tired. I''ll take a five minute break, father," Mi-Na said as she closed her eyes.

    Even when Choi Ji-Ho was in a privileged situation, he didn¡¯t act like Choi Mi-Na.

    <i>¡®When ites to individual talent, she¡¯s definitely the best in the family.¡¯</i>

    This part included Choi Woo-Jae himself. At the age of 19, Mi-Na had Awakened on her own and became a hunter, quickly achieving an S-rank which was rare in the family. She was also exceptionally strong even within the same S-rank.

    <i>''Honestly, I think it would be hard for me to fight her directly now.¡¯?</i>

    Mi-Na was a daughter who was good at every single thing. Nevertheless, there was only one reason why Woo-Jae did not choose Mi-Na as the heir.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I like a lot of things about you but this one aspect¡­ You didn''t get any of them this time?¡± asked Woo-Jae.

    Choi Mi-Na, who was closing her eyes, opened her eyes and looked at Choi Woo-Jae. She said, ¡°What am I to do? I just don¡¯t like working with people.¡±

    "What''s so hard about sitting back and telling them what to do? And didn''t you do it well when you ran away from home when you were 17?" Choi Woo-Jae clicked his tongue.

    Mi-Na¡¯s talent as a hunter was equal to Choi Ji-Ho, but her sense of battle was overwhelming. Her business skills were also undeniable. She had left home alone at the mere age of 17 and had started a sessful business.

    Woo-Jae heard that Mi-Na was still running a store in Itaewon very well. The problem was, as he said, she just hated people so much. She didn¡¯t know how to keep people near her.

    <i>''What a cock of the walk.¡¯?</i>

    It was his daughter, but Woo-Jae couldn''t understand Choi Mi-Na.

    "I only did it then because I thought I was going to die if I didn¡¯t.¡±

    "What about now? You are running a bar in Itaewon.¡±

    Choi Mi-Na messed up her hair as if she was annoyed. "I have that ce in case you kick me out of the house again."

    "Don''t you have something else in mind?"

    "No, I don''t. What are you thinking? Even if I did, I can''t fool you with my abilities.¡± Choi Mi-Na scowled and then closed her eyes again as if she was annoyed.

    It was a trivial action, but Woo-Jae could infer something different.

    <i>¡®There must be something¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae was somewhat instinctively aware of the fact, but he did not bother to ask.

    <i>¡®It must be about her mother, tsk.''?</i>

    Even Woo-Jae thought her mother¡¯s death, who had been his second wife, was really a pity. Where could Choi Mi-Na''s sharp business sensee from?

    <i>¡®I would feel very reassured if she took charge of one of my affiliatepanies by now¡­ She was a very reliable woman.¡¯</i>

    It was a pity in many ways, but it was already in the past.

    "Forget what you have to forget. If you don''t let it go, it''ll hold you back forever," said Woo-Jae.

    ¡°...¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae lightly clicked his tongue and continued to talk. "The guild registration card is out, and the office is ready. There''s a lot of guys to handle the office, and I just need a central member. Since you said you don¡¯t want anyone from the family, I selected some good candidates. But things haven''t been going on here for days.¡±

    "That''s why I met two of them today. But what should I do if I don''t like any of them?"

    "Are you picking your husband or something? I''m not asking you to find a guy that suits you."

    "What do you mean ¡®husband¡¯? Do I look like I''m going to get married? Please give up and tell Choi In-Young to go to a gooood~ ce that suits her," said Mi-Na.

    "Again, you''re going off on a tangent. Aahh..." said Woo-Jae. Once again, he clicked his tongue and hardened his expression. "No more hesitation would be epted. The Cheon-Ji Group and the Dae-Hyun Group also don''t like us starting our guild business. If you drag it long, they will use whatever means possible to interfere."

    "Well, that¡¯s because they have their own guild. The reason why ourpany has not be the No. 1 business in Korea so far was because we didn¡¯t have a guild business."

    The current position of the Comet group was third in the domestic business world.

    In fact, it was the result of not being able to carry out the guild business even though they had the upper hand in all other businesses. What was interesting was that everyone thought that Choi Woo-Jae could not carry out his guild business. They weren¡¯tpletely wrong.

    "In the meantime, it was inevitable because the man in the presidency received money from the Cheon-Ji and Daeh-Yeon group,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    "But you could have done it if you wanted to, right? It''s not like the president didn''t take your money."

    Choi Woo-Jae smiled and stroked his short beard. "You have to be sure when you put the dagger in. It happened when I was young. Maybe it was because I was still at an age where I had the spirit, so I handled things rather poorly. It could have not gone that far, but a familypletely copsed. One person died, and I also became worried about it."

    "No way, are you feeling sorry for them?"

    When Choi Mi-Na asked him, Choi Woo-Jae smiled strangely instead of giving a clear answer. "At that time, I was still short of strength. There was a lot of trouble when a cornered rat came at me to bite. Besides, the opponents this time are the Dae-Hyun and the Cheon-Ji group,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    "If you''re going to strike the neck, strike it with certainty," replied Mi-Na.

    Woo-Jae smiled satisfactorily at Mi-Na''s response and stood up from his seat. "So now is the chance. This year marks the fourth year of his presidency. It''s about time that even the political aristocrats started to make a fuss that they cannot give too much attention here as they had to prepare for the next presidential election. Besides, a whimsical person like you decided to work with me. Is it because of Yu-Seong?¡±

    Choi Mi-Na''s eyebrows momentarily trembled from Choi Woo-Jae''s sudden sharp words. It was a small change, but Woo-Jae did not miss that reaction. He said, "No need to get surprised. Recently, Yu-Seong has been doing a lot of noticeable things. Normally, the other children would not stay still. But all of them are turning blind, focused on the guild business. Yu-Seong is justing up, besides, you''re already too big. At least five of them must form an alliance to stop you."

    "If you know all that, I''d appreciate it if you wouldn''t bother me,¡± Mi-Na said.

    "I can''t do that now. If I fail the guild business this time, I will have another chance someday, but raising children is not like that."

 Chapter 80

    <h4>Chapter 80 </h4>

    For Choi Woo-Jae, the guild business was said to be very important. However, it was still less important than thepetition between his children. This was rather unsurprising, since his children would be the ones to lead the Comet group in the next generation.

    Woo-Jae valued talented people more than anything else, so he would never step back from what he had done so far, which would cause him to lose money and have to start his business from scratch.

    In other words, even if Woo-Jae¡¯s other children¡ªwho did not want Choi Mi-Na to take full control of the guild business or rise to the position of chairman¡ªinterfered with thepany¡¯s ns, Woo-Jae would simply wait and watch them. He would think that he was ¡®<i>sacrificing small things to save great things</i>¡¯ if the ns failed because of his children.

    <i>¡®But if they crossed the line too much, they¡¯ll pay for that¡­¡¯</i>

    Mi-Na''s siblings were also quite clever, so they would not directly participate and cross the line.

    "It''s amazing, by the way. What favorable aspect of Yu-Seong made you change your mind?" asked Woo-Jae, who was trying to get a sense of Mi-Na¡¯s opinion.

    Mi-Na pouted slightly. "You got it wrong. Why would I like such a rascal?"

    Then, Mi-Na jumped up from her seat and tried to leave the office as if she was running away. Choi Woo-Jae looked at her back with a rather strange gaze, and said, "It''s just three days. Even if you don''t want to, within the next three days, get ready to pick anyone and give them the position. Otherwise..."

    Mi-Na stopped walking.

    "Otherwise, because of yourint, your innocent brother, Yu-Seong, will be troubled for a while."

    "Do whatever you want." Mi-Na clicked her tongue at Woo-Jae''s words, and left the office with a cold smile.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re pretending to not care, Mi-Na..." said Woo-Jae with a smile. He sat in ce again and tapped his chin.

    <i>¡®My second daughter and my ninth son¡­¡¯?</i>

    They each had noticeable shorings. However, when they came together, they seemed to make a good team. Thinking about it, Woo-Jae smiled again with satisfaction. Then, his personal cell phone vibrated shortly.

    <i>¡®Hmm?¡¯</i>

    There were only very few in Korea, no, the whole world who knew Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s personal number. For him to receive a direct call was even rarer. The funny thing was that not all of those with his number were close andfortable friends, and one of them had called Choi Woo-Jae this time.

    "Yoo Chul-Min, this old man called, all of a sudden?"

    Woo-Jae said the name out loud as if he was calling his neighborhood friend, but the man named Yoo Chul-Min had great influence in Korea. In fact, he was even more well known than Choi Woo-Jae himself.

    Yoo Chul-Min was the chairman of Cheon-Ji Group, the No. 1 business group in the country. This was what the general public thought of first when they heard the name, Yoo Chul-Min.

    Choi Woo-Jae received Yoo Chul-Min¡¯s call with a rxed hand gesture. He spoke first. "It¡¯s been a while, Chairman Yoo. How have you been?¡±

    - It''s been five years, Chairman Choi. I''m very healthy aside from my worsening back pain. That¡¯s all thanks to you giving me a hard time, haha.

    Yoo Chul-Min was 15 years older than Choi Woo-Jae. He was joking around during this call, but there were many hidden meanings in his words.

    <i>¡®Five years ago... This narrow-minded fellow seems to still have that in mind.¡¯</i>

    Although Choi Woo-Jae quietly clicked his tongue, he also clearly remembered the incident that had taken ce five years ago.

    Goblin leather was considered to be tough and too rough for anything, so it used to be seen as useless. However, a new method for processing Goblin leather was first revealed in Denmark and it soon became a new resource to capitalize on. It became much softer and durable than the ordinary cowhide. Also, Goblin leather was easier to obtain and moremon than other monster resources.

    Naturally, thepanies began to pay attention to the Danishpany that developed the processing method of Goblin leather. The faster they learned the secret technology and dominated the market, the more they could start their business at an advantageous position. How could thepanies not like a new business item that was sure to make money?

    At that time, DRD, a Danish technology researchpany, drew attention from the world''s leadingpanies and the rich who had acquired information in advance. Unsurprisingly, the Chun-Ji group and the Comet group also naturally participated in thepetition.

    <i>¡®It wasn''t easy at the time, since the Rothschild family in Ennd and the Rockefeller family in America also participated.¡¯?</i>

    The two families that originally became sessful through their oil business continued to invest in the world''s leadingpanies, create guilds, and collect mana stones. That was how they rapidly inted their wealth.

    In a way, simply standing shoulder-to-shoulder with those families was already testament to Choi Woo-Jae achieving his lifetime goal.

    The irony was that the two families participated at the same time, so they could not easily make decisions. They had to keep each other in check.

    During that time when otherpanies were walking on eggshells because of the two wealthy families, Choi Woo-Jae took action. It was the time when there were still many voices in the Korean businessmunity saying that they should just wait and see.

    <i>''They missed the boat because of those silly thoughts. It''s always better to punch first in terms of fighting.¡¯?</i>

    While everyone was hesitating, Woo-Jae signed the contract earlier than anyone else, proposing arge amount that was difficult to refuse for the DRDpany that developed the Goblin leather processing method.

    After that, everything happened in a whirlwind. Since the technology was being supplied, the Comet Group could dominate the market by providing raw materials and elerating production. Every product that was made of leather¡ªsuch as cell phone cases, wallets, watch straps, bags, etc.¡ªtransformed to be a new product made of Goblin leather. The Comet Group announced such products with a massive promotion saying that it was the ¡®world''s first¡¯.

    For modern people of the present era, the material itself called monster leather was often recognized as a special kind of material. Moreover, the Comet Group brought in processed Goblin leather and turned it into a beautiful emerald-colored form, so someone even called this technology a <i>¡®modern leather gemology¡¯</i>.

    The price was also cheap and the functionality was excellent. Thus, products made of Goblin leather were extremely popr at the beginning of their release, had very high sales, and were still having steady sales even until now.

    But how about the Rothschild and Rockefeller family which everyone was worried about?

    <i>¡®Before even writing the contract, they were already buttered up.¡¯</i>

    It was interesting to note that the Comet Group was one of Korea¡¯s bestpanies, but from the perspective of those two families, it was only one of thergepanies in a medium-sized country.

    The suggestion that Woo-Jae offered was that it would be better for them to take the initiative than to let the opponent monopolize the new technology. Of course, quite a lot of money was given to the main figure of each family to persuade them. It was a tug of war with calcted risks, and the eventual profits were close to several tens of times the money they invested at the time.

    It was reasonable for the Cheon-Ji Group to be nervous after the Comet Group actively moved to pave a new foundation and create a way to grow, instead of staying still and watching the situation together.

    <i>¡®Well, I understand that he¡¯s scared of me. Since I might threaten hispany anytime.''?</i>

    Woo-Jae could easily guess why the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s chairman had called him.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s anxious about the guild business that my second daughter is doing. Hehe.¡¯</i>

    Unlike other businesses, the Comet Group had been quiet and rather conservative in the guild business that was often considered the most important for future investment. However, they had begun to actively move forward with the family¡¯s second daughter, whose face was not even well known.

    There were hurdles that stopped them here and there, but as they had a lot of money and were very determined, the guild business grew faster than Yoo Chul-Min had thought. As the chairman of Cheon-Ji Group, he felt nervous and anxious. He had a feeling that the Comet Group would soon catch up with them.

    In fact, everyone who ran apany would feel the same. The more they had, the more anxiety they had, so they were understandably more sensitive about the otherpanies in simr industries.

    Therefore, in fact, Yoo Chul-Min wanted to stop further growth before the guild business could even sprout. However, he failed to prune Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s businesses. Perhaps the fact that he had failed to kill Choi Woo-Jae at the only opportunity 13 years ago would still make his heart sting.

    "Oh, thanks to that incident, I was full even though I didn''t eat rice for a while. It''s all thanks to people like you who supported me from afar.¡±

    It was useless for Woo-Jae to argue with a narrow-minded person. They would be upset anyways.

    - Haha...

    Yoo Chul-Min tried hard to smile and continued to speak.

    - Anyway, I heard you started a guild business recently.

    This had been the main point of the call from the beginning. Choi Woo-Jae decided to put out a feeler instead of returning biting words. He asked, "Yes. Well, it may be toote, but shouldn''t I take a step at least now?"

    - I don''t really like going around the bush, so let me talk directly. Chairman Choi, I''m a little worried that a young fellow is being too greedy. If you eat too much alone, you might get sick, right?

    Choi Woo-Jae grinned. "I don''t know what you think, but Chairman Yoo, I''m too old to be called young now. I''m trying to be more greedy, that¡¯s all. But¡­are you afraid or something?¡±

    There was a brief silence over the phone.

    - Hahaha¡­!

    There was a loudugh, one that was twice as loud as the earlier chuckle. In Choi Woo-Jae''s ear, theughter sounded like a herbivore anxiously raising its voice upon seeing a beast.

    - It wouldn''t be good to fight each other and get hurt. Let me offer a suggestion, Chairman Choi.

    "I agree that it''s better to not get hurt. Do you have any insight?" asked Woo-Jae.

    As mentioned, Choi Woo-Jae''s goal was not just the Cheon-Ji Group. Was he aiming to be the number one in Korea? In fact, if he wanted to achieve it, he could have already achieved it a few years ago. However, the reason why he kept waiting patiently was because¡­

    <i>¡®My business should be overwhelmingly powerful. So that no one can dare look over it.¡¯?</i>

    To expand hastily and clumsily would only be a burden in the end. However, if Woo-Jae hit it hard, the burden wouldn¡¯t keep up with his speed and would eventually fall off on its own.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s when the number one ce could be discussed.¡¯?</i>

    It may be said that Woo-Jae was now old, but he was still ambitious and determined. Therefore, it was a weing thing to minimize the damage to each other.

    - War doesn''t necessarily have to be an all-out one. Let''s make a bet so that we don¡¯t have to bother those high-ranking officials.

    "A bet?"

    - You could view it as a game of Go. I don''t know if you¡¯re aware, but I have a grandson.

    Choi Woo-Jae instantly had a thought shing through his mind.

 Chapter 81

    <h4>Chapter 81 </h4>

    <i>¡®Bernard Yoo. Korean name, Yoo Jae-Yeol.¡¯</i>

    Yoo Jae-Yeol was a 20 year old Irregr, currently active in Texas, United States. He became a hunter around the middle ofst year, which was a little earlier than Choi Yu-Seong.

    He was now a D-rank yer, and was best known as the hero who saved the city by breaking through the third-rank dungeon break with about ten E-rank hunters, including the Texas Rangers, and killing the boss monster alone in the city of Alpine.

    Listening to that name, a piece of information automatically popped up in Woo-Jae¡¯s head. He asked, "Ah, I remember. Isn''t he called ¡®the Kim Do-Jin of Texas¡¯?"

    Yoo Chul-Min burst intoughter at Choi Woo-Jae''s words.

    - Oh no, Chairman Choi, you are mistaken. Kim Do-Jin, that fellow, is called the ¡®Bernard Yoo of Korea¡¯. As you may not yet know, my grandchild¡¯s name has been included in the list of top ten rookies in the U.S. released by the U.S. Times. I heard that it¡¯s the first time for a Korean to be in the chart, so it¡¯s a great thing.

    In other words, Kim Do-Jin was known as the best in Korea and had the world¡¯s attention. However, Yoo Chul-Min felt a little unpleasant with theparison between his grandson and Do-Jin. This was unsurprising, since Kim Do-Jin was a domestic rookie in his eyes.

    - It''s a sad story as a Korean myself, but isn''t the United States the world''s greatest awakening power? Korea will probably announce the news within the next few days, so the domestic evaluation of Do-Jin would slightly change.

    "That remains to be seen."

    - That''s right. We''ll see.

    In any case, there was no need to deny that Bernard Yoo (Yoo Jae-Yeol) was as popr as Kim Do-Jin in Texas, or possibly even more popr in some ways. Also, he was receiving a good outlook evaluation.

    Being aware of that fact, Yoo Cheol-Min finally brought up the main point for this call.

    - That child wille back to Korea in about 15 days.

    "For dungeon racing?"

    Yoo Chul-Min immediately responded to Choi Woo-Jae''s question.

    - As expected, I''m d that you''re quick-witted. He is returning to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record, the one he achieved when he was a D-rank yer.

    "So?" Choi Woo-Jae narrowed his eyes. Although he wasn¡¯t sure, he was slowly getting the picture. The main point still wasn¡¯t revealed entirely, but he could roughly assume Yoo Chul-Min''s intention.

    - Recently, there¡¯s a friend in the Comet Group who became a hot topic from a simr incident.

    As expected, it was about Choi Yu-Seong. He had recently broken Kim Do-Jin''s record at the Goblin Fortress. There were only a few people in the world who didn''t know about that, since Kim Do-Jin''s reputation was one that extended beyond Korea.

    Of course, there was no point in arguing with Yoo Chul-Min over this anymore. Choi Woo-Jae stated inly, "You are asking topete with dungeon racing.¡±

    - Since they are simr in age, wouldn''t it be an interesting game? I mean, there is a difference of one rank, but since my grandson will be in Seoul for about 2 months, your son should be able to catch up¡­ Although the level difference will slightly widen in the meantime. Oh, unless you¡¯re afraid?

    "No way," Choi Woo-Jae said with a smile.

    This conversation was only happening because neither of them knew that Choi Yu-Seong had reached the D-rank.

    "Let''s notarize it.¡±

    - Great, Chairman Choi. I like how you make quick decisions. Preparations have already been done. The president of Dae-Hyun Group, the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, and the Chairmans of Chun-Sang, Chang-Jo, Oh-Seong, and Dae-Han¡­ They are among the top 10 guilds. Does this sound like enough witnesses for you?

    Forget about the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties. It was obvious that Yoo Chul-Min had formed an alliance with six of the top ten guilds, including Cheon-Ji Guild of the Cheon-Ji Group and the Dae-Hyun Guild of the Dae-Hyun Group.

    "All right."

    - Then, Chairman Choi, you can decide the time, date, and ce. Contact uster.

    "Okay, I''ll see you soon...at the notary."

    -Haha, let''s see each other with a smile.

    Choi Woo-Jae''s expression hardened, looking exceptionally cold, after he hung up the phone.

    <i>¡®Six out of the ten top guilds, including Chun-Ji and Dae-Hyun.¡¯</i>

    Originally, they would have been scared of Choi Woo-Jae. However, with the big shot named Yoo Chul-Min taking the lead, they had sneakily joined the alliance.

    Once the Comet Group''s guild business got on track, many things would fluctuate¡ªincluding the guild ranking¡ªso there would be people feeling anxious. Therefore, they decided to work together and set up a game to beat Choi Woo-Jae.

    In addition to thepetition between Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo, there would be a lot of secret tricks being yed here and there. However, it didn¡¯t matter much to Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®If they ask for a war, I should ept it.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae had a particrly good memory. He would never forget their names.

    <i>¡®You all will be dead meat.¡¯</i>

    They had just turned their backs on the most terrifying person in Korea.

    ***

    Inside the hotel suite, a man was entirely covered from head to toe in a white nket. He was on a bed that was spacious enough for five people. Feeling like someone was around, he slowly opened his eyes and removed the thick nket that blocked the lighting through the window.

    A long-haired woman walked out of the hotel shower booth. She was dressed in a gown. Looking at the man, she said, "Are you up? Wake up and get ready for work. My father epted Chairman Yoo''s proposal.¡±

    The man, Min Young-Hoon, smiled bitterly at the woman with wavy brown hair down to her waist. She was Choi In-Young, the fifth eldest child of the Comet Group. He then said, ¡°Those noblemen, who didn''t even budge at my words, seemed to find Chairman Yoo''s name quite reliable after all.¡±

    "Of course. No matter what, you''re just a vice president of one of the top ten guilds. However, Chun-Ji Group is the number one conglomerate group in Korea, and Chairman Yoo is the head. Isn¡¯t it ridiculous for your pride to get hurt? As far as I know, about 20% of the Heaven Guild¡¯s stake is also held by Chairman Yoo''s family," said Choi In-Young. She grinned and looked at Min Young-Hoon out of the corner of her eye.

    Despite sleeping in the same bedst night, Choi In-Young had an infinitely cool attitude.

    <i>¡®She would never let me be happy.¡¯?</i>

    Min Young-Hoon himself was well aware that Yoo Chul-Min''s Cheon-Ji Group and the Heaven Guild were iparablepanies. Nevertheless, Choi In-Young''s attitude may be the biggest reason for why his pride had been hurt.

    <i>¡®Why am I in love with a girl like that?¡¯</i>

    Min Young-Hoon didn¡¯t understand himself, but when he looked at Choi In-Young, he could feel the emotions within him running wild. It was not something to be angry about, but he got angry. He didn¡¯t have to be frustrated, but he was intelligent and this bugged him.

    "Oh, so. You know, my brother Yu-Seong."

    "...didn''t we agree to stop talking about him?"

    When the kidnapping of Choi Yu-Seong had failed at the end ofst year, Choi In-Young did not exchange a single word with Min Young-Hoon for more than a month. In the end, he had to give up all his pride, got down on his knees, and apologized after visiting her house.

    Back then, the first thing Min Young-Hoon had heard from In-Young was a miserable phrase¡ª¡¯howme¡¯. He didn¡¯t feel horrible from hearing that.

    <i>¡®How funny is this? The vice president of the Heaven Guild chasing after a woman, begging on his knees?¡¯?</i>

    If the president, Oh Hyun-Woo, had seen Min Young-Hoon, he would have kicked his butt and said that it was pathetic. However, what could Young-Hoon do? It was true that whenever he looked at Choi In-Young, his emotions just never listened to his logic.

    <i>¡®Especially those eyes.¡¯</i>

    When he looked at Choi In-Young''s arrogant and fascinating brown eyes, Min Young-Hoon could spit out a lot of promises that may be impossible to keep¡­ Was this just a weird sexual fetish of his?

    <i>¡®I just want to believe it as love.¡¯?</i>

    Looking at Young-Hoon being somewhat confused, In-Young approached him and patted his head with a soft smile. At the moment when their moving gazes met naturally, a strange red light poured out of In-Young''s eyes.

    Curiously, Young-Hoon simply frowned and grumbled as if he had not even recognized that. ¡°You also admitted that it was just an unfortunate mistake.¡±

    "I''m not trying to say anything more about that. The future is what¡¯s important to us, not the past,¡± In-Young said.

    "So what?"

    "I know that Bernard Yoo is a fairly capable hunter. Even withmon sense, it''s still far too early for Yu-Seong to fight with him."

    "Not yet?" Min Young-Hoon found Choi In-Young''s words rather strange. He tilted his head.

    "I watched the video. My ninth brother¡­was hiding a lot more than I thought. No wonder that you failed.¡± In-Young causally got into bed and held Young-Hoon''s head in her arms. She continued to talk. "Maybe he¡¯ll be an amazingly great guy one day. So it bothers me a lot to just watch him grow, but for now, it''s already too much for me to handle Mi-Na unni."

    "So you want to cause another incident, simr to the kidnapping? I don''t think we should."

    Min Young-Hoon was in In-young''s arms like a baby, but he could still think straight.

    In-Young resembled her father, so she didn¡¯t easily evaluate others highly. If she had to watch out for Choi Yu-Seong¡ªa child who had juste up to the surface¡ªthen it was foolish to think that the same method would work.

    "No. Anyway, this game was prepared by my father himself. If something happens even before the match begins, it''ll be over for both of us," In-Young said. Her voice was shaking as she unconsciously expressed fear. This was surprising because she had been calm even when she had mentioned Yoo Chul-Min, the Chairman of the number one conglomerate group in Korea.

    ¡°I need someone to do it quietly and do things at the right time. Do you know someone who can do it?¡± she asked, confident that he knew someone to carry out the task.

    "I¡¯ll call Bomber," Min Young-Hoon said calmly. Choi In-young smiled at his words.

    Bomber was an A-rank viin. As his nickname suggested, he was one of the three most dangerous terrorists in the United States. Simply considering the offense, he was a S-rank yer. What would happen if the world knew that such a viin and the vice president of one of Korea''s top 10 guilds had a close rtionship? There would be an outrage.

    Perhaps the entire guild market would be overturned. The majority of guilds who were secretly joining hands with the Viin organization for their growth would be targeted. Among the current top 10 guilds, there was no guild that had never borrowed Viin''s hand, to Min Young-Hoon¡¯s knowledge.

    "Bomber? He won''t be able to enter the dungeon," Choi In-Young pointed out.

    Above all, if Choi Yu-Seong''s death was broadcasted in real time due to the sudden appearance of a terrorist in the dungeon, her position would be made disadvantageous.

    "It''s not well known, but Bomber has a skill called Time Bomb. It''s an ability to nt bombs in the opponent¡¯s body and have it detonate within 30 days through simple contact with Bomber''s hands," Min Young-Hoon said.

    "Oh¡­?" Choi In-Young''s eyes sparkled.

    "Give me a seat. A restaurant would be nice. It would be enough for Bomber to disguise himself as an employee and put his hand on his shoulder," said Min Young-Hoon as he slightly raised his head that had been on Choi In-Young''s chest.

 Chapter 82

    <h4>Chapter 82 </h4>

    Min Young-Hoon thought that arranging an informal dinner with Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be difficult. However, with everyone being quite wary these days, it might draw others¡¯ suspicion for him to directly contact Yu-Seong.

    In fact, Choi In-Young had secretly been given a warning by Choi Woo-Jae from the time she had made Young-Hoon kidnap Yu-Seong.

    <i>''Well, I don''t have to do it myself.¡¯?</i>

    Fortunately, Choi In-Young was smart. She could already think of a usible n. There were quite a few men, such as Min Young-Hoon, around her who would work for her. They acted as if they were bewitched by her.

    "Okay, let¡¯s do it. So, let''s see. After you set up the Time Bomb through Bomber, you¡¯ll go into dungeon racing and explode the bomb at an appropriate time¡­¡± In-Young said.

    "The extent of damage is¡­?"

    "As I said before, please don''t kill him. He''s still my cute little brother. It would be perfect to handicap him to the level of Ji-Ho oppa so that he wouldn¡¯t recover again."

    Min Young-Hoon nodded at Choi In-Young''s cool smile. "I''ll make that happen.¡±

    After the serious conversation, Choi In-Young smiled like a flower in full bloom. She lowered herself and kissed Young-Hoon''s mouth and cheek while he was in her arms. She cooed, "Young-Hoon, such apetent man. You¡¯re so lovely. When did you make all those connections? <i>Huhu</i>.¡±

    Min Young-Hoon was called the crazy dog of the dungeon. Hearing In-Young say that, he sulked and said, "I refuse to be treated like a child.¡±

    "<i>Huhu</i> who said that that¡¯s all I¡¯m going to do with you?¡±

    Young-Hoon blushed, looking shy. Others would be surprised if they saw this particr expression of his.

    Choi In-Young smiled with her eyes, patted Young-Hoon¡¯s cheek softly, and kissed him with her hands holding his face.

    "Mmm..." Young-Hoon wrapped his arms around Choi In-Young.

    <i>¡®Choi In-Young really is a bitch.¡¯?</i>

    However, could Young-Hoon refuse her?

    <i>¡®But what can I do? I like her so much that it drives me crazy.¡¯</i>

    Young-Hoon jumped In-Young¡¯s bones like an eager dog. His mind was soon overtaken by a fog of desire.

    ***

    The next day, after he had made some progress, Yu-Seong went to the Korea yer Association to receive the D-rank certificate. Then, he was looking at the Han River with a serious expression while sitting at the back of the car which Jin Do-Yoon was driving.

    Do-Yoon remembered that Yu-Seong¡¯s serious expression had first appeared when he left the room this morning. Curious, he asked with caution, "Hope you don''t mind me asking, but sir, do you have a concern?"

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not a serious concern, but I''m just worried that things are getting more and more twisted. This situation gives me aplicated feeling,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Hm¡­?¡± Jin Do-Yoon tilted his head in confusion.

    "I forgot to tell you, but I received my father''s call as soon as I woke up," said Yu-Seong.

    "From the Chairman?" asked Do-Yoon.

    "Yes. He asked me when I would be promoted to D-rank."

    "Since you''ve already been promoted, he must have been happy to hear the news," said Do-Yoon.

    "He loved it a lot. He said it was much faster than he thought, and now, he could take Chairman Yoo down a peg or two."

    "When you say Chairman Yoo, do you mean the Cheon-Ji Group''s¡­?¡± asked Do-Yoon while he continued to drive.

    Choi Yu-Seong nodded. In fact, he wouldn''t have thought much about it if that was it. In a way, it was ordinary for any father to want to brag about his children. In this case, the father was Choi Woo-Jae, and that made the situation slightly strange. But still, it wasn¡¯t too odd. The problem was the backstory.

    Choi Yu-Seong briefly exined the situation to Jin-Yoon regarding dungeon racing and Bernard Yoo with a quick summary. He then added, "Oh, I''ll have to call him to say that I''m done reporting my promotion. Haha¡­¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong gave a humorlessugh, then called Choi Woo-Jae. There wasn''t much to say aside from him having gotten the D-rank certificate. However, Choi Woo-Jae did mention a point after Yu-Seong had thought that they were done talking.

    -You should already know this, but I hate losing fights very much.

    Then, he hung up immediately.

    "Isn''t Bernard Yoo the Korean rookie who is famous in the US?" asked Do-Yoon.

    "Yes," answered Yu-Seong.

    "You don''t have to worry too much. He''s a pretty good talent, but I think you''ll definitely win," said Do-Yoon.

    "Thank you," Choi Yu-Seong answered lightly, butplicated thoughts still filled his mind.

    The reason was simple.

    Although Bernard Yoo was currently a yer known by this name, ording to the original novel, he would globally be known by a different nickname after hepletely returned to Korea for two years.

    <i>¡®The Fast Star.¡¯</i>

    Then, another five years after that, he would be known as ¡®the Starlight sh¡¯ to the world. However, there was another impression that stood out more intensely in Yu-Seong''s mind.

    <i>¡®He is the character who¡¯s Kim Do-Jin''s best friend¡ªhis right arm.¡¯?</i>

    As could be seen from the nickname ¡®<i>Fast Star¡¯</i>, Bernard Yoo wasmonly referred to as a ¡®<i>Cool Guy</i>¡¯ kind of psychic-type yer.

    <i>¡®In a way, he''s pure and extremelypetitive.¡¯</i>

    So, after this entire process, Bernard Yoo would reach A-rank two yearster. He would return to Korea and bet on a dungeon racing match with Kim Do-Jin. This urred in the original novel¡¯s Chapter 3, and because Bernard Yoo did not like his nickname as <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin of the United States¡¯.?</i>However, he would lose the match in a close fight, because the main character of a novel would always win and that was Kim Do-Jin.

    After that, Bernard Yoo would ept Kim Do-Jin and be a member of the Eclipse Guild. He would gradually be a popr character and participate actively in many chapters of the novel.

    <i>¡®Of course, he¡¯s a major figure who¡¯s indispensable for Kim Do-Jin and his crew.¡¯</i>

    This time was different from the original novel. Bernard Yoo hade to Korea two years earlier and was going topete with Choi Yu-Seong himself, and not Kim Do-Jin, in dungeon racing.

    <i>¡®It could be a useless worry, but what if I win and Bernard Yoo wants to be my party?¡¯</i>

    It may be an exaggerated idea, but the original novel¡¯s Bernard Yoo was such a character. He had a simple and cool idea that ¡®<i>no matter who wins the battle, we are friends!¡¯.?</i>Also, he had a preference to stay by the person who defeated him due to a strange admiration. That was the character¡¯s traits that the writer had chosen.

    <i>¡®Okay, let''s think about it.¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong tried to think of Kim Do-Jin without Bernard Yoo and the Eclipse guild without the ¡®Starlight sh¡¯. He already had concerns about the changed attitude of Baek Chul, who was currently with Choi Ji-Ho.

    <i>''I think there will be a lot of dangerous incidents as the futurees closer.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to believe that it wouldn¡¯t happen, but another variable had just urred and this was regarding the nned eventsing faster than expected. The uing battles in the future showed simr patterns of urrence as dungeon hunting and the many strong heterogeneous invasions.

    "It shouldn¡¯t be like that. It''s not even enough just to preserve Kim Do-Jin''s manpower as it is in the original novel..."

    At a time when variables were increasing, there was no guarantee that even the enemy invasions in the future would happen as nned. Of course, Yu-Seong couldn''t force himself to be defeated.

    <i>¡®Then my father wouldn''t sit still. That''s also a problem, but... The threats from the other siblings would start right away.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong heard that it was the guild business that got them caught up in this game. If he lost, the falling out with Choi Woo-Jae would be a problem. Another concern would be Choi Mi-Na¡¯s n of attracting the other siblings¡¯ attention and buying Yu-Seong more time being disrupted.

    If defeated, Yu-Seong would face plenty of immediate risks. On the other hand, Bernard Yoo''s behavior after Yu-Seong beat him was likely to be adjusted to some extent.

    Actually, Yu-Seong had no other way to step back no matter how hard he thought about it.

    "So, in the end, I have no choice but to win," said Yu-Seong.

    "Of course. But don¡¯t worry too much, young master. As I told you, you are by far the best D-rank hunter I know. I am confident that there will be no problems even if your opponent is a C-rank opponent,¡± said Do-Yoon.

    "Even if Bernard Yoo is C-rank?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "...of course," answered Do-Yoon.

    "This time, your answer was a secondte," said Yu-Seong.

    Jin Do-Yoon was speaking without knowing exactly how Yu-Seong felt, but the conversation felt quiteforting.

    <i>''Okay, let''s win.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, this wouldn¡¯t be as easy as Yu-Seong wanted. Bernard Yoo was such a strong opponent that even Do-Yoon, who had blind loyalty toward Yu-Seong, also was concerned for a while. In the original novel, he was even called Kim Do-Jin''s right armed man.

    In fact, in the distant future, Bernard Yoo''sbat power would rise to the level of the ¡®Judge¡¯, a level that could confront a serious disaster alone. His talent was enough to have him be considered as the main character of certain scenarios. Even at this point when the rank was still rtively low, he was obviously very strong. He would have no clear weakness.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong was still concerned because the increasing variables and the situation that was supposed to ur around Kim Do-Jin were happening to him.

    <i>¡®At this rate, one day, I might be the one messing with the devils.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong really hoped that that wouldn''t be the case. He sincerely hoped and hoped.

    ***

    Yu-Seong received the official D-rank certificate and immediately challenged the third-rank dungeon.

    <i>¡®Actually, with my condition right now, I think I could also do a level 4 dungeon....¡¯</i>

    There were many simrities between the games and the dungeon in the real world, so stronger monsters appeared farther away from the entrance¡­ Simply put, it was the case with an elite monster.

    Therefore, currently, it might be the most efficient for Yu-Seong to hunt closer to the level 4 dungeon¡¯s entrance. The experience points from the level 4 dungeon¡¯s monsters would probably be higher than the level 3 ones.

    Unfortunately, it was not possible at the moment. The barrier between the level 3 and level 4 dungeons were like the difference between D-rank and C-rank. There was an exponential difference between the two ranks, so the yer Association had set a manual to prevent the entering of parties with less than five yers. However, Kim Do-Jin did enter the level 4 dungeons alone after reaching D-rank level 50. How was this possible?

    <i>¡®Well, it''s because he is a main character and became close to the yer Association¡¯s president.¡¯</i>

    The Korean yer Association regarded Kim Do-Jin as a national treasure. The potential of Kim Do-Jin, who was still treated as a great super rookie abroad, was already a monster close topletion in the eyes of the yer Association¡¯s quick-witted president.

    Do-Jin was like a hero who would represent the country if his rank and level were raised. In fact, the yer Association¡¯s president was not wrong because that was also one of Kim Do-Jin''s roles in the novel.

    <i>¡®That''s why he helped Kim Do-Jin a lot. He wanted him to grow up.¡¯</i>

    The main character, taking up the novel¡¯s key position, was rather cliche most times. And at this point, there was no point of contact between the yer Association¡¯s president and Yu-Seong himself. No, if the story went ording to the original novel, the point of contact would never exist in his whole life.

    <i>¡®In the end, I have to create a contact point on my own¡­¡¯</i>

 Chapter 83

    <h4>Chapter 83 </h4>

    The only person who had the authority to allow exceptions in the association¡¯s manual set was the yer Association¡¯s president. This was something that could not be solved by money. However, there were still alternative solutions to this problem.

    <i>¡®If I ask Mr. Iron Wall, he might help me set up an appointment with the president¡­¡¯?</i>

    Park Cheol-Ho, the Iron Wall, was an influential director within the association. In addition, he had recently been noticing Choi Yu-Seong''s achievements and viewing them favorably, so he was likely to help Yu-Seong.

    However, persuading the yer Association¡¯s president was another thing to worry about.

    <i>¡®Is the fastest way to get an appointment¡­receiving it as a gift from my father?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong wore a happy smile on his face, thinking that he would definitely ask for a special hunter''s license like Kim Do-Jin the next time Choi Woo-Jae offered to reward him with a gift.

    <i>¡®Yeup, father if very generous.¡¯</i>

    Earlier this year, Choi Yu-Seong''s overall bank bnce was about 128 billion won. This was just the cash assets, and if the buildings and the houses he owned were included then the amount would be doubled. However, property should not be touched carelessly.

    Yu-Seong spent about 1.4 billion won a month. It could be said to be a huge amount, but this ridiculous amount of money was actually ridiculously easy to spend because of the gym¡¯s rental fee for training, his employees¡¯ sries, and the purchase and management of hunter equipment.

    <i>¡®The biggest expense is the mana drink.¡¯</i>

    Mana stone drinks for just two people, Choi Yu-Seong and Chae Ye-Ryeong, were already 1.2 billion won a month. Such luxurious expenses were possible mostly because of his real estate.

    <i>¡®Since I earn about 1 billion won a month collecting rent.¡¯?</i>

    Even so, it was also true that there was a steady deficit of about 400 million.

    In the meantime, Choi Yu-Seong had decided to spend about 20 billion won in assets to help Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s re-Awakening. This amount was not used right away, but as it was an important investment for the future, he didn¡¯t want to cut corners either.

    Also, there may be many more times to spend such big money in the future as well.

    <i>¡®It''s better to build a gym than rent it, so I also have to move¡­¡¯</i>

    Earning money was difficult, but spending it was incredibly easy. This was true even though he was a conglomerate¡¯s son. That was why he had asked Choi Woo-Jae to give him pocket money as a gift, and 50 billion won was recently deposited into his ount.

    <i>¡®If he could give 50 billion won as pocket money, how much money does he have?¡¯</i>

    Thanks to this, Yu-Seong was able to set money aside for Chae Ye-Ryeong and still receive additional ie. Although he was somewhat surprised, it really wasn¡¯t a problem for Woo-Jae to give out this exorbitant amount of money. The more Yu-Seong got used to the privilege of being a conglomerate, the funnier it became that he had been so surprised at first when he saw his bank bnce that he hadn¡¯t been able to count the digits.

    <i>¡®My father did know about my bnce, he just didn¡¯t care about it.¡¯</i>

    Although Yu-Seong''s bank ount bnce was considerably worrying, it was not enough for Choi Woo-Jae to bother.

    Yu-Seong had often felt embarrassed by unfamiliar situations since he came from apletely different world. He had been an ordinary gamepany employee before bing a conglomerate¡¯s son, but he had to adapt to it after all. After all, this was the world of the novel¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong.

    All of a sudden, Yu-Seong knew exactly what he was going to spend money on.

    <i>¡®I can support Jin Yu-Ri with 20 billion won for now. The more money you have, the better it is for creating and operating an organization. Maybe she could scale it up.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong remembered Yu-Ri, who had left the dungeon with the excuse of a vacation. Around him, there were quite a lot of carcasses of the level 3 monster, the Thorn Cat.

    The level has risen.

    If it wasn''t for the message that shed in front of him, Yu-Seong could have continued hunting in a rxed manner despite having a lot of thoughts on his mind.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, this message has appeared several times.¡¯</i>

    It has been about three hours since Yu-Seong first entered the dungeon. He just had this realization since his many thoughts had distracted him, but he was sure that several level-up messages had popped up.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Rank: D

    Level: 1 ¡ú 5¡»

    Yu-Seong was surprised by the unexpected increase in levels. Even though he did not consume any potions, he was sure that 90% of this experience eleration effect was due to the Star Factor. Also, because of the level increases, Yu-Seong felt like his condition and movements were bing better despite having spent quite a bit of time in the dungeon.

    <i>¡®The amount of my mana¡­ No, in my case, it would be the amount of Chakra. It¡¯s increased from 732 to 738.¡¯?</i>

    As a D-rank, the increase of Chakra was about 2 per increase in level.

    <i>¡®...certainly, in terms of Chakra, I am way over the average. Oh,e to think of it, the things I ordered are supposed toe tomorrow. I can''t wait to see how God''s Chakra would work.¡¯?</i>

    Even though quite a few variables might happen, Yu-Seong had no intention to limit his own growth. He went a little deeper into the dungeon with a spear in one hand.

    ***

    The leveling up was slower than when he was in the low E-rank level, but Yu-Seong looked very satisfied after achieving the D-rank, level 7. This was a raise of 6 levels in a day. This might be because he had just recently be a D-rank yer.

    Yu-Seong got in the car to head home. On the way, he checked his cell phone and saw about five CoTalk (Coconut Talk) messages that he had been ignoring for a while.

    <i>¡®It''s less than I thought.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had given a couple of replies in order to maintain a proper distance. If he didn¡¯t reply at all, Do-Jin might have personally visited Yu-Seong¡¯s house again by now. However, thest message from Do-Jin was somewhat iprehensible.

    - You saw the video, so why aren¡¯t you saying anything?

    Yu-Seong btedly remembered the video article among the messages that Kim Do-Jin had sent. He then clicked the link with a bothersome look.

    <i>¡®Why does he need so much attention? Is he a kid or something?¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong was aware of the danger of such thoughts. He should never forget that Kim Do-Jin was not a child but a returnee who had returned to Earth after surviving in a different world for decades.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s best choice was to pay attention to Do-Jin whenever he was this calm, and make an effort to.

    ¡°What the¡­ so he did dungeon racing?¡±

    Of course, Kim Do-Jin did not do it in an ordinary way. He had defeated the Dungeon of the Deads alone, achieving a new world record as a C-rank yer. This story was also not in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Yeup, I definitely need to check everything, even a single message like this.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong admitted that he was beingcent. He checked the article¡¯s contents and was once again surprised by the video.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin, you even used magic?¡¯?</i>

    The magic wasn¡¯t very noticeable in the video, but Yu-Seong could clearly hear the uttering of a strangenguage that others wouldn¡¯t understand in the middle of the video. At that moment, a light appeared and disappeared from Kim Do-Jin, whose movement in the video soon became several times faster and more explosive.

    Although it seemed like a reinforcement skill of a physical talent, Choi Yu-Seong who had read the original novel could see that Kim Do-Jin had used the Lunnguage¡ªone of thenguages of the other world¡ªto perform magic.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t get it. That¡¯s a power he hadn¡¯t revealed to the world at this point in the novel.¡¯</i>

    Of course, the magic was used appropriately enough for others to be mistaken, but Yu-Seong still couldn¡¯t deny that Do-Jin had revealed his magic usage a lot quicker than expected. He couldn''t understand.

    <i>¡®Why? Come on, think Yu-Seong¡­ you know Do-Jin very well.¡¯</i>

    In fact, there was a spective answer.

    <i>¡®Even if he had to use magic, he wanted to thoroughly appeal to the other person.¡¯?</i>

    Fascinating the opponent with an overwhelming power was a method that Kim Do-Jin often used to seduce someone, which worked quite well in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Or he might have thought that taking some risks didn¡¯t matter, since his pride was hurt.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, Kim Do-Jin, the main character, often ignored small risks and still won in the end. The problem left was, who messed with Kim Do-Jin¡¯s feelings by that much?

    <i>¡®Who would be the one he¡¯s met? Hao Lan? Suarez?¡®</i>

    After recalling the few characters in the original novel who were strong enough to be called Kim Do-Jin¡¯s rivals, Choi Yu-Seong''s thoughts suddenly stopped. A sudden possibility struck him like a thunderbolt.

    <i>¡®...Could it be me?¡¯?</i>

    It was not an unlikely story, and so Yu-Seong became even more shocked.

    Choi Yu-Seong was originally a viin who was appropriately used by Kim Do-Jin in the novel before being abandoned.

    <i>¡®But now, he is conscious enough of me to even use magic?¡¯</i>

    The rtionship had changed. Yu-Seong''s gaze trembled when he realized such a fact somewhat btedly.

    "Oh, my¡­!" shouted Jin Do-Yoon urgently. He jammed on the brakes, and Yu-Seong fell forward in his shock.

    "What''s going on?" asked Yu-Seong. He didn¡¯t hit his head because the passenger seat had been pulled forward, but he was still quite surprised.

    "Someone ran in front of the car..."

    Someone had jumped in front of their car. Yu-Seong raised his head and confirmed the person¡¯s identity. He said with a frown, ¡°Choi Min-Seok?¡±

    An unexpected figure was standing in front of the car with a strange expression on his face.

    Anyway, the house was just around the corner. Jin Do-Yoon got out of the car first, and Yu-Seong followed him. Yu-Seong then asked, "What do you think you are doing?"

    Choi Min-Seok, who always had a ridiculous look whenever he saw Yu-Seong, slightly shrugged in a somewhat sloppy manner. He frowned as if annoyed, saying, "...I came to talk to you about something.¡±

    "But why? Did you suddenly jump in front of the car because you wanted to die?¡±

    ¡°I meant to stop the car. I was just trying to reach out my hand to stop you guys.¡±

    "Then why didn¡¯t you wait in front of my house¡­? You know what, just go," said Yu-Seong.

    What was the point of continuing to talk more?

    Yu-Seong sighed deeply, shook his head, and tried to get back in the car. Just then, Min-Seok cried out, "Hey, wait! I have something to tell you.¡±

    "Get to the point," said Yu-Seong.

    "Well, that''s not something that we should talk about here," said Min-Seok.

    Yu-Seong frowned. "What?"

    "...let''s go to the restaurant I know. I''ve got a room. I have something to tell you in private..."

    "You¡¯re crazy. Why should I eat with you? I''m not curious about what you have to say, so let me just go." Yu-Seong grinned and grabbed the car handle again.

    "Kim Do-Jin!" shouted Min-Seok.

    ¡°...¡± Yu-Seong paused because Min-Seok had just mentioned an unexpected name.

    "It''s about Kim Do-Jin. You''re interested in him, aren''t you? Let''s go to the restaurant," said Min-Seok with a smile.

    Certainly, Yu-Seong had thought of that person many times. He swallowed the words in his throat right away and red at Choi Min-Seok. He retorted, ¡°Do you think I know less about Kim Do-Jin than you do?¡±

    "I don''t know more about Kim Do-Jin than you do," Min-Seok said.

    There was a rumor that Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong were quite close. Choi Min-Seok thought the pairing was quite out of ce, but there was too much evidence that brought about the rumor. There were even photographs of the two together.

    Because of this, Min-Seok quickly became mute at Yu-Seong''s confident voice. He stomped inside when he saw Yu-Seong opening the car door without further hesitation.

    <i>¡®What should I do? Byung-Chan hyung-nim told me to take Choi Yu-Seong to the restaurant.¡¯</i>

 Chapter 84

    <h4>Chapter 84 </h4>

    Choi In-Young wanted to nt Bomber''s Time Bomb on Choi Yu-Seong. However, she was concerned about Choi Mi-Na''s reaction and even more concerned about catching Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s eyes, which were already focused on her due to the past kidnapping incident. Thus, instead of carrying out her own ns, she had called on Choi Byung-Chan, her sixth younger brother and the one right below her in the hierarchy.

    However, Choi Byung-Chan was not a fool either. He did not want to directly bother with Choi Yu-Seong, who had Woo-Jae¡¯s attention at this time, and be exposed to unnecessary threats. Because of that, he had decided to call Choi Min-Seok in turn.

    It had started as Choi In-Young¡¯s n, but had been then handed over to Choi Byung-Chan, who in turn had passed the task over to Choi Min-Seok.

    Truthfully, Choi Min-Seok also did not want to encounter Yu-Seong these days, but since he was the weakest in the family now, he could not refuse Byung-Chan¡¯s order when Byung-Chan was the only one supporting him.

    Feeling desperate, Min-Seok had thrown out Kim Do-Jin¡¯s name at Yu-Seong, but even that had not worked. Min-Seok¡¯s mind went nk as fear instantly overwhelmed him.

    <i>¡®What will happen to me if even Byung-Chan hyung-nim abandons me?¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok suddenly remembered the gazes of contempt and disgust Yu-Seong had always gotten from their siblings. He remembered how much he himself had looked down on Yu-Seong, mocking him that he could not even lift his head up in front of his siblings. But, could he be different from Yu-Seong? No, there was no way Choi Byung-Chan would just leave Min-Seok be if he became useless.

    <i>¡®I-, I know too much about Byung-Chan hyung-nim''s secrets.¡¯?</i>

    As someone easily frightened, it never urred to Choi Min-Seok to use Byung-Chan¡¯s secrets against him. That was why he was running to grab Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder before he could get into the car.

    Min-Seok shouted urgently, "Oh,e on,e with me!"

    Practically at the same time, Min-Seok''s view spun around in a blur. It all happened so quickly that only after his back had painfully hit the ground did he realize what happened.

    "Ahhhhhhhhh-!"

    "This is your final warning. Do <i>not?</i>touch me,¡± Yu-Seong said as Min-Seok rolled on the ground screaming. He lightly dusted his shoulder, then added, "Next time, if you dare even touch my sleeve, I will break your arm.¡±

    After Yu-Seong got back in the car and sat down, the car drove away from Min-Seok. Only its loud exhaust sound lingered for a while. Looking at the back of the moving car, Min-Seok raised his voice with fear and anger. "Ahh, ahhhhhh!"

    So many things were falling apart.

    ***

    Yu-Seong returned home and had dinner. Then, he took some lollipops and headed into the room. He called Ping Pong and handed the candies over to him for free before sitting on the sofa alone.

    <i>¡®Bernard Yoo, Kim Do-Jin, and Choi Min-Seok.¡¯</i>

    Things that hadn¡¯t happened in the original story were happening one after another in less than half a year. There was nothing he could do to stop it, but as the number of variables increased, the number of things he had to prepare for also increased. Yu-Seong felt a bit of a headache.

    Yu-Seong went on to open his cell phone notepad to look over the records of the original novel.

    After eating thest lollipop, Ping Pong approached Yu-Seong and said, "Choi Yu-Seong, you have a worried face today."

    "Well, there are a lot of things that bother me these days..." said Yu-Seong.

    "I''ve heard that most of the worries of humans are useless and random," said Ping Pong.

    "That¡¯s not wrong," replied Yu-Seong.

    Those were the kind of words that could appear in any book.

    Yu-Seong took his eyes off the notepad and looked at Ping Pong. As always, Ping Pong had an arrogant expression on his cute face as he stood with his arms crossed, but for some reason, Yu-Seong could feel his worries fading.

    ¡°You may find this hard to believe, but I¡¯ve lived a lot longer than the lifespan of a normal human. I may not have any great wisdom, because I¡¯m from a different race and think differently, but I am open to hearing your stories. So, if you have any concerns, speak frankly. I¡¯ll listen to the end, even if some parts of your concerns arepletely useless,¡± offered Ping Pong. After that, he stretched both legs and fell down to the ground, crushing his cotton candy like tail.

    Yu-Seong was in a strange mood when he saw Ping Pong.

    <i>''His words were pretty cool, but he is so...''?</i>

    All Yu-Seong could think of was Ping Pong¡¯s cuteness. Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if there were no advantages to that. Before he knew it, a smile was tugging at the ends of his lips. He said, "Thanks to you, I think I''ve already found the answer. Thank you, Mr. Ping Pong."

    "Huh?"

    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t cry over spilled milk and worry so much. It''s not something that I can do anything about, anyway.¡±

    This was the right thing to do.

    Thinking so much was Yu-Seong¡¯s strength but it was also his w. Could there be anything more ridiculous than worrying about something that hadn''t even happened yet? Did he have to worry about it just in case?

    <i>''You don¡¯t even know what''s going to happen. Having no idea about what would happen even a second into the future is just¡­ being human.''?</i>

    Of course, it was possible to make a prediction. But unless Yu-Seong was a true prophet, he couldn¡¯t possibly know which one of the massive range of possibilities would happen until it actually happened.

    He had pretended to be calm, but after his life hade under control of the novel, he had gone through so many crises that it was possible he had be a bit scared without realizing it. He had to be careful not to be overwhelmed by thoughts of ¡®what-ifs.¡¯

    "I just have to do my best to prepare. And if Ie across a situation where nothing works then¡­all I can do is try my best to escape. I don''t want to die, you know?¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Looking at Yu-Seong smiling, Ping Pong, who was sitting on the ground, changed his expression. It was hard to tell whether he was relieved or annoyed.

    Ping Pong said, ¡°Tsk¡­ How boring.¡±

    Then, he jumped up from his seat and opened the pink dimensional door back to his.

    .

    "Are you going?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "I ate all the lollipops, so I don''t have anything to do here. Or do you have anything to buy?"

    "If I had something to buy, I would have bought it already."

    "Then I will go now. Oh, and that promise, you must keep it. Choi Yu-Seong."

    "What?"

    "Don¡¯t ever die. You''re the first and only contractor of this body. If you really think you''re going to die, then I would rather you look for me as soon as possible."

    "What if I find you?" asked Yu-Seong with a smirk.

    cing his small paw on top of his chest, "Even if I may suffer a loss, I will protect you at least once. This is a promise that I, Ping Pong, the Lion Bear n¡¯s great prince, make with my honor on the line, so you can believe it."

    "...Great Prince of the Lion Bear n?"

    Wasn¡¯t Ping Pong just a lion-bear-shaped doll?

    ¡°Ha! You are the first and only human to know this secret of mine. You should be honored. Bye for now."

    As if unaware of Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts, Ping Pong toddled through the pink door. His tail puffed up as it always did when he was in a good mood.

    Yu-Seong was now left alone In the room.

    "Anyway, I really do feel better, thanks to him."

    Ping Pong¡¯s oath was cool in its own way, but it didn¡¯t give Yu-Seong any big expectations. Still, it had indeed helped ease Yu-Seong¡¯s worries quite a bit, and it made him smile. Who knew that he would have beenforted and helped by a dimensional merchant? This was another thing that had never happened in the original novel.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a variable that happened because of the future that I¡¯ve changed.¡¯</i>

    In other words, the butterfly effect did not necessarily lead to a bad conclusion.

    With many thoughts upying his mind once more, Yu-Seong got up from his seat to wash up before lying down on his bed. At that moment, his cell phone rang. Choi Yu-Seong frowned as he saw the name on the screen.

    <i>¡®Choi Byung-Chan?¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok, whom he had encountered on his way home, shed into Yu-Seong''s mind.

    <i>''Aha, I was wondering why Min-Seok was so desperate. So he¡¯s carrying out your orders.¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok and Choi Byung-Chan had a longsting bond even in the original novel. Yu-Seong was getting a vague idea of what was going on. It was Choi Byung-Chan, not Choi Min-Seok, who wanted to see him. But why?

    In fact, Yu-Seong wanted to ignore this thought and organize his thoughts more, but this was not an easy feat.

    <i>¡®Choi Byung-Chan, A-rank, level 70 Physical type hunter with a specialty in boxing. And his personality is pretty fiery.¡¯?</i>

    Thest part was important. If put positively, Choi Byung-Chan had a fiery personality. If put negatively, he was insane. In fact, there were other words that clearly described his personality. In fact, there was another word that definitely suited him.

    <i>¡®Choi Byung-Chan the viin.¡¯</i>

    That was what Kim Do-Jin said in the novel as he cut Choi Byung-Chan''s neck when thetter had attacked him without fear. Also, when Choi Mi-Na had said some siblings wouldn¡¯t be fooled by her wild distractions, Choi Byung-Chan had been the first name that hade to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡®Yeah. With that personality of his, even if he was concerned about Mi-Na noonim, he wouldn¡¯t be able to sit still and do nothing.¡¯</i>

    If Choi Yu-Seong was a rascal with good qualifications but a sense of inferiority, Choi Byung-Chan was a viin¡­

    <i>''And a piece of trash full of pride and excessive confidence in himself.''?</i>

    Under such circumstances, why was an arrogant person like Byung-Chan bothering with someone like Yu-Seong who was still a D-rank yer? There had to be some external pressure.

    <i>¡®No way... Did Choi In-Young already start moving?¡¯</i>

    When Yu-Seong remembered Choi In-Young, the woman who could be seen as the Comet Group¡¯s true witch in the original novel, his thoughts naturally led to the second-rank dungeon and the kidnapping in the Noll''s cave.

    At the time, Choi Woo-Jae said that the culprit of the incident was one of Yu-Seong¡¯s siblings. Yu-Seong had wondered who it was, but he hadn¡¯t expected that he would be able to find the answer this way.

    Was it mere coincidence that In-Young¡¯s name came to mind after Choi Byung-Chan''s unexpected move?

    <i>¡®No way.¡¯</i>

    Now, he knew with certainty who in his own family were his enemies.

    He quietly pressed the call button and said, "Yes, Choi Yu-Seong speaking."

    - Why did you take so long to answer?

    "I was about to take a shower."

    - Are you home?

    One-sided statements and questions. There was no reason for Yu-Seong to lie.

    "Yes."

    - I sent a car. Get in.

    ¡°...¡± Choi Yu-Seong remained silent for a moment. It was obvious that it was a trap and that something would be waiting for him. The fact that he had to enter a tiger¡¯s den knowing that it was dangerous didn¡¯t make him happy.

    - I think you''re not aware of this, but just because I¡¯m cautious of Mi-Na noonim doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t do anything to you. If you don''t want to die, stop ying tricks and get in the car.

    Choi Byung-Chan instantly read Yu-Seong''s thoughts and threatened him, like the mighty viin that he was.

    Yu-Seong had no choice. He muttered, "...I''ll see you there."

    Choi Byung-Chan ended the call.

    Yu-Seong, who was about to get some rest, had to leave the house with a deep sigh. He was a little worried, but surprisingly, he didn¡¯t feel too heavy-hearted.

    <i>''I can think of the possible scenarios and the contingency n... And if I can''t help it, it''s not something that I can stop from happening.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong had never imagined that an unpredictable disaster woulde from this meeting.

 Chapter 85

    <h4>Chapter 85 </h4>

    Traveling by a car sent by Choi Byung-Chan, Yu-Seong arrived at a high-end restaurant famous for Korean beef omakase. It was located at Cheongdam-dong.

    After getting out of the car, Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Do-Yoon went up to the rooftop of an eleven-story building and entered the reserved room. There, they could see a restless Choi Min-Seok and Choi Byung-Chan, who sat at the head of the table with his arms crossed arrogantly.

    Choi Yu-Seong''s first impression of Choi Byung-Chan, who he had only read about in the original novel, was surprising.

    <i>¡®I heard that he¡¯s the boss of the back alley even before he awakened. No wonder he has a decent physique.¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan had wide shoulders and muscles that filled up a fairlyrge t-shirt. His palms were bigger than the average human¡¯s head, and his limbs were rather long. It was unsurprising to assume that he would have been a fairly strong person even if he were not a hunter. Looking at him, Yu-Seong felt like he was looking at a natural fighter.

    "Hmm?" Choi Byung-Chan''s first sound was a question. Looking at Do-Yoon, he said, ¡°You brought someone.¡±

    "You didn''t say I had toe alone," said Choi Yu-Seong calmly. He took an empty seat opposite of Choi Min-Seok.

    Byung-Chan offered a cool smile, looking at Yu-Seong with a strange gaze. "You certainly grew a lot. You look many times better than that imbecile over there."

    Byung-Chan was looking at Min-Seok, who hunched to make himself look smaller. He then said, "Leave."

    "...Yes, hyung-nim." Choi Min-Seok, who looked very discouraged, headed out of the door with his eyes lowered. For a moment, his gaze was full of resentment as he passed by Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®He is a fool until the end. If you want to me someone, shouldn¡¯t he me Byung-Chan rather than me?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong clicked his tongue inwardly. He knew the reason well. Min-Seok had chosen to resent him because that was the easier choice to make.

    <i>¡®It''s probably also because of past memories.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong and Byung-Chan were facing each other. The moment felt rather intense, but it wasn¡¯t too much for Yu-Seong to bear. As they calmly made eye contact, Byung-Chan smiled coldly and scratched his cheek. He said, "I don''t think I look particrly easy or a pushover.¡±

    "But that doesn''t mean you''re a cannibal, right?" said Yu-Seong.

    "...Look at that, you know how to joke. Are you really the Choi Yu-Seong that I know?"

    Instead of answering, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders.

    Byung-Chan had to directly contact Yu-Seong since things didn¡¯t work out when he had sent out Choi Min-Seok, but he wouldn¡¯t do anything by himself as long as there was a possibility Choi Woo-Jae could be involved.

    <i>''How interesting. I was going to simply carry out In-Young''s request, but it¡¯s a waste to just get rid of him.¡¯?</i>

    Byung-Chan wanted to have Yu-Seong for himself. Therefore, he picked up his cell phone to put off his n for a while. "Oh, it''s me. Send the food in after a little while."

    Choi Byung-Chan hung up the phone and uncrossed his arms. He leaned slightly forward as his shiny eyes slowly nce over Yu-Seong. He then asked, "I changed my mind. I want to give you a chance. Choi Yu-Seong, how abouting under me?¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to smile at the fairly flippant recruitment proposal. He asked, "Did you call me to make that suggestion?¡±

    ¡°No, I originally had other things to discuss, but for now, I''m giving you a chance."

    ¡°Thanks for the offer, but I refuse,¡± answered Yu-Seong.

    "You''ll regret it."

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±

    Choi Byung-Chan''s eyes twinkled as he saw Choi Yu-Seong''s calm attitude.

    <i>''Ah, I want this guy so much. Is there really no way to have him?¡¯?</i>

    Byung-Chan thought about it for a while but soon shook his head.

    <i>¡®Making the same suggestion twice would hurt my pride.¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan would have broken at least one of Yu-Seong¡¯s arms and legs if their family wasn¡¯t involved. Of course, if he decided to do so, then even if he would get in trouble, he could harm Yu-Seong to some extent. However, for now, he didn¡¯t actually have the intention of doing so.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a reason why In-Young asked me to handle him. There must be some kind of risk.¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan¡¯s effort would be enough to give In-Young some proper help. Therefore, Byung-Chan licked his lips as he decided to give up on Yu-Seong. ¡°Well, if you refuse, there is nothing I can do. At least enjoy your meal before you go."

    Byung-Chan picked up his cell phone again and ordered someone to bring the food in. Then, he yawned as if he was bored. Even though it was a request with considerable requital, this kind of work did not suit him well.

    <i>¡®Bomber, the Viin¡­¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan just had to help the person that Choi In-Young had sent over with the task. Thinking of that, he didn¡¯t have much to say.

    During the short silence, Yu-Seong looked around to figure out what Choi Byung-Chan was up to. Then, he stood up from his seat.

    "Huh? Where are you going?"

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom. Or should I pee here instead?¡±

    ¡°No way, but since I don¡¯t want you to run away, you¡¯ll have to leave that friend here. I still have things to talk to you about.¡±

    Yu-Seong slightly nodded at Byung-Chan with a light smile. After that, he left the room.

    ***

    As soon as Yu-Seong entered the bathroom, he locked the door and checked his cell phone. Just in case, he had sent a message to Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny¡ªwho was known as Yu-Ri¡¯s subordinate¡ªbefore leaving the house. He didn¡¯t receive any reply from Jin Yu-Ri, but there was one from Jenny.

    -Boss, I''m ready. Where should I go?

    It was the first conversation they were having, but it was not difficult to guess Jenny¡¯s personality from her short message.

    <i>¡®Since Jin Yu-Ri is the one who entrusts work to her, obviously she will be on the ball.¡¯?</i>

    After sending his current location over to Jenny, Yu-Seong closed his cell phone and began to think while washing his hands.

    <i>¡®He offered me to work for him, but Choi Byung-Chan still thinks that I''m a greenhorn.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong knew that for a fact without much thought. Byung-Chan looked bored and had no interest in doing his work, so it was clear that he hadn¡¯t nned the dinner because he wanted to.

    <i>''As expected, this has something to do with Choi In-Young.¡¯</i>

    In such a manner, what did Choi In-Young hope to achieve by arranging this dinner for Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Byung-Chan? Yu-Seong realized he might have to pay attention to a trap that was possibly rted to the restaurant itself.

    <i>¡®Or maybe food?¡¯</i>

    If there were an intention to use poison, then Byung-Chan would havee and twisted Choi Yu-Seong''s neck right away instead. What was the trap, then?

    Yu-Seong thought about it the entire time, but couldn''t find an answer. In the first ce, he couldn¡¯t possibly discover the real reason, unless he knew of the Viin Bomber¡¯s existence.

    Yu-Seong once again opened the message window with shame.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    In a way, Do-Jin was the most reliable person in such a dangerous situation. The name shed briefly in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes, but he soon got rid of that thought.

    <i>¡®I''ll have to repay him if I get his help.¡¯?</i>

    It was better not to owe Do-Jin. In the end, Yu-Seongpleted all of the possible preparations that were avable to him. Later on, he would have to face the danger head-on.

    <i>¡®I can do it.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong believed that he could do it, as long as he kept his efforts up.

    <i>¡®I just have to face the situation directly to find out. I can do this.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong tried to think positively, and left the bathroom.

    <i>''In case of an emergency, there is Do-Yoon supporting me.¡¯?</i>

    Jin Do-Yoon¡ªwho had be A-rank¡ª would not be easily defeated by the natural fighter, Choi Byung-Chan. Thinking of his reliable colleague, Yu-Seong felt more reassured than before.

    Yu-Seong walked leisurely through the long corridor leading back to the room.

    <i>¡®Huh?¡¯?</i>

    Beyond the corridor, Yu-Seong spotted burning red hair that vanished like a dancing me. His heart sank.

    <i>¡®Rachel?¡¯</i>

    Rachel, The ughter Queen, was known to be designated by the World yer Association as a viin and so would not be able to move recklessly. However, she appeared in a restaurant in the middle of Korea¡¯s capital city.

    Yu-Seong was reminded of Rachel¡¯s terrible penchant for murder and him witnessing her madness just a while ago. Goosebumps sprang up all over his body. His neck became stiff from the indescribable tension, his heart pounded like it was going to explode, and somehow he could smell blood from the tip of his nose.

    For a moment, Yu-Seong had to stand still. He immediately shook his head with a short sigh.

    <i>''No, there¡¯s no way. It has to be just another customer who came to the restaurant.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong only saw the hair. It would be just a coincidence that Rachel''s face came to his mind for a moment.

    <i>''Yes, if it was really Rachel, she would have already followed me.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong thought his situation was just like that old saying, <i>¡®Once bitten, twice shy¡¯.</i>

    <i>''Damn PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong unwittingly rxed his tense body and returned to the room again. There was already a simple appetizer on the table, as if the staff had alreadye and gone once. After noticing his return, Choi Byung-Chan started eating without saying anything.

    "Mm, it¡¯s good. Help yourself."

    Yu-Seong returned to his seat and asked while lifting the food. "Is there anything In-Young asked you to tell me?¡±

    If the opponent did not bring it up, then he had to do so. Yu-Seong was not a person who just sat and waited.

    Hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s question, Choi Byung-Chan quickly nced over. He emptied the appetizer bowl at once and put it down. "You mean, I look like the kind of person who does what Choi In-Young tells me to do?"

    Byung-Chan¡¯s voice was excessively angry. Noticing that, Yu-Seong was even more confident of his deduction. He said with even more confidence, "Well, brothers and sisters can ask for a favor."

    Choi Byung-Chan''s lips twisted at Yu-Seong¡¯s words. Looking as Yu-Seong finished the appetizer in one bite, he said, "Father has been caring about you a lottely, right? How long do you think it''llst? Don''t go too far. You''re not going to live just for today, are you? The glory wouldn''tst long."

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to stick it out and see.¡±

    As soon as Yu-Seong answered, the door opened and a skinny Western man in his 30s came in. He was dressed sharply. Naturally holding a te of food in one hand, he passed right behind Yu-Seong. Jin Do-Yoon was watching the man''s movements very carefully.

    "Oh, yes, you''re right. But I don''t think¡­that you''llst that long, you know." Byung-Chanughed and nodded as he received the raw beef served by the employee.

    Yu-Seong looked straight at Byung-Chan.

    <i>¡®What the hell are you up to?¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan had an elusive confidence, which was made clear in his voice. If he was truly hiding something, then Yu-Seong would have to find out for himself.

    Choi Yu-Seong wanted to change this situation into an opportunity. He couldn¡¯t do much if he had no clue, after all. It was also true that it would be better to know the opponent¡¯s intentions and prepare beforehand.

    <i>¡®What are you thinking, Choi Byung-Chan, Choi In-Young?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s inner thoughts wereplicated. He recalled the two names that were considered to be the most wicked in his family.

    "Beef tartare served with a special sauce, sir.¡±

    In the meantime, Yu-Seong could hear the employee speaking somewhat clumsy Korean as he came closer. The employee dropped the te of food quite naturally, and that surprised Yu-Seong, who turned to look at the broken te and fallen food.

    <i>¡®Ah¡­?¡¯?</i>

    The employee quickly bowed to Yu-Seong apologetically.

    Yu-Seong was distracted by the spilled food, allowing an unguarded moment.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. I''m sorry." The employee naturally reached out to wipe the stains on Yu-Seong¡¯s top. There was no reason to be wary or suspicious about his behavior.

    <i>¡®Perfect.¡¯</i>

    Just as the employee¡¯s sharp eyes reflected the very area of Yu-Seong¡¯s exposed flesh he was reaching for¡­

    <i>Tap-!</i>

    With a pping sound, Jin Do-Yoon snatched the employee¡¯s wrist at high speed. He growled fiercely.

    "Who are you?" asked Do-Yoon. However, he did not wait for an answer. He quickly broke the employee''s wrist and overpowered him, then climbed behind his back and twisted his arm the other way. There was no time for defiance.

    <i>Crush-!</i>

    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhh-!¡± With the eerie sound of broken bones, the Viin Bomber¡¯s screams resonated throughout the room.

 Chapter 86

    <h4>Chapter 86 </h4>

    Bomber, the viin, was quite pleased with this operation. There was only one reason for this¡ªit was thrilling. If the target¡ªa descendant of a conglomerate family¡ªwas eliminated, a fairly dangerous figure would be an enemy,

    Of course, any viin should move stealthily and go unnoticed. Although Bomber could lose his life if he ws caught, he was a terrorist in the first ce. If he were to be afraid of risking his life, he wouldn¡¯t even have be a terrorist.

    <i>¡®I won¡¯t be making a loss, if I lend a hand in the fight of this conglomerate family. I can profit from this.¡¯</i>

    For Bomber, this was a rxing start. He was once a U.S. soldier. He had learned Korean while he was stationed in Korea so he couldmunicate in thenguage quite easily. For Bomber, this operation was something that would end so easily and pleasantly.

    However, as soon as Jin Do-Yoon suddenly ran, snatched his wrist, and pulled out his shoulder bone, Bomber recognized that he was in some danger and cursed inside. He couldn¡¯t help but scream, "Ahhhhhh-!"

    ¡°I asked, who are you?¡± Jin Do-Yoon repeated his question.

    Choi Byung-Chan frowned as he was sitting down and eating food. He muttered, ¡°How loud¡­ Can¡¯t he see that his masters are eating?¡±

    Then, with a yawn, Byung-Chan stood up and seemingly disappeared.

    At that moment, Yu-Seong, who was organizing what had happened in his head, jumped out of his seat somewhat instinctively. He converted the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a weapon. Then, he invoked Insight and followed the invisible movement before pushing the opponent out of range with the Spearmanship skill, balustrade.

    All of these actions took ce during a very short period of time.

    A quick explosion rang out in the room. Jin Do-Yoon had been kicked by Choi Byung-Chan and had flown beyond the building, breaking several walls. Then, he fell and copsed even more walls.

    "Oh, my bad. Not enough energy was applied, so he¡¯s now just blocking the road. I meant to kill him,¡± said Byung-Chan as if he was annoyed. Then, he saw the sudden appearance of Yu-Seong''s spear and his eyes twinkled. He asked, "It''s an ancient artifact, isn''t it? Did Father give it to you?"

    ¡°...¡± Instead of answering, Yu-Seong widened the distance with Byung-Chan.

    "Why aren''t you answering me? I asked you a question.¡± Byung-Chan smiled at Yu-Seong.

    "What was that?" asked Yu-Seong as he looked sideways at Bomber whoid on the floor.

    Byung-Chan tilted his head at Yu-Seong¡¯s question. He stated, "Hey, I think I asked the question first.¡±

    "I have no obligation to answer," said Yu-Seong.

    "Then I''m not obliged to answer your question either. And there''s no reason why I have to humor a brother who''s disrespectful to me." After speaking, Choi Byung-Chanughed and disappeared once again.

    Choi Yu-Seong read the movement with Insight and made an illusion by conducting Wind Control. Byung-Chan''s roughly swung fist prated his entire illusion and broke the wall with a roar.

    There was a st as the cold wind of early February swept from the outside. Choi Byung-Chan wriggled his eyebrows and smiled. "Interesting.¡±

    Once again, Yu-Seong widened the distance between them by performing Wind Control Execution. Then, he invoked Spearmanship.

    <i>¡®The wind property.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong quickly pierced the air, a sharp wind swept across Choi Byung-Chan¡¯s limbs from the end of the spear. Then, before Yu-Seong knew it, Choi Byung-Chan had disappeared from the ce he was standing at.

    Immediately after, Choi Byung-Chan''s voice came from behind Yu-Seong. ¡°What¡¯s up with you? Choi Yu-Seong, are you sure you''re a D-rank?"

    Yu-Seong once again tried to widen the distance by invoking an illusion by using Wind Control. However, this time, Choi Byung-Chan was not fooled. Byung-Chan passed through the illusion and smiled right in front of Choi Yu-Seong''s nose.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s so fast.¡¯</i>

    After all, Choi Byung-Chan was an A-rank yer who was even called a natural fighter. No matter how great Choi Yu-Seong''s talent was, the opponent was also an overwhelmingly talented hunter.

    When Byung-Chan grabbed him at once. Yu-Seong groaned. "Gugh¡­!"

    There was no ce to escape to, and Yu-Seong was not powerful enough to shake off the A-rank hunter who was trying his best to catch him.

    <i>''Darn¡­it...''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and nced around. He needed to find a way. Byung-Chan wouldn¡¯t kill him right away, since there was a high possibility that their conversation would go on for a bit longer. It was time for Yu-Seong to seek an opportunity to strike back.

    Choi Byung-Chan tightened his grip threateningly.

    "Kahh¡­!" Choking, Choi Yu-Seong''s mind slowly became nk. He couldn¡¯t breathe.

    "Choi Yu-Seong, you''re more dangerous than I thought. What the heck are you? Your skill just now looks simr to Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s Wind Control."

    More questions from Choi Byung-Chan followed, but he didn¡¯t ask for an answer. He was a natural fighter, after all, so he had no need to truly understand his opponents.

    It was only a short battle, but Choi Byung-Chan was sure about one thing.

    <i>¡®This guy, he¡¯ll be really dangerous when he gets older.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong may be stronger than Byung-Chan himself if he was also in A-rank, or even just a B-rank. It was unbelievable, but Byung-Chan¡¯s instinct raised Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s risk evaluation to the highest possible level. It was like seeing Choi Ji-Ho, the man who once overshadowed the entire family in a different way from Choi Woo-Jae.

    If he could do it, Byung-Chan wanted to break Yu-Seong¡¯s neck before Yu-Seong became stronger. However, he couldn¡¯t do it.

    <i>''Killing him is too much for me¡­ Father is paying attention to him because he knows that this guy is as strong as this.¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan''s instinctive fear and logical reasoning shed, preventing him from easily making the final decision. At that moment, he could see the groaning Bomber struggling to stand up.

    <i>¡®He was beaten stupidly, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Bomber''s ability could quite covertly injure Yu-Seong to a point that was beyond recovery. Above all, Byung-Chan did not have to personally harm Yu-Seong, so it was easy to shrug off the me.

    Choi Byung-Chan made his decision, smiled coldly, and approached Bomber while grabbing Yu-Seong. He asked, "Hey, you can speak Korean, right?¡±

    "Ugh..." groaned Bomber. He raised his head to see Choi Byung-Chan, and nodded.

    ¡°Good. I don''t like English very much. Speaking of which¡­¡±

    Before Choi Byung-Chan couldplete his sentence, a wolf¡¯s howl rose from the ground. A werewolf with its back against the moonlight flew over from the outside wall.

    "Damn those beasts. I should have killed him with one shot earlier..." Muttering to himself, Choi Byung-Chan invoked his skill and stretched out his fist. A strong wind soared into the air. As far as he knew, most of the physical yers of his rank couldn¡¯t endure this attack.

    However, Jin Do-Yoon, who had turned into a werewolf, broke through the attack head-on.

    <i>¡®What?¡¯</i>

    It was a somewhat surprising moment, and thanks to this, Byung-Chan¡¯s wrist was caught by Do-Yoon. When Byung-Chan pulled himself together again, Jin Do-Yoon kicked Byung-Chan''s temple.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    This time, Choi Byung-Chan flew in the air. At that moment, Byung-Chan had to let go of Choi Yu-Seong and loosen his grip. Jin Do-Yoon did not miss the opportunity and held Choi Yu-Seong in his arms.

    "Kaugh-!" Yu-Seong suddenly started breathing, coughing roughly several times.

    <i>¡®Fortunately, he¡¯s okay.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Yoon looked at Choi Yu-Seong with a sense of relief.

    "Damn you, werewolf. Screw you." Bomber approached them, grabbed Jin Do-Yoon''s ankle, and cursed.

    Jin Do-Yoon stepped away to shake off Bomber¡¯s hand easily, and Bomber flew in the air just like Choi Byung-Chan. However, Bomber kept smiling even when flying through the air. His lips slightly moved, and Do-Yoon could see and read what he had said.

    <i>¡®Bang¡­?¡¯</i>

    At the same time, there was arge explosion. As his entire ankle exploded apart, Do-Yoon screamed in anguish, "Khaaaaa-!"

    The blood, flesh, and fur flew all over the ce. Do-Yoon fell to the ground while trying to protect Yu-Seong from the explosion, using his back as a shield.

    In the tremendous uproar, Yu-Seong began to recover little by little and called out in surprise, "Jin Do-Yoon..."

    "I''m fine, young master..."

    Even before Do-Yoon¡¯s bestial cry ended, a rough wind swept across Yu-Seong and struck Do-Yoon on the head.

    "Woof-!"

    Jin Do-Yoon cried out and rolled the floor several times. Then, he smashed against the corner of the wall.

    <i>Kurrrr-!</i>

    Choi Byung-Chan fell from above Do-Yoon and trampled on his chest.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Jin Do-Yoon couldn''t even scream, spewing blood. He fell down the stairs.

    "Jin Do-Yoon!" yelled Choi Yu-Seong and he clenched his fist. He could feel his fury quickly dominating his sense of reason.

    <i>¡®Choi Byung-Chan, you punk!¡¯</i>

    "How dare the dog of the house bite its owner!" Choi Byung-Chan looked angry while he swept his hair back, wiping the blood away from his forehead. He then smiled at Yu-Seong. "If the dog does something wrong, the owner should punish it ordingly. Too bad, I cannot stand it anymore. At least, father wouldn''t kill me."

    <i>¡®Thud-, thud-.¡¯</i>

    Byung-Chan approached Yu-Seong with heavy footsteps, twisting his neck left and right.

    Yu-Seong remained standing, using his spear as a support. He looked at Byung-Chan with a cold gaze.

    <i>¡®Just one-off¡­¡¯</i>

    If given the chance, Yu-Seong could destroy Choi Byung-Chan''s heart. He himself had the same risk, since his opponent had the intention of killing him. There was no reason for him to hesitate to kill even though Byung-Chan was his brother.

    "Oh, Choi Yu-Seong. I really don''t like that cheeky look. Well, that''s probably thest one. Now, it¡¯s time for you to die." Byung-Chan clenched his fists.

    Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Byung-Chan were less than 10 steps away from each other.

    <i>¡®Not yet. Just a little closer¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to get the chance at such a distance.

    Choi Byung-Chan smiled brutally and stretched his arms, as if he could read Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. He sent a punch flying toward Yu-Seong¡¯s heart, and there was no ce for escape.

    <i>¡®If I block that¡­ Would I be able to stand up again?¡¯</i>

    While Choi Yu-Seong was thinking, his vision was blocked by someone''s back.

    <i>¡®A waitress?¡¯</i>

    Bomber was hit by Choi Byung-Chan''s wind punch. He flew toward Choi Yu-Seong, vomiting blood. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong had to roll on the floor several times with Bomber in his arms.

    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had no idea why Bomber had shielded him from the attack. However, before his doubts cleared up, he realized that Bomber had already died.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not breathing.¡¯</i>

    Someone had killed Bomber and had thrown him out as a shield.

    "I¡¯m done watching~ That cute kid is mine."

    Even before Yu-Seong could unravel his thoughts, he heard a woman¡¯s voice ringing out. He trembled somewhat instinctively.

    <i>¡®No way!¡¯</i>

    An image of madness shed across Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. As he got rid of the Bomber¡¯s body, Yu-Seong could hear Byung-Chan''s fearless voice.

    "Who the heck are you?"

    "Me?"

    ming red hair flew through the air. A woman holding a short ax with her right hand pointed to herself with her left index finger and tilted her head. Then, she smiled and turned to look at Yu-Seong with deep blood-colored eyes. She said in a creepy fashion, "Will you answer that for me, gold nugget?¡±

    Yu-Seong answered with a shiver, "...Rachel."

    Rachel was the ughter Queen. Above the city center full of darkness, the disaster finally descended.

 Chapter 87

    <h4>Chapter 87 </h4>

    At first, Choi Byung-Chan did not seem to be able to get the picture right away. He snapped, "Hey, Rachel or something, what kind of whore are you to interrupt my work? Get out, how dare you barge in here.¡±

    Perhaps it was because he was pulled in too many directions, such as vignce against Choi Yu-Seong, anger from getting hit by Do-Yoon, and the prolonged disturbance and esction of this altercation. However, his anger did notst for very long.

    Without saying anything, Rachel looked at the cursing Choi Byung-Chan. She was, in fact, expressionless.

    Around that time, Byung-Chan noticed the change of the vibe. He frowned and questioned, "Wait, Rachel? That viin, the ughter Queen?"

    However, it was toote when Byung-Chan finally realized.

    <i>¡®No matter how pissed off he is, he absolutely has an impaired judgment.¡¯</i>

    It was not for no reason that Choi Woo-Jae did not delegate much to Choi Byung-Chan and had let him fit in with the back alley organization. Choi Byung-Chan was slow-witted, and had a small mind. His natural sense of battle was not bad, but it was impossible for him to lead argepany such as Comet group with only that quality.

    It was a rather hopeless situation for Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>''Even though I don¡¯t feel like doing so, there¡¯s no way for us to get away from Rachel together.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Byung-Chan had long crossed the line. It was only a small constion that Rachel simply looked at him in silence. He cursed, ¡°...Damn it.¡±

    He btedly noticed the madness in Rachel¡¯s eyes and slightly stepped back.

    "Are you done barking?" Rachel finally asked with a big smile.

    "What¡­?"

    "I get so bored when a barking dog gets quiet," Rachel said. At the same time, her ax flew forward.

    Choi Byung-Chan freaked out, leaned to the side, and folded his waist to avoid the flying ax which cut the tip of his nose.

    <i>¡®As expected, he has a good sense of battle.¡¯</i>

    However, the opponent was too strong. Rachel was already right in front of Choi Byung-Chan. She grabbed him by the cor with one hand and lifted him. Then, she held her one-handed ax which returned, and struck it vertically¡­ The sound of torn flesh and broken bones echoed eerily.

    With wide open eyes, Choi Byung-Chan screamed, "Ahhhhhhhh-!"

    Choi Byung-Chan lost an arm in an instant. He struggled in pain while twisting his body recklessly. However, Rachel was holding onto him so strongly that all of his movements merely shook her slightly.

    <i>¡®It''s not the physical force.¡¯?</i>

    Rachel was easily holding onto Choi Byung-Chan, using his turbulent movement as rebound energy. As if this was all a joke, she yed with him like he was a doll, then threw him on the floor. She now looked tired of him.

    With a belch, Choi Byung-Chan was buried in the ground. He waspletely wrecked. The viin, who was too strong for Choi Yu-Seong, had been overpowered in a single moment.

    <i>''Damn that monster. I¡¯m sure that Mi-Na noo-nim cut her right wrist off but how did it regenerate back? Is it my turn next?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong felt both curiosity and astonishment. He was also trying to find a way out of the current situation, because he knew that Rachel was apletely unpredictable cannonball.

    Here, Choi Yu-Seong had misunderstood another thing. It was the thought that Rachel would be satisfied after overpowering her opponent. Without even looking at Yu-Seong, she strongly pped Choi Byung-Chan''s cheek.

    "I don''t like it when others touch the things I chose. So I was really angry when I first saw you pick on it, but it was cute seeing that cute gold nugget struggling. Hahaha,¡± Rachel said with a smile, looking at Byung-Chan shivering all over.

    "Ah...ahhh..." Choi Byung-Chan avoided eye contact with Rachel and groaned, perhaps because he surrendered to the overwhelming power or because he couldn''t withstand the madness rising within her eyes.

    "But you should have done it moderately. You dare to kill the kid I chose? Whose permission did you get?" Rachel questioned as she slowly raised her hand ax.

    Choi Byung-Chan saw that and shook his head urgently. He begged, "Please, please don''t..."

    "Don¡¯t do what?" asked Rachel.

    "Please don¡¯t kill me. Please..."

    Choi Byung-Chan''s desperate gaze met Rachel''s red eyes. Rachel smiled brightly at him and said, ¡°Do you take only one bite of your meal?¡±

    Rachel''s hand ax bisected Choi Byung-Chan''s head at once. Under the moonlight, blood soared like a fountain in the ck night sky, covering Rachel''s red hair and white skin in an instant. Rachel closed her eyes as if enjoying it, and raised her head as shemented, "Ah, not a bad taste."

    Rachel slowly turned toward Choi Yu-Seong.

    Choi Byung-Chan was dead. Recognizing that fact one stepter, Choi Yu-Seong bit his lip and raised himself up. He wasn¡¯t close to this particr brother anyway, and this sibling had tried to kill him. There was no reason to feel sad.

    "Why are you not happy, my gold nugget? Didn¡¯t you want to kill him?¡±

    Though, there was no reason to be happy either.

    "I had to because I didn''t want to die,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    Now, Choi Yu-Seong clearly knew that there was no justification for murder. But at least, he didn''t want to be a human being who killed people mercilessly like Rachel. Therefore, he answered Rachel''s question firmly once he caught his breath.

    In fact, he didn''t think defense would be helpful since his current opponent was Rachel, the ughter Queen. However, he was still going to do his best to survive. He had no intention to die.

    Also, Choi Yu-Seong''s life has always been a series of surviving and oveing such wars.

    "As expected, you''re funny, you gold nugget. I can¡¯t even tell if you are scared or not¡­" Rachel said with a grin. Then, she instantly vanished. In the blink of an eye, her hot breath mixed with a bloody odor touched the tip of Choi Yu-Seong''s nose.

    ¡°...?!¡± Yu-Seong wielded his spear as if struggling desperately, but his attempt was easily blocked by Rachel''s left hand.

    "If you don''t want to die, stay calm." Rachel smiled and ced her right hand on Yu-Seong''s head. Shemented, "In the meantime, you''ve gotten a little stronger. You worked hard, didn''t you?"

    Yu-Seong aimed his fist for a gap, but Rachel simply grabbed it and twisted it in the other direction. He cried out, "Ahhhhhah-!¡±

    ¡°Shh!" Rachel smiled and blocked Yu-Seong''s screaming lips with her index finger. She went on to ask, "I think you shoulde into my arms joyfully. Why are you so rebellious? You''re saying he¡¯s still your brother?¡±

    "I know I¡¯ll die the moment I hug you. Do you think I¡¯m crazy?¡± Yu-Seong answered defiantly through clenched teeth.

    <i>¡®As expected, Rachel killed him even though she knew he was my family.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, Rachel didn¡¯t even care about Choi Woo-Jae, who everyone in this country was afraid of. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for Rachel to kill Choi Yu-Seong even in such a ce without taking much time. It was just like she had cut Choi Byung-Chan''s head in half.

    "Hahaha! That''s right. If you''re such an easy-going man, it''s not fun to raise and eat you up."

    "...what? Ugh!"

    Rachel hit Yu-Seong¡¯s ankle and copsed him on the floor at once. She lifted Yu-Seong''s chin with her index finger and thumb. She then cooed, "Do you really think I haven''t been able to find you just because I''m being chased by the yer Association or something?¡±

    Yu-Seong felt breathless when he saw Rachel¡¯s insane gaze just a stone''s throw away.

    "It''s a misunderstanding, you gold nugget. I¡¯m just keeping you alive. I always wait until the very end to taste the delicious food.¡± Rachel smiled and moved her fingertips slowly down from Yu-Seong''s chin. With eyes gleaming with madness, she said, "Actually, I''m not patient, so I keep wanting to open your head and check to see what¡¯s in your brain..."

    Rachel used her index finger to swipe up a bit of Yu-Seong''s blood, which lightly flowed down his forehead.

    "I want to¡­hear that scream right now. But¡­" Rachel slightly licked the tip of her index finger for a taste. Then, she got up and continued, "I''ll endure it until you be more mature and delicious. I am curious how much you can grow. You know, a strong man is my cup of tea¡­"

    <i>Bang!</i>

    At that moment, Rachel bent her waist back at the sound of gunfire. The bullet hit the ground, and she immediately turned to look at the roof of the building on the other side.

    Jenny, the Western woman with scattering blonde hair, had been looking for a chance to shoot. She clicked her tongue. At the same time, a hand ax flew in front of her nose.

    <i>Kwakwang-!</i>

    Jenny rolled on the floor several times, pulled out her gun again, and shot a bent hand ax. A series of shots hit the night air in Seoul, and the sound of sirens and helicopter propellers began to ring out from all sides.

    It wasn''t until then that Rachel slowly pulled herself up from Yu-Seong and recovered her hand ax.

    Yu-Seong could feel the signs of the yer Association¡¯s hunters and the Special Police Force flying through the dawn of Seoul.

    "Unfortunately, that''s it for today. My gold nugget, you can cheer up for now. If you don''t meet my expectations until the next time we meet...." Rachel licked her lips and smiled. "I don''t think I can show any more patience. Whoo whoo."

    Shortly afterwards, Rachel disappeared like smoke.

    "Ha..." Yu-Seong reflexively breathed a big sigh and jumped up from his seat. The air that was dense and heavy enough to almost suffocate him had be light again. He felt like his whole body was torn apart, but he didn''t intend to rx.

    <i>¡®Jin Do-Yoon!¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong ran downstairs, rolling on the floor several times before approaching the unconscious Do-Yoon who was back into his human form. Yu-Seong put his ear on Do-Yoon¡¯s left chest.

    <i>Boom, boom, boom.</i>

    It was slow, but his heart was still beating.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s alive.¡¯</i>

    Do-Yoon didn¡¯t look okay, but at least he was alive.

    As soon as the tension was eased a little, a special police officer who was wearing a familiar rabbit mask appeared in front of Yu-Seong.

    In a way, this disturbance had been going on for a long time, so it could be said that this was a ratherte appearance.

    <i>¡®Why are you sote?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong questioned inwardly.

    "...The damn head of the Special Police Force informed me veryte." Surprisingly, the police officer Myo, Choi Mi-Na, spoke as if responding to Yu-Seong''s inner feelings. Then, she turned back and asked, "You can move, right?"

    "...yes."

    "It''s going to be a pretty long, tough night. Cheer up." With a deep sigh, Choi Mi-Na left.

    After that, police flocked over, and Yu-Seong shouted as he raised his arms at them pointing guns in the dark, "I''m Choi Yu-Seong, the ninth child of the Comet group! Please, I''m begging you, I ask for medical staff who cane immediately."

    The disastrous night was reaching its end.

 Chapter 88

    <h4>Chapter 88 </h4>

    As Choi Mi-Na had said, the nightsted longer than expected for Yu-Seong. He looked somewhat fine despite being mentally exhausted, so he had to exin or tell quite a lot of stories to others.

    Of course, Yu-Seong did not reveal the entire truth in a face-to-face meeting with the detective team or the Special Police Force. For example, he omitted the family circumstances such as the story of Choi Byung-Chan trying to kill him.

    Naturally, all the nasty deeds were med upon the dead viin Bomber and Rachel who ran away.

    And again, this time, Rachel had gently shaken off the special police officers¡¯ pursuit and had left the city center. And fortunately, Jenny, who used a sniper rifle to support Choi Yu-Seong, did not seem to have been caught by the police either.

    <i>¡®She would have a way to sneak out.¡¯</i>

    Jenny would not have fired in the middle of downtown Seoul without any further preparations. Although it was from a long distance, considering that she had avoided Rachel''s hand ax, Jenny also had to be a hunter of considerable talent.

    After the investigation¡ªwhich required Yu-Seong to talk about one thing or another¡ªwas over, a person who identified himself as Soal, a member of the special police force, left. And around that time, the person who was waiting for Choi Yu-Seong to really exin the situation entered the hospital room. It was a very angry Choi Woo-Jae.

    Choi Woo-Jae walked into the hospital room alone after asking Kim Pil-Doo to stand at the entrance. He nced at Choi Yu-Seong''s bandaged shoulder and began to speak. "Exin what happened, from beginning to end. Without missing a single thing."

    Upon hearing that short and concisemand, Choi Yu-Seong honestly exined what he had experienced in as much detail as possible and left no details out. He didn¡¯t have to hide something or fake anything. He just calmly tried to convey the situation as objectively as possible. Choi Woo-Jae listened to the story without saying a word.

    ¡°...I told the truth about everything except the story about Byung-Chan hyung-nim to the police.¡±

    After the story ended, Choi Woo-Jae smiled coldly. He uttered words that were far beyond Yu-Seong''s expectations, "The sixth crossed the line. He deserved to die."

    ¡°...¡±

    "I understand if one is killed or injured while fighting between brothers. But those stories about betrayal¡­ I shouldn¡¯t hear of them.¡±

    This time, Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t find anything else to say.

    "That doesn''t mean that a vile foreign girl can kill my child." Choi Woo-Jae got up from his seat with a cold gaze. He said, "I will kill the ughter Queen. You do your job."

    That was the end of the conversation. Choi Woo-Jae left the hospital room, and Yu-Seong was left alone. He felt goosebumps behind his back.

    <i>''My father has decided to kill Rachel.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, the moment Choi Byung-Chan died, this was already an expected oue. However, Yu-Seong only had that sink in when he heard it in person.

    <i>¡®No matter how strong Rachel is... could she get away with it?¡¯?</i>

    The opponent was Choi Woo-Jae. Rachel was a monster, but Choi Woo-Jae was no less a monstrosity than her. The difference was that Rachel was an individual and Choi Woo-Jae was an organization.

    At first nce, it was true that Choi Woo-Jae was overwhelmingly advantageous in this situation.

    <i>¡®It would be impossible unless she had the Demon King Worshiper¡¯s support.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, in the current situation, Rachel belonged to the Demon King Worshipers. She was selfish and uncontroble, but the founder of the devil worshiper, the so-called godfather, cherished her for her strong abilities.

    In the end, Choi Woo-Jae''s deration just now meant that it would be a battle between the Comet Group and the Demon King Worshipers.

    <i>¡®No, that¡¯s not it.¡¯</i>

    Considering the influence of the Comet Group on the Republic of Korea, it could be a battle between the entire country and the Demon King Worshipers¡­ This battle was a tremendous variable that could not bepared to the previous ones.

    <i>¡®In fact, the original novel had such a situation too.¡¯?</i>

    The variable was as big as the battle between the Demon King Worshipers and the Republic of Korea. However, there was clearly a difference from the original novel.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, it was actually a fight between Kim Do-Jin and the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯?</i>

    The confusion about the variable only lingered for a short moment. As he had already experienced before, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t cry over spilled milk. His priority right now was to be prepared against variables, as always. Also, these big events were not the most important thing to him for now.

    <i>¡®Jin Do-Yoon¡­ I hope he''s safe.¡¯?</i>

    Upon arriving at the scene, the rescue team first checked on Jin Do-Yoon''s condition and said that it was a miracle for him to still be alive. The concussed Do-Yoon had an internal rupture, a few ribs broken, and his right ankle waspletely broken and had disappeared without a trace.

    Do-Yoon¡¯s injuries were much more serious than Yu-Seong had seen on the outside and were slowly shortening his life. If it wasn''t for the peculiar constitution of a physical hunter, moreover a werewolf with considerable natural resilience, his injuries would have been serious enough for him to die without hanging on for a long time.

    Fortunately, Jin Do-Yoon continued to breathe until he arrived at the hospital, and went straight to the operating table. That did not mean that Choi Yu-Seong could rx.

    Even when exining the situation to the special police force officer, Soal, and meeting Choi Woo-Jae to tell the story, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t let go of Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s name in his mind. What if Do-Yoon died like this?

    <i>¡®What could I tell Jin Yu-Ri?¡¯</i>

    In confusion and anxiety, sleepless nights dragged on, dawn went by, and it was soon morning. A rather haggard-looking female nurse rushed in after opening the hospital room door. Choi Yu-Seong looked at her dark circles under his eyes. He had requested this nurse to let him know once Jin Do-Yoon''s surgery was over.

    The nurse tried catching her breath a couple of times, then opened her mouth to tell the news that Yu-Seong had been waiting for. She said, "The operation...is over."

    "What does that mean?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Jin Do-Yoon, he¡¯s fine. Now, we just have to wait for the recovery."

    "Ah..." Yu-Seong unconsciously signed with deep relief in his red eyes. He murmured, "What a relief."

    What else could Yu-Seong say? It was the end of the long and difficult night that haunted him with worries, pains, and earnest prayers.

    "It¡¯s really¡­a relief." Choi Yu-Seong shed tears and he slowly closed his eyes.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong slept all day long.

    In that short period of time, the country was in turmoil. In the middle of downtown Gangnam, Seoul, a terrorist had appeared, died, and the ughter Queen, a viin designated as a refugee, had killed the sixth child of the Comet Group. The government was reprimanded for its slow response, and anxiety swept the country. This was unsurprising because the Special Police Force announced that they had not yet caught the ughter Queen.

    In the meantime, Choi Woo-Jae held a press conference and announced his official position on capturing Rachel in the name of the Comet Group. He said ¡®to capture¡¯, but it actually meant he was going to kill her. Everyone knew the implied meaning, and media outlets in each country described the current situation as a fairly unusual case.

    In fact, currently, in the Republic of Korea, there was aw that allowed the general public to y hardball only in the case of the known viin. Viins could murder so easily, but they could only be stopped by the Special Police Force. This unprecedented specialw was passed because the manpower was too insufficient to prevent arge number of individual viins from causing a big ident at any time.

    However, it was really rare and unusual for a person to make such an announcement as apany representative.

    Some people said that they should be more careful because they had arge social influence, but the country chose to remain silent, which was the easiest choice, and had called it an act of contemtion. Above all, from the country¡¯s perspective, it was satisfied that the public''s anxiety was somewhat reduced after Choi Woo-Jae''s announcement of his official position on the matter.

    There were quite a few people who said that the leading Conglomerate group in Korea was more reliable than the national agency which already missed the ughter Queen several times.

    Choi Yu-Seong''s injury was also known in public. The article that he survived after meeting the ughter Queen two times became a huge hit, even giving him a new nickname,<i>?¡®the Miracle Man.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, some doubted Choi Yu-Seong. It was a natural suspicion that Rachel and Choi Yu-Seong were on the same side. As such, rumors spread that Yu-Seong had be a viin to score a high point in a family fight.

    All this happened in just one day and night.

    ***

    Jin Yu-Ri returned to her main job after hearing the news the next afternoon. She was sitting alone in front of Yu-Seong''s hospital room. Then, a Western woman with bright blonde hair, wearing a deep hood, approached her. Jin Yu-Ri gave her a sideways nce and asked, "...what about the ughter Queen?"

    "I can''t find a trace at all. She moves very cleverly for a simple murderer. If we chase her openly, we would be able to approach her to some extent, but we''d get caught."

    Jin Yu-Ri nodded as if she was convinced of the situation. Unlike others, Jenny''s organization put secrecy first. As such, it was difficult for her toe forward and investigate directly. Moreover, quite a lot of people were involved in this case.

    "You don''t have to dig too deep, but be careful not to miss the opportunity when you see the movement."

    "For sure," said Jenny. She nodded her head in a short reply and silently stayed by Jin Yu-Ri''s side. About three minutes passed without any conversation. Suddenly, Jenny opened her mouth again while both of them were looking at the wall. "...are you all right?¡±

    "What?"

    "I heard about your brother''s case.¡±

    "You don''t die from having a missing foot,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    Jin Do-Yoon was miraculously alive, but his missing ankle by Bomber''s powerful bomb had failed to regenerate. It could be considered that his life as a physical-type hunter was virtually over.

    "He was a great hunter and a bodyguard,¡± said Jenny.

    "I know. I appreciate your constion."

    "I''m looking for a way. Once some money is spent, it could be reced with a machine so he could live his daily life."

    ¡°...¡± Jin Yu-Ri didn¡¯t answer. Her current worry wasn¡¯t regarding Do-Yoon¡¯s physical condition.

    <i>¡®He must be very distressed by the fact that he can''t be of much help to Yu-Seong oppa.¡¯?</i>

    A retired hunter living an ordinary routine wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Do-Yoon. The amount of money he had saved so far was pretty significant, and if he just transnted a machine on one leg to walk, he would have a much stronger physical condition than the ordinary person. In a way, a kind of retirement that any hunter dreamed of.

    <i>¡®But not for him.¡¯</i>

    Of course, Jin Do-Yoon, who Yu-Ri knew, would not copse in agony right away. Rather, he would try to find an opportunity to make aeback. However, what could he do when he realized that there was no way to ovee this problem even if he put all his energy into it?

    In the same situation, Yu-Ri could not even guess how she would possibly feel too.

 Chapter 89

    <h4>Chapter 89 </h4>

    What made Jin Yu-Ri even angrier was that she couldn¡¯t get revenge since the target, Bomber, the Viin, was already dead. She couldn¡¯t express her resentment through any outlet, and no other methods to destress came up.

    Just as Jenny patted Yu-Ri¡¯s back lightly with a worried face and tried tofort her...

    "Jin Yu-Ri, you''re outside, right? Come in."

    The voice of Choi Yu-Seong, who was asleep in the room, rang out. Hearing him, Jin Yu-Ri grabbed the door handle while trying to look as bright as possible.

    "Jenny." Yu-Ri then grabbed Jenny who was about to leave and pointed to the closed hospital room door with her chin. She said, "Let''s go in together and say hello to the boss."

    "...Okay," said Jenny before entering the hospital room together with Yu-Ri.

    Yu-Seong was vaguely aware of the fact that there was another person next to Jin Yu-Ri. Looking more calm than surprised, he looked at Jenny who was wearing a hood.

    Jenny looked at Yu-Seong, took off her hood, and lowered her head lightly with shining blue eyes.

    "She¡¯s Jenny," said Yu-Ri.

    At Jin Yu-Ri''s introduction, Choi Yu-Seong nodded. He had already guessed who the other woman was. He said, "Great. It¡¯s a story that would be better for you two to listen to together. It¡¯s a very important one.¡±

    "Go ahead," replied Jin Yu-Ri.

    "Jin Do-Yoon''s foot, I¡¯ve thought of a person who can regenerate it again."

    "...What?"

    "Boss?"

    Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny widened their eyes. Their reaction was so alike that one might think they were sisters.

    ¡°Then you want to let Do-Yoon retire after this?¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Certainly not, but who could ever... "

    It was not that Jin Yu-Ri also didn''t think of a way, either. In particr, she had thought of using the psychic-type yer with a strong and powerful healing ability dozens of times all night.

    However, it was impossible. If the cut was neat or clean, there might be some people who could reattach the limb, but no one could ever regenerate a body part that hadpletely disappeared. In conclusion, no matter how powerful the healing ability was, it was impossible to save the body parts that have disappeared without a trace.

    However, was it because Choi Yu-Seong started the story? A name passed through Jin Yu-Ri''s mind. She knew there was a person with such abilities.

    There was only one person on the who could do such a thing. Jenny was listening to the story next to Yu-Ri and muttered in a low voice, as if she thought of the same person. Jenny said, "...The Miraculous Alchemist."

    "Helen Mirren," said Yu-Ri.

    Choi Yu-Seong nodded slightly when he heard them.

    "No way," Jin Yu-Ri then said with a determined refusal.

    From Jin Yu-Ri''s point of view, this was about her brother. When she heard that Do-Yoon had lost his ankle and it was impossible for him to make aeback as a hunter, she devised more ways than anyone else. Moreover, Helen Mirren, the Miraculous Alchemist, did pass through her mind at that time.

    Helen Mirren''s ability was far more powerful than the ordinary alchemist''s ability. She could do anything but save the dead. For example, she could use the dead body to create new life, even if she couldn¡¯t revive the person. Also, she could turn ordinary stones into gold.

    Since she had such a powerful skill, Helen Mirren would definitely be able to regenerate a missing ankle. However, Jin Yu-Ri had no choice but to erase the name ¡®Helen Mirren¡¯ from her head with a bitter smile.

    Helen Mirren had another nickname other than ¡®the Miraculous Alchemist¡¯. Her other nickname was ¡®Seductive Demon¡¯.

    As an S-rank hunter, Helen Mirren had a specialized skill to do great things that could only be expressed by the word ''miracle'' in the world. However, as could be seen from the nickname ¡®alchemist¡¯, the exchange was an unconditional equivalent exchange. To receive something, one would have to give another thing up.

    In a way, it was an honest exchange, but Helen Mirren always wanted a worse price than the other person wanted. It was like the deal of Mephistopheles, the devil in Goethe''s famous novel, <i>¡®Faust¡¯</i>.

    Like the devil''s temptation to take away his soul instead of giving Faust his youth, Helen Mirren''s alchemy required an unimaginable price, so no one was happy with her dealings. After a short enjoyable time, the abyss of despair would surelye after that. That was the general deal with Helen Mirren.

    "Never. The deal with her will only bring the perdition."

    Therefore, Jin Yu-Ri firmly expressed her will once again by looking right at Choi Yu-Seong.

    "You know, money can''t buy her alchemy. Helen Mirren''s alchemy is to sacrifice more lives if you want life. At least one person would have to die if you want a recovery of a body. For a hunter with a strong body like my brother, we might need more than a few dozen people."

    No one here, even Do-Yoon himself, would want to regenerate his ankle bymitting such a massacre.

    "Of course, there is a way,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "If you''re going to sacrifice yourself, I disagree with that, too. I''d rather... " said Yu-Ri.

    "I know where the Sorcerer''s Stone is."

    Yu-Ri immediately couldn¡¯t continue speaking. She was so surprised that her eyes widened to the point of falling out of their sockets.

    Jenny was just watching the situation without saying anything, but she was also surprised. She then asked, "...do you, boss, have the Sorcerer''s Stone?¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong shook his head at Jenny¡¯s question. He rified, "I said I knew where it was, I didn''t say I had it."

    Yu-Ri flinched greatly. It now seemed clear why Yu-Seong had confidently said that there was a way. It was because there was a deration made by Helen Mirren herself in public.

    - If you know about the Sorcerer''s Stone, or if you have it, I promise you a single unconditional miracle for you. Even if you are a demon who is trying to destroy the world, I will still want the Sorcerer''s Stone.

    There was a lot of public anger and outrage after Helen Mirren¡¯s quite provocative deration. However, it was also true that the rich and powerful hunters all over the world had gone out looking for the Sorcerer''s Stone.

    <i>''It was seven years ago that Helen Mirren dered the search for the Sorcerer''s Stone.''?</i>

    But until now, the Sorcerer''s Stone had not appeared. Of course, there were many people who had tried to deceive Helen Mirren with a fake Sorcerer''s Stone. In the end, all of them had been cursed by her and lived the rest of their lives like hell.

    "Are you sure about this?" asked Yu-Ri again.

    It was not because Yu-Ri didn¡¯t trust Choi Yu-Seong, but this was a deal with an S-rank hunter who was pretty much in an absolute position at this point. Helen Mirren was even known to be one of the highest-level figures among the existing S-ranks. If Yu-Seong was mistaken, something he couldn¡¯t handle may happen.

    "Yes, I''m sure."

    Even though much has changed from the original novel, it was extremely unlikely that the butterfly effect would change the position of the Sorcerer''s Stone. It was not for no reason that even all of the famous powerful, wealthy, and talented hunters, including Helen Mirren herself, the S-rank hunter, had tried to find it but couldn¡¯t find it so far.

    In addition, even if the Sorcerer''s Stone was moved to a different ce from the original novel, Yu-Seong had a n B. This was possible because Yu-Seong himself knew the exact reason why Helen Mirren was looking for the Sorcerer''s Stone.

    Nevertheless, Jin Yu-Ri continued to agonize. If Yu-Seong was the only person who knew the location of the Sorcerer''s Stone, was it right for him to use such privilege to save Do-Yoon''s ankle? Of course, she was extremely eager to do so. However, what bothered her was that there were a lot of things that Helen Mirren could get in exchange for the Sorcerer''s Stone.

    Choi Yu-Seong fully guessed Yu-Ri¡¯s concerns and said with a smile, "Jin Yu-Ri, you don''t have to worry. There''s only one thing that matters. Do-Yoon sacrificed himself to protect me and got seriously injured. And in the future, Do-Yoon will always be by my side. Isn''t a miracle supposed to be used for my precious person in the first ce?"

    "I also greatly agree with the boss'' words. Yu-Ri, miracles are always used to help people,¡± said Jenny.

    After Yu-Seong and Jenny¡¯s encouragement, Yu-Ri finally shed tears with red eyes. She said, "Thank you...really¡­ Thank you so much."

    Yu-Seong scratched his cheek and made an awkward expression while looking at Yu-Ri bursting into tears. Jenny, who was next to Yu-Ri, patted her back without saying a word.

    <i>¡®Originally, Kim Do-Jin should have used the Sorcerer''s Stone but¡­¡¯</i>

    Before, Choi Yu-Seong resolved not to touch the characters and objects that would y an important role for Kim Do-Jin in the original novel as much as possible, but this was an exception.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll just take that one thing¡ªthe Sorcerer''s Stone, Kim Do-Jin.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong had already made a decision.

    ***

    Even though he knew the location of the Sorcerer''s Stone''s stone, that didn¡¯t mean that Yu-Seong could immediately summon Helen Mirren. She enjoyed being alone quite a bit, and loved the darkness and dungeons. Once in the dungeon, it was quitemon for her not to show up on Earth for months, so Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri decided to wait patiently first. A week passed quickly after that.

    In the meantime, Choi Byung-Chan''s funeral was held with Choi Woo-Jae and other immediate family members. Other siblings also tried to participate in the ceremony, but Choi Byung-Chan''s mother and immediate family refused. Choi Yu-Seong also called Choi Woo-Jae thinking that he should still visit, however he was told to focus on the match against Bernard Yoo immediately after the situation was over.

    Anyway, after one week passed, Yu-Seong and Yu-Ripletely recovered their best form at a rapid pace like hunters and visited Do-Yoon to exin the situation.

    "...that''s what happened. If we spread rumors that we know the location of the Sorcerer''s Stone, we could meet Helen Mirren sooner. However, there will be a lot of disturbance."

    As mentioned, Helen Mirren was not the only one aiming for the Sorcerer''s Stone. Everyone who wanted a miracle of hers was looking for the Sorcerer''s Stone. After hearing all of their exnations, Do-Yoon¡¯s reaction was not much different from that of Jin Yu-Ri.

    "I''m okay. When you really need a miracle¡­¡± said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°The moment is now," said Yu-Seong.

    "But..."

    "Jin Do-Yoon, I don''t want to listen to your objection. This is already decided, and I don''t want to go back on it."

    "...Young master."

    ¡°So don''t despair, and be prepared to return to my side whenever you''re done with treatment. You can enjoy your vacation until then. It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯vee by my side..."

    For a moment, Choi Yu-Seong''s head throbbed. He thought of a memory of when he had been six years old before even entering elementary school. Right in front of him had been a dirty boy crying with his sister in his arms.

 Chapter 90

    <h4>Chapter 90 </h4>

    <i>¡®This is¡­?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong came down to earth and simply blurted out, "It''s been about 15 years, so it''s really been very long since you had a vacation.¡±

    "Thank you, young master," said Jin Do-Yoon. Like Yu-Ri, he shed a tear.

    With the end of that conversation, Yu-Seong tapped Do-Yoon on the shoulder and immediately left the hospital. He headed to the dungeon, since he didn¡¯t feel like wasting any more time.

    Just like the two siblings, Choi Yu-Seong also learned a lot after Do-Yoon was injury. He was definitely getting stronger at a fast enough pace, but there were so many threatening enemies in the world. A little carelessness of his coulde at a heavy price.

    There was no need to worry about the unknown future, but there was also no reason to not try hard on things that had to be done.

    <i>¡®There''s no time to rest. I need to grow.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, even while lying in the hospital room, Yu-Seong constantly made efforts to be stronger. For example, he trained using his most powerful skill at the moment, the God¡¯s Chakra. God''s Chakra increased the absolute amount of his Chakra little by little every day, even when he was unconscious.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s increased exactly one unit a day.¡¯?</i>

    In addition, whenever the level rose by one, two units of Yu-Seong¡¯s mana increased.

    The skill seemed to increase very slowly at first nce, so Yu-Seong wondered if there was a way to use this skill more efficiently. First, he thought about the singrity of God''s Chakra skill itself.

    <i>¡®It¡®s called Chakra, but the way to utilize the ability itself is no different from fantasy''s mana breathing method and the martial arts'' inner core method. Then, consequently...''?</i>

    Rather than being used unconsciously, it would be possible to see a bigger effect if God¡¯s Chakra was used consciously. This was especially true after the flow was found and the respiration was directly controlled over.

    It was a strange thing to overlook and miss this fact as a game developer and genre novel reader. Yu-Seong immediately began to search about controlling the respiration, and found out that there were such training methods existing in today''s modern day.

    <i>¡®There were also people who did Chakra training.¡¯?</i>

    And surprisingly, there were many people who practiced the basics through breathing on both sides. Yu-Seong followed the control respiration posture, which was simr to the warriors from a martial arts novel, and focused on breathing¡ªinhtion and exhtion.

    During his breathing, Yu-Seong tried to feel the Chakra flowing inside his body. It wasn''t easy from the start. However, on the third day, Yu-Seong could feel the flow of Chakra inside his body. On the fifth day, he became aware of the mana, or spirit, that existed outside.

    Naturally, on the sixth day, a day before discharge, he acknowledged the Chakra¡¯s repetitive flowing path, was able to consciously use it, and even elerated the flow himself.

    That alone added eleration to the Chakra operation training, which was needed to quickly activate the skill. There was more to it too.

    <i>¡®The rate of the Chakra¡¯s rise increased¡­¡¯</i>

    The amount of Chakra, which had been increasing by one, began to increase by eight a day when Yu-Seong focused on his consciousness and repeatedly did Chakra breathing for two hours every day. Indeed, it was an explosive increase.

    When he drank a gray-colored mana drink that was 10 million won per cup, he obtained about 5 Chakras. Thus, even with simple calction, he had the effect of exceeding 10 million won just by concentrating 2 hours a day.

    Realizing this, Yu-Seong immediately began his second study.

    <i>¡®In terms of martial arts novels, the mana drink is a kind of medicine that improves endurance.¡¯?</i>

    If so, rather than just drinking thoughtlessly, the absorption rate could be better if he directly operated God''s Chakra after ingestion. He had already thought of this when he first got the God¡¯s Chakra and hadpeted with Jin Do-Yoon.

    Although by then, he didn''t know the absolute amount of mana he had and his every day increasing rate, so there was noparison and he couldn''t find any answer. However, this time it was different.

    It was the 7th day and thest day of discharge.

    Since it was his first experiment, instead of drinking the dark gray-colored mana drink, Yu-Seong ingested the one rank lower one, the gray-colored mana drink. Then, he tried the Chakra breathing method. As a result, he cheered with joy at the overwhelming increase of neen.

    The slight disappointment was that the amount of mana did not increase by even one degree after he drank another cup straight away.

    <i>¡®So there¡¯s a limit of one per day?¡¯</i>

    Originally, Yu-Seong was holding back to save some money, but now it literally became useless to have as much as he wanted even if he could spend as much as he wanted. It was a situation where he had no choice but to lick his lips, but in fact, the situation itself was blessed. He had the ability to buy and eat even one cup of expensive mana drink every day. That made Yu-Seong satisfied enough.

    Then, Yu-Seong began to test one more thing.

    <i>¡®And probably like general medicine, it would be more likely to lose its effect if it is absorbed repeatedly.¡¯?</i>

    If that happened, Yu-Seong could simply just take a higher-rank medicine, the mana drink.

    With that in mind, when he again measured after drinking the gray-colored mana drink the next day, he saw that the increase was significantly reduced from +19 to +15. So far, Choi Yu-Seong''s expectations were exactly right.

    The unusual thing happenedter, when he tried the 30 million won dark gray-colored mana drink, which was one rank higher than the gray-colored mana drink, the increase of mana did not significantly change.

    "What?" Surprised, Yu-Seong fell into thought for a moment, and he could soon guess why.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s because the dark gray-colored drink is simply the increased concentration version of the gray-colored drink.¡¯</i>

    In other words, it was only sold under anotherbel on the market. In actual fact, the drink was no different from the gray one.

    In fact, the term ¡®dark gray-colored¡¯ was not the existing rank of the mana stone in the first ce. After Yu-Seong figured out the reason, he immediately started to drink the red mana drink the next day, since it was higher than the gray-colored one. Although it was only one rank higher, the red-colored mana drinks had a market price of 100 million won. Compared to the 10 million won gray-colored mana drink, it was ten times more expensive, and more than three times more expensive than the 30 million won dark gray-colored mana drink.

    At this point, it was a huge luxury that could never be done without the background of a conglomerate. However, Yu-Seong didn''t think of it as a waste of money, since it was for his survival and to not easily lose the precious ones around him. In fact, Yu-Seong''s amount of Chakra had increased significantlypared to before the hospitalization.

    Chakra: 745 ¡ú 803

    <i>¡®It''s a little over 800.¡¯?</i>

    Currently, Yu-Seong¡¯s priority target was the Chakra''s absolute quantity of 1,000.

    <i>''The most mana consuming skill I have now is the Dancing Electric Doll.¡¯?</i>

    As a result of the experiment, the Dancing Electric Doll consumed about 200 mana per use. Therefore, Yu-Seong could only use up to three Dancing Electric Dolls. He could invoke it the fourth time, but the remaining Chakra,monly called mana, would be zero.

    Even if the fourth Dancing Electric Doll was activated using exactly 800 mana points, it would be meaningless if there was not enough left to continue the next battle. Thus, the first goal was to increase Yu-Seong¡¯s Chakra points to 1000.

    For reference, while searching for his growth, Choi Yu-Seong found an interesting overseas website where an individual posted aparative analysis of the virtual battle results, mana points, properties, and the rankings of world famous powerful hunters or rookies for fun.

    The homepage listed data on top rankers or equivalents, such as China''s Lin Xiao Nuo¡ªthe me Emperor, Sweden''s Timewalker Christian, and Korea''s Swordmaster Chuck Jun-Hui, as well as names of Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo being ssified as super rookies. Surprisingly, Yu-Seong¡¯s name was also in the list with the word ¡®New¡¯, although it was below the others.

    <i>¡®I assume that the name was added after clearing the Goblin Fortress Dungeon¡­¡¯</i>

    The most surprising thing was that this website¡¯s owner wrote down Yu-Seong''s estimated magic at the time quite urately.

    <i>¡®710...¡¯?</i>

    At that time, Yu-Seong did not know exactly how much his mana was because he did not have the skill of God''s Chakra at that time. However, estimating it now, it would be about in the low 700s. Though this was only known because he could physically check his system interface window. The website¡¯s owner guessed Choi Yu-Seong''s mana possession quite urately even without such information.

    It could be just a coincidence. Still, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but be interested to move forward. Naturally, he looked at the top rankers¡¯ D-rank records written by the website¡¯s owner. There were two hunters who stood out exceptionally in terms of the amount of mana they had: it was the me Emperor and the Timewalker.

    <i>¡®Both of them are psychic-type yers.¡¯</i>

    ording to the website¡¯s owner, the amount of mana the two had before the 50th level of the D-rank was about 1,600 to 1,800. They were huge numbers, as expected for the top rankers. Even so, the two were actually overwhelming. For the other top rankers, there were few people with more than 1,000 mana in the low-level section of the D-rank.

    If Choi Yu-Seong, who was an all-rounder type yer who had more than 1000 mana points, he might be more overwhelmed among the same ranked yers whenpared by overall integration capabilities. In fact, in the case of Lin Xiao Nuo, the me Emperor, the mana level itself was quite high, but in other physical ability levels, it was extremely low.

    <i>¡®So, his standard score of the D-rank given by the website¡¯s owner is 8.3 points out of 10.¡¯</i>

    For reference, Choi Yu-Seong''s score at the time of Goblin Fortress Dungeon was tied at 8.3. He was ranked 7th in terms of the current D-rank hunters.

    <i>¡®And for Kim Do-Jin¡­ His record when he was D-rank is 8.9 points, ranking first ce. And he¡¯s currently third ce in the C-rank rankings with 9.2 points. Is this for real?¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin¡¯s score was overwhelmingly higher than Yu-Seong¡¯s even without revealing his magic skills to the public. If the website¡¯s owner was correct, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s power could also be regarded as a great outstanding ability of the main character.

    <i>¡®Bernard Yoo scored 8.8 points. Is he second ce among the active D-rank yers?¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong didn''t forget to check the evaluation of the person who he had topete in the dungeon racing game after a while. It was exactly the same evaluation score as Kim Do-Jin of D-rank.

    Currently, Bernard Yoo¡¯s score was 0.5 points higher than Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s. Obviously, this score was not absolute. The website¡¯s owner, who recorded it for personal fun in the first ce, also said that the results could vary significantly depending on the situation and environment, and that it could change sufficiently depending on the time and rank.

    <i>¡®First of all, if my Chakra exceeds 1000, it would change significantly.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong''s potential would be much higher just by using the powerful attack skill, the Dancing Electric Doll, once more.

    For ordinary hunters, the process of achieving 1000 mana points would be quite rough. However, it was a quite reachable goal for Choi Yu-Seong, who could drink the red-colored mana drinks from tomorrow and even perform the Chakra breathing methods.

    On the day of his discharge, Choi Yu-Seong went to the dungeon and contacted the two reporters who could drive the magic tech drones, Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, and asked them to sign a three-month-long contract with him.

    The work of those reporters would not be much differentpared to when they worked in the media. However, from now on, whenever Choi Yu-Seong went to the dungeon in the future, they had ro film ordingly. Since then, it had been the job of the two to post the filming to each mediapany, portal sites, and NewTube.

 Chapter 91

    <h4>Chapter 91 </h4>

    Yu-Seong proposed a short-term contract first, which could then be upgraded to a long-term contract depending on the reporters'' performance. He thought they would be a bit reluctant, but they seemed delighted as they rushed back with a response the very next day.

    That wasn¡¯t all. The mediapany that the reporters belonged to dly let them work with Yu-Seong and keep their employment contracts. There was also a rumor that both the editor and CEO were excited when they heard Choi Yu-Seong''s name. Thepany¡¯s condition was to post the video taken by the two reporters to their media outlets first.

    Yu-Seong wanted the same oue, so there was no problem whatsoever. And just like that, he was able to sign a short-term contract with the two reporters quite easily. In addition, he reactivated his social media Outstagram ount, which he had been keeping private, because he was dismayed by how quickly time was passing him by.

    He had already decided to be an attention seeker anyway, and was nning to build his reputation by sharing his useless private life onto social media just like a celebrity would. The goal was more than just to expose himself to the public and reduce the threat.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s for the full growth of Star Factor skill.¡¯</i>

    As a result, Yu-Seong nned to increase the efficiency of increasing experience points and opening up additional capabilities that were still sealed. After all, the basis of the hunter was high rank and high level. It was no different from the games that Yu-Seong had once worked hard to develop. No matter how powerful the skills he had and how useful they were during battles, no gap in ranks and levels could be easily bridged by them. This was especially true when the rank itself was overwhelmingly different.

    Eventually, he would have to raise the level. In that sense, the Star Factor skill that benefited the rate of level increase through increasing experience points was the best treasure.

    For this reason, Yu-Seong began to share his daily life on social media, such as taking pictures while dressed up with peoplemonly called influencers or celebrities.

    A week soon passed. Yu-Seong drank red mana drinks every day, went to the dungeon, drank Hunting experience boost potions, and focused on level growth. He also exposed his pictures and videos throughout the media. The result was quite good.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 21

    Type: All-Rounder

    Rank: D

    Level: 7 ¡ú 22

    Retention History: 1

    Chakra: 803 ¡ú 1,023¡»

    Just looking at the necessary parts, Yu-Seong could confirm his rapid growth.

    <i>¡®I passed 1,000 Chakra points.¡¯?</i>

    The tremendous increase of level in just one week was certainly helpful, but the biggest improvement was because of the Chakra breathing through the mana drink.

    <i>¡®It felt great when I first drank the red mana drink and gained 50 points.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s prediction was just right. When he changed the color itself, he noticed a big increasepared to the dark gray drink. Of course, the cost-effectiveness began to decrease exponentially, and the next day, the increased points were 40, then 35, and so on. However, it stopped falling from the moment it hit exactly 15 increased points.

    <i>¡®As I expected, I got the best result when I drank it the first time.¡¯</i>

    The eventual effect was quite disappointing for 100 million won, but Yu-Seong had already ordered the higher-rank orange and yellow mana drinks already. If possible, it would be best for him to drink at least the first ss of mana drinks in all colors.

    However, unlike gray and red mana drinks, it was not easy and could take some time to obtain the two higher rank mana drinks. However, the search would not be too long and they would be found after waiting a little while. In addition, Choi Yu-Seong was nning to continue drinking red mana drinks that kept the minimum mana increase of 15.

    <i>¡®Actually, the minimum increase of points for the gray mana drinks eventually dropped to 10. If I consider the price and efficiency, I know it''s right to choose a gray drink instead, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, the umtion of losing five points each time would make a considerable difference.

    Yu-Seong might face a slightck of moneyter on, but since he was a conglomerate¡¯s son, he could easily find many ways to obtain money. So, he chose the definite way to grow faster rather than to spend less money.

    Though, it seemed that these efforts of his were certainly meaningful. On the overseas personal website <i>¡®Ranker¡¯ ¡ª</i>which he had recently discovered¡ªChoi Yu-Seong''s ability stats had changed.

    <i>¡®Chakra... I mean, mana, since this homepage is all written in terms of mana¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s absolute amount of mana had been updated to 980 yesterday.

    <i>¡®Yesterday, my Chakra was already barely over 1,000. It''s not exactly right, but it''s pretty urate. It¡¯s likely that the website¡¯s owner has the skill to know the abilities of the yer?¡¯?</i>

    If one had a simr ability to Kim Do-Jin''s insight, it was possible. However, there seemed to be a limit to what could be known.

    <i>''There is an evaluation of publicly known skills, but there is no information about skills that are not directly revealed by the yer.¡¯?</i>

    For example, Choi Yu-Seong''s mana was actually Chakra. The basic effect of Chakra was simr to mana, but additional abilities existed separately, such as strengthening the body directly. In addition, there may be hidden abilities that Yu-Seong himself did not know yet.

    However, there was no such record on the website. The fact that Yu-Seong''s Chakra was marked as mana like other hunters in the first ce would mean that not everything could be perfectly known.

    <i>¡®Still, that important part is that it''s quite reliable.¡¯?</i>

    It wasn¡¯t perfectly trustworthy, but quite reliable information about the hunters was given. In fact, there were quite a few simr websites around the world. However, it was rare that the uracy was as high as this website.

    Suddenly, Yu-Seong was curious about the face and name of the website¡¯s owner. But unfortunately, the owner did not write down any personal information.

    <i>¡®Yeah, it would be a problem if a ranker who¡¯s not satisfied with his scorees after him.¡¯</i>

    That would be unsurprising, of course. Choi Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and switched the screen to check his score and ranking, which would clearly have rebounded.

    A week before the day of discharge, Yu-Seong''s evaluation was ranked 7th with 8.3 points in the D-rank. Since his mana points were noticeably higherpared to by the time after his dungeon video was released, he expected the ranking to rise by at least one or as many as three. However, he tilted his head after looking at the D-rank ranking table.

    <i>¡®Huh?¡¯</i>

    Among the names listed from top to bottom, from first ce to thest, Yu-Seong¡¯s rank was still seventh. That was right after the sixth-ce Indian hunter, Ram Mukherji. At first, he was shocked for a while, but he did find a change after looking at it closely.

    <i>''The ranking and rating records are all underlined.¡¯?</i>

    In addition, there was a saying <i>¡®Measurement hold¡¯?</i>in small letters next to Choi Yu-Seong''s name.

    <i>¡®Does that mean there''s not enough data about me? Or is it difficult for the website¡¯s owner to judge?¡¯</i>

    Whatever it was, it was a bit disappointing for Yu-Seong, since he was curious about the immediate record.

    <i>¡®Well... This wouldn¡¯t change anything.¡¯?</i>

    Although it was true that he was interested in it, Yu-Seong was more excited than disappointed by this situation.

    <i>¡®The results might be better after the measurement hold is over.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was rapidly bing stronger than other rankers with the help of various environments, situations, and skills. Perhaps the owner of the website noticed the fact and put his stats on hold.

    After a short bitterness, he closed the website ¡®Ranker¡¯ and moved on to his next goal¨Cchecking NewTube.

    The journalists, Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, who had great writing skills themselves, even hired a professional video editor and reached 700,000 subscribers in a week. The two reporters said it was regrettable that they failed to reach their goal of 1 million, but it was satisfactory enough for Choi Yu-Seong. They did something that could take years for someone in just a week. Moreover, the length of the video was not short and the number of views was quite high, so the advertising revenue would be immediately paid.

    Choi Yu-Seong had a lot of money already, but he thought it would be good to have more. For him, hunting was something he had to do anyway so making ie from that was like killing two birds with one stone.

    "All right, all right."

    Was it because he never lived a busy week doing various things like this? Yu-Seong was quite tired but was satisfied with the results. He then finally checked his social media Outstagram ount.

    <i>¡®10,000 followers so far.¡¯</i>

    The word ¡®follower¡¯ was interpreted as supporter or believer. In other words, it meant that the number of supporters of Choi Yu-Seong on Outstagram, a social media tform, had already surpassed 10,000.

    Compared to NewTube, it seemed like a fairly slow speed. However, fundamentally, Outstagram was a space where people gather to see the character named Choi Yu-Seong, not just a specific content.

    In addition, since it was not possible for him to promote his ount much, it was inevitable that the speed of increase of followers was rtively slow as one would have to find the ount manually.

    <i>¡®Even so, it¡¯s still a bit disappointing considering there are over 1,000ments in the NewTube video, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong briefly checked his followers'' numbers and tilted his head.

    <i>¡®What?¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t just ten thousand. Yu-Seong was momentarily confused because it was written in a mysterious way¡ª¡®100k¡¯¡ªbut when he checked it closely, it was exactly 10 times more than he first thought. It was 100,000.

    "...Wow."

    In addition, the number of followers still increased in real-time. Even though, there were only five photos of himself posted on his Outstagram, so-called Outstar.

    <i>¡®Wait, isn''t this growth considered super fast?¡¯?</i>

    All over the world, it was quitemon for superstars, or celebrities, to be hunters. The job of ¡®<i>celebrity hunter</i>¡¯ becamemon since it was a good progression for attention seekers who were originally either a hunter or a celebrity.

    Of course, there were quite a few such figures in Korea as well. So far, the most influential figure on social media was Kim Hyuk-Joon, an A-rank hunter. He had 98,000 followers more than a week after he started Outstar. As a result, it became a huge headline with various entertainment media making a fuss and reporting.

    "I have 2,000 more followers than him¡­ And Kim Do-Jin... He doesn''t use social media. That''s a surprise."

    It was somewhat childish, but Yu-Seong felt good afterparing his follower count with Hyuk-Joon¡¯s. Then, he looked up Kim Do-Jin''s name and scratched his cheek. Needless to say, he thought Kim Do-Jin was also a person who enjoyed public attention and so would have social media.

 Chapter 92

    <h4>Chapter 92 </h4>

    <i>¡®Then again, the original novel doesn¡¯t mention anything about social media.¡¯?</i>

    Thinking about the story¡¯s basic setting, it made more sense that Kim Do-Jin did not have a social media ount. Yu-Seong was just wondering since there were so many plot holes in the novel so far.

    Anyway, the biggest advantage of revealing himself to various media was something else entirely.

    <i>¡®My Star Factor skill has¡­¡¯</i>

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number (86/100) ¡ú (93/100).

    D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to audiovisual media such as cameras.

    Current eleration rate +90% ¡ú +100%¡»

    In a short period of time, Yu-Seong had grown up magnificently. He could now grow at a level about three times faster than others when the hunting experience boost potion was used. Upon that discovery, he felt his NewTube and social media activities were clearly meaningful.

    <i>¡®Unlocking the additional ability is just around the corner.¡¯?</i>

    By then, Yu-Seong''s cell phone rang from receiving a text message. It came from Park Jin-Hwan.

    -Are you watching TV? If you''re home, turn on KBC channel 2.

    "What?"

    Before Choi Yu-Seong tilted his head and could reply back with incoherent words, questioning the message contents, Jin Yu-Ri appeared in front of the door and said somewhat excitedly, "Yu-Seong oppa, are you busy right now?"

    "Huh?"

    "If you''re not busy,e out to the living room and watch TV."

    Yu-Seong erased the reply he was writing to Park Jin-Hwan and stood up.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll be faster to just check it out in person.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders lightly, left the room, and headed to the living room.

    ***

    ¡°The Hunter''s Night,¡± KBS channel 2''s TV program, was a poprte-night show with an average viewer rating of around 5%. As the program name suggested, the main content was hunter-rted. The program was about various contents, such as inviting and interviewing hunters in-person or investigating the hunters¡¯ illegal behavior and corruption.

    Sometimes, the content covered lighthearted things, but there were quite provocative parts as well. The two hosts who basically led the program were quite blunt speakers, so it was a bit contentious in the public. However, as seen from the high audience rating, the program had a big fan base.

    There were two main characters of ¡°The Hunter''s Night¡± today. The first one was Kim Hyuk-Joon, who was a popr entertainer, an A-rank hunter, and an influencer on social media. The second character was Choi Yu-Seong, a rookie who had been rising at a frightening pace recently.

    In the beginning, it started with an interview with Kim Hyuk-Joon, who came out as a guest. There were conversations about the future direction of his activities, records and somewhat personal questions.

    "...A while ago, there was a rumor that you were dating a celebrity from a girl band. Do you have anything to say about this?¡± asked the interviewer.

    ¡°We are just close friends, but word got around after our picture was taken when we went out to eat together once. I gave an exnation as an official announcement before, but that was really just a rumor. If it was real, I would rather show off about it. Haha,¡± said Hyuk-Joon.

    "Oh, does that mean you do have feelings for her?¡±

    "To tell the truth, there are no feelings at all. It''s too much for me to think about having a rtionship right now since I''m busy working as both a celebrity and hunter.¡±

    The two hosts, Kim Dong-Sook and Han Jin-Hyo, often asked difficult personal questions that were not written in the script beforehand. However, Kim Hyuk-Joon, who had been a celebrity for 8 years, skillfully responded to those questions.

    ¡°Then now, let''s move on to the second main character. It''s one of the most popr keywords in the Korean hunter society these days, right?¡±

    "Furthermore, he may be world-famous soon. We''re going to talk about Choi Yu-Seong. What do you think of him, Hyuk-Joon? As you know, you both are very handsome. Don''t you feelpetitive?" asked Kim Dong-Sook.

    Kim Hyuk-Joon shrugged his shoulders and answered, "To be honest, I can''tpete with Choi Yu-Seong in terms of looks. In fact, aren''t they the top two handsome guys in the domestic hunter industry? I mean Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong. It''s just a matter of taste."

    "A lot of people say you guys are the top three. You¡¯re being too humble."

    "Wow, I am honored to hear that.¡±

    "It could be an honor for Choi Yu-Seong, too. Now, before the next conversation, let''s watch a video.¡±

    Amid a natural flow, the show revealed the hunting videos that Choi Yu-Seong had posted on NewTube recently. The three people silently watched Choi Yu-Seong, who ran around the dungeon wearing a battle suit holding a spear, fight. The video ended, and Kim Dong-Sook gave ament first, "How fancy."

    ¡°He is wearing outstanding equipment, like he is showing off his status as a conglomerate¡¯s son. What do you think, Hyuk-Joon?¡± asked Han Jin-Hyo.

    Kim Hyuk-Joon, who was watching the hunting video with rather sharp eyes, smiled awkwardly. He looked surprised at that question. "Oh, I''m sorry. It''s my first time watching a video¡­and I was really surprised."

    "If you don''t mind, can I ask you to exin why you¡¯re surprised?¡±

    "That dungeon, isn''t it the Bat Cave? I used to go there a lot when I was a D-rank hunter.¡±

    "Yes, yes. Actually, his hunting speed is pretty fast," said Kim Dong-Sook.

    Kim Hyuk-Joon looked somewhat upset at Dong-Sook¡¯s words and pointed out, "Do people usually describe that as ¡®pretty fast¡¯? I''d have to say ¡®incredibly fast¡¯. Can I see another video?¡±

    At Kim Hyuk-Joon''s request, several other videos were yed. After the videos ended, it was Dong-Sook again to speak up first. He said, "Wow, I have nothing to say. I also thought I watched tons of dungeon hunting videos while being a host of this show ¡°The Hunter''s Night,¡± but this just catches my eye."

    He shrugged his shoulders and looked at Han Jin-Hyo. "I actually didn''t get it after the first video, but now I get what Kim Hyuk-Joon said. His battle is like a movie. How could he hunt like that?¡±

    "I half agree with you, Jin-Hyo. But my thoughts are a little different. If it''s simply shy and ineffective, it¡¯ll really be just like a movie. But if you see that move where he pushes the wall to catch the red bat¡­ That''s a perfectly calcted move. Look at that, can you see that one move leading him into the best position to fight? Let¡¯s see it once again¡­ I don''t think I''ll get sick of watching it over again ten times.¡±

    Kim Hyuk-Joon raised his voice while pointing at one part of the video. "Wow... Isn''t that like an art? Oh, my goodness. Can I ask him to film a movie with me? Haha...."

    The two hostsughed and nodded at Kim Hyuk-Joon¡¯s words. In fact, such a simr pattern of conversation continued afterward.

    Kim Hyuk-Joon personally asked for the video several times, expressed admiration, and sometimes evaluated Choi Yu-Seong''s battle from the A-rank hunter¡¯s point of view. He said, ¡°He is also good at effectively using his physical strength. He uses it at the exact time when it¡¯s necessary. When there is no need, he smoothly dodges with rxed motions. Besides, how many leveling effects were there in this video? It seemed to be at a rather fast pace¡­ There''s a possibility that he has some special skill rted to the experience points."

    It was a fact that even ordinary people, not only yers, knew that the silver airflow was wrapped around the yer from head to toe when leveling up took ce. However, it was not easy to notice that the level-up speed was faster than the general standard. Moreover, the video was edited and cut throughout, so it would be even more difficult to recognize.

    Even Kim Dong-Sook and Han Jin-Hyo, who watched a bunch of hunter videos as hosts of the show "The Hunter''s Night," also didn¡¯t realize such a fact. However, Kim Hyuk-Joon correctly pointed it out.

    "That''s true. It does seem to ur quite often."

    "Wow, I guess A-rank hunters have different insights.¡±

    Kim Hyuk-Joonughed at the two hosts¡¯pliments and continued exining Choi Yu-Seong''s skills and utility. Of course, it was all positive. Amid such admiration, Han Jin-Hyo asked a pretty sharp question, "What do you think of himpared to Kim Do-Jin?¡±

    "Uh..."

    For the first time, Kim Hyuk-Joon became speechless.

    "Come to think of it, there was a news article a while ago about you saying that the best rookie of this era is Kim Do-Jin. Have you changed your mind at all?¡±

    When Kim Dong-Sook quickly added an additional question, Kim Hyuk-Joon scratched his cheek with an awkward look. He said, ¡°I think they have different charming points, just like their appearance.¡±

    "Oh, wait a minute. Does that mean that you think the two of them have simr abilities?"

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not say. But I think Choi Yu-Seong is the best among the active D-rank hunters currently."

    "Oh, what a clever answer." Han Jin-Hyo smacked her lips as if she was disappointed.

    "In fact, I think Kim Do-Jin is a little more superior. I can say that his battle is neater. When I saw him clearing the sixth rank dungeon a while ago, wow¡­ I was proud that such a person is Korean," Kim Hyuk-Joon said.

    ¡°We''ll have to wait and see since Choi Yu-Seong is still growing. Anyway, he¡¯s a super rookie who will lead Korea in the future, right?" said Dong-Sook.

    At the two hosts¡¯ naturalment, Hyuk-Joon who was deep in thought suddenly apuded. Hemented, "If the two grow above the A-rank and work together, it would be really incredible."

    It was an unexpected point of view for the two hosts, since they only thought of the hunters as rivals. They widened their eyes in surprise.

    ¡°That''s... Maybe Korea''s first attack team in the world''s top 10?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they could be the first attack squad globally ranking in the top 10 for the first time in Korea?¡±

    Guilds and attack parties were slightly different.

    If the guild focused on developing the size of the business through a dungeon attack because it had a rather private and strong purpose for operating profit, the attack parties did more work that was public and challenging.

    The attack parties were groups who tried to restore people¡¯s territory after the dungeon breaks appeared, and made it a hellishnd where humans could not live. Of course, the guild could make such an attack team. And so far, the most aplished attack team in Korea was very clear.

    "The best record in Korea so far is the attack team where Chuck Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster, is the leader, right? The team is ranked 12th in the world.¡±

    ¡°They were the ones who vanquished the 9th ranked dungeon ¡®<i>The Frozen Land</i>¡¯ in Ulleungdo Ind.¡±

    At that time, the five members of Taegeuk attack team, including Chuck Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster, were the top ten guilds¡¯ presidents. However, just now, the pair of Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin was evaluated a little higher than them.

    All three secretly thought the same thing, but they didn''t say it out loud.

    "Anyway, I want to get closer to Choi Yu-Seong. With that momentum, I think he''ll be more famous than me sooner orter," said Hyuk-Joon.

    "That is something you''ve never said to Kim Do-Jin."

    "To be honest, strangely, I¡¯m a little scared of Do-Jin. Haha."

    After Hyuk-Joon¡¯s joke, a short chat continued for a while. Then, the show ¡®The Hunter''s Night¡¯ ended with the two hosts¡¯ closing remarks. They said that they were looking forward to the growth of Kim Hyuk-Joon and Choi Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 93

    <h4>Chapter 93 </h4>

    "I''ve seen you appear on TV a few times. You know, when you held onto a vodka bottle and were taken out of the club in the morning, and when you suddenly ran up on top of someone else''s car with a bat, and..." said Yu-Ri.

    "Stop," said Choi Yu-Seong while watching the TV program with a rather strange expression. He cut Jin Yu-Ri off and tried to cool down his red face by shaking his hand, fanning himself.

    "I''m not trying to make fun of you. I''ve always heard such bad news, but it feels so new to hear about your good stories too. I should buy a VOD (video on demand) and show it to my brother. I''m sure he¡¯ll love it,¡± Yu-Ri said.

    "I know what you mean, but... Wow, this is...¡± Even though he fanned himself rigorously, Yu-Seong¡¯s red face did not cool down.

    <i>¡®This just raises my reputation by too much.¡¯</i>

    It was embarrassing to hear themmenting on his intelligent, calcted movement, excellentbat sense, and the evaluation saying that he would lead South Korea in the future. Most of all, he waspared to the Taegeuk attack team made by the Sword Master Chuck Jun-Hui. They even implicitly evaluated the pairing of him, Yu-Seong, and Kim Do-Jin above that attack team.

    <i>¡®I have not a single thought of pairing up with Kim Do-Jin, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Anyway, it felt strange to hear such a story.

    "No way, are you embarrassed?"

    "Uh..."

    "Why¡¯re you embarrassed all of a sudden? You''ve been hearing a lot ofpliments in newspaper articles and social mediaments, right?¡± Jin Yu-Ri asked.

    "That''s just in writing. It''s my first time hearing people actually talk about me like that on TV,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°Ah¡­?"

    "Oh, I''m really embarrassed. It''s no joke,¡± said Yu-Seong. His face waspletely heated. He buried his face into the cushion that was beside the couch in the living room. At this moment, he really couldn¡¯t raise his head.

    "You''re especially cute today."

    "Hush, Yu-Ri,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    Then, there was the sound of cell phone vibrations ringing in quick session. It sounded somewhat unusual and was simr to the sound when Yu-Seong was receiving a call.

    Choi Yu-Seong, still red-faced, scoured his pocket, lifted his cell phone, and looked at the screen. It wasn''t a phone call. When he looked at the top of the screen, he could see countless notifications.

    <i>¡®What is this?¡¯</i>

    Frustrated, Yu-Seong unlocked his cell phone. The first thing he saw was Choi Woo-Jae''s message in the Coconut Talk.

    - You''re doing great. I''ll send you some more pocket money. I also have set a schedule with Chairman Yoo. Be fully prepared.

    Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t hide his smile even though his face was still red. He immediately sent a reply saying, <i>¡®Thank you so much.¡¯</i> The problem was that the notifications were still continuing.

    <i>¡®What the heck?¡¯</i>

    - djas2356 started following you.

    - Shin-999 started following you.

    - lexkim started following you.

    - ...started following you.

    - ...started following you.

    Perhaps it was because of the TV show, but his phone was suddenly going crazy with notifications of new followers on his social media.

    <i>¡®But the show just ended¡­¡¯</i>

    Actually, it was not difficult to figure out why there were suddenly so many followers. This was because a person with a profile picture of a fairly familiar face sent Yu-Seong a direct message on social media.

    <i>¡®Kim Hyuk-Joon?¡¯</i>

    It was Korea¡¯s top celebrity hunter.

    - Did you watch the show? I posted a link with your ID after I figured out that you are active on social media. I''ll delete it right away if you are ufortable with it, so please send me a direct message. I''m rooting for you.

    Kim Hyuk-Joon had sent quite a cautious message to Choi Yu-Seong. It seemed like he was trying to be careful since Yu-Seong was a member of a conglomerate family. That was the reason that Yu-Seong had a flood of new followers.

    <i>¡®The Star Factor skill had¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s system interface window suddenly popped up in front of him with the word ¡®*New¡¯ shing in gold next to the Star Star skill. He easily guessed what that meant.

    <i>¡®The additional ability is unlocked!¡¯</i>

    Did Kim Hyuk-Joon say that he would delete the link to the ount he posted on Outstar if Choi Yu-Seong was ufortable?

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way!¡¯</i>

    Kim Hyuk-Joon, who was the best celebrity hunter in Korea, had 18 million followers on social media.

    ¡°I cannot thank you enough,¡± Yu-Seong shouted out loud. He quickly sent a reply to Kim Hyuk-Joon and immediately checked the shing additional information of the Star Factor skill. He yelled, "Wow, this is awesome¡­!"

    It was an admiration from the heart. Yu-Seong was extremely happy that he forgot how embarrassed he was by thepliments he got from the show ¡®<i>The Hunter''s Night</i>¡¯.

    ***

    The Guild Eclipse''s small office was no longer empty. There were a lot of office supplies and partitions, and a lot of employees hired to work. When Kim Do-Jin came to workte morning in a ratherfortable outfit, the employees with surprised and envious looks stood up and greeted him.

    "Hello," said one of the employees.

    "You arete," said another employee.

    "Don''t worry about it and do your job," said Do-Jin. He waved, then entered the president''s office.

    It was the first time Do-Jin came to work in the morning since he lived mostly in the dungeon. It was not surprising that he received such attention from the employees, which he found somewhat ufortable.

    Do-Jin did not actually pay too much attention to the employees. He was mostly preupied with his annoyance of going to work this afternoon for an interview.

    <i>¡®I need to recover my strength as soon as possible and get revenge¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin once again recalled the name <i>¡®Choi Woo-Jae¡¯</i> that remained deep in his mind. Then, he checked his system interface window.

    <i>¡®C-rank, level 60.¡¯</i>

    Others who saw it would think this was a surprising increase of the level, but Do-Jin wasn¡¯t satisfied by the result.

    <i>¡®I haven''t regained even half of the power that I had when I was in the Aliod continent yet.¡¯?</i>

    Maybe that was the reason why Choi Yu-Seong''s name had greatly piqued Do-Jin¡¯s interest these days. At first, Yu-Seong was a person to use and throw away. Then, at some point, he became a person that Do-Jin wanted to have on his side. Now, he felt a little different.

    <i>¡®It''s... It''s not a pleasant feeling, but¡­¡¯</i>

    It wasn¡¯t something unpleasant. These days, even when Do-Jin thought of the name ¡°Choi Yu-Seong¡±, he was overwhelmed with the desire to go to the dungeon and be even stronger. This was just like how he thought of Choi Woo-Jae as motivation to train. The problem was that Kim Do-Jin did not know exactly what this feeling was.

    <i>''I thought I''d mastered a lot of emotions over 50 years, but I really can''t figure it out.¡¯?</i>

    It was an <i>¡®unknown¡¯</i> feeling. The word ¡®<i>unknown</i>¡¯ was one that Do-Jin hadn''t experienced in a long time, and this made him feel a bit ufortable.

    <i>¡®It''s a feeling that I don''t need.¡¯?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin lightly shook off that thought and reached out to a few resumes that were on the desk. He checked the faces of the people that he was supposed to interview today. When someone knocked on the closed door of the president''s office, he said with a frown, "Come in."

    A male employee in his 20s carefully opened the door. With a somewhat red face, the employee rambled some words. "Well, I mean, boss, we''ve got a visitor just now¡­¡±

    "Speak directly."

    "...The visitor wants to see how strong you are, boss.¡±

    In the male employee¡¯s following summary, Kim Do-Jin smiled and stood up from his seat without hesitation. Hemented, ¡°Nice to hear it concisely.¡±

    A perfect guest hade when Do-Jin was already annoyed by the strange unpleasant feeling.

    ***

    Kim Do-Jin and Baek Ah-Rin, the current two super rookies who represented each gender in Korea, had set up a guild. It was a usible story. However, there were quite a few people who didn¡¯t view it in a good way. For example, the top ten guild¡¯s executives who worked hard to recruit the two, or the figures of the conglomerates, were some of the unhappy ones. Therefore, it was expected that there would be a person toe and pick a fight with them at least once. Though, even if they did, Do-Jin thought that they wouldn''t cross certain lines.

    <i>¡®Since it¡¯s hard to hear good things if a person who is an S-rank or higheres and picks a fight at the guild where the president is only a C-rank hunter.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, they wouldn¡¯t be able to directly take action in a situation like that. They might somehow hurt Do-Jin, but they would quickly turn into aughing stock for the public. After all, they could be seen as bullying the weak.

    Therefore, Do-Jin thought those big shots would only send a couple of B-rank hunters to simply threaten him.

    "But..." said the employee.

    Kim Do-Jin''s eyebrows wiggled heavily when he saw a group of funny-looking people blocking the office¡¯s entrance as soon as he left the president''s office.

    ¡°I''m Cha Sun-Wook," said the man who looked like the head of the party.

    <i>¡®Cha Sun-Wook¡­¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin tried to recall the name several times in his head but smiled subtly. "Never heard of you.¡±

    "Well, I¡¯m not as famous as you or the vice president here. I may not look like much, but I¡¯m¨E"

    "You would be about A-rank.¡±

    Cha Sun-Wook¡¯s words were cut off since his skills were revealed at once. He scratched his cheek and muttered, "How did you know that? Is it a skill?"

    "I don''t think there''s any reason for me to answer," said Do-Jin.

    Cha Sun-Wook smirked at Kim Do-Jin''s words, shrugged, and nodded. Do-Jin felt that the vibe of the conversation was strangely different from what he first thought. He tilted his head and pointed out, "You don¡¯t seem to havee here to pick a fight.¡±

    "Half right, half wrong. Didn''t your staff tell you?" Cha Sun-Wook looked at the young employee who was partially hiding right behind Kim Do-Jin.

    "I''ve heard that you wanted to see how strong I am," said Do-Jin.

    "That''s right. Yourpany is nning to set up a team of hunters these days, right?¡±

    Cha Sun-Wook wasn¡¯tpletely wrong, since the interview that Kim Do-Jin had to do when he came to work today was to find a hunter team member to go to the dungeon with. If it wasn¡¯t about that, he wouldn¡¯t even havee to work in the first ce.

    In fact, the team was not necessary for Kim Do-Jin, who was targeting the sixth-rank dungeon so far. However, it would be a little different from the 7th rank dungeon, since it was said the difficulty increased in an instant. It was as if the difficulty went over a wall.

    <i>¡®If I regain a little more strength and do my best, I¡¯ll still be able to clear it, but it would be a little easier with a strong enough team member.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin clearly had a strong maverick character, but that didn''t mean that hepletely ignored the positives of having colleagues. He was so sure that it would have taken more than 10 years if he were alone, toppling the demon king on the Aliod continent.

    In conclusion, in Kim Do-Jin''s opinion, it was not a bad thing to keep a supporter by his side as long as the supporter was capable of chasing him.

    "So what?" asked Do-Jin.

    "I''ll be straightforward. My friends and I all want to join the Eclipse Guild."

    At Cha Sun-Wook''s words, Kim Do-Jin looked closely at the people behind Sun-Wook. They came in groups like some kind of bullies, but their vibes were not normal.

    <i>¡®All of them are at least B-rank.''?</i>

    There were a few more A-rank hunters mixed in, excluding Cha Sun-Wook. No matter the fact that the super rookie made the guild, they were not people to enter these newly-formed smallpanies. There must be a story.

 Chapter 94

    <h4>Chapter 94 </h4>

    "If you want to join the guild, submit your resume and have an interview. It¡¯s for an immediate opening, anyway," said Kim Do-Jin coldly after considering various things for a moment.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the ability what matters for a hunter¡¯s resume?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want people who only have ability and have a bad personality," said Do-Jin.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite different from what I saw on TV. Doesn¡¯t that expectation apply to you too, president?¡±

    ¡°It means that one person with a bad personality is enough in mypany.¡±

    It was when Kim Do-Jin shook off his hand and tried to enter the president''s office again that Cha Sun-Wook continued.

    "There are fifteen others besides us."

    For a moment, Do-Jin stopped walking.

    "I assume the top ten guild are making things quite annoying for you, but wouldn''t it be quite advantageous for you if nearly thirty talented hunters enter yourpany?¡±

    The reason why Kim Do-Jin hesitated after hearing Cha Sun-Wook''s proposal was due to the top ten guilds trying to keep him and his guild in check.

    <i>¡®It''s been a long time since I officially posted a job opening, but only five resumes have been received.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin also wasn¡¯t quite satisfied with those five applicants. Nevertheless, he still had expectations, which was why he hade to interview them in person. Although there were no results yet, he might meet talented people with unexpected potential and he could raise them up himself.

    <i>¡®It''s a pain in the ass, but I have no choice since Baek Ah-Rin is busy right now.¡¯</i>

    Recently, Baek Ah-Rin''s main task was to deal with the constraints of various guild activities due to the top ten guilds¡¯ usations. Even if just a tiny problem urred in terms of thew, the other guilds crazily disparaged them. She was extremely busy blocking their attacks one by one.

    If Kim Do-Jin couldn''te to work and remained busy clearing the dungeon, it would be hard for Baek Ah-Rin to even keep her position because of the fight with the top ten guilds. Under such circumstances, Cha Sun-Wook''s proposal was definitely pleasant.

    "I agree that there should be a procedure since this ce is also a guild, but you know, beggars can''t be choosers,¡± said Sun-Wook.

    In the end, Kim Do-Jin looked at Cha Sun-Wook again and said, "...Who the heck are you guys?"

    Cha Sun-Wook was not a talented person that anyone could recognize by his name, but he was pretty useful even judging by Do-Jin¡¯s expectations. Also, Do-Jin quite liked the guy¡¯s cool impression.

    "We¡¯re in a simr situation. People who want to do personal activities but can''t do anything because of the top ten guilds¡¯ pressure. We¡¯ve gathered and formed a group,¡± Sun-Wook said.

    "Why do you want to join our guild, then¡­?" asked Do-Jin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? It¡¯s because weck strength. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we want to stick with the top ten guilds,¡± Sun-Wook replied.

    There were about twenty B-rank hunters and about five to six A-rank hunters. Obviously, they were not a weak group, but their power wasn¡¯t even half of the Gori Guild, which was the weakest of the top ten guilds. However, what if they joined Kim Do-Jin and Baek Ah-Rin, who would both grow above an A-rank?

    <i>''Not bad.¡¯</i>

    In fact, if you only looked at the number of people and their ranks, theirpany size would grow enough to make an attack team, albeit a small one.

    In the end, Kim Do-Jin nodded, and Cha Sun-Wook, who seemed somewhat nervous, also smiled peculiarly. Do-Jin then said, "All right."

    "Of course, there are conditions on this side before that,¡± said Sun-Wook.

    "Isn''t it about the skills?"

    "Exactly. I''ve heard rumors about you and have watched your video, but we''re confident in our own way. If we experienced your skills in person and you didn''t meet our expectations, it would be too much of a loss for us.¡±

    "Who''s the opponent?"

    "You''re still in the C-rank, right? We have a conscience. I''ll have a man of about B-rank, level 50 ready. If you can beat him, then...." said Sun-Wook.

    "I don''t like it. Aren''t you the captain?¡± said Do-Jin as he looked directly into Sun-Wook''s eyes.

    "What?"

    ¡°The leader should fight against another leader.¡±

    "...Well, well." Cha Sun-Wook made a crooked smile. It was because his pride was hurt. He pointed out, "I''m an A-rank hunter and my level is over 50."

    "Do you think I can''t win?" asked Do-Jin.

    "What a big ego," Sun-Wook sneered.

    "No, I just have great ability," said Kim Do-Jin.

    Their eyes met fiercely in the air.

    "I¡¯m quite offended. If you lose¡­"

    ¡°Me and Baek Ah-Rin, we¡¯ll both go under you," said Do-Jin.

    "What?¡± said Sun-Wook.

    ¡°It means that you can be ourpany¡¯s president. And I''ll do what you want. Will a minimum of five years be enough for the contract?"

    "Are you confident that you won''t regret saying that?¡± asked Sun-Wook as his eyes sparkled. He also had pride. No matter how much potential Do-Jin had, he was only a C-rank hunter right now after all. Also, Sun-Wook¡¯s own decision to go under Kim Do-Jin was not easy.

    "Rather, I hope you understand that if you lose, you won¡¯t be treated as well as your current status,¡± said Do-Jin.

    ¡°Well, that wouldn¡¯t be a problem. In the first ce, I didn¡¯t have any expectations in thepany that doesn¡¯t even have an attack team yet,¡± said Sun-Wook.

    "Then do you ept the bet?" asked Do-Jin.

    "Don''t regret it."

    ¡°You too.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the date?¡±

    "Is there a reason to drag it out? Let¡¯s do it right now. Follow me," said Do-Jin as he took the lead, heading toward the hunter-only gym.

    In the distant future, when Sun-Wook recalled this day again, he had to exin with an absurd-looking smile.

    - Our boss is an absolutely insidious person, contrary to his appearance. Did anyone know he could use magic until then? Damn it, I was totally swindled back then. I wouldn''t have lost if I had known that magic would be used. You don''t believe me? Hey, or how could an A-rank hunter lose to C-rank? Oh~ You have to believe me, it''s a true story. If I knew, I would have won!

    Of course, it was already spilled milk.

    ***

    After Choi Byung-Chan''s death, Choi Min-Seok''s life began going downhill. He struggled with panic disorder, social phobia, and alcoholism. He was wary of all who approached him, and he could not sleep without being drunk¡­ It all started out from a ce of fear.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he''s the one who killed him.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok remembered thest time he had seen Choi Byung-Chan. As always, Byung-Chan had been strong and scary right until the moment¡­he died.

    The criminal was said to be the ughter Queen, but mysteriously, Choi Yu-Seong had survived that entire incident.

    <i>¡®This is not the first time Choi Yu-Seong has survived after meeting the ughter Queen.¡¯?</i>

    Would this just be a coincidence? Choi Min-Seok could not think so.

    <i>¡®There must be something between the two¡­¡¯</i>

    And sooner orter, the ughter Queen woulde to visit him. Why? It was because Choi Min-Seok had been the one who bothered Choi Yu-Seong the most when he had been wandering.

    Not long after Yu-Seong was Awakened, Min-Seok had been the one who hired Lee Jin-Wook as a killer and had tried to kill Yu-Seong. If he put himself in Yu-Seong¡¯s shoes, there was no reason not to kill him.

    Even if Choi Byung-Chan had been scary and violent, if he was still alive, Min-Seok wouldn¡¯t be this scared. It was because Byung-Chan had been his strong supporter. However, now he waspletely alone.

    Feeling scared, Min-Seok had called Choi Woo-Jae, crying and praying for his life, but he had heard absolutely nothing except the sound of a slight click of a tongue. The call had cut off, and Choi Min-Seok then repeated his days of falling into a deep sleep, struggling in hellish fear, recalling numerous deaths.

    <i>Swoosh-!</i>

    The thick ckout curtains that were set swept aside and sunlight suddenly jabbed the sleeping Min-Seok¡¯s eyes. Normally, he would have raised his voice in irritation, but for some reason, he opened his eyes quite calmly. He soon stiffened when he saw the long brown wavy hair of the woman in a tight dress in front of him.

    "Are you awake? Oh, my. Look at you, what happened?" the woman, Choi In-Young, said in a soft voice. She saw a messy-looking Min-Seok sitting around with a strong alcoholic odor. She dragged a chair that was randomly thrown in the room, sat down, and asked, "Can you hear me?"

    "In-... In-Young noo-nim," Min-Seok replied.

    Choi In-Young smiled with her big, thin eyes.

    Min-Seok didn¡¯t speak irritatedly regarding the sudden sunshine, not because he had changed his mind or had been surprised. It was somewhat more of a survival instinct. He had a feeling that if he had shouted, he would have lost everything even if he was notpletely Awakened.

    <i>¡®In-Young noo-nim came to me.¡¯?</i>

    When In-Young asked if he had woken up, Choi Min-Seok was even touched by her words. He was relieved, thinking that he was notpletely abandoned. He thought that, if Choi In-Young visited him now, he still might have a chance.

    The power structure within the Comet Group, especially the Choi family, clearly existed. As of now, the person at the peak was definitely Chairman Choi Woo-Jae. The second person in power was Choi Jin-Woo, the third son. Then, the next person was Choi Seok-Young, the fourth son.

    Choi In-Young was the fifth child who had the same mother as Choi Seok-Young. Therefore, there was no person who could ignore Choi In-Young in the family, even though she did not have a direct rtionship with any executives or figures with power.

    The reason why Choi Mi-Na''s name was not included in Choi Min-Seok''s mind was simple. She was clearly the most overwhelming individual among the current siblings, but she didn''t have decent supporters to support and share the power with. Unlike other siblings who subtlypeted and secretly fought to upy wealth in the family, she waspletely alone. Therefore, in Choi Min-Seok''s mind, Choi Mi-Na was simply a scary and powerful sister rather than a person with authority.

    Of course, there were signs of change in terms of the power flow after Choi Mi-Na''s participation in the Comet Group¡¯s guild project. However, by Choi Min-Seok''s standards, the situation seemed close to a somewhat vtile variable.

    It was wishful thinking that Min-Seok wouldn¡¯t face problems since he had been alone all this time. He was foolish, ignorant to the reason why the other siblings with high authority were trying to keep Choi Mi-Na''s guild business in check. Although, in this situation, that fact was not important to both Choi Min-Seok and Choi In-Young.

    Choi Min-Seok was delighted to find a stronger-than-expected lifeline, and Choi In-Young was satisfied that he was notpletely ruined yet when she saw light returning to his eyes. She called out, "Choi Min-Seok."

    "Yes!" answered Min-Seok in a strong and energetic voice.

    "Do you want to live?" Choi In-Young asked and twisted her lips.

    Although it was close to a sneer rather than a smile, and there was a sense of death in her voice, as it was mentioned before, these details were not important to Choi Min-Seok. He just nodded crazily at Choi In-Young''s question. Of course, he wanted to live. He was too scared to die.

    "I don''t want you to die, either. Nevertheless, you''re my younger brother, right?¡±

    "That means..."

    "But helping you for free is not our family¡¯s style, is it?¡±

    "I''ll do anything. I''ll do exactly what you tell me to do."

 Chapter 95

    <h4>Chapter 95 </h4>

    Choi Min-Seok shouted with determination, no longer looking like the alcoholic wanderer from just moments ago.

    <i>¡®Yes, after all, he¡¯s still my blood rtive from my father''s side.¡¯</i>

    Choi In-Young smiled inwardly and slowly crossed her legs. Shemented, "It''s not a difficult task. Yu-Seong is so arrogant these days, right?¡±

    "What? Oh, yes. That''s right¡­but¡­¡° Choi Min-Seok trembled. He hadn¡¯t experienced any good oue from getting involved with Choi Yu-Seong recently. Although he tried to suppress it, hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s name alone made him feel fear once again.

    <i>¡®And he''s even acquainted with the ughter Queen!¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok wasn¡¯t stupid enough to spit out his inner cry. He simply said, "Th-Then, you want me to kill Yu-Seong¡­?"

    "What...?! How can you say such a scary thing?¡± In-Young responded with a surprised look. She jumped up from her seat and shook her head, looking at Choi Min-Seok like he was a disgusting bug.

    Naturally, Choi Min-Seok became impatient. He quickly said, "No, that''s not what I meant! I... I made a ridiculous remark. Noo-nim, please don''t misunderstand."

    "No matter how much you dislike him, you can''t use such scary threats between siblings. Got it, Min-Seok?"

    "Yes, yes, got it. Hehe," Min-Seok said.

    "Okay, then, let''s put it this way. It''s true that Yu-Seong is arrogant these days, so I want to punish him as his sister,¡± Choi In-Young said.

    "Well..."

    "I wish I could, but there are actually only a few ways to do so."

    "...Yes."

    "But isn''t that all thanks to Father''s attention?¡±

    "What?"

    "Father is paying attention to Yu-Seong, so it''s not easy to punish him."

    Choi Min-Seok was stupid enough to misunderstand Choi In-Young''s words. He asked, "Is there a way I can distract Father?¡±

    "Yes, but it''s not easy. As you know, Father cares more about Yu-Seong these days. Hmm..." said In-Young.

    Choi Min-Seok furrowed his brow, but he couldn¡¯t think of any ideas.

    Choi In-Young watched Min-Seok for about five minutes before saying with a short yawn, "Wouldn''t it be good for Choi Yu-Seong to get into trouble and lose Father¡¯s affection?¡±

    "But he eagerly takes care of his reputation these days..." Choi Min-Seok blurted out, shutting up only after looking into In-Young¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t get over the creepy smile that reached In-Young¡¯s eyes.

    "The fall of a popr star is surprisingly easy. A small slip of the tongue, a disappointing action, an unexpected w would be enough,¡° In-Young stated.

    This was the reason why some people who lived a life in the limelight didn¡¯t want their identities to be revealed.

    "Choi Yu-Seong is a little special. He has always been a troublemaker, right?¡±

    A small incident couldn¡¯t easily capture people¡¯s attention. Also, Choi Woo-Jae''s interest in Yu-Seong would not easily fade away. But what if Yu-Seong made a really big and unexpected mistake? Or what if he had some kind of weakness?

    <i>¡®If he doesn''t have a weakness, we can simply just make one up.¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok was too scared to face Yu-Seong directly anymore. However, he could take the risk to harm Yu-Seong¡¯s reputation from behind the scenes and perhaps seed. Above all, it seemed incredibly fascinating to join In-Young¡¯s side. To be exact, he would then essentially be on Choi Seok-Young¡¯s side.

    "I''ll do my best. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem for Yu-Seong himself too. Since he¡¯s used to those displeasures, right?¡± Choi Min-Seok¡¯s eyes twinkled as he spoke.

    Choi In-Young nodded, then got up from her seat. "Do well. I''ll be looking forward to it."

    "Yes, noo-nim! Please tell our brother that I¡¯m thankful for him!"

    Choi In-Young stopped walking for a moment when she heard that. Her eyes glowed coldly, reddening. Then, as if that sudden moment of tension had never existed, she revealed her usual smile, looked back, and waved lightly. "Oppa will root for you, too."

    "Thank you!" Min-Seok shouted.

    Leaving her brother behind, Choi In-Young left the room and held her cell phone with a cold look in her eyes.

    <i>¡®Choi Seok-Young.¡¯</i>

    At that moment, her brother, Choi Seok-Young, coincidentally called. After checking the caller¡¯s name, In-Young epted the call and said quietly, "Choi Min-Seok asked me to thank you.¡±

    - ¡­I don''t understand what you''re saying.

    ¡°Because I gave him a task. I guess he believes you are the one who pulls the strings.¡± Choi In-Young smiled, thinking of Choi Seok-Young''s stumped expression.

    - He''s just a kid who knows nothing.

    "But I don''t feel good. What should I do?" In-Young asked.

    The conversation was absolutely strange, bearing no resemnce to a talk between an older brother and younger sister. During such a conversation, Choi Seok-Young knew what he had to say.

    - I''ll sort it out.

    "Not right away, let''s do it after watching how he deals with Yu-Seong. Oh, and don¡¯t do it yourself. Call Director Geum and let him do it for you. I¡¯ll let him know.¡±

    - Yes, and to the chairman¡­

    ¡°Father doesn''t care about Choi Min-Seok at all. Didn¡¯t I say that Yu-Seong is a unique case? So make sure to treat Choi Min-Seok as cruelly as possible. I think it''d be perfect if you threw him as bait,¡± In-Young said.

    - ...Okay.

    "Haha! I''m kidding, I''m kidding." Choi In-Youngughed loudly into her cell phone. Then, she left Choi Min-Seok''s house and got in the back seat of the car that was waiting for her. She asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you get my joke? Do I really look like someone who''s going to kill my younger brother?"

    - ...

    "Let''s just scold him a little after seeing how he works. You know my style, right? Driver Kim, start heading out."

    "Yes, ma''am."

    Choi Seok-Young and Driver Kim, who was behind the wheel, answered at the same time.

    Satisfied, Choi In-Young nodded and hung up after hearing Choi Seok-Young''s report. From the car window, she could see the entire city center which she had always found cool-looking.

    In-Young vividly remembered one night when a thunderstorm raged. Her only blood rtive screamed while tied to a wooden chair on a hexagram drawn with red blood.

    <i>¡®Oppa, I hated you.¡¯</i>

    Choi Seok-Young had said that he loved her and begged for his life, but his soul had been taken by the devil and torn to shreds. Then, a new soul took over his body.

    Choi In-Young had gone on to teach the innocent soul many things, as if she were his mother. She had taught him how to live a life, thews of the world, and to haveplete loyalty to her.

    Very few people actually knew this, but there existed terrifying means in the world in which even a person¡¯s soul could be exchanged.

    Therefore, when Yu-Seong had shown a sudden change, Choi In-Young had suspected that someone with the same specialized skill as her, "Witch," had done the trick. Since the person had bepletely different after that, she assumed that the soul had been changed. However, she had to stop being suspicious after a while.

    <i>''You need blood from at least ten maidens to have a soul-swapping ceremony.¡¯?</i>

    Since the soul absorbed such a great amount of blood, it would always exude a strong bloody odor. However, from In-Young¡¯s distant observations, Yu-Seong never stank of blood.

    Above all, the new person born from a spirit exchange ritual was no different from a clean and nk sheet of paper¡ªinnocent¡ªat the beginning. They were almost like a baby who couldn¡¯t speak a word. This was nothing unusual, since what was created using the blood of ten maidens was a brand new soul. In other words, growth in a short period of time like Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s was impossible.

    In the end, Choi In-Young had toe to the same conclusion as everyone else.

    <i>¡®He has been hiding himself so far but has now revealed himself. It means he has something to believe in.¡¯?</i>

    What would it be?

    Choi In-Young was cautious and had no intention of directly bothering Choi Yu-Seong until she found out the secret.

    <i>''I''ll have to get to the bottom of this.¡¯?</i>

    Even if he was a disposable card, it would be nice if Choi Min-Seok could carry out the task well. Choi In-Young closed her eyes to take a break.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong''s growth was on a rapidly-rising curve.

    <i>¡®I gained nine levels in just three days.¡¯</i>

    Thanks to this, Yu-Seong was now at level 13. If he recalled the time when he had hunted for a week to gain 15 levels, this was certainly considered a rapid growth.

    <i>¡®Moreover, my level then was lower than it is now.¡¯?</i>

    Since his level and rank had increased, Yu-Seong needed more experience points to level up again. This was simplymon sense, everyone knew about this fact. Nevertheless, with the tremendous help of the Star Factor skill, which had recently developed rapidly, he could still record a faster growth rate.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates. Additional ability unlocked once the level of attention exceeds a certain number.

    D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras.

    Current eleration rate +100% ¡ú +130%

    *New: Additional privileges are opened by achieving new interest figures. Experience points required for growth -1% ¡ú -3% ¡»

    <i>¡®Oh wow, I still can¡¯t believe this no matter how much I look at it.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong had obtained the best skill for increasing his level. In fact, it was not that there were no hunters with skills rted to increasing growth speed. To be more precise, they were quitemon among the top rankers. Among them, the most famous skill known to the public was the ¡®Titanic Growth¡¯ skill of Yamamoto Kyosuke, the Nioh of Japan. At the D-rank, that skill had offered Nioh a growth rate of 150%.

    When the skill had been released to the public, the whole world had been surprised. Nioh had proved the skill¡¯s tremendous effect by reaching the S-rank, level 100, in record time. He hadn¡¯t been able to reach the SS rank because he had failed to pass the promotion evaluation, but¡­

    <i>¡®Even so, he is one of the top five in Japan.¡¯</i>

    The record growth boost had been at 130% just before Nioh had revealed his skills. It was the same as the current rate of Yu-Seong¡¯s Star Factor skill. However, unlike Nioh and others with growth eleration skills, Yu-Seong had an additional effect.

    <i>''Reducing the experience points requirements for leveling up.''?</i>

    Everyone knew that even more experience points were required as the rank and level got higher. However, Choi Yu-Seong could reduce the percentages of such penalties by unlocking the Star Factor skills¡¯ additional privileges.

    The gains from this were inevitably greater since they increased proportionately with higher ranks and levels. If the experience points required to level up from D-rank, level 79, was 100,000, then a 5 percent decrease could save 5,000 experience points. If the same decrease was maintained for 20 levels, it was no different from gaining one additional level.

    Of course, it was technically impossible, because the experience required to level up would gradually increase as the level rose. Still, the umtion of these gains could never be underestimated.

    1. It¡¯s worth noting that although Choi Seok-Young is In-Young¡¯s older brother, he speaks very politely and formally to her¡ªalmost as if he¡¯s the younger sibling.

 Chapter 96

    <h4>Chapter 96 </h4>

    On top of everything else, the percentage level of Choi Yu-Seong''s Star Factor rose every time he received a certain degree of attention. Thus, it could be seen as a skill that was several times greater than the Nioh¡¯s ¡®Titanic Growth¡¯ skill.

    <i>¡®I mean, maybe it¡¯s not evenparable to a skill that only elerates growth?¡¯</i>

    Although Nioh¡¯s skill was called the best among the growth eleration skills that were known to the public, Yu-Seong knew some better skills since he had read the original novel. The best among those skills was Kim Do-Jin''s specialized skill, "Genius."

    As could be seen from the name, the skill ¡®Genius¡¯ was simply the protagonist¡¯s supernatural ability. It was no different from a collection of all features of a ¡®main character¡¯, such as deleting penalties of All-Rounder, specializing in all weapons, significantly increasing skill growth, significantly increasing the gain of experience points, reducing the required experience points, and transcending the ranks of some skills. It was a single skill which worked beyond the confines of one.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, I shouldn¡¯t be so happy just because I have three specialized skills.¡¯?</i>

    After all, there was a real imbnced character.

    Anyway, among the abilities of the skill ¡®Genius,¡¯ Yu-Seong could at least catch up to the growth-rted abilities thanks to his Star Factor skill.

    <i>¡®Actually, if I do well, I might be faster than Kim Do-Jin when he was D-rank.¡¯?</i>

    When he had first obtained the skill ¡®Star Factor,¡¯ Yu-Seong had felt that he could keep up with some aspects of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s growth. Now, Yu-Seong even thought that he could be even a little faster than Do-Jin. On top of that, in a situation where Kim Do-Jin didn¡¯t know the existence of the hunting experience boost potion, Yu-Seong could raise his level considerably faster than Do-Jin too.

    In conclusion, thanks to the Star Factor skill, Yu-Seong could grow at a faster pace than the returnee who had fought against the devil in another world.

    Of course, the quality and quantity ofbat experience, basicbat sense, and talent would be different, so Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t perform the exact same skills at the same level. However, he at least had an ability that was much more powerful than the original novel¡¯s main character.

    <i>¡®Of course, this will also be meaningless if Kim Do-Jin uses the hunting experience boost potion and his rank of the Genius skill bes far higher.¡¯</i>

    At least he had won for now. Knowing this made Yu-Seong feel strangely good. On the other hand, he was worried.

    <i>¡®Now that this happened, I''m worried that I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s growing too fast¡­¡¯</i>

    This was because Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who were both supposed to grow up with him soon, hade to Yu-Seong¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean that I have to slow down, right?¡¯</i>

    The sooner Yu-Seong became stronger, the better it was for him. He decided not to doubt this part of his n, since he had already suffered from overthinking once. Above all, Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk were characters who were portrayed as a disaster or a high potential of disaster in the original novel. Maybe he might have to worry about falling behind them even though he was gaining strength so quickly.

    <i>¡®Anyway, it¡¯s a good problem to have, after all.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong chuckled with enjoyment. At that moment, he received a message.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster feels strangely discontent while seeing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s smile.

    - The Oldest Hunter thinks the yer Yu-Seong has a beautiful smile. He sponsors 30 Karma points.

    - Cnn¡¯s Hound looks at the growth of the yer Choi Yu-Seong with satisfaction. He sponsors 10 Karma points.

    Looking at the three remaining gods¡¯ messages, Yu-Seong inwardly clicked his tongue.

    <i>¡®Loki, what''s wrong with that man, I mean, god¡­?¡¯</i>

    Loki was acting up for nothing, but thinking of it, he was also good at subtly taking care of Yu-Seong. With this thought in mind, Yu-Seong assumed that Loki had be crooked because of his disingenuity.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster snorts at the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong ignored the message that followed and went out of the dungeon.

    Jin Yu-Ri approached him and said, "You did a great job today.¡±

    "Yeah. Thanks for waiting," Yu-Seong replied.

    "I¡¯ll have to cheer up more until my brotheres back. It¡¯s true that I got busier since I¡¯m doing it alone, but it¡¯s bearable since Jenny is helping me in between. Oh, by the way. About the money that you supported me with, do you want to know how it''s used?" Yu-Ri asked.

    Not long ago, Yu-Seong had provided about 30 billion won to the ¡®Hidden Team¡¯, which was created by Jin Yu-Ri and run directly by Jenny, who was another A-rank hunter. Originally, he had nned to provide 20 billion won, but since Choi Woo-Jae had given him about 25 billion more pocket money after watching the "Hunter''s Night" program and being proud of him, Yu-Seong had decided to invest nearly half of it in the Hidden Team without much thought.

    Thanks to this, a considerable amount of 30 billion won had been spent at once. However, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t consider it as a waste at all, since the Hidden Team was virtually an organization that worked solely for his own purposes. He would benefit from as much as he had invested or even more. He also believed that Jin Yu-Ri would definitely make that happen.

    "No need to." Aside from believing in Yu-Ri, Yu-Seong simply didn''t bother to pay attention to where his money went. He just wanted to purely focus on his growth rather than pay attention to such things.

    "...thank you. I won''t let you down,¡± Yu-Ri replied in a clear voice. She seemed to understand Yu-Seong¡¯s current priorities. She opened the car door. Then, she added, "I have something else to report. I have good news and bad news, which one do you want to hear first?¡±

    "Hmm..."

    While Yu-Seong took some time to think, Jin Yu-Ri sat in the driver¡¯s seat. Yu-Seong sat in the back seat.

    The car started with a single button, and the loud exhaust sound rang out. It was the unique sound of an Italian vehicle. It was the taste of viin Choi Yu-Seong, who had originally been the owner of the body. Yu-Seong had initially found this sound a pain, but he was now quite used to it.

    <i>¡®It would be rather disappointing if I couldn¡¯t hear it anymore.¡¯</i>

    Did they say that the position changes manners? Yu-Seong felt as if he were bing ustomed to the tastes of the body¡¯s original owner.

    "Are you still thinking?" asked Yu-Ri as she headed out.

    Choi Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly. "Ah, I''m sorry. I thought about something else for a second. If that''s the case, it''s better to face the music. I want to hear the bad news first."

    "I heardst night that Helen Mirren came out of the dungeon,¡± Yu-Ri said.

    "And?"

    "In less than two hours, she went straight back to the dungeon. Because of that, I didn''t have time to contact her.¡±

    It was a sad story for the two who hoped that Jin Do-Yoon would recover as soon as possible. Moreover, as mentioned, Helen Mirren sometimes disappeared for months once she entered the dungeon.

    "Ah..." Choi Yu-Seong let out a sad sigh without realizing it, but soon nodded. "It¡¯s sudden, so it can''t be helped. Let''s look forward to the next opportunity."

    "Jenny is trying to find people who have direct connections with Helen Mirren. There are extremely few, but she should be able to find someone."

    "Right."

    "Next is the good news. Do you remember the mana stones you asked us to collect?¡± Yu-Ri asked.

    "Of course."

    This was what Yu-Seong had asked for Chae Ye-Ryeong''s Re-Awakening, who would be as greatly helpful to Yu-Seong as both Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri in the future.

    "I bought it. 48 orange and 7 yellow mana stones. 55 in total. It''s worth about 20 billion if you calcte it at the market price."

    "That''s insane. We¡¯ll be broke sooner orter.¡±

    Although Yu-Seong was somewhat flustered, there was no big problem, because he had already expected to spend this much. Also, Choi Woo-Jae had recently given him a lot of pocket money. As he had thought, he was benefiting from being close to Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®Though it¡¯s true that he¡¯s a little scary.¡¯</i>

    In many ways, Yu-Seong suddenly thought it was a good thing that he had worked hard to stand out in Choi Woo-Jae''s eyes.

    <i>¡®How nice to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth.¡¯</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri did not know what he was thinking, but she replied with a smile, "Of course, if I was going to buy it for the original price, I wouldn''t have suffered this long."

    "You look quite confident," Yu-Seong said.

    "I bought all the items I just mentioned for 18 billion won," Yu-Ri revealed.

    "Wow..." Choi Yu-Seong expressed his admiration almost automatically.

    Mana stones were the most important and precious resource in the world, and they were also mentioned in the original novel. They could produce a significant amount of energy with no risk of radiation, and there were also new technologies created that used mana stones. Of course, their value was bound to be high, and it was quite difficult to buy them at a lower price. However, Jin Yu-Ri had managed to purchase the goods at a discount as high as ten percent.

    "Are you happy with it? I did my best."

    "Very happy."

    Two billion won was more than enough money to buy orange and yellow mana drinks. There was no reason for Yu-Seong to not be happy. He then said, "If you can buy them at a low price like this, please secure as many mana stones as possible within 30 billion won.¡±

    "Again?"

    "I was originally nning to do that, but since I have a talented person like you, Jin Yu-Ri, I would like to kick-start the n a little earlier."

    Jin Yu-Ri''s eyes sparkled at the word <i>¡®originally nned¡¯</i>. She asked, "Can I ask what you''re going to use it for?"

    "It¡¯s a secret."

    "...That¡¯s a little cheeky."

    "Haha." Choi Yu-Seong smiled insidiously and shrugged.

    In fact, the value of mana stones was expected to increase gradually over time. However, if it were for this reason alone, Choi Yu-Seong would not have invested as much as 30 billion won to buy a new mana stone right now.

    <i>''The timing is a bit uncertain, but when artifact creators start to appear, the price of mana stones will go through the roof.¡¯</i>

    Artifact creators were literally yers who made artifacts. Their directbat power was low as they were production-type yers, but because of their appearance in the near future, the hunter world would face another cataclysm.

    <i>''Until now, the hunter equipment was all about the ancient relics, the treasures of the world, the iron weapons made by Earth¡¯s craftsmen...''?</i>

    Of course, many things would change when the new equipment type, the artifact, appeared. Artifacts were considered to be somewhat weakpared to ancient relics and treasures of the world, but they boasted quite good performance with the addition of magical abilities that ordinary iron weapons could not have. Their greatest advantage was the fact that they did not requirerge amounts of karma points, like ancient relics or exotic treasures did. One could buy an artifact as long as one had enough money.

 Chapter 97

    <h4>Chapter 97 </h4>

    The artifact was an object much easier to obtainpared to other magical items such as ancient relics or treasures from the other world, but it could produce simr utility. In addition, Choi Yu-Seong knew about the creators of these artifacts, the so-called Meister, who would be able to create magical objectsparable to other ancient relics and the treasures from the other world.

    <i>¡®There are exactly five Meisters by the time Book 1 of the original novel waspleted.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong knew one of the Meisters by name and origin. Obviously, it was one of Kim Do-Jin''s colleagues who Yu-Seong tried not to get in contact with as much as possible.

    <i>¡®What I need to find is the other four Meisters.¡¯?</i>

    There were many questions about them, since in many parts of the original novel, they were mentioned only by nicknames and characteristics. Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong left his thoughts of the Meister behind for now.

    However, as could be seen from this Meister¡¯s appearance, the number of artifact producers increased exponentially over time. This meant the type ¡®productive¡¯ was added to the yer types. Therefore, when the artifact creators appeared, the price of mana stone naturally rose.

    Before that, Choi Yu-Seong wanted to acquire the mana stone, which was still somewhat cheap. In addition, before the artifact sales market was fully established, he nned to preupy the market by investing some capital.

    <i>¡®Since I can''t spend the pocket money from my father forever.¡¯?</i>

    Originally, it would take a lot of human resources, money, and time to enter this market, but Choi Yu-Seong had future information he knew through the original novel. In other words, it was highly possible for him to enter the market while saving on all three aspects considerably.

    In fact, the best way might be to secretly reveal this future information to Choi Woo-Jae. Just as Yu-Seong had told Jin Yu-Ri that he had a simr skill such as Future Foresight, he could tell Choi Woo-Jae and show him a few actions to prove it. That way, even Woo-Jae would be interested in what Yu-Seong had to say. Moreover, by using the Comet Group¡¯s enormous capital, he might be able to achieve monopoly rather than the market preupation.

    <i>¡®Since it¡¯s father, he would most likely take a careful look at the opportunity, and as soon as the artifact creator appeared, he would invest in the market with all his might.¡¯?</i>

    In addition, it would be slightly easier to obtain information about the remaining four Meisters, who Yu-Seong currently only knew about their nicknames and characteristics.

    Whatever Woo-Jae did, regardless with a huge amount of capital or talented men, none of which Yu-Seong could even be able to imagine, could change ording to the circumstances in an instant.

    <i>¡®Since it would bring it a huge business profit, I would be able to bring fatherpletely to my side and share the profit somewhat.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was confident that, in this way, he could unconditionally gain much more than trying to enter the market alone.

    However, Choi Yu-Seong decided not to tell Choi Woo-Jae in the end. He already had a lot of dangerous experiences due to the butterfly effect. Such a big action would cause more than just a small change, and he couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of disaster it would bring.

    <i>¡®Anyway, artifact makers would only appear after the appearance of a tower. I don''t have to hastily change the future by trying to preupy talent or resources for now.¡¯?</i>

    The n was to refrain from mentioning information about artificial creators and new technologies that Yu-Seong already knew and snatch profits by taking the bait at exactly the right time. Choi Yu-Seong had chosen a stable path, rather than being overly greedy for a big gain, even if the profit would be less. This was because survival was his top priority, as always. Any gain would be meaningless if it brought about a fatal disaster.

    ¡°Then, is it also a secret where you¡¯ll use the prepared mana stone?¡± asked Yu-Ri.

    "Oh, I can tell you that,¡± replied Yu-Seong. For him, preparation for reawakening would be quite difficult without Jin Yu-Ri''s help anyway.

    "Oh... I''ll listen carefully,¡± Yu-Ri said.

    "First of all, please prepare an empty warehouse outside Seoul, or Gyeonggi-do, where people don''t go as often. And we need to recruit a hypnotist who¡¯s about D-rank. Also, I have a few more items to prepare..."

    "Wait. Can I hear the conclusion first?¡±

    "I''m going to try to Re-Awaken.¡±

    Jin Yu-Ri''s head spun quickly while driving, because she was momentarily confused. She asked, "...is that possible artificially?¡±

    "Probably."

    "For who..." Jin Yu-Ri closed her mouth tightly, no longer asking questions. In fact, even without asking, a person¡¯s face already came to her mind. She remembered just as she asked the earlier question. Also, with the preparations requested by Choi Yu-Seong, she realized the danger of this work. She asked, ¡°Does Ye-Ryeong know?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember when I was hospitalized after an ident in Mok-dong Dungeon?¡±

    "Yes, Ye-Ryeong visited the hospital. Come to think of it, it was at that time that you asked me to prepare for mana stone."

    "Yeah. I''ve talked about it again since then, and she is also quite determined.¡±

    "...I''ll do my best to prepare, so that no one gets hurt as much as possible," said Yu-Ri.

    As expected, it was quitefortable talking to someone as smart as Yu-Ri. Choi Yu-Seong smiled at Jin Yu-Ri. She seemed to clearly recognize what she had to do with just a few short conversations. He said gratefully, "I''m going to try my best for that, too. Thank you as always, Jin Yu-Ri.¡±

    "Don''t mention it." Jin Yu-Ri smiled.

    ***

    Choi Min-Seok spent several days hiring people to keep an eye on Choi Yu-Seong''s every move. He self-justified such actions by thinking that he didn¡¯t need to and didn¡¯t want to take much effort on such work. However, it was also true that he was scared to do it alone, even if it was simply watching Yu-Seong from a distance. There was just no usible oue from spending a few days like that.

    <i>¡®Does this crazy guy have nowhere else to go besides the house and dungeon? I remember he used to drink a lot during the earlier times.¡¯?</i>

    It was difficult to find any ws or weaknesses of a perfect student who only traveled between school and home. While Yu-Seong continued living a perfectly wless life where it was difficult for Min-Seok to even make up a w, an interesting piece of news made its way to him.

    <i>¡®What? Choi Yu-Seong''s car suddenly left Seoul?¡¯</i>

    What was he up to? After agonizing for a while, Choi Min-Seok made up his mind, jumped up, and made a phone call. It was a little intuitive, but he got a hunch that the opportunity hade. He said, "Continue chasing and tracking him."

    Choi Min-Seok urgently started preparing before heading outside. Then, he suddenly stopped.

    <i>¡®But what can I do alone?¡¯?</i>

    Those Min-Seok had sent to spy on Choi Yu-Seong were D-rank chase hunters at the most. Could they be helpful in case of an emergency? He shook his head inwardly. Therefore, he stomped on the ground and fell deep into thought.

    <i>''If I contact In-Young noo-nim, she''ll be disappointed. Maybe even Seok-Young hyung-nim would hear about it if I called her.¡¯</i>

    It was meaningless if Min-Seok couldn¡¯t prove his worth and join their side. If that was the case, should he work alone? He also didn¡¯t have much time.

    <i>¡®Dang it, I have no choice but to use the secret fund.¡¯</i>

    After some thought, Choi Min-Seok decided to hire mercenaries using the secret funds that he had hidden without anyone knowing. This took ce when he had worked with Byung-Chan. Using such money seemed fine to him, since it would be difficult for one to find the source of it and track it down, so even Choi Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t bother as well.

    Of course, Min-Seok didn''t intend to use a regr mercenary. It would be okay to use them during dungeon hunting or a simple escort mission, but in this case, there might be too many difficulties and issues for them to deal with. Therefore, Choi Min-Seok decided to call some <i>¡®dangerous¡¯</i> characters.

    "I need the ck mercenary¡ªGuys at A-rank level who can start right now. About..." Choi Min-Seok ordered one of his subordinates over the phone while biting his nails.

    Hiring a typical A-rank mercenary for a day would cost about 1 billion won. However, in the case of ck mercenaries, who were in charge of these dirty tasks, the unit price was at least two to three times higher. Moreover, if they were called in a hurry like right now, there was a high probability that the premium fee would be added.

    <i>¡®I have about 20 billion won in shush funds that I¡¯ve saved up. I might be able to call up to four people¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Min-Seok¡¯s reason for wanting to save the fund and the instinct he had to call upon extra help to do his best collided in his mind. He was conflicted.

    <i>''If I fail this time, I may not have another chance. But there¡¯s no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut, right? Most of all, I might have to fight him in person.''?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok struggled to speak at the opponent''s careful urging over the phone. He managed to say, "I¡¯ll hire one, no, two of them."

    Then, Choi Min-Seok hung up the phone and rushed out of the house.

    <i>''Dang, my precious shush fund. Yu-Seong, I don''t know what you''re up to, but you better be on your toes. I¡¯ll drop you into hell.¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok''s eyes burned with hatred.

    ***

    On the edge of Paju, Gyeonggi-do, beyond the river, one could see the 38th parallel between South and North Korea in the distance. A luxury sedan noisily drove into an abandoned rice field.

    Choi Yu-Seong nodded as he lowered the car window, checking out a fairlyrge wooden building that stood alone on the rice field. He said, "It''s a perfect ce. It''s where I wanted it."

    There wasn¡¯t even a single person walking around here. There were also no buildings or farm areas that could cause harm in case of emergency.

    "It wasn''t easy to find. No matter how far out an area is, if there is no dungeon, most of it is used for farming," said Yu-Ri.

    "Great work."

    Unlike Choi Yu-Seong, who smiled slightly at Jin Yu-Ri''s proud expression, Ye-Ryeong looked strangely tense while sitting right next to Yu-Ri. Noticing her expression, Yu-Seong said softly, "If you''re worried, you can give up now.¡±

    Ye-Ryeong shook her head from side to side. She clenched her fist. Then, as if shaking something off, she sighed deeply and looked right into Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes over her long bangs. She said, "The only thing I''m worried about is my possibility of failure and disappointing the boss, Yu-Ri unnie, and the people around me."

    "I think it''s okay as long as you don''t get hurt even if you fail..." said Yu-Seong.

    "Me, too. Actually, it''s my first time hearing about this particr method. I''m not looking forward to it anyways. Really," said Yu-Ri.

    Smiling at what Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri just said, Ye-Ryeong nodded. She started to cheer with her arms up high. "But I want to do well if I can. As I told the boss the other day, I want to be more supportive to you.¡±

    As always, Chae Ye-Ryeong was confident. She always gave people a reason to feel good, for some reason.

 Chapter 98

    <h4>Chapter 98 </h4>

    "Don''t be too burdened by this. Are you done setting up?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "Of course, I came early in the morning to do everything in advance. The hypnotist will be waiting in the warehouse,¡± said Yu-Ri.

    Choi Yu-Seong nodded before grabbing the closed car door handle. He made a suggestion. "Then, shall we go? Whether it works or not, let¡¯s have a barbeque dinner together with all of Ye-Ryeong''s younger siblings.¡±

    Chae Ye-Ryeong had been reaching out to open her door, but she stopped to look at Yu-Seong.

    "My siblings too?¡±

    Chae Ye-Ryeong had three younger siblings, who were of elementary and middle school age. They were growing up, so they should be eating well. Therefore, Yu-Seong thought that even though Ye-Ryeong''s economic situation was pretty much solved by now, she wouldn¡¯t refuse a dinner invite. However, when he saw her surprised reaction, he asked with slight suspicion, "Are you notfortable for dinner? Then..."

    "No way!" Surprised, Ye-Ryeong shouted and quickly got out of the car. She bowed her head toward Choi Yu-Seong. "I''ll definitely eat well."

    "Great. Let''s go then."

    The three people, including the rxed-looking Ye-Ryeong, started to walk into the wooden warehouse.

    Meanwhile, on a rural road four kilometers away from where Choi Yu-Seong''s car was parked, a man was checking the three people¡¯s movements through binocrs from a van. Watching them, he hit the cell phone¡¯s location transmission button. Then, a message arrived immediately.

    - I''ll be there in 20 minutes. Stand by.

    It was a message from Choi Min-Seok.

    ***

    The inside of the wooden warehouse was as big as it appeared to be from the outside. There was nothing inside, so they quickly found the three people who had been waiting for them. The people inside had been sitting on wooden chairs right next to the ck tent, which concealed from view a long rectangr frame, in the center of the warehouse.

    It was the first time Choi Yu-Seong was seeing the three of them. The first person that caught his eye was a young man in his early- to mid-20s who straightened his back as soon as the group entered the warehouse. The young man quickly said, "Hello. Boss, I''m Kim Doo-Jun. To add to my introduction, I respect Yu-Ri noo-nim."

    The young man was somewhat of a talkative chap. Yu-Seong could easily tell that he was a member of the Hidden Team led by Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny. It was quite curious, however, that Kim Doo-Jun looked older than the two women.

    ¡°If they pretty and strong, then I address them as noo-nim,¡± Doo-Jun said with a smile. It was as if he had read Yu-Seong¡¯s questioning gaze.

    Choi Yu-Seong could roughly understand the situation when he saw Jin Yu-Ri shaking her head as if she thought him pathetic.

    He said with a nod, "Nice to meet you, Doo-Jun, and the rest of you are..."

    "Oh, let me introduce them. First of all, this is Kim Hee-Jin. She''s a D-rank hypnotist. She¡¯s pretty, don¡¯t you think so?¡± said Doo-Jun.

    Kim Hee-Jin, a woman in her mid-30s, looked awkward at Kim Doo-Jun''s introduction. She bowed her head slightly. "I''m Kim Hee-Jin. Nice to meet you."

    A hypnotist had a very important role because she had to inflict a fairly strong mental shock to Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    "Don''t be too nervous, and I look forward to your kind cooperation. I¡¯m Choi Yu-Seong," said Yu-Seong. He smiled and asked for a handshake with the hypnotist Kim Hee-Jin, who seemed to be somewhat shy. It was a kind gesture on his part to ease the tension, even just by a little bit.

    "And this is Hwang Ki-Chul. He¡¯s a B-rank hunter who has a Mana-Blocking skill. We had a bit of a struggle bringing him in. For your information, he doesn''t talk much."

    "...I''m Hwang Ki-Chul." Hwang Ki-Chul reached out with his hand, looking somewhat tired of Kim Doo-Jun''s chatter. He was, in a sense, the most important safety guard in this Re-Awakening work.

    The two requirements for the original novel¡¯s Re-Awakening were rather intense trauma and exposure to unleashed mana. This process carried rtively high risk, as Jin Yu-Ri predicted.

    <i>''If shepletes the Re-Awakening safely, she may have stronger power than ordinary yers from the start. But¡­¡¯</i>

    If Chae Ye-Ryeong was stimted incorrectly during the Re-Awakening, the mana that resonated between Chae Ye-Ryeong and mana stone would be triggered to try to agglomerate. That would end in a violent collision as a result. It was very easy to exin what would happen because of this.

    <i>¡®Boom and bang¡­.¡¯</i>

    In other words, like a mana bomb exploding in front of their eyes, it would be an explosion of mana. The predicted range could actually blow the entire wooden warehouse away. If they were caught up, everyone here would be wiped out.

    Maybe Jin Yu-Ri, who was an A-rank hunter, could lead and avoid sustaining injuries for herself and Choi Yu-Seong upon seeing the signs of an explosion.

    However, there was no such intention at all. If the mana explosion urred, Ye-Ryeong would certainly die, since she would be the source of the explosion. No matter how important his life was, Yu-Seong did not want to run away and leave Ye-Ryeong alone. Even though she was aware of the danger, he was the one who had challenged her to Re-Awaken. Therefore, Yu-Seong hired Hwang Ki-Chul, who had the Mana-Blocking specialized skill, as a type of protective measure.

    Just as its name suggested, the Mana-Blocking skill was the ability to seal mana released to the outside. In a way, it was an ability that could be considered a well-matched skill for the Psychic type hunters, but the mana blockade itself required such high concentration that the yer could not move a single step during the skill exercise. Needless to say, the skill was not that useful in practice.

    <i>¡®In the beginning, it was said that it could be good to take on one of those attackers with such skills when fighting the dungeon¡¯s boss monster, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Those who could not move a single step, in exchange for tying up the mana released externally, were likely to die an instant death from the boss monster¡¯s attack. Above all, the boss monster did not weaken just because its externally released mana was bound.

    <i>¡®If one skill is blocked, it could use another.¡¯</i>

    Thus, it was a somewhat neglected ability. When controlling situations such as mana explosions, no one would be as safe and well-prepared as yers with the Mana-Blocking skill. Therefore, Hwang Ki-Chul''s presence was, above all, a reliable and safe insurance.

    "I''m Choi Yu-Seong. Even if I don''t say anything, don¡¯t hesitate to block the mana once you judge the situation to be bad,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Yes, sir," said Hwang Ki-Chu.

    Ki-Chul would also die if there was a mana explosion. Therefore, Yu-Seong believed that he would take the initiative to do his best even without his reminder.

    After introducing himself to Kim Doo-Jun from the Hidden Team and the two Re-Awakening assistants, Yu-Seong then looked at the two women behind him. He then introduced them, saying, "This is Jin Yu-Ri, who will prevent any possible threats, and this is Chae Ye-Ryeong, the person for this Re-Awakening. I look forward to your kind cooperation, everyone."

    "I''m Jin Yu-Ri."

    "I look forward to your kind cooperation. I¡¯m Chae Ye-Ryeong."

    "You are much smaller than I thought¡­ and you look young. May I ask how old you are?¡± Kim Hee-Jin asked with a surprised look after seeing Ye-Ryeong.

    The person she had to carry out some shocking hypnosis on was a girl who appeared to be very young.

    "I''m 20 years old now. But sometimes, people judge me to be younger,¡± answered Ye-Ryeong. In fact, she was treated younger than her age by almost everyone, but she usually showed it off as a good thing in such situations.

    "I¡¯m not sure if you will be able to endure..." Kim Hee-Jin, on the other hand, looked worried for Ye-Ryeong. It was an understandable feeling.

    "Small doesn''t necessarily mean weak," said Ye-Ryeong. She ignored the concern and looked at the rectangr frame covered up in the ck tent. She then said, "That''s it, right, boss?"

    "That''s right. Chae Ye-Ryeong, you¡¯ll go in there."

    "Let¡¯s get the tent off right away. For your information, it''s quite beautiful," said Kim Doo-Jun. He quickly ran to lift the tent, as if he had been waiting for those very words.

    At first nce, it was like a small room made of ss filled with rather colorful light. The only unique thing was that the center of the room had a chair. However, slightly looking up at the ceiling, one would change their mind. Despite the absence of any lighting, the orange and yellow source filling the ss room was pouring down like an aurora, emitting a mysterious light.

    "Wow..." Kim Hee-Jin unconsciously expressed a gasp of admiration.

    "Hmm..." Even Hwang Ki-Chul, who was mostly speechless, sighed in response.

    The two of them had followed Kim Doo-Jun even after knowing what they would be doing, but they had never actually seen the ss room without the tent.

    "That''s all mana stone, right?¡± asked Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    "Yes," answered Yu-Seong.

    "And I have to go in there and sit in that chair."

    "That''s right." Choi Yu-Seong nodded.

    As mentioned, the two requirements of Re-Awakening were the intense trauma and mana exposure. The reason why fifty-five mana stones filled the ss room, which was a pretty narrow space, was to make sure that the mana exposure was clearly pushed to the maximum.

    ¡°If I fail, will all those mana stones be wasted?¡±

    "Yes. To be exact, whether you seed or fail, that will soon be just an ordinary rock." Choi Yu-Seong nodded and answered Ye-Ryeong¡¯s question honestly without hesitation.

    Ye-Ryeong turned somewhat pale after roughly calcting the price of the mana stones in her head.

    In fact, Choi Yu-Seong thought that if she seeded in Re-Awakening, the mana stones worth almost 20 billion won would not be a waste at all. This was because, considering the best possible result, Chae Ye-Ryeong''s body would ept most of the mana as she finished Re-Awakening. In such a case, the money spent would not be a waste at all.

    Secondly, Yu-Seong also thought about the what could happen if they were unlucky. In the process of resonating with each other''s mana, the mana stone¡¯s energy may be scattered into nature without being absorbed. In this case, the Re-Awakening failed.

    Either way, mana would disappear, so the mana stones would be no different from an ordinary stone.

    <i>''But it''s okay up until this point.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong could simply get new mana stones when he needed them. Rather, the problem was the mental trauma that Chae Ye-Ryeong could receive due to hypnosis. But, this could be clearly alleviated through treatment.

    The worst-case scenario came down to one thing¡ªmana explosion caused by a variable. Of course, there was Hwang Ki-Chul here, so even that was not a big problem after all. There was no need to doubt the fact that the B-rank¡¯s Mana-Blocking skill wouldpletely prevent mana explosion to a certain extent.

    <i>¡®Since the ability itself is quite strong, the penalty is proportionately big.¡¯</i>

    No wonder it could even stop the boss monster¡¯s powerful skill. However, Yu-Seong was worried that Ye-Ryeong could be injured, since she would be the source of the mana explosion in this case. Even if he prevented a mana explosion, it would still be the worst case for her to suffer from hypnosis or have physical damage from being the source.

 Chapter 99

    <h4>Chapter 99 </h4>

    <i>¡®At least no one would die.¡¯</i>

    No one would be crippled, and there wouldn¡¯t be any major problems either. As this was a high-risk job, Choi Yu-Seong had put in much thought, and now, he was fully prepared for all possibilities.

    "...Shouldn''t I be treating you to barbeque, boss?" asked Chae Ye-Ryeong. Unlike Choi Yu-Seong, who felt somewhat relieved, she looked at the mana stones on the ss room¡¯s ceiling nervously.

    Yu-Seong smiled gently at Ye-Ryeong. ¡°You know that I have a lot of money, right? So don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Of course, Choi Yu-Seong was not rich enough to put on a disy of mana stones like this as much as, and as often as, he wanted since it consumed nearly 20 billion won each time. But at this moment, he thought it wouldn''t be bad to bluff a little.

    "And anyway, you are the one who is taking the biggest risk. So really, don''t worry about money."

    "But still, I want to treat you to barbeque."

    Choi Yu-Seong turned and made eye contact with Chae Ye-Ryeong. She looked very gentle, but she was surprisingly stubborn. In the end, Yu-Seong shrugged as if he had lost. "Alright then, do as you please."

    "Thank you. Then... shall we go in immediately?" Ye-Ryeong asked.

    ¡°It''s not urgent, so you can take your time," Yu-Seong answered.

    "Taking more time doesn''t change anything, does it?" With that rather astute remark, Ye-Ryeong exhaled again and looked at Kim Hee-Jin. "Hypnotist unnie, don''t go easy on me. I can bear it! I know I can count on you.¡±

    "Oh, okay!"

    Chae Ye-Ryeong then took as wide a step as she could with her short legs and approached the ss room. She grabbed the small handle, then entered without hesitation.

    "Then, let''s get started,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    At Choi Yu-Seong''s words, Kim Doo-Jun quickly moved a chair across the ss wall so Yu-Seong could sit and face her.

    Kim Hee-Jin took a short but deep breath, sat on a chair, and looked at the calm-looking Ye-Ryeong. Then, she reached out with one hand to generate blue energy. The energy soon fell under her palm and formed a watch with a thin line.

    "Okay then, I''ll start. The hypnosis I''m going to show you is..."

    For a moment, Kim Hee-Jin looked at Choi Yu-Seong. He had already requested what he wanted Ye-Ryeong to be shown.

    <i>''An illusion of being pushed by someone and sinking into the deep sea.''?</i>

    Last night, Choi Yu-Seong confirmed through his notes on his cell phone on what could be inferred about Chae Ye-Ryeong''s Re-Awakening in the original novel.

    <i>¡®The Sorceress of the Flood¡­was kidnapped by gangsters and dumped off the coast of Incheon after all her younger siblings died.¡¯?</i>

    Such an ordinary girl, who was the head of the household to her younger siblings, became a witch who threatened the world by Re-Awakening in the fear of dying and the sadness of losing everything. It was described in a short sentence, but it was still a very sad story.

    At that time, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t think about it seriously, since it wasn¡¯t reality but the setting of the novel¡¯s viin. However, it was different now.

    <i>¡®Chae Ye-Ryeong is a living person.¡¯?</i>

    Moreover, she was not a viin either. She was an innocent, confident, and generous young woman. Even if it wasn¡¯t real, it still felt harsh to have her experience something not only sad, but something that was exactly the same as what the Sorceress of the Flood had experienced. That was why Yu-Seong could not ask for the hypnosis to be exactly the same content as the original novel.

    <i>¡®If it''s about losing everyone around her¡­¡¯</i>

    Even Choi Yu-Seong himself wouldn¡¯t want to go through it, be it a false experience through hypnosis or not.

    <i>''Even if Re-Awakening happens, it would be very painful to have such terrible memories.¡¯</i>

    So even if his consideration led to failure, Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t regret it.

    Choi Yu-Seong nodded. He looked calm and firm like Chae Ye-Ryeong. Kim Hee-Jin''s watch, which was waiting for the signal, began to move side to side like a pendulum. And ording to n, Chae Ye-Ryeong closed her eyes.

    ***

    Two more cars arrived on the bumpy country road. One was the luxury sedan that Choi Min-Seok had been in, and the other was a sports sedan that made a rather loud exhaust sound. Choi Min-Seok arrived first, and his arrival was reported by the watchers. He frowned when he saw the sports sedan that arrived a littleter.

    <i>¡®You crazy guys, what if those over there hear the sound and react?¡¯</i>

    As if they didn¡¯t care about his thoughts, a man and woman got out of the car. Their music yed loud enough to echo all across the surroundings.

    "Are you Choi Min-Seok?"

    The person speaking to Choi Min-Seok was in his mid-40s, with a fairly small stature for a man, an impressively long ponytail, and scars on his cheeks.

    "Yeah, I am Choi Min-Seok," said Min-Seok.

    "See, I told you he¡¯s the employer.¡±

    The man nodded slightly, as if the confirmation process was over, and hugged the waist of the woman in her early 30s who came near him. She also had long pink-dyed hair that came down to her hips and wore pink sunsses so impressive that she looked like she would stand out wherever she went.

    "I didn''t recognize him because he looked more like a toad in person than I saw in the picture."

    "My love, he¡¯s still our employer, so you should watch your words.¡±

    "Well, as long as he gives us the right money, it doesn''t matter what he looks like, right? Haha.¡±

    Choi Min-Seok tried to hold back a curse as he listened to the couple¡¯s conversation. His face was heavily distorted.

    <i>¡®What kind of guys are they?¡¯</i>

    He had already experienced the grumpiness of the ck mercenaries and viins a few times, but these two seemed to be worse. Their behavior of cursing him right to his face was also ridiculous, angering him.

    <i>¡®I want nothing more than to kill them, but¡­¡¯</i>

    There were viinous A-rank ck mercenaries. Choi Min-Seok had nothing to gain from offending them, especially when he only had a few D-rank hunters beside him.

    "Good, I¡¯m d you came. What''s your name?¡± Choi Min-Seok asked.

    "You¡¯re curious about that? Isn¡¯t it the ability that is important?" the woman tilted her head as she responded.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m asking so I can remember it and kill youter, you crazy bi¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok suppressed his true feelings and smiled clumsily. "Yeah, that¡¯s why I¡¯m asking. I need to know your name in order to know your skills.¡±

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t seem strong enough to know just by looking at us, I guess we¡¯ll just have to introduce ourselves. I¡¯m Geom-Gui, and this beauty is¡­¡±

    "I¡¯m Medusa,¡± said the woman with a smile.

    Medusa''s long hair instantly soared high in the sky. Her pink hair turned dark ck, and the ends of her hair began to wriggle in the shape of a snake.

    <i>¡®Kyah-!¡¯</i>

    As soon as the snake opened its mouth and hissed, Choi Min-Seok and the chasers'' expressions quickly turned to shock when they saw the poison beading on the sharp fangs. It was the first time Min-Seok saw their faces, but he knew exactly who the two were. Obviously, the two didn¡¯t use their real names to introduce themselves either.

    <i>¡®The viins, Geom-Gui and Medusa!¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok screamed inside.

    <i>''Oh, my God, they really are crazy bastards.¡¯?</i>

    Min-Seok finally saw the two swords on Geom-Gui¡¯s waist. If it were as seen in the news, one would be an ordinary sword that was good for stabbing people, and the other would be in the form of a saw de that tore through a person''s flesh.

    Geom-Gui was a viin who wore a horned mask resembling a demon and whenever someone was unfortunate enough to be attacked with his second sword, then no matter how much pain they were in or how much they wailed, he never let them die easily.

    <i>''The psycho killer who tears and rips the person for a prolonged period of time.''?</i>

    Therefore, Geom-Gui¡¯s victims were often torn into pieces as if they were eaten by animals. The only part he didn''t touch was the victim¡¯s face, and he previously said that the reason was that he preferred seeing their suffering.

    Medusa was a woman no less mad than Geom-Gui. She specialized in the ability to turn her hair into a venomous snake. The snakes¡¯ venom was so powerful that even a single bite could killrge animals such as elephants and hippos. It was known that even A-rank hunters could die within 30 minutes. As such, Medusa''s ability itself was scary and creepy, but the scariest rumor was something different¡­

    "There''s a rumor that she eats human flesh¡­." One of the chasers looked at Medusa and said with a pale face.

    Medusa smiled at him as she stroked a hair snake that had gently winded around her neck.

    "It''s not that I like it, but my babies enjoy it quite a lot. It''s not bad. My hair feels even better than getting a lot of treatment done." She responded to hisment.

    The chaser trembled when he made eye contact with Medusa.

    Nevertheless, Choi Min-Seok became aware of their ability after the viins revealed their names.

    <i>¡®Both of them have been working as viins for a year, but they have not been caught by the Special Police Force.¡¯</i>

    Korea was said to be quite a safe country as the average period of activity for new viins in Korea was about two months. This was because the Special Police Force, which only had a small number of people but excellent skills, persistently followed and arrested or killed most of the viins. The fact that these two viins had survived for nearly a year alone proved their abilities.

    <i>''These crazy guys wouldn¡¯t have any guilt in dealing with things.¡¯?</i>

    That was a rather good thing.

    "Picture!" shouted Choi Min-Seok. He extended his hand to the chasers who had arrived first.

    Geom-Gui checked the picture and tilted his head. He asked, "They''re kids. Well, isn''t this handsome guy quite a celebrity?"

    "Handsome? Let me see," said Medusa. She saw the picture together with Geom-Gui, who was next to her. She smiled and pped. "Oh, he''s Choi Yu-Seong!"

    "Right? The ninth child of the Comet Group," said Geom-Gui.

    "Yes. Come to think of it, our ugly employer''s name is..."

    "Does that matter?¡± Choi Min-Seok shouted sharply to the two who were looking down at the picture.

    "Um, well, it doesn''t matter as long as you pay us. But it¡¯s a bigger case than I thought since it¡¯s the Comet Group¡¯s family fight,¡± said Geom-Gui.

    "Hey, ugly employer! I think we''ll have to stay abroad for a while after this. Doesn''t it seem like 5 billion won is not enough?¡± asked Medusa.

    "What?" asked Min-Seok. The corners of his lips began to tremble.

    "The risk is too high. You¡¯ll have to add 2 billion won each. Or we''ll be out,¡± Geom-Gui said with a shrug.

    "You crazy¡­!"

    Naturally, Choi Min-Seok started to curse and swear. If 2 billion won per two were added to the original amount he had promised, the amount per person would be 7 billion won. If he spent about 3 billion more, he would be able to hire low-level S-rank mercenaries. Moreover, thebined cost of the two would be 14 billion won.

    <i>¡®Does this make sense?¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok wanted to argue aboutmon sense, but these two were viins who were called the ck Mercenary.

 Chapter 100

    <h4>Chapter 100 </h4>

    "That¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go, my love. There''s no reason for us to risk any danger..."

    "Wait!" Choi Min-Seok gritted his teeth and raised his voice at the two people who were turning to return to the car without hesitation. "I''m not asking you to do anything to Choi Yu-Seong."

    From the very beginning, Min-Seok had no intention of touching Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®I¡¯d be happy if I could do that, but if Choi Yu-Seong dies right after Byung-Chan hyung-nim, the whole family will flip out.¡¯?</i>

    It would be a big incident that would anger Choi Woo-Jae, who would then be determined to find the answer and easily discover where Choi Min-Seok had used his secret funds.

    Just like it had been previously discussed with Choi In-Young, Min-Seok¡¯s goal was to reduce Woo-Jae¡¯s favorable interest toward Yu-Seong. As a matter of fact, when he first arrived here and saw the picture, he hade up with a decent idea.

    "There are two women in the picture. Check it out."

    "Women?"

    As Geom-Gui asked, the two viins looked back at the picture.

    "You just have to kill the shorter one,¡± said Choi Min-Seok with his eyes shining.

    "She looks like a student. What grudge would you have against her?"

    ¡°Since when did you care about reasons when murdering?¡±mented Min-Seok.

    "I wondered what''s different about being born lucky, but your thoughts are no different from mine,¡± Geom-Gui revealed a strange smile.

    Min-Seok had a simple reason for targeting Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    Unlike Jin Yu-Ri, Ye-Ryeong was not a hunter but an ordinary yer. In addition, there was also information that Choi Yu-Seong had hired her somewhat urgently not too long ago. This certainly raised suspicions.

    <i>¡®He brought an ordinary E-rank yer into his house, employed her, and suddenly dragged her to a quiet ce like this?¡¯</i>

    Min-Seok could already think of many malicious things he would do in that situation.

    <i>¡®Yeah, I wondered how a troublemaker like you endured it until now!¡¯</i>

    It would be a good excuse to ruin Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s reputation, especially since Choi Woo-Jae favored him so much these days.

    "Are you going to do it or not?¡± asked Min-Seok.

    Just as Medusa was about to nod at Min-Seok¡¯s urging¡­

    "But it has to be 7 billion won. After all, we <i>are</i> interfering with the Comet Group. We have to get paid for the extra risk we have to take,¡± Geom-Gui said as he stepped forward.

    <i>¡®Damn it¡­¡¯</i>

    At first, Min-Seok thought Medusa, who dealt with snakes, was more cunning, but he could now tell that Geom-Gui was the truly cunning one. It was clear from the look in Geom-Gui¡¯s eyes that he had already epted the request but it seemed like he had no intention of epting the request for just 5 billion won. He knew very well who the desperate one was in this scenario.

    Choi Min-Seok became impatient.

    <i>¡®If I miss this opportunity, I don''t know when I''ll get another.¡¯?</i>

    Eventually, Min-Seok closed his eyes tightly and nodded. "...6 billion."

    "I should just head on home.¡±

    "Damn, okay okay! 7 billion!"

    "So, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s the only one I have to keep alive, right?" said Geom-Gui with a huge grin.

    "What?" asked Min-Seok.

    "There could possibly be more people, right? It''s not our cup of tea to choose and kill only one,¡± Medusa said with a cool smile.

    Choi Min-Seok, who looked worried for a while, nodded. He said, "That would be even better.¡±

    Every single death would be another ck mark against Choi Yu-Seong.

    ***

    While making eye contact with Chae Ye-Ryeong, Kim Hee-Jin slowly swung the superwatch, which was made by a skill, for a long time. Then, she suddenly stopped her movement with a surprised look. She looked straight at Choi Yu-Seong who was standing in the back and said, ¡°The hypnosis has worn off."

    Nevertheless, Chae Ye-Ryeong was staring into the distance with a pretty nk expression. She still looked hypnotized. What could have changed?

    Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s intuition quickly picked up on something when he looked at Ye-Ryeong, who had stopped struggling. She no longer looked like she was suffering while being hypnotized.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯</i>

    Around that time, a gushing sound rang out, and the mana stones¡¯ mana rained down from the ceiling and onto Chae Ye-Ryeong. This was the start of the next step¡ªthe mana transition.

    <i>¡®The really important part starts from now.¡¯</i>

    This was the most sensitive period. If something were incorrectly touched, a mana explosion would ur.

    "What''s going on?" asked Kim Doo-Jun. He looked at the unexpected turn of events in surprise. His surprise was understandable since, besides Jin Yu-Ri and Chae Ye-Ryeong, no one else here had heard Yu-Seong¡¯s exnation of the Re-Awakening.

    "We''ll talk about the detailster. Ms. Kim Hee-Jin, since there¡¯s nothing for you to do now, you can go ahead and leave. Thank you.¡±

    "Ah¡­?" Kim Hee-Jin looked at Chae Ye-Ryeong''s change with a somewhat surprised look. She looked around before getting up from her seat with a nod. She didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened, but she knew that Choi Yu-Seong was a chaebol family¡¯s son and that nothing good coulde about from knowing a chaebol family¡¯s secrets.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave now¡­¡±

    When Kim Hee-Jin began making moves to leave, Kim Doo-Jun looked over at Choi Yu-Seong.

    Choi Yu-Seong nodded at him.

    Doo-Jun said, "I''ll take you home."

    After getting permission, Kim Doo-Jun quickly led Kim Hee-Jin out.

    Despite the conversation happening next to him, Hwang Ki-Chul continued to quietly focus on the flow of mana inside the ss room. If the situation took a turn for the worse, he had to immediately activate his Mana-Blocking skill.

    A brief period of silence went by.

    "Ahhhhhhh-!" Kim Hee-Jin suddenly screamed after heading outside, shattering the surrounding silence.

    Everyone turned their heads in surprise, but Jin Yu-Ri was one step ahead of them. She immediately opened the warehouse door and ran outside. Then, looking toward where the scream hade from, she frowned.

    On a deste rice field less than 500m away, Kim Doo-Jun was dead with dozens of snakes burrowing into his back. It was clear that he had died a miserable death. Kim Hee-Jin, who had screamed in terror earlier, had all her limbs torn off, and her face was frozen in pain and fear.

    "What the..." Jin Yu-Ri cursed upon looking at the terrible scene. She turned to look at the attacking woman, who wore a mask with dozens of snakes drawn on a white background. Looking at the woman¡¯s hair, which had be ck snakes, Yu-Ri could easily guess who she was. She called out, "Viin Medusa. Are you the one who killed both of them?¡±

    "Maybe, <i>huehue</i>," said Medusa with a light shrug.

    In case of an emergency, Geom-Gui was hiding nearby, but there was no reason for Medusa to reveal that fact. At the same time, Medusa''s hair snakes lengthened and shot toward Jin Yu-Ri.

    Yu-Ri stretched her arm out. Her quick action brought about a thick, ck shroud. She obscured the vision of Medusa¡¯s snakes, which rose higher into the air upon making contact with the ck shroud.

    The snakes had lethal venom, but individually, they didn¡¯t have much strength. Therefore, it was unsurprising that they couldn¡¯t prate the magic shroud created by hunters of the same rank, A-rank, like Jin Yu-Ri.

    However, Medusa had two main thoughts.

    <i>¡®Why did she block the view?¡¯?</i>

    Medusa also wondered what Jin Yu-Ri''s ability could be.

    Even before the first question was answered, a long sharp sword stretched out from Yu-Ri¡¯s hand, swinging out from below the ck shroud. She cut off hundreds of snakes, which all fell to the ground.

    At that moment, Jin Yu-Ri stepped back and widened the distance. She looked at the bisected snakes, which touched the ground and became fluttering strands of hair again.

    <i>¡®Does it lose power after getting cut? Or is it a trap?¡¯</i>

    During a fight between the same rank, even simr talents, the most important thing was to clearly grasp the opponent''s ability. Generally, A-rank hunters had at least 15 skills. Among those skills, most of them had Physical Strength, Stamina, and Vision Reinforcement, so it was safe to guess that slightly more than 10 skills would be used inbat.

    <i>¡®If she is a psychic type hunter, she is more likely to have mana-enhancing skills.¡¯</i>

    In other words, besides the one or two main skills, all the other skills could be guessed and appropriate preparations should be made to counter them. Therefore, even though Jin Yu-Ri took the opportunity to attack, she was quick to take a step back so she could try to figure out Medusa''s ability.

    "You are pretty strong, but you get frightened easily.¡±

    "I¡¯m just being cautious," snorted Yu-Ri.

    Medusa''s eyes shed when she looked at Jin Yu-Ri.

    <i>¡®The skill is ck in color and she is a psychic type yer like me. It¡¯s possible that she has the same Shapeshift skills as me¡­but I don¡¯t see a medium.¡¯</i>

    Soon, Medusa widened her eyes upon remembering something.

    <i>¡®No way¡­! Does she have a Phenomenal skill?¡¯?</i>

    There were various and diverse skills that hunters dealt with. In general, if it was divided intorge categories such as Physical type and Psychic type, as indicated in the system interface, it could also be divided into even more detailed and distinct subcategories.

    Typically, the Psychic type was divided into five types, not to mention the mostmon Projection skill. Everything with the ability to shoot something in connection with a particr movement was called Projection skill, such as shooting fire, shooting ice, or blowing wind. Thus, arge number of subcategories was necessary.

    The next skill type with arge number of subcategories was the Shapeshift skill, like Medusa¡¯s. These Shapeshift skills had several characteristics that differ from the Projection skill. For one, mana that was expressed after the activation of the first skill would mostly be dark-toned. This was the reason why Medusa''s hair would change from pink to ck.

    Second, as it was called a Shapeshift skill, there was a condition that a shape-altering medium had to exist. For example, Medusa¡¯s hair would be a medium. Fingers would also be a possibility. Even if it was not a body part, it could be any tool such as chopsticks or spoons.

    Those skills could rarely be used by physical type yers. These included people such as Jin Do-Yoon, who was ssified as a werewolf.

    The types that followed such a skill were the Restoration skill and the Support skill. In the case of the Restoration skill, it could be said that almost 99 percent of them werebat assistants rather than direct attackers. On the other hand, in the case of Support skill, the people often belonged to directbat forces ording to the skill utilization method, in addition to the role of simplebat assistance.

    Last but not least, the final skill type that existed with the least number of subcategories was the Phenomenal skill. The biggest feature and disadvantage of Phenomenal skill was¡­ In some ways, it seemed to be a top-level skill of the Shapeshift skill. It was somewhat general-purposepared to the other types, and it was apanied by intense mana consumption every time it was used, so as to produce more power. Therefore, the psychic yers who had Phenomenal skill did not like to prolong the battle.

    "You use Phenomenal skills,¡± said Medusa with a knowing smile before shooting a snake toward Yu-Ri.

    "Maybe?"

    And once again, the ck shroud unfolded.

 Chapter 101

    <h4>Chapter 101 </h4>

    "From the bottom again?¡±

    Since Medusa had correctly guessed her skill type and didn¡¯t let here near, Jin Yu-Ri tried to approach and close the distance as soon as possible. She tried to agitate Medusa.

    Medusa''s snakes swung like a whip and shot into the ck shroud with wide-open jaws. However, there was no prey for them to swallow.

    <i>¡®What?¡¯</i>

    Medusa frowned, feeling momentarily surprised. As her hair snakes got into the ck shroud, Jin Yu-Ri''s figure started to blur. In fact, most of Medusa''s guesses were correct.

    Jin Yu-Ri''s Psychic type special skill was Selection Implementation, a Phenomenal skill that could create several items she had chosen with mana at any time. Therefore, every single usage of the skill would have high mana consumption.

    However, Jin Yu-Ri grew up by Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s side from a young age and had enjoyed unexpected luxury while protecting him.

    For example, she drank the mana extracts given to her by Choi Woo-Jae for a while after bing a yer. The reason for that was simple: to better protect Choi Yu-Seong. Therefore, she had more, no, considerably more mana than a typical hunter using Phenomenal skill. In other words, she could expand several skills at the same time.

    <i>¡®Take the shroud down, camouge, and elerate simultaneously.''</i>

    In just three seconds, camouge¡ªa skill that assimted with the surroundingndscape and allowed her to basically turn invisible¡ªwas activated. In addition, Jin Yu-Ri even used eleration to shoot at Medusa, who looked around to find her.

    There was the slight sound of tearing wind. Even though she was confident in winning since had predicted Yu-Ri¡¯s type, Medusa wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the iing surprise.

    "Thanks for the hair show Medusa, but I guess you''re not as good as your reputation, huh?" Jin Yu-Ri''s voice caused a chill to go down Medusa¡¯s back and pierced her ears.

    Medusa gasped and tried to call back her stretched-out hair, but the ck dagger in Jin Yu-Ri''s hand was faster. But at that moment, another dagger suddenly shot out of nowhere to strike Jin Yu-Ri''s hand.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s another one?¡¯?</i>

    It was an unexpected situation; Yu-Ri had to choose between giving her hand up and cutting Medusa¡¯s throat or wait for another chance. She clenched her teeth in frustration. However, this was a battle and there was no time to ponder.

    <i>¡®One is better than none.¡¯</i>

    The flying dagger was deeply embedded into Yu-Ri¡¯s hand and blood sttered. She shook slightly, but her own dagger drew a long scar on Medusa.

    "Stop. If you continue shing with that dagger, you won¡¯t die afortable death.¡±

    Before Jin Yu-Ri knew it, a saw-like long sword came right next to her and parked itself there. Then, a short time went by.

    <i>¡®If I was a little slow¡­¡¯?</i>

    Or if the opponent had been just a little slower, either Jin Yu-Ri or Medusa would have died. No one could guarantee which one of them would be dead.

    Feeling a cold sweat on her forehead, Jin Yu-Ri eventually leaned her head back. She had no choice but to retreat quickly. She avoided an attack by Medusa, whose hair had turned into snakes again and were biting at where Yu-Ri¡¯s head had been. It snapped at empty air.

    "You¡¯re pretty fast. It''ll be fun to y.¡±

    A chilly voice rang out right next to Jin Yu-Ri.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s fast.¡¯</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri even used the eleration skill to step back but the opponent still caught up. If the opponent was a Psychic type yer, there was a high probability that he had the same eleration skill. If he was a Physical type yer, he was just incredibly fast.

    <i>¡®I''d rather prefer the former in this situation.¡¯</i>

    Feeling the terrible pain of the attacks, it seemed to be thetter.

    "Tsk¡­!"

    Dripping blood, Jin Yu-Ri activated her eleration skills several times in a row to widen the distance between her and her opponent. It was a burdensome move that consumed quite a lot of mana due to her Phenomenal skills, but she had no choice.

    Psychic type hunters were generally disadvantageous when fighting Physical type hunters with little distance between them. Thus, it was necessary for Yu-Ri to widen the distance somehow.

    The opponent did not react ording to Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s n. It was like he had expected such a move. He stopped and licked the blood flowing through the saw-edged sword with his tongue. He then revealed a cool smile.

    <i>¡®The demon mask¡­Geom-Gui!¡¯</i>

    The viins were Medusa and Geom-Gui. Jin Yu-Ri silently groaned when she recognized both of them.

    <i>¡®This time, we are up against these troublesome guys. Why did they follow us here?¡¯?</i>

    Several questions came to mind, but Yu-Ri couldn''t afford to find the answer. To her, Medusa was a moderate opponent, and Geom-Gui was an unexpectedly strong opponent. In this situation, she couldn''t afford to think about anything else.

    "Get out of my way! She''s mine!" Medusa stepped right next to Geom-Gui and shouted angrily.

    "Calm down, my love. The more excited you get when you fight, the worse the oue.¡± Geom-Gui, who carefully soothed Medusa, never stopped looking at Yu-Ri. He wasn¡¯t going to reveal any blind spots to Yu-Ri.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a pro.¡¯</i>

    At least among the A-rank yers Yu-Ri knew, Geom-Gui was strong and had an excellent fighting sense.

    "It''s just that I was off-guard earlier. I''ll do it properly now, so leave her to me," said Medusa.

    "Hm..." Geom-Gui hummed somewhat worriedly.

    "You sure you don¡¯t want to fight me together?¡± Jin Yu-Ri smiled at Geom-Gu as she beckoned with her finger. Her thigh hurt and was a burden, but she needed to seem rxed. She was also trying to get Medusa, who was excited easily, to lose herposure.

    "I''ll kill you!" shouted Medusa.

    Jin Yu-Ri''s idea clearly worked. Medusa''s hair shot straight at her, and she once again formed a ck shroud to prevent the snakes from attacking.

    <i>¡®And Geom-Gui is¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri could at least predict Geom-Gui¡¯s movements. He would probably run forward with the snakes, cut through the ck shroud at once, and continue the joint attack. Could she defend herself? To be honest, she suffered a thigh injury, and now that her ability had been revealed to some extent, she was not confident that she wouldst long against the two. However, there was still some hope.

    <i>¡®...Hope she¡¯s not toote¡­¡¯</i>

    And, as expected, Geom-Gui¡¯s sword cut Yu-Ri¡¯s ck shroud just as hundreds of Medusa¡¯s snakes striked all at once.

    Jin Yu-Ri created a whip to hold in her left hand and a sword in her right, wielding them at the same time. The whip danced to block Geom-Gui¡¯s attack while the sword cut off the heads of the approaching snakes. Moving quickly to continue widening the distance between her and her opponents, Yu-Ri kept in constant motion. She gradually forgot the pain in her thighs.

    When her sweat flowed down her forehead, dripping from the end of her eyebrows, Jin Yu-Ri heard a gunshot. Her sense of hope surged at that moment.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    At the same time, Geom-gi, who was chasing Jin Yu-Ri, quickly turned to the side and brought his sword down vertically. The bullet split in half as it fell to the ground.

    The rumbling sound of a motorcycle could be heard in the fields.

    ¡°Finally, the numbers match.¡± Jin Yu-Ri breathed a sigh of relief.

    With her blonde hair tied into a ponytail, Jenny appeared on a motorcycle, holding a rifle in her hands. She quickly tossed it aside to pull out two handguns from around her waist. She pulled the trigger recklessly.

    <i>Tadadadang-!</i>

    Geom-Gui blocked the bullets by continuously swinging his long sword, then turned toward Medusa.

    Unlike before when she had been agitated over being caught off-guard, Medusa seemed to have calmed down. She said, "Go. I told you, she''s my prey."

    Geom-Gui nodded and rushed toward Jenny, just like Jin Yu-Ri had hoped for.

    <i>''That¡¯s because Medusa and Jenny are notpatible opponents.¡¯?</i>

    Having caught a break, Yu-Ri stopped backing up. She said while catching her breath, "What should you do now that your bodyguard is gone?¡±

    "Huh, how long do you think a foolish mercenary who only shoots guns can stand against my honey?¡± Medusa scoffed.

    "What? A mercenary who knows nothing but shooting?" Jin Yu-Ri snorted in response.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s better for us if that¡¯s what you think.¡¯</i>

    Idiots who didn¡¯t know Jenny¡¯s skill would say such things, since she carried a gun that wouldn¡¯t work on monsters. Yu-Ri acknowledged that Geom-Gui was a strong opponent, but he would not be a problem for Jenny.

    <i>¡®Rather, she¡¯ll be a problem for him.¡¯?</i>

    That was how the two-versus-two fight began.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong looked back again and again. He trembled at the screams, the uproar, and the subsequent gunfireing from the outside. Even though Jin Yu-Ri was out there, the situation hadn¡¯t been resolved and the battle continued. Even Jenny seemed to be there since he could hear the gunfire.

    <i>¡®In this situation, I would be a burden if I go out since I¡¯m just a D-rank hunter.¡¯</i>

    If things were being dragged out when there were two A-rank hunters, then it was safe to say that the battles were evenly matched. If Yu-Seong stepped up and became a burden, it could be a problem. Above all, in a very unexpected situation, his job was to protect Chae Ye-Ryeong from surrounding dangers so nothing would happen to her.

    <i>¡®But who the hell is it? Why at a time like this?¡¯</i>

    He had assumed it would be difficult for his sibling to keep him in check for a while because of the incident with Choi Byung-Chan and Bomber and so, he was having a hard time figuring otu who was behind this.

    <i>¡®Choi Byung-Chan is dead. At this point, if Father knows that the family fight has spread significantly, he won''t stand still...''?</i>

    Was there an idiot in the family who couldn¡¯t even think of that? As a reader whopleted the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong thought of two such characters.

    <i>¡®Me or...would it be Choi Min-Seok?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to shake his head, but it felt strange. Recently, South Korea was in turmoil because of the Comet Group¡¯s guild business. At this point, it was difficult for other guilds orpanies to keep Choi Yu-Seong in check.

    <i>¡®Or is it just a viin''s attack?¡¯?</i>

    Logically, Yu-Seong felt that this was probably the likeliest answer. It was rather understandable if the viins, who were after the Comet Group''s money, hade to kidnap him.

    <i>¡®Of course, that¡¯s on the premise that they don''t know Father''s personality¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae would rather kill Choi Yu-Seong himself and slit the viin''s throat than give them money.

    <i>¡®But why? Why does Choi Min-Seok keeping to mind?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong''s gaze wavered. He just had so many questions.

    "Oh, my¡­!" Hwang Ki-Chul, who had been staring at Chae Ye-Ryeong without saying a word, shouted in bewilderment. The mana stones¡¯ mana, which was pouring down like rain, suddenly fluctuate. He thought the Re-Awakening would go smoothly until the end, but a sudden problem had urred.

    <i>''But why? Is it because of the noise?¡¯?</i>

    Before Choi Yu-Seong could ponder about the reason, Chae Ye-Ryeong suddenly opened her mouth from inside the wall of mana.

 Chapter 102

    <h4>Chapter 102 </h4>

    "Ahhhhhhh-!¡±

    A scream rang out, cracking the ss wall. Surprised, Hwang Ki-Chul began to trigger the Mana-Blocking skill. As he held his hands together in front of him, the fluctuating mana slightly calmed down.

    <i>¡®Was there any Re-Awakened person who screamed in the original novel?¡¯</i>

    Although taken aback, Choi Yu-Seong calmly organized his thoughts. There wasn¡¯t anybody who came to mind. No matter how much he thought about it, there was no person who reacted the same way as Chae Ye-Ryeong just did.

    Hwang Ki-Chul frowned. He stretched his hands forward, sweating profusely. "It''s a little...dangerous."

    "Pardon?"

    ¡°Evenpared to the mana stones¡¯ mana, thedy¡¯s mana is extraordinary.¡±

    "...Do we have to think of the worst case?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "We don¡¯t have to, not yet. It''s just¡­¡±

    At that moment, the mana emanating from Chae Ye-Ryeong began to pour out much more intensely.

    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh-!¡±

    The following scream shook the entire wooden building, which threatened to copse.

    <i>¡®It''s dangerous.¡¯</i>

    This situation hadn¡¯t urred in the original novel so Yu-Seong turned to ask Hwang Ki-Chul. "What can I do to help?¡±

    "Nothing. Just pray we are lucky enough that things don''t get any worse than this."

    Before Hwang Ki-Chul finished speaking, a sharp energy of the flickering red light pierced through the warehouse walls and flew through the air as if dancing. Terrified, Yu-Seong turned the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear and struck the red light that flew toward him.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The spear rang loudly as Yu-Seong took several steps back. He confirmed that it was a dagger that shot through the air. He widened his eyes.

    <i>¡®Even the dagger is very heavy.¡¯?</i>

    As expected, the person outside was quite a strong opponent, but the problem was that. three more beams of red light flew in after the first.

    <i>¡®Oops¡­!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly ran forward and tried to use the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, expanding it to the size and length of a spear to swing it.

    <i>ng!</i>

    The shock of the dagger hitting the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice was so great that Yu-Seong rolled on the floor as the daggers rebounded into the air.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s one, two... Two?¡¯</i>

    Just as Choi Yu-Seong confirmed the number of daggers and turned to look at Hwang Ki-Chul in surprise¡­

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    He heard the terrible sound of something piercing through flesh and bone.

    ***

    It was ten minutes before Hwang Ki-Chul''s death.

    Geom-Gui hadn¡¯t thought much differently from Medusa after encountering Jenny, the woman who had just appeared with a gun. He scoffed. ¡°Do you think a foreign mercenary who only shoots guns can deal with me?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Instead of answering, Jenny pulled the two handguns¡¯ triggers in session, blocking Geom-Gui from approaching her. In fact, guns were more effective when fighting against humans than monsters.

    Monsters inside the dungeon were protected by the dungeon¡¯s magic and were not harmed by firearms. In addition, even if a dungeon break urred and the monsters ran outside the dungeon, bullets would bounce off the fat or leather of therge monsters. It wasmon knowledge that an ogre, which was a typicalrge monster, would have to be hit by at least a missile. Thus, it was safe to say that hunters rarely, if ever, used firearms.

    For this reason, both Geom-Gui and Medusa saw Jenny as an ordinary foreign mercenary, rather than a hunter. Also, it was a fairlymon story in the world that specially trained soldiers or mercenaries killed or knocked down hunters. That was why Geom-Gui snorted at Jenny so condescendingly.

    <i>¡®Those hunters who die from ordinary mercenaries with special training are just idiots.¡¯?</i>

    Even globally, there had never been a hunter beyond the rank-A who had been shot by firearms.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s thinking of fighting against me with a method that only works for C-rank hunters?¡¯</i>

    There was no need to drag out the fight. Geom-Gui pulled out two swords at the same time and began to cut or avoid the flying bullets. In an instant, the distance shortened, and the guns started to smoke.

    <i>Click, click.</i>

    Hearing the sound of an empty cartridge every time the trigger was pulled, Geom-Gui no longer wove and ducked but began to run straight ahead. Nevertheless, he did not let his guard down.

    <i>¡®It could be a trap.¡¯?</i>

    The opponent might be trying to trick him with thest bullet. Therefore, Geom-Gui did not rx until he reached Jenny, who was trying to rece the magazine with a flustered expression.

    When Jenny dropped the magazine to the floor by ident, a demon mask came close and cast a shadow on her face.

    "It''s over, my foreign friend," said Geom-Gui with a cold smile. His sword extended from the ground to the sky, aiming to cut Jenny¡¯s arm.

    Of her two pistols, Jenny held the one in her left hand upside down like a tonfa. She blocked the approaching sword.

    <i>¡®Did she just block it?¡¯</i>

    At this point, Geom-Gui felt a coolness on his skin. When Jenny pointed the pistol in her right hand to his forehead, his eyes naturally turned to the floor.

    <i>¡®I''m sure the magazine was on the floor¡­¡¯?</i>

    In this world, it was possible that a bullet wasn¡¯t necessarily needed to shoot.

    "I do agree with you that it''s over, Korean friend."

    When a blue me burst from the bullet-free pistol, Geom-Gui bent his back more than 90 degrees backward and avoided the fire. His limbs appeared to be dancing in the air.

    <i>¡®The skill, the Sword¡¯s Flower.¡¯?</i>

    Geom-Gui just unexpectedly revealed one of his skills. He wiped off his cold sweat.

    On the other hand, Jenny widened the distance to avoid Geom-Gui¡¯s skill and smacked her lips. "I could have finished him."

    Inducing the opponent to be careless and then ending their life was a technique mainly used by Jenny, who had a simr tendency as Jin Yu-Ri. However, in this case, Geom-Gui¡¯s speed, ability, and fighting sense were excessively good.

    "You have a Projection skill.¡±

    Even more, Geom-Gui was pretty smart. With just one attack from Jenny, he immediately found out what her specialized skill was.

    "But how do you use the Projection skill through a gun? I''ve never heard of that type of hunter..." Geom-Gui made an assumption.

    A typical mana Projection skill usually required one prerequisite, which was a preliminary action or an invoking word. Through this prerequisite, most Physical type hunters could predict and avoid attacks by Psychic type hunters with Projection skill. From this assumption, Jenny''s movement before using Projection skill could be seen as pulling the gun¡¯s trigger.

    <i>¡®If my guess is right... Even though I don¡¯t know the power, the speed of her Projection skill is in the world''s top ranks.¡¯?</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri herself was unexpectedly fast and strong, but this woman was also formidable.

    <i>¡®How did the ninth child of the Comet Group gather such talented people? It¡¯s said that he''s improved a little recently, but I¡¯ve beenpletely fooled. He¡¯s a dragon hiding under the sea.¡¯</i>

    Geom-Gui felt that his lips were dry and his saliva was particrly bitter.

    <i>¡®The calction was wrong. I should have refused even if he said he would give us 15 billion won instead of 7 billion won.¡¯?</i>

    The request Geom-Gui had epted thoughtlessly proved to be more difficult than he thought.

    Tense, he fully focused on Jenny''s fingers, which were on the trigger.

    "Are you curious?" Jenny had been silent until now, but she spoke as she pointed her pistol at Geom-Gui. The mana¡¯s me erupted at a high speed.

    Geom-Gui asked while tilting his head to the side to avoid Jenny¡¯s attack, "Are you going to tell me?"

    "I''m willing to answer if you give me your life."

    Geom-Gui ced his saw-edged sword into the scabbard. He said, "You''re a good speaker. From now on, I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±

    "But that won¡¯t change the oue..."

    Out of sight, Geom-Gui reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a dagger. It flew across Jenny¡¯s cheek, drawing blood from her fair skin. He then made ament. "For your information, my specialized skill is Secret Warehouse."

    The reason why Geom-Gui had confidently revealed his specialized skills was simple. It was difficult to urately grasp the ability¡¯s capacity just by its name alone.

    "What¡­?"

    Because of that, Jenny¡¯s thoughts went elsewhere for a moment.

    There was no reason to miss such an opportunity. Geom-Gui instantly narrowed the distance, kicking the ground like the Physical type hunter that he was.

    Jenny, who had lost focus for a moment, frowned. She fired mana one after another through her two pistols.

    Swinging his sword to cut the bullet, Geom-Gui then used his Secret warehouse skill, one that could bring up stuff that was put in the subspace with a tattoo on the arm. He took out a dagger and retaliated.

    However, it was a problem for Geom-Gui that Jenny also had more than one skill. Jenny continued to pull the trigger by using Moonwalk, a skill that could widen the distance faster than the eleration skill.

    Geom-Gui tried to close the distance, and Jenny kept trying to move away. The more this battle continued, the more nervous Geom-Gui became. Although there had not yet been a fatal move to determine the battle¡¯s oue, the battle was going at the perfect pace for Jenny.

    <i>¡®This will be no good if I keep getting drawn into her tempo.¡¯?</i>

    Suddenly the wooden warehouse came into Geom-Gui¡¯s view.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, since earlier¡­¡¯</i>

    Both Jin Yu-Ri, who was fighting Medusa, and Jenny tried to secretly widen their distance from the wooden warehouse.

    <i>¡®If I think about it, the employer''s target is the woman in the wooden warehouse, right?¡¯</i>

    Geom-Gui¡¯s eyes shed. He turned his back to Jenny and started running toward the wooden warehouse.

    ¡°...?!¡±

    Jenny quickly followed with a surprised expression.

    <i>¡®As expected!¡¯</i>

    Sensing Jenny¡¯s movement, Geom-Gui smiled brightly. Knowing the opponent¡¯s weakness made them much easier to deal with. He taunted Jenny as he threw the dagger he had obtained through his skill Secret Warehouse at the wooden warehouse.

    "Hey, foreign friend. If you''rete, all your friends in that warehouse will die."

    "No, Jenny! You must block it!" shouted Yu-Ri urgently after she cut dozens of strands of Medusa''s hair.

    Jenny and Yu-Ri could no longer pretend to keep calm to hide their inner thoughts. It was too dangerous for a mana explosion to ur during Chae Ye-Ryeong''s Re-Awakening.

    Geom-Gui chuckled and threw the dagger again, and Jenny''s bullet hurriedly shot it away. Hemented, "Wow...! You are indeed good at shooting!"

    It was getting closer. Geom-Gui¡¯s eyes shone sharply as he sought a chance to kill them at once. Then, his senses clearly felt the mana emanating from inside the wooden warehouse.

    <i>¡®What the¡­?¡¯?</i>

    It was a dangerous sensation that made chills run down Geom-Gui¡¯s back. He didn¡¯t know what was happening inside the wooden warehouse, but he felt it was not a good thing.

    [Ahhhhhhhh-!]

    Subsequently, a scream erupted from inside the warehouse.

 Chapter 103

    <h4>Chapter 103 </h4>

    Geom-Gui wondered if he should heed his intuition¡¯s warning and back down or eliminate the danger before it approached. In fact, the decision had already been made. As always, his choice was to take the bull by its horns rather than avoid it.

    Five daggers from Geom-Gui¡¯s Secret Warehouse flew into the air and headed to the warehouse. Jenny''s bullets chased after the daggers but only managed to strike two. That was because Geom-Gui himself jumped into the air and swung his sword to deflect the other bullets. In the end, three daggers flew into the wooden warehouse.

    "No!" Jin Yu-Ri shouted urgently. She ran toward the warehouse.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going!" said Medusa. She brandished her hair to stop Yu-Ri, but Jenny¡¯s bullet blocked her.

    At the same time, Geom-Gui stiffened at the mana reaction from inside the wooden building.

    <i>¡®Mana explosion?¡¯</i>

    Geom-Gui had a gut feeling. He yelled, "Stay away, Medusa!"

    Jenny fired at Medusa again. Confused and unsure of what was happening, Medusa started to defend herself with a rather vague expression. Then, the wooden warehouse was engulfed in light.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong had one thought when he saw Hwang Ki-Chul, the B-rank Mana-Blocking skill yer, fall to the ground helplessly as if he had been pushed.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m fucked.¡¯</i>

    The mana reaction around Ye-Ryeong had seem to be calming down, but not anymore.

    The mana reaction around Ye-Ryeong was no longer calming down like before. It began to agglomerate like crazy.

    <i>¡®The moment the manaes together, it¡¯ll explode.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had two options. The first option was to run outside the wooden building as soon as possible. He would live, but Chae Ye-Ryeong would die. He had no time, so his instincts were telling him to run away without hesitation.

    <i>¡®You want to live, right? Is there any reason to risk your life to protect Chae Ye-Ryeong?¡¯?</i>

    The issue was his rationale.

    <i>¡®If I forsake Chae Ye-Ryeong here¡­¡¯</i>

    Would he be able to bear the guilt of surviving alone? Faced with such questions, Yu-Seong¡¯s instinct once again cried out.

    <i>¡®But you have to survive first to worry about the future.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong fully agreed with his own instinct. He didn''t want to die. How many crises had he gone through to get to this point? It would be very unfortunate to be caught up in a mana explosion that would inevitably take ce in front of him.

    Truthfully, Yu-Seong knew exactly what he wanted to do.

    <i>¡®I want to live, but I want to save Chae Ye-Ryeong, too.¡¯?</i>

    But how? There was not much time left. At that moment, Yu-Seong recalled something and ran madly toward Chae Ye-Ryeong. Her mana was currently resonating with the mana stones. He wrapped her in his arms.

    <i>¡®Please¡­say that it''s not toote!¡¯</i>

    The collision soon became an explosion.

    When his vision momentarily turned white, the ring on Yu-Seong¡¯s index finger, the one he never removed, also began emitting light.

    ***

    The wooden warehouse was engulfed in arge explosion, and the shock wave shook the ground and spread everywhere. Choi Min-Seok watched the scene through binocrs from afar. His jaw dropped as he stumbled and almost fell in ce, but he managed to regain his bnce.

    <i>¡®Oh, my goodness. Mana explosion?¡¯</i>

    If he was not mistaken, Min-Seok had certainly just seen a mana explosion. Moreover, it had a fairlyrge range and an unusual power, so even a fairly talented hunter would have difficulty surviving if they had been inside the building. He also realized that Choi Yu-Seong had nevere out of that wooden warehouse the entire time he had been observing it.

    <i>¡®Is Yu-Seong dead?¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok smiled brightly for a while, but his expression soon crumpled.

    <i>¡®Ugh, Father will hear about this soon!¡¯</i>

    The situation had be bigger than Min-Seok thought. Now that this had happened, all traces of his involvement had to be erased.

    "Damn it!" Choi Min-Seok cursed and looked at the D-rank professional chasers, who were as shocked as he was.

    <i>''I have to shut their mouths first.¡¯?</i>

    However, Choi Min-Seok wasn¡¯t strong enough to do so. In other words, he had to escape with them for now.

    "Let''s run away."

    At his words, the two chasers immediately headed toward the car they had driven in.

    "No, not that one. Get in my car," said Min-Seok.

    "Pardon?"

    "What if we get caught running away with that shitty car? I''ll buy you a new car, so just leave that here!" That¡¯s what Min-Seok said, but truthfully, he was afraid the chasers would try to flee.

    Fortunately, there were only two chasers, so it was not difficult for all of them to ride in a four-seater sedan.

    "Let''s go back to Seoul right away."

    "Yes? Yes!"

    Min-Seok¡¯s driver had also been surprised by the explosion.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to kill this guy, too.¡¯?</i>

    The driver didn¡¯t know the details of what happened and who they were chasing. However, if Min-Seok were careless and left even a single clue behind, then Choi Woo-Jae would find it ande after him. That was why Min-Seok was determined that everyone in the car, besides himself, had to die.

    <i>¡®As for Geom-Gui and Medusa¡­¡¯</i>

    The ideal scenario would be for the viins to have been caught in the mana explosion and die. But if they survived, he would be able to buy their silence for a while.

    <i>¡®If I have a chance, I should also kill those two.¡¯?</i>

    However, this was something to worry about a littleter. The important thing right now was to get rid of the three people who were with him in the car. Min-Seok¡¯s heart pounded as he kept his phone out of sight as he hired another B-rank contract ck mercenary via text.

    <i>¡®Anyway, Choi Yu-Seong is dead.¡¯?</i>

    There were too many issues for Min-Seok to be happy with that result.

    <i>''Father can never¡­ no, no one can ever know that I¡¯m involved in this.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok was in agony, sweating in his seat.

    ***

    Jin Yu-Ri had been directly caught up in the mana explosion. She rolled on the floor with blood all over her body.

    "Yu-Ri!" With a pale face, Jenny quickly tried to approach Jin Yu-Ri. However, before she could reach her, Yu-Ri kicked off the floor and got back up. Yu-Ri started running toward the warehouse. Unfortunately, her wounds were too severe. She took less than ten steps before dropping to the floor again.

    Jenny reached out her arms and quickly helped Yu-Ri up. "Are you okay?"

    Yu-Ri¡¯s usually neat hair was now scattered all over the ce. Although she appeared to be bleeding from many areas, she didn¡¯t seem to feel any pain. She simply murmured, "Yu-Seong oppa...Yu-Seong oppa is in there.¡±

    Jenny had to swallow the words that popped into her head.

    <i>¡®He was inside.¡¯?</i>

    It was highly likely that Choi Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be inside anymore. Even an A-rank Physical hunter would be unable to survive such a powerful mana explosion and would have turned to dust.

    There was no way a person as smart as Yu-Ri didn¡¯t know that. However, she wanted to believe that Choi Yu-Seong was still alive. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of him being dead.

    "The boss would have escaped safely. Your injury is also serious, so let''s take a break first..."

    "Ahhhhhh-!"

    Even before Jenny finished talking, a monstrous howl rang out and shook the surroundings. She turned toward the sound even as she continued to support Yu-Ri when she couldn¡¯t bear her own weight.

    It was Geom-Gui. He wore his demon mask as he screamed in the middle of the field with a dying woman in his arms. She was covered in blood.

    Medusa had tried to defend against Jenny¡¯s bullet but had failed to react in time due to the mana explosion. As a result, two mana bullets had struck her, and unfortunately for Medusa, one of the bullets had pierced her temple. Naturally, even an A-rank hunter could not survive if their brain was hit.

    His white clothes were covered with Medusa''s dark red blood. Geom-Gui shook his head as he wailed, "Ah... No. This is not real. Wake up! Wake up, Kim Hee-Yeon!"

    Kim Hee-Yeon seemed to be Medusa''s real name. Even after she died, Geom-Gui continued screaming in disbelief.

    Jin Yu-Ri''s empty gaze slowly turned toward Geom-Gui. Then, she said, "Jenny."

    "...Yes?"

    "Gun."

    "What?"

    "I''m going to kill him." After giving that simple answer, Jin Yu-Ri pulled out the pistol that Jenny had on her waist and unhesitantly fired at Geom-Gui.

    <i>Click, click!</i>

    "There are no bullets. Yu-Ri. Calm down."

    <i>Click, click, click, click, click, click...!</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri pulled on the trigger crazily and cried out with tears in her eyes, "Bullets! Give me the bullets, Jenny!"

    "I used up all the bullets I brought. And if you kill him, we''ll never know who''s behind this attack.¡±

    After listening to what Jenny had to say, Yu-Ri, who appeared to have lost her reason, regained some light in her eyes. She muttered, "The one behind the attack?¡±

    "There¡¯s no way that they came here for no reason. There must be someone behind him,¡± said Jenny.

    ¡°...¡± Jin Yu-Ri put down the gun without saying a word. Then, she said, "You''re right, Jenny. This revenge wouldn¡¯t be enough."

    "...I agree with that, you bitch," said Geom-Gui coldly.

    After screaming out his pain and denial onest time, he looked up nkly at the blue sky. He wiped the blood flowing from Medusa¡¯s temple with his fingers and painted a line under the ck pupils of his white demon mask. Then, he slowly rose to carefully ce Medusa¡¯s dead body on the ground.

    Jenny grabbed her gun as she pushed Jin Yu-Ri behind her.

    As the aura of red mana began to fluctuate like crazy around him, Geom-Gui said, "Until now, I have never killed anyone out of resentment.¡±

    It seemed like bloody tears were flowing down the white demon mask as Geom-Gui muttered, "This is the first time that I am so angry that I just want to kill someone¡­¡±

    Five daggers suddenly appeared and shot at Jenny, flying through the air. Subsequently, Geom-Gui''s sword stretched long and approached quickly too.

    Jenny frowned as she fired a pistol and deflected all the daggers. This was a close-distance fight, so it was not advantageous for her.

    <i>''But if I back off... Yu-Ri would be in danger.''?</i>

    Even if she had put her life on the line, Jenny had to defend her position. She had no choice. Noticing that Geom-Gui was just around the corner, she held two pistols upside down, like tonfas, and started her defense.

    <i>Kagak-gak!</i>

    The grinding of iron could be heard as a sword emitting red mana and a gun containing blue mana collided. Soon, there was a strong bloody odor.

    Jenny looked at Geom-Gui¡¯s creepy eyes and pulled the trigger. Fire spouted out from the tip of the gun and tore at Geom-Gui¡¯s ears. When she was eventually overpowered, she was thrown into the air.

    <i>¡®Oh, no¡­!¡¯</i>

    Jenny gasped once Geom-Gui turned to look at Yu-Ri. From the start, his target was Jin Yu-Ri. But then, both Geom-Gui and Jenny¡¯s eyes turned to look in the direction Yu-Ri was staring at nkly.

    A figure could be seen right above the wide rice field.

 Chapter 104

    <h4>Chapter 104 </h4>

    The figure was a man with a spear.

    <i>¡®Boss? He¡¯s alive?¡¯ </i>

    Jenny felt joy when she recognized Choi Yu-Seong. She had no idea how he had survived, but he looked quite alright and was right in front of them now.

    "Ah... Ah...!" At that moment, Jin Yu-Ri cried tears of joy. Like a young child learning to speak, she couldn¡¯t properly articte her thoughts.

    At that moment, a bright light shed right by her. It was Geom-Gui as he sped toward Yu-Seong.

    "Since you¡¯ve taken away the most precious person to me, I will return the favor. Watch with your own eyes.¡±

    Yu-Ri and Jenny¡¯s eyes widened. Yu-Ri formed a ck whip to try to hold Geom-Gui back, but her injuries slowed her down. Jenny immediately fired a bullet as well, but it couldn¡¯t reach the madly speeding Geom-Gui in time.

    <i>¡®No!¡¯ </i>

    The two women screamed inwardly at the same time.

    ***

    Several seconds before the mana exploded in the warehouse, Yu-Seong recalled something written in the original novel [Modern Master Returns]

    <i>''The mana explosion during Re-Awakening is caused by mana colliding in the air.¡¯</i>

    In other words, even if Ye-Ryeong disappeared, the mana explosion would still happen. The source of the explosion wasn¡¯t Ye-Ryeong¡¯s physical body at all. This meant that as long as Yu-Seong could get her out of the wooden warehouse, both of them could survive.

    At that moment, Choi Yu-Seong remembered the ancient relic¡ªthe Jump Ring. It had been one out of two gifts he had received after passing Choi Ji-Ho''s testst year.

    He didn¡¯t hesitate and took Chae Ye-Ryeong into his arms. The Jump Ring was a treasure that teleported people within ten centimeters of each other to somewhere a kilometer away.

    He didn¡¯t want to fail because he calcted the distance wrong. As a result, they appeared in the rice field, which was somewhat far from the explosion. From the rice field, they could only feel the tremors on the ground.

    At the same time, the Jump Ring disintegrated into ck powder and scattered away. It had been used up. It had once saved Choi Ji-Ho during a past dungeon ident, and this time, it had saved Choi Yu-Seong and Chae Ye-Ryeong. In total, it had saved the lives of three people.

    <i>¡®So this is how powerful the S+ Rank ancient relics are.¡¯</i>

    After breathing a sigh of relief, the first thing Yu-Seong did was to check Chae Ye-Ryeong''s condition. She was unconscious, but the mana inside her seemed to still be fluctuating a bit as a glowing blue light was visible.

    The Re-Awakening¡¯s sess or failure was unknown, but one thing was for certain.

    <i>¡®She doesn¡¯t seem to have any major health problems.¡¯</i>

    Knowing that Chae Ye-Ryeong was safe, Choi Yu-Seong was relieved. With her in his arms, he used his cell phone to check the GPS. The signal was a bit weak since they were out in the countryside but he eventually figured out their location. After all, he lived in a country whose telmunication system was incredible.

    Yu-Seong began to run through the rice field once he was sure of the direction that the wooden warehouse was in. He took note of thendmarks and relied on his senses.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny must be really worried.¡¯</i>

    Since there had been a mana explosion right in front of their eyes, it was only natural they would assume that he was dead. Because of that, there was a high probability that they would be overwhelmed with great anxiety. More importantly, Choi Yu-Seong also had to make sure that they were safe.

    The Jump Ring only teleported people up to one kilometer away. It wasn¡¯t too far a distance, so Choi Yu-Seong got to his destination pretty quickly. After that, he stopped running and ced Chae Ye-Ryeong on the ground. He started moving as quietly as possible.

    <i>''There may still be enemies left.¡¯ </i>

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t want to do anything stupid and be a hostage. Even if it took longer until he could reassure himself of their safety, he wanted to make sure he didn¡¯t disturb Jenny and Yu-Ri¡¯s concentration on the battle.

    To check out the situation, Yu-Seong wore a yellow-brown suit using the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice to blend into his surroundings. Then, he moved to a position where he could check on them while keeping low.

    Jin Yu-Ri sat on the ground while Jenny was standing with two guns. There was another person close to them. Choi Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief when he saw they were alive.

    <i>¡®As expected, there¡¯s still an enemy left. But who is it? Is he a viin?¡¯</i>

    As of now, Yu-Seong had never heard of a viin wearing a demon mask dripping with bloody tears. He thought about it; if he had more time, he would have easily identified the enemy¡¯s identity. However, he had no time for that.

    <i>¡®The situation is really bad.¡¯</i>

    Although she wasn¡¯t bad in closebat, Jenny usually participated in fights from far away with her long-range shooting. However, right now, she was standing at a close distance from a viin who seemed to be a Physical-type yer who used a sword. It was clear why she was blocking the viin¡¯s path instead of widening the distance between them.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri''s condition seems to be bad. Jenny has no choice but to stay in that position right there.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri had serious-looking injuries and her gaze looked empty. She was in such a state because of Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®What should I do?¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong was thinking, Jenny was being overpowered. He couldn''t just sit and think about it any longer. He would be unbearably distressed if Jin Yu-Ri died in front of his eyes. He wanted to live, but he also wanted to protect the happiness of the people around him.

    He had thought this before, but this world was no longer just a story in a novel. They were all living people who had managed to touch his heart and be like family to him, who had once been an orphan. That was why he had to be brave.

    <i>''I trust you, Jenny.'' </i>

    Choi Yu-Seong jumped up from his hiding ce and changed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice to a spear. First, he could feel Jin Yu-Ri''s gaze on him. Then, he felt Jenny¡¯s and Geom-Gui¡¯s.

    Geom-Gui began running toward him with eyes brimming with murderous intent.

    Jin Yu-Ri''s whip and Jenny''s bullet missed and failed to stop Geom-Gui, who was incredibly fast.

    Choi Yu-Seong was so nervous that his heart pounded against his chest painfully, but he focused hard on his Insight skill to not miss the opponent¡¯s movements.

    Geom-Gui was so quick that he was as blurry as a shadow. He was too quick for a normal D-rank yer to chase after.

    <i>¡®He seems faster than Choi Byung-Chan, but...¡¯</i>

    Geom-Gui wasn''t as fast as Rachel, so Choi Yu-Seong felt confident to go up against him. Yu-Seong swung his spear and hit the dagger that was flying toward him with a red light. His spear vibrated violently, and he wobbled.

    Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t try to remain in position; instead, he rolled on the floor. He once thought that rolling on the floor was embarrassing, but he no longer cared. In fact, it was something he''d done a lot already. Besides, something else was more important than anything else.

    <i>¡®If it helps me survive...¡¯</i>

    If it helped him to protect his precious ones, Yu-Seong would roll on the dirtiest floor at any time too. In fact, that was what most people in the world would do too.

    Another dagger passed right in front of Yu-Seong''s nose. If he had tried to keep his initial position, he would have died with a dagger jammed through his throat. Yu-Seong then made an illusion using his Wind Control skill and rolled three times on the floor.

    Geom-Gui clicked his tongue as he stabbed Yu-Seong¡¯s illusion with the long sword he wielded. He grumbled, "You little weasel..."

    After that, Choi Yu-Seong rolled on the floor several more times. He jumped up, using his spear as a support.

    <i>¡®Where is he...?¡¯</i>

    Before Yu-Seong knew it, Geom-Gui was approaching him with a bright smile. His gaze seemed to suggest that he had got Yu-Seong now. While Choi Yu-Seong''s heart sank with a thud, Geom-Gui raised his sword and tried to bisect Yu-Seong at the waist.

    At that moment, there was a sound of gunfire, and blood spurted from Geom-Gui¡¯s back. However, he did not stop his sword, which drew blood from Yu-Seong¡¯s waist.

    Yu-Seong felt the cool touch of metal and the warmth of his own blood. He almost threw up from the intense pain that wrecked him. At the same time, something heavy hit him hard on the shoulder, and he flew into the air. He groaned as a portion of his intestines fell from his side with blood. "Ugh-!"

    "Ahhhhhhhhhh-!" Geom-Gui roared even louder. He had intended to sh Yu-Seong¡¯s entire waist with a single stroke, but he had failed to do so. He couldn¡¯t stab all the way through.

    There was one reason for it. On a rice field not far away, Ye-Ryeong was floating several huge water droplets in the air with her hands in front of her. She was sweating profusely.

    <i>¡®That water drop!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had flown through the air because that drop of water had suddenly hit him. Therefore, Geom-Gui¡¯s sword cut through the air without cutting entirely through Yu-Seong¡¯s waist.

    "I could have killed him...! I could have killed him!" screamed Geom-Gui.

    "I can never forgive you for...hurting my boss," said Ye-Ryeong, who looked pale. She spoke with a water drop pointed at Geom-Gui. She obviously looked tired, but she showed no sign of backing down.

    With bloodshot eyes, Geom-Gui tried to walk forward, but he soon reached his limit. He only took three steps in total, and they weren¡¯t even proper ones. He leaned on his sword handle before copsing slowly. He had been attacking Yu-Seong while ignoring the mana bullets striking his back. He muttered to himself, "Kkkhe... I must get my revenge on him...¡±

    Jenny¡ªwho had been watching the situation¡ªapproached Yu-Seong, confirmed his injury, and aimed her gun at Geom-Gui¡¯s ankle.

    <i>Bang, bang!</i>

    Two more shots resonated, and Geom-Guipletely fell down to the ground.

    "Boss!" After confirming that Geom-Gui could never get up again, Ye-Ryeong lowered her hands, deactivated her skills, and ran toward Choi Yu-Seong.

    Lying alone in the deste field, Geom-Gui felt his death closing in on him. A chilly sensation spread throughout his body... The death of the grotesque murderer who once terrorized the Republic of Korea was awfully lonely.

    ***

    Jenny and Ye-Ryeong headed straight to a nearby hospital with Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri. They breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that the two of them would have no problems with makingplete recoveries. In fact, Yu-Seong regained his consciousness on the same day.

    After ensuring that Jin Yu-Ri would be safe, Yu-Seong asked Jenny for some favors. "This incident, please keep it a secret for a while. To be exact... No one but my father should know that I was hospitalized.¡±

    "Yes, sir," said Jenny.

    "And find out more about the ones who were killed by Geom-Gui and Medusa, and support them as much as you can. First of all, please exin that they were attacked by the viins and say that we¡¯ll tell them the details a littleter. Make sure to say that we are very sorry about it. Ande to think of it, Kim Doo-Jun was my age, right? He was part of the Hidden Team, right?"

    "Kim Doo-Jun had no parents."

    "...He was an orphan?"

    Jenny nodded silently, expressionless. However, she couldn¡¯t hide the brief sadness shing past her eyes.

    "Did he have any other acquaintances?"

    "I don''t think he had any outside acquaintances. However, he was close to everyone in the team... He was such a talkative and friendly agent."

    "...The entire hidden team will be depressed. Let''s hold a funeral with the utmost respect. Don''t worry about the money, and I''ll be there as well."

    "Thank you." Jenny still had a calm expression on her face, but she couldn''t hide the quavering of her voice. She looked at Yu-Seong with a deep gaze.

    "Lastly, from now on, can you find out about the people I''m talking about, their recent movements, and movements of capital?"

    "Boss."

    "Yeah?"

    "Our Hidden Team was originally built for that purpose. I''m a hunter, but that''s why most of my people are retired mercenaries or soldiers."

    Choi Yu-Seong understood Jenny¡¯s words at once.

    "Sorry, I kind of ignored the Hidden Team."

    "You don''t have to apologize. It''s enough to just trust me," Jenny said with an easygoing smile.

    Jenny identified herself as a hunter, but Yu-Seong guessed that she was probably a soldier or a mercenary, just like any other Hidden Team member.

 Chapter 105

    <h4>Chapter 105 </h4>

    Jenny¡¯s agile movements and excellent shooting skills did not seem like an ordinary person¡¯s.

    "They¡¯re from my family, so they won¡¯t be easy opponents,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "If I start investigating everyone, I may lose some detail."

    ¡°Since I gave you more capital, you should have more than enough, but I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯recking manpower. That¡¯s fine, though. There are only two, no¡­ three people I want you to look into anyway."

    "Then I¡¯ll have enough," said Jenny.

    "The three are Choi Min-Seok, In-Young, and Seok-Young."

    "We''ll start the investigation right away."

    "Thanks, Jenny."

    At first, Yu-Seong thought it was somewhat unreasonable to suspect his family had anything to do with the recent viin attack. However, Choi Min-Seok kepting to mind when he had been inside the wooden warehouse. Instead of changing his mind, he felt even more certain now.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m 90% sure that Choi Min-Seok is the culprit.¡¯</i>

    The reason was simple.

    After bringing Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri to the hospital, Jenny had called several members of the Hidden Team to investigate the surrounding area. They found an abandoned van along with traces that someone had been there. The van¡¯s owner was unknown since it was an unregistered car, but there were still many things that could be guessed from what they had found.

    People from a detective agency had followed him before reporting it to someone else. Then, that someone had called the viins in order to harm him, but upon witnessing their failure, they ran away. Thisst part was very important.

    <i>¡®Why would the guy who''s trying to harm me run away? He must be afraid to be involved with my death.¡¯</i>

    Why would the person be afraid of it? The reason for that was also simple.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s scared of Father. Choi Byung-Chan has just died, and now, if even I die, then Father would definitely be really angry.''?</i>

    If that really happened, Choi Woo-Jae wouldn¡¯t stop with just a scolding. He would try to find the culprit, and even if that culprit was family, he would still take everything away from them.

    <i>¡®Maybe even his life.¡¯?</i>

    Given all these circumstances, Yu-Seong could tell that the opponent was quite timid, but more importantly, that they didn¡¯t want to appear directly in front of him. To expand upon thatst detail further, the culprit either didn¡¯t want to personally confront him or was afraid of him. That was why Yu-Seong only had a ten percent uncertainty that Choi Min-Seok might not be the culprit.

    Toe to a final conclusion, only one thing had to be investigated. Choi Yu-Seong picked up his cell phone and called Choi Woo-Jae. After a few rings, Choi Woo-Jae''s voice was heard.

    - What''s going on?

    It seemed like Choi Woo-Jae knew that Yu-Seong didn¡¯t call him just to say hello.

    For some reason, Yu-Seong suddenly felt embarrassed at the moment, but he understood Woo-Jae¡¯s reaction. It was true that he had called his father for a reason.

    "...I was attacked and almost killed by someone. The thing is, the culprit appears to be a member of the family," said Yu-Seong. Since he called his father for a reason, he decided to be as honest as possible.

    - Someone picked a fight¡­at a time like this?

    Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s voice immediately turned cold. Choi Yu-Seong gulped at the anger but continued to speak.

    ¡°Did any of my hyung-nims or noo-mins visit you yesterday or today?¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong was the ninth child out of ten. In other words, he had a younger sibling. But the youngest was still just a high school student, and Yu-Seong knew that his youngest sibling didn¡¯t have the temperament for something like this. That was why he did not ask about the youngest.

    - No one came to see me. But why do you ask that?

    At this point, Choi Yu-Seong was convinced that Choi Min-Seok was the culprit.

    <i>¡®Stupid, he has no idea that his timid personality would reveal him as the culprit.¡¯</i>

    His other siblings might have initially run away in fear after killing him, but they would have soon visited Choi Woo-Jae. Then, they would have knelt down and begged him for forgiveness.

    <i>¡®That way, there''s a much higher chance they would survive.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong wondered whether Min-Seok really thought he could consider this over after killing him and then killing another couple of people. Of course, an ordinary person could probably escape a situation like that. However, as Choi Yu-Seong had once said to Choi Mi-Na, it was impossible for his family to deceive Choi Woo-Jae.

    Getting caught was inevitable, and at that time, no matter how much they begged for forgiveness, Choi Woo-Jae would forgive them. Rather, he would punish them even more severely since they had deceived him.

    <i>''Maybe they would go through something much more terrible than a peaceful death.¡¯?</i>

    The only idiots or cowards in the family who wouldn¡¯t even think of this were the past Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Min-Seok.

    <i>¡®That bastard!¡¯</i>

    As soon as the culprit was confirmed to be Choi Min-Seok, Yu-Seong endlessly cursed inwardly. Chae Ye-Ryeong had sessfully Re-Awakened, but too many people had been killed and injured by the incident. He would never forgive Choi Min-Seok. Outraged, Choi Yu-Seong suddenly thought that this was also an opportunity.

    <i>¡®Choi Min-Seok¡­ If it''s Choi Min-Seok... It''s worth a try. Actually, it''ll be pretty easy for me to do that right now.¡¯?</i>

    If Yu-Seong nned on attacking, then he had to seize all the advantages that he could right now. Therefore, he chose to take a rather aggressive stance. He revealed to Woo-Jae, "Five people were killed in this incident, and my bodyguard and I were injured. I want to make the person responsible pay for this.¡±

    There was a short silence over the phone before Choi Woo-Jae gave a pretty sweet suggestion.

    -...If you want, I can personally deal with it for you.

    <i>¡®If I say yes here, everything would work out quitefortably.¡¯?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong had to refuse this offer. Intuitively, he could tell that this was both a test and an opportunity. Until now, he had never shown any aggression toward his siblings in front of Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®Rather, I was always in a losing position.¡¯?</i>

    The reason was simple. From a long time ago, the weakest in the family had always been Yu-Seong himself. He had been in a position where he had not dared to attract anyone¡¯s attention, let alone stare at them. He lived a life avoiding eye contact and shrinking into himself whenever he saw his family members.

    These behaviors had surprisingly created a habit of <i>¡®servility¡¯</i>. He had forgotten how to fight and only could think of obeying. This was also why Choi Woo-Jae had mostly considered Choi Mi-Na his next sessor.

    <i>¡®Mi-Na noo-nim is not afraid of fighting. She can even argue with Father.¡¯?</i>

    However, Choi Mi-Na alsocked one trait that Choi Woo-Jae valued.

    <i>¡®She won''t fight and then conquer.¡¯</i>

    The head of apany had to have the desire to conquer. Everyone else in the family, even the good-natured Choi Ji-Ho, had that disposition, but Mi-Na did not. That was why Choi Yu-Seong refused Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s offer.

    "It''s my enemy. I just wanted to tell you that since I suffered first, I won¡¯t easily let them go."

    First, Choi Yu-Seong expressed his willingness to fight and his courage. He wanted to show that he was unafraid.

    - Are you going to kill them?

    Listening to Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s cold voice, Choi Yu-Seong gulped down once and said sincerely, "Yes."

    - Not now. Wait until I catch that girl, the ughter Queen.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my way to not take revenge,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    - Does that mean you are not going to listen to me?

    Again, Choi Woo-Jae''s voice contained subtle anger. However, his voice was still quite pleasant to listen to.

    "I don''t mean to kill them right away. But I¡¯ll need to at least cut their limbs off to calm down.¡±

    - Without killing?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to. Not yet.¡±

    - Then go for it.

    Yu-Seong got Choi Woo-Jae''s permission, but he did not intend to end the conversation yet. He then said, "I have a favor to ask of you."

    -Tell me.

    If it waspared to the Middle Ages, Choi Woo-Jae was a country¡¯s king¡ªthe Comet Group. Yu-Seong had gained permission from the king to eliminate another prince. That would certainly present another kind of opportunity.

    "After I seed in my revenge, I will take all the authority and property that my brother or sister originally had.¡±

    - ...!!

    As previously mentioned, it was still a kind of revenge and an expression of his anger, but Yu-Seong did not intend to fight for free.

    After Choi Yu-Seong''s words, Choi Woo-Jae remained silent for a long time over the phone before bursting into a loudugh.

    - Khakha-! Yeah, do whatever you want. However, will your other brothers and sisters stay still when a decent prey appears?

    After Choi Woo-Jae left behind a strange question, the call was cut off. Woo-Jae¡¯s words meant that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for Yu-Seong to take the following privileges after he finished dealing with Choi Min-Seok.

    <i>¡®But if I can take it, it will be entirely mine.¡¯?</i>

    It was no different from Choi Woo-Jae giving him a gift, but it was a thorny gift that would make it difficult to enjoy.

    <i>''I''ll enjoy it all at once before the other siblings can even notice it.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong did not know, but this idea was originally Choi Woo-Jae''s favorite way of fighting.

    ***

    Choi Woo-Jae had been reading the report brought by the group''s president for a while with a serious expression. However, after he hung up the phone, he burst intoughter.

    <i>¡®Has he everughed like this before?¡¯</i>

    Kim Pil-Doo could not hide his surprise. Although Pil-Doo had been by Woo-Jae¡¯s side for quite a long time, he had never seen Woo-Jaeughing so heartily until today. Nevertheless, theugh did not look awkward or ufortable. It was simply an expression of the man feeling good.

    "Khakhaha, khahahahaha-! '''' After bursting intoughter for a long time, Woo-Jae turned to Kim Pil-Doo. "Secretary Kim-, no, Pil-Doo."

    It had been a while since Choi Woo-Jae had called Pil-Doo by his name instead of his position, so it made him feel pretty nervous. One might feel it was an expression of friendliness, but it felt different for Kim Pil-Doo.

    Choi Woo-Jae used to call his name only when he was about to say something very important. And whenever that happened, in most cases, it became a turning point in Pil-Doo''s life.

    "Later on, if I ask you to serve Yu-Seong instead of serving me, will you listen to me?"

    ¡°...¡±

    At first nce, there was no change in Kim Pil-Doo''s expression. However, Choi Woo-Jae did not miss the tremble in his gaze.

    "I understand. Your pride won¡¯t allow it yet. After all, you''re also aiming for my position.¡±

    "...I''m sorry, Mr. Chairman."

    "You don''t have to be sorry. Let me ask you openly. On the premise that I am not involved, if you do your best, how high of a position are you confident in reaching?" Woo-Jae asked, wondering how much skill Pil-Doo could show off among the Choi''s siblings.

    "I''m confident that I could reach at least the top 5," replied Pil-Doo.

    "Let''s see... Then, you are after the second, third, and fourth?"

    Kim Pil-Doo shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll be after Lady Mi-Na and In-Young.¡±

    At the answer, Choi Woo-Jae made a strange smile. ¡°So you are saying that the third is below you?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡±

    "Why are you sorry after putting down all the other guys already? I''m fine. Let me make a suggestion instead, Pil-Doo."

    "Yes, sir."

    "What if the ninth goes above the third¡­?"

    "Mr. Chairman," Pil-Doo interrupted before Choi Woo-Jae finished speaking

    "Hm?"

    "What you are saying is not a suggestion, it''s an order."

    "What..." Choi Woo-Jae furrowed his thick eyebrows.

    "Young Master Yu-Seong will definitely surpass Young Master Jin-Woo."

    At this point, Kim Pil-Doo said something that no one would think of. He just said that the ninth, who had just barely stretched his arms, would exceed the third who had been constantly establishing his foundation.

 Chapter 106

    <h4>Chapter 106 </h4>

    "What? Khahaha!" Choi Woo-Jae burst intoughter again.

    Kim Pil-Doo smiled bitterly. He hadn¡¯t said it simply to make Choi Woo-Jae feel good. Even though it was only the beginning, Choi Yu-Seong''s growth was exponential.

    <i>¡®He is also lucky and fearless.¡¯?</i>

    Pil-Doo thought that of Yu-Seong for a very good reason. He was certain that no one else in the Comet Group had caught Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s attention in such a short time. Seeing how Yu-Seong¡¯s actions were always what Woo-Jae wanted and liked, it was only natural that Woo-Jae favored him.

    The thing was, Woo-Jae could not be understood through logic ormon sense.

    Kim Pil-Doo thought that Choi Woo-Jae''s interest was not much different from a poisoned chalice. However, the fact that Choi Yu-Seong had not been poisoned after drinking from the poisoned chalice made Pil-Doo highly appreciative of Yu-Seong''s luck. Of course, he had no clue what was going to happen in the future, since certain poisons gnawed at the body and mind silently and without knowledge.

    <i>¡®And Choi Yu-Seong clearly knows that the chalice he is drinking from is poisoned.¡¯?</i>

    What if Yu-Seong fearlessly gulped down from the poisoned chalice and was lucky enough to absorb it all?

    <i>''Then a monster would be born.¡¯?</i>

    As mentioned before, there were no guarantees that Choi Yu-Seong could reach the finish line. However, there was no doubt that if the young man moved at this pace, he would be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his other siblings in a somewhat evenpetition.

    "Okay, then, how about a bet instead of a suggestion?" asked Woo-Jae.

    "Sir, isn''t that six of one and half a dozen of the other?" said Pil-Doo.

    ¡°Hey, do you really think I just want to make fun of you? Let''s make the opponent the fifth, not the third.¡±

    Kim Pil-Doo recalled Choi In-Young, the fifth child of Choi''s Comet Group. Then, he realized that Choi Woo-Jae had had this conversation in mind from the beginning.

    <i>¡®It''s only a matter of time before Choi Yu-Seong gets ahead of Choi Jin-Woo. But it¡¯ll be different with Choi In-Young.¡¯?</i>

    Choi In-Young was one of the family¡¯s monsters that Kim Pil-Doo could think of. She was a terrible hybrid who once drank from the poisoned chalice just like Choi Yu-Seong was doing, but she had abandoned the chalice and embraced only the poison.

    There was no way that Choi Woo-Jae had not thought of something that Kim Pil-Doo had thought of. From the beginning, Choi Woo-Jae had brought up Choi Jin-Woo just to drag out the conversation to this point in order to stack the deck.

    "What do you think? Since I suggested this bet, I''m going to bet on Yu-Seong. Do you still consider this as an order?¡± asked Woo-Jae.

    Kim Pil-Doo looked up at Choi Woo-Jae, whose deep gaze did not reveal his inner thoughts. In fact, knowing that he essentially had no choice, Pil-Doo said, "How could I say no to you? It''s just that¡­¡±

    He had to make sure he received everything that he should.

    "What do I get if I win?¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae grinned. This was amon trait between Choi Yu-Seong, Choi In-Young, and Kim Pil-Doo.

    <i>¡®They are greedy.¡¯</i>

    Aside from their ability, Choi Woo-Jae very much favored their attitude. He also clearly knew what Kim Pil-Doo wanted. He offered, "I''ll give you the authority to officially seek this position.¡±

    "Does that mean...?" asked Pil-Doo.

    ¡°Your name will be Choi Pil-Doo. What do you think?"

    Choi Woo-Jae''s eyes shone as brightly as the scales of a snake.

    <i>¡®You clever old man.¡¯?</i>

    Pil-Doo knew that Choi Woo-Jae never intended to give Pil-Doo hisst name. The man had absolute faith in his blood rtives. Nevertheless, the reason for the above conditions actually suggested one thing.

    <i>¡®You think I''m going to lose, don¡¯t you?¡¯?</i>

    Even if Kim Pil-Doo won the bet, he wouldn¡¯t be able to win the chairmanship in the end. There was no way that Woo-Jae¡¯s blood rtives would leave Kim Pil-Doo alone once he threw himself right into Choi''s Comet Group.

    <i>''We''ll see who wins.¡¯?</i>

    Pill-Doo swallowed the bitter taste and looked at Woo-Jae. He wondered if Woo-Jae knew that the look in their eyes was the same.

    "I''m honored, sir."

    "There are a lot of interesting bets these days that I can enjoy. By the way, Secretary Kim. You have a meeting with Chairman Yoo tomorrow, right?¡±

    As such, the big event which would change the whole future of Kim Pil-Doo passed so casually.

    ***

    Three days passed, and Choi Min-Seok spent that time feeling nervous. He trembled in fear when he saw the guest who hade to visit him.

    "What''s wrong? You look like you¡¯ve seen a ghost or something."

    "You, you..." Choi Min-Seok stuttered at Choi Yu-Seong, who entered the house with a smile. Hardening his expression, he asked, "Why did youe to my house?"

    .

    Min-Seok was still a member of the Choi family, so his emotional turmoil did notst long. However, Yu-Seong did not seem to care about his reaction.

    "Is it a problem for brothers to visit each other? Anyway¡­ should we talk here or somewhere else?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    Choi Min-Seok frowned, trying to read in between the lines. Being cautious, he had hired three security hunters above B-rank, and around them were also some housemaids who helped with the housework. There were too many eyes around them. He wanted to believe that it was not a big deal, but what if Choi Yu-Seong hade after uncovering everything?

    <i>¡®It would be better if there is no one listening.¡¯?</i>

    But what if that wasn¡¯t the case? If Choi Yu-Seong hade to harm him, Min-Seok had to have the security hunters near him.

    <i>¡®What should I do?¡¯?</i>

    Looking at the worried Choi Min-Seok, Yu-Seong approached the living room sofa. "Well, if you''re worried, let''s just talk here."

    "No! Let''s go to my room!" Min-Seok shouted.

    He quickly blocked Yu-Seong¡¯s way. His heart was pounding as he trembled. He had blocked the way hurriedly without much thought because the uncertainty was worrying him greatly.

    Choi Yu-Seong smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Lead the way."

    Choi Min-Seok led the way, and the security hunters looked at Yu-Seong with wary eyes before following them. Min-Seok spoke about 100 meters away from his room.

    "You guys wait here. I need to talk to my brother."

    He had the security hunters on standby in a position where they coulde to save him at any time and lead Yu-Seong into his room.

    Choi Yu-Seong then sat close to the sofa in the room like he was the homeowner. He asked, "What are you doing? Why don''t you sit down?"

    Choi Min-Seok could feel it intuitively this time.

    <i>¡®Ah, this guy knows everything!¡¯</i>

    His every step to the sofa felt heavy. His mind was full ofplicated thoughts, so each step forward wasn¡¯t easy at all.

    "Are you that scared?¡±

    Choi Min-Seok paused at Choi Yu-Seong''s question.

    "Then why did you do that?" asked Yu-Seong.

    Choi Min-Seok decided to stop overthinking. he asked, "...What do you want?"

    "What?"

    "Damn, I''m asking you what you want!¡±

    "Oh, I guess you haven''t figured it out yet.¡± Yu-Seong took out the file from his briefcase and threw it to Choi Min-Seok, who hurriedly caught it.

    Min-Seok read through the file and turned pale. The file was thick with a pile of papers, all of which contained details of his criminal activities, his overseas bank ounts, traces of alliances with government and business, voice messages he had sent to threaten Yu-Seong¡¯s life, photos of him making a deal for the mana stone bomb at the time of Lee Jin-Wook''s incident, and even some minor things that were unknown to him. The information had all been collected by Jenny.

    "How, how could you..." asked Min-Seok in a shaky voice.

    Choi Yu-Seong continued to talk after yawning. ¡°Let me get straight to the point. I don''t intend to hand the file over to the police because there are a lot of problems that could embarrass our whole family. But I''m certainly going to show it to Father.¡±

    Choi Min-Seok immediately fell to his knees and began to beg Choi Yu-Seong for forgiveness. "Yu, Yu-Seong, you can''t hand this over to Father. You know what will happen, right? If I get caught with all of this, I¡¯ll be done for."

    He would be driven out of the family immediately, and all his power and wealth would be taken away. In that case, the only thing left in Choi Min-Seok''s life would be to fall into hell.

    "Then you should have lived a good life. Too many people died because of you.¡±

    "Yu-Seong, no, Yu-Seong-nim. Please¡­!" begged Min-Seok. He crawled toward Choi Yu-Seong, who was sitting on the sofa. Then, he continued to rub his hands and bow his head. He couldn¡¯t afford to be abandoned by the family. He was desperate to be forgiven because knew better than anyone else that his suffering would be worse than death.

    Yu-Seong looked at Choi Min-Seok indifferently.

    "Please, I''ll do whatever you tell me to do. Anything. I''ll tell you who told me to nder you. I''ll tell you, sir! I mean it, please¡­¡±

    ¡°It was Choi In-Young, wasn''t it?¡±

    Choi Min-Seok could not hide his surprised expression. He was hoping to use that name as a bargaining chip, so he didn¡¯t expect it to be revealed so quickly. Moreover, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes seemed to look into him so thoroughly that he felt naked.

    The look in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes reminded Choi Min-Seok of someone.

    <i>¡®Father¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong reminded Min-Seok of Choi Woo-Jae, the absolute king of their family who always sat high above and looked down at them.

    "I''ll give you one chance, Choi Min-Seok. I won''t let you get kicked out of this family. Instead, you''ll have to give me the majority of what you''ve been enjoying so far," said Yu-Seong.

    "Bu-, but this is¡­¡±

    "I¡¯ve already got permission from Father. Let''s start with this house. How many buildings and cars do you have? Oh, and I''m sure you manage a team with your influential power.¡±

    "Yu-Seong-nim, if you take all that away from me..."

    "But at least yourst name ¡®Choi¡¯ will remain, right?¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong was right. If Min-Seok gave up hisst name, there wouldn¡¯t ever be an opportunity for him to climb back up again. This was especially true if Choi Woo-Jae found out about what he had done.

    Choi Yu-Seong continued to talk to Min-Seok, who had his back against the wall with no escape. "And you know who was managing the slush funds created by the dead Choi Byung-Chan, right?"

    "Not up to that point...."

    "You don¡¯t? If you don''t know, go and find out. I''ll give you two days."

    "What?"

    ¡°Also, investigate and collect all the external forces created by Choi Byung-Chan. I¡¯ll give you two days to find this out as well."

    "Now, wait, there''s so much work to be done..." Choi Min-Seok answered anxiously.

    However, Choi Yu-Seong did not stop talking. ¡°The important thing is that you should not be caught by anyone while doing this. If other siblings find out about this and I''m in trouble, then¡­ I''ll leave the next thing to your imagination.¡±

    "I''ll do it, I will. But I''m saying it¡¯s a race against the clock!"

    "Is it a race against the clock?"

    "Yes, I mean, yes, sir."

    Choi Yu-Seong smiled and looked at the watch on his wrist. "But you¡¯re still here."

    "What?"

    "What are you doing? Go out and run!"

    Choi Min-Seok became frightened at those words and quickly ran out of his room. Having reaffirmed the fact that Choi Yu-Seong did not intend to give him any more time, he wrecked his brains to figure out how to handle things as secretly and quickly as possible.

    <i>¡®So there¡¯s a lot of work to be done... Damn it, it''s too much.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok became desperate for the first time in his life and had to think and run with all his might.

 Chapter 107

    <h4>Chapter 107 </h4>

    During the three days that Choi Yu-Seong had been in the hospital, there had been one thing he contemted as he looked over the various data and reports Jenny brought him

    <i>¡®What should I do to take as much as possible from Choi Min-Seok?¡¯</i>

    The easiest way was to share the information with his siblings. If they knew that Yu-Seong had gotten Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s permission, they would target Choi Min-Seok to take everything he had since he had been living above the familial social standing. Min-Seok would soon lose the shirt on his back and be kicked out of the house even before he could react.

    But that was the problem.

    <i>¡®Then all I could get would be a piece of meat.¡¯</i>

    The only benefit from that would bepleting the work easily and being allied with one of his siblings. However, thetter''s gains weren''t important to Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It''s an alliance that can break at any time.¡¯?</i>

    There was definitely a limit to how much he could grow if he borrowed help from others. But more importantly, there was a higher chance Choi Woo-Jae would be disappointed.

    He also thought about revealing Choi Min-Seok¡¯s faults to the media.

    <i>¡®It''ll be the stupidest decision, but¡­.¡¯</i>

    Since Min-Seok would then be judged by thew and considering the crimes he hadmitted until now, it would be the neatest way to deal with the whole situation. However, that n could damage the entire Comet Group. Choi Min-Seok was also part of the Choi family, so it could not be helped.

    It was the most desirable situation for Choi Yu-Seong himself, but Choi Woo-Jae would be shouldering a loss. Simr to the first method, there were not many benefits for Choi Yu-Seong, who stood more to lose than gain since he would only be able to nibble on the scraps.

    <i>¡®I can put this off a little longer.¡¯?</i>

    Thus, Yu-Seong chose the third method.

    <i>¡®If I want it all for myself, then the best thing to do would be to give Choi Min-Seok some breathing room and use him as much as I can.¡®</i>

    After all, it didn¡¯t matter what one ate. Everything could cause indigestion if eaten too quickly, and Yu-Seong considered Choi Min-Seok''s wealth and power to be no different.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll need to chew it slowly and digest it well.¡¯</i>

    Having made his decision, Yu-Seong went to visit Choi Min-Seok with the information, and the results were pretty good. Exactly two dayster, Choi Yu-Seong looked at the data Choi Min-Seok brought to his house in Hannam-dong with satisfaction.

    <i>¡®As expected, Choi Byung-Chan was managing the slush fund separately.¡¯</i>

    Having specialized in illegal operations in Korea, Byung-Chan had quite a lot of money tucked away secretly. About 100 billion won was hidden in ounts in countries like Europe and the United States under other people¡¯s names. Fortunately, there was only one person who managed his money.

    Yu-Seong liked how the manager was timid and had not touched any of this money even after Choi Byung-Chan''s death. He confirmed this fact and focused on what was next on the agenda.

    <i>¡®The board of directors and outside forces that supported Byung-Chan have already been split between the third, fourth, and fifth brothers and sisters.¡¯?</i>

    This was already expected, and Choi Yu-Seong had no intention of reaching out to them even if they remained.

    <i>¡®This is still too big a portion for me to take.¡¯</i>

    To make an analogy, it would be like starting a fire on the oil of rising vignce.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong had been requesting data from Choi Min-Seok so he could identify the exact opponent if an attack targeted him.

    <i>¡®It''s not 100% reliable information, but¡­.¡¯</i>

    It was better than nothing. Min-Seok was still a member of Choi''s family, so he wasn¡¯tpletely useless.

    ¡°It¡¯s notpletely useless,¡± said Choi Yu-Seong to Min-Seok.

    At Yu-Seong¡¯s final evaluation, Choi Min-Seok¡¯s face lit up. His tense expression gradually fell away as he said, "I-I''m d.¡±

    "I''ll give you the next mission. Take all these slush funds out so that I can use them anytime."

    Even if that money was ill-gotten gains, it would eventually be used for another illegal and immoral business or be hidden forever if it was kept hidden.

    Choi Yu-Seong decided to take it for himself. He said, "I''ll give you a month for this.¡±

    It would take time to persuade the manager, integrate money from all over the world, andunder it.

    When Choi Min-Seok looked somewhat relieved at his words, Choi Yu-Seong smiled insidiously and put aside the document Min-Seok had brought. He said, "I won''t take your house, car, and property right away.¡±

    "Then you mean...?" asked Min-Seok.

    "Do a good job and behave yourself. If the other siblings make suspicious moves or approach you, report it immediately."

    Choi Yu-Seong''s remarks sounded almost like forgiveness. It made Choi Min-Seok''s eyes widen as they moistened with tears. Unable to control his overwhelming emotions, Min-Seok shouted, "Yu¡­Yu-Seong¡­ <i>Cough</i>!"

    Choi Yu-Seonghad immediately kicked Choi Min-Seok in the face with a frown. He barked, "How dare you address me like that? Do you want to die?"

    "I, I didn¡¯t mean..."

    "Listen, you said you''d do everything you were told, right? Choi Min-Seok, you are just like my ve from now on."

    Choi Min-Seok gulped as he trembled. His pride was hurt.

    <i>¡®Well, even that wouldn¡¯tst long¡­.¡¯</i>

    Choi Min-Seok was very proud, but he was not mentally strong enough to protect that much pride. If he continued to be used and ignored, then he would eventually adapt. It was just like how he had so far surrendered to his other siblings.

    <i>¡®I know exactly what people like you are like. Strong against the weak, weak against the strong. You''ll never be able to climb up above me.¡¯?</i>

    To be honest, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t care about getting caught by the other siblings while using Min-Seok like this.

    <i>¡®Who would like a guy who used to be a spy?¡¯</i>

    At that time, the person who would be abandoned would be Choi Min-Seok himself. Thus, Yu-Seong could use him as much as he wanted before abandoning him, just like the original Choi Yu-Seong did.

    <i>¡®Choi Min-Seok, I will give you a break to make you suffer more than the number of people you killed.¡¯</i>

    After Choi Yu-Seong sent Choi Min-Seok off with a new job, he checked his cell phone. He had a message from Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    - Boss! I''m over level 50.

    After she had Re-Awakened, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s growth rate was surprisingly fast. Considering that she couldn''t go to a dungeon for about two days since she had to wait for the hunter''s test, only about six days had passed. However, she still exceeded 50 levels.

    Even if Choi Yu-Seong had provided her with the Hunting Experience Boost potion, the growth was faster than he thought. In fact, it was also hard for Choi Yu-Seong to get used to this ridiculous speed at first, so he had asked Kim Jin-Young to film Ye-Ryeong with magic tech drones. It was because he wondered how she hunted to have such an exponential growth rate.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s much faster than when I was in E-rank.¡¯</i>

    This was not just a matter of gaining a lot of experience points. Through the video, Yu-Seong could figure out the secret of Chae Ye-Ryeong''s level growth rate.

    <i>¡®How could all monsters die with a single shot of an E-rank level 1 hunter?¡¯</i>

    Moreover, Chae Ye-Ryeong was the yer who used the Projection skill, so all she had to do was to shoot her skills wherever she wanted without having to move. Of course, she didn''t need the help of a party member. As a result, the monster was not taken away by anyone else and was hers entirely.

    By the time she reached level 20 in the E-rank, Chae Ye-Ryeong had moved to a rank 2 dungeon, where she also exhibited a one-shot one-kill show. In other words, the hunting efficiency itself was overwhelmingly better than Choi Yu-Seong when he had been in E-rank.

    It wasn''t that Yu-Seong didn''t understand this.

    <i>¡®This is the power of the viin who even Kim Do-Jin, the original novel¡¯s main character, struggled to strike down with his supporters!¡¯</i>

    This was a real viin¡¯s growth potential. It was different from Choi Yu-Seong, who, in the original novel, was the viin with a supporting role who was abandoned after being used in the beginning and eventually died.

    There was a saying that the real power of the main character¡¯s group was ganging up and teamwork. Although it would not be possible due to the novel''s bnce, Yu-Seong suddenly thought that Kim Do-Jin might have lost if Chae Ye-Ryeong was not alone but had a colleague.

    <i>¡®On top of that, I supported Chae Ye-Ryeong even before she Re-Awakened, so¡­¡¯</i>

    Ye-Ryeong was already spending her days drinking a lot of gray mana extracts. In addition, there was also the mana received from the yellow and orange mana stones during the Re-Awakening incident. In other words, the Chae Ye-Ryeong was currently full of mana. She was also using the powerful skill, which in the original novel, even the main character and his group struggled with.

    At the time of the hunter''s test, Chae Ye-Ryeong had said that she got the top passing grade even though she was gentle in case her opponent got hurt. Her words seemed almost unbelievable.

    <i>¡®In fact, at that time, she could also avoid them with a single shot¡­¡¯</i>

    It was not difficult to shake off the countless guild scouts who chased after her with a single-minded focus. This was because Ye-Ryeong immediately dered it with a big smile to the reporter who came to the interview.

    ¡¸I''ve already signed a contract with president Choi Yu-Seong!¡¹

    With that deration, the Republic of Korea was once again in chaos. It started with the phrase "The Comet Group''s monopolization of talent" to the story of ¡°Choi Yu-Seong''s individualpetence¡±. In conclusion, the rumor spread and evolved. It was thanks to Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, both of whom were hired by Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®I can''t share what is mine, not even with Father.''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong thought that Choi Woo-Jae would also be pleased with his actions. Based on the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong gradually came to understand the world of the rich.

    ***

    For more than a week, Choi Yu-Seong had not gone on a dungeon hunt. There were two reasons. The first reason was the absence of both Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon.

    <i>¡®It''s dangerous to walk around without them.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong valued his life more than his greed for growth in recent years. He did not want to be in trouble from walking around alone. Jenny was a reliable person, but she had a lot of other work to do. He couldn''t spend 24 hours together with her like he used to with the Jin siblings.

    However, that did not mean he had justzed around. He drank mana extracts every day and trained in the morning and evening. In particr, he spent more time than usual on spear training. There was one clear reason for this.

    <i>¡®How Geom-Gui moved back then.¡¯</i>

    Apart from being an A-rank viin, Geom-Gui had boasted quite excellent swordsmanship.

    <i>¡®Something different from Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    It looked rough and straight, but it was flexible. For some reason, Choi Yu-Seong felt that Geom-Gui¡¯s sword technique was not unfamiliar. To be exact, it seemed to be just out of his grasp and out of his sight. Maybe it was something he could feel because he had watched Geom-Gui¡¯s swordsmanship through the Insight skill, which he had only two trials left.

    Or, it might be due to extreme concentration forced by the worst situation where his neck was on the line. In any case, Choi Yu-Seong found a certain flow in Geom-Gui''s swordsmanship, which could bebined with his own spear skills. Yu-Seong pursued that and focused on training, with results showing exactly on Day 8.

    As always, Choi Yu-Seong went out early in the morning with a clear mind. He wielded a spear in the front garden. He felt that the feel of the spear wrapping around his hand today was different from usual.

    <i>¡®The spear¡¯s de feels especially sharp today.¡¯</i>

    His movements could be clearly seen, as if he were observing them from a third person''s point of view. What kind of harmony would this be? Even before questioning deeply, Yu-Seong fell into a trance.

 Chapter 108

    <h4>Chapter 108 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong mainly used the basic spear techniques¡ªspinning(Lan), pushing(Na), and stabbing(Chal) techniques. However, his spear skills started to change. The basic techniques remained, but the steps from Wind Control were naturallybined with them. That was all that changed, but his attack moves became different from before. His spear was light as a feather.

    Ecstatic, Choi Yu-Seong began to perform the spear skill by mixing the steps of Wind Control toward invisible opponents only visible in his imagination. Then, the spear¡¯s de splendidly decorated the empty space as if it were blooming buds.

    Without knowing how much time had passed, Choi Yu-Seong swung the spear until he felt exhausted. Soaked with sweat, he copsed and exhaled a rough breath. "Hhhhhhhh¡­!"

    He was out of breath and felt dizzy, but he also felt refreshed.

    <i>¡®I somehow got past a wall¡­!¡¯</i>

    Not only did his rank get higher, but Yu-Seong¡¯s skill in using his spear increased. It was as if the system wanted him to clearly recognize the fact because there were many messages popping up in front of his eyes.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster looks at the growth of yer Choi Yu-Seong with an interested eye. 500 karma points are sponsored.

    - The Oldest Hunter values the yer Choi Yu-Seong beautifully. 500 karma points are sponsored.

    - Cnn¡¯s Hound is happier than anyone else with the improvement of the yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s spear skills. 1,500 karma points are sponsored!

    - Special Skill, Spear Prodigy D ¡ú Spear Practioner D

    Three gods supporting Choi Yu-Seong sent congrattory gifts. Not only that, but the name of the Special skill had changed. In addition, a silver whirlwind wrapped around Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The level has risen.

    Without much thought, Choi Yu-Seong yelled out joyfully. It had been a while since his level had risen from training. He felt great satisfaction energizing his entire being. "YESSSSSSS-!"

    Choi Yu-Seong, who was originally a nugatory viin who would originally be used and abandoned, was growing steadily and continuously.

    ***

    Yu-Seong wanted to look up his upgraded skills in afortable state after he returned home, finished showering, andid in bed. That way, he could freely express his joyfulness in bed. Like that, Choi Yu-Seong gotfortable and first checked his Spear Practioner skill.

    ¡ºSpear Practioner D

    Has a very good understanding and proficiency in pole weapons and spears.

    Get the effect of the general skill ¨C Cool-headed D ¨C when using the spear.

    Get the effect of the general skill ¨C Stamina Reinforcement D ¨C when using the spear. Duplicate is possible.

    Get the effect of the general skill ¨C Physical Strength Reinforcement D ¨C when using the spear. Duplicate is possible.

    Attack power increases when using the spear.

    When learning techniques rted to spear, the learning rate will be faster.

    When acquiring skills rted to spear, the starting point will be set at a rank one higher.¡»

    There wasn¡¯t a single aspect it wascking; everything was just perfect.

    ¡°This one skill ys the role of at least three skills.¡±

    In particr, in the case of Stamina Reinforcement and Physical Strength Reinforcement, Yu-Seong liked it even more since duplications were possible.

    <i>¡®If this happens, my Stamina Reinforcement skill could actually be about D+ rank?¡¯</i>

    An individual''s overall ability sometimes made one perform better than the rank, but generally, there were limitations to a skill¡¯s rank. Even if he had a duplicate effect, it was natural to think it would be impossible to go beyond C-rank.

    <i>¡®Since I used to bench press 400kg...it''s safe to say that I can do 500kg now.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to try it right away, but unfortunately, he had no realistic way to experiment with it.

    <i>''That¡¯s because I can''t bench press with a spear in one hand.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, he did not want to identally be mortally wounded after bench pressing with a spear attached to his hand. Above all, he had his own evidence that his guess would be quite right.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, it was mentioned that if there¡¯s a ¡®+¡¯ added to the rank, the efficiency increases by an additional 50 percent.¡¯?</i>

    The Stamina Reinforcement effect was also excellent. The longer the battlested, the more a yer¡¯s stamina levels would impact even their concentration. Choi Yu-Seong was certain that his stamina would definitely be very helpful in long-termbat. In fact, it was extremely pleasant that all of his skills¡¯ growth was somewhat incidental.

    <i>¡®The important thing is that, even though it doesn¡¯t show up in the system skill window¡­ My spear skills have improved.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s basic spear skill hadbined with his Wind Control skill. As a result, he was able to ovee a wall and exceed the limit. Thanks to that, he shook off the anxiety he had been feeling because of his stalled growth after being unable to train in the dungeons these days.

    <i>¡®Even if I don¡¯t raise my level, I¡¯m in the process of growing, so let¡¯s cheer up.¡¯</i>

    For now, it looked a little slow, but all of these things would stack up and eventually form a castle. The strong people of this era must have also walked a simr path. Above all, the gods seemed to like Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s growth quite a lot.

    <i>¡®I got a figure of karma points that I''ve never received before.¡¯?</i>

    The sum of karma points from the three gods was 2,500. This was more than the amount of 2,200 he had saved up, not to mention this amount would be a lot less if he hadn¡¯t received karma points from the cheering gods as he fought against Geom-Gui during Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s Re-Awakening.

    <i>¡®Anyway, my new total is 4,700 karma points.¡¯</i>

    The first thing that came to mind from this fairlyrge figure was the growth of special skills that had stagnated in the E-rank.

    <i>¡®With this amount, I can improve two of my skills¡­ But which skill should I choose?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong didn''t contemte for a long time.

    <i>¡®I''ve already decided on one.¡¯?</i>

    First, he chose to improve the Wind Control skill. It consumed about 2,500 karma points, but it was the best survival or escape skill among his skills. Moreover, since it wasbined with his spear skills, it would now also be quite efficient for attacking.

    <i>¡®So¡­I¡¯ll consume the karma points for the Wind Control.¡¯</i>

    When Yu-Seong made the decision, the writing of ¡®<i>Wind Control</i>¡¯ glowed golden as it floated on the window in front of him. Since then, the mes started at the bottom of the letter E and swallowed it up quickly. It soon turned into ashes and changed into a golden D.

    <i>¡®Oh, the system interface cared about the visual effects.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s exmation about the unexpected mboyance did notst long. He immediately checked the updated Wind Control skill¡¯s stats and performance.

    ¡ºSpecial Skills, Wind Control (D)

    Fusion not possible.

    Inheritance not possible.

    At the end of 18 steps that flow like water, a dragon that catches the wind travels through the clouds. This is a skill that has beenpletely inherited.

    You can only use seven out of eighteen steps due to the current low grade.

    It is easier to dodge the opponent¡¯s attacks.

    You can kill some of your presence.

    For seven steps after skill activation, you can instantly elerate your movement.

    Immediately after skill activation, you can instantly create a short illusion using five steps.

    If you use an illusion 3 or more times in a row, re-use waiting time (30 minutes) will ur. ¡»

    "Fu..." Choi Yu-Seong covered his mouth after he unknowingly cursed out loud. His Wind Control, which had been limited to five steps, increased to seven steps. There were three advantages to this.<i>?</i>

    <i>¡®First of all, the danger due to the cut off of Wind Control when avoiding attacks could be held off a bit.¡¯</i>

    In addition, the connection performance had improved when it came to attacking with the spear. Finally, the most important part was that Choi Yu-Seong could now use the five steps to make the illusion and still have two steps remaining. All skills had a very short dy before they were reactivated. However, since there was no such dy, both attacking and avoiding could be done wlessly.

    <i>¡®I think I can now catch rank 3 dungeon boss monsters by myself.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong''s subjective judgment was that he could hunt rank 3 elite monsters alone if the conditions were stable. If it was a rank 4 dungeon, he could handle the weak monsters near the entrance. However, the situation was different now.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s rank 3 elite monster, I may handle up to five of them. Also, I can now hunt the dungeon boss monster alone.¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong could do more than this if he took a risk.

    <i>¡®If it¡¯s rank 4 elite monsters¡­.I may handle up to three of them. If I risk my life and am lucky enough, I might be able to hunt the raid rank boss monster.¡¯</i>

    Generally, it was known that raid monsters, which were also known to be special within the rank 4 monsters, could be hunted by at least ten D-rank high-level hunters gathered with all different types of skills. That would be the only reasonable attempt.

    Suddenly, Choi Yu-Seong thought that he would be able to hunt it alone. This was something that even Kim Do-Jin could only do if he risked his life and was lucky, but now, Yu-Seong thought it would be possible for him as well. Thinking about it in this way, he couldn¡¯t help but realize again how great his improvement was.

    <i>¡®Wait, no matter how many preconditions there are, did I just think that I could fight at a simr level as Kim Do-Jin?¡¯</i>

    Did that even make sense?

    In the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong was supposed to die after being used ipetently in this world. How could he bepared to Kim Do-Jin, the returnee of another world? If he thought about it differently, that meant with the premise of being lucky, there was a possibility of him beating Kim Do-Jin when he was D-rank.

    <i>¡®I could beat the main character of the novel?¡¯</i>

    Of course, he could be conceited. In addition, as his level went up, it would be harder to climb up the stairs, so someday, it might be difficult to even reach Kim Do-Jin¡¯s toes in the end with how high he might rise.

    However, in theparative analysis that was drawn in his head right now, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin in the D-rank era were clearly at the same level. It was a sense that Yu-Seong had felt the other day, but this time it was clearly different.

    <i>¡®If Kim Do-Jin was still a D-rank... then I would have wanted to give it a shot.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, there was a way for Yu-Seong topare with Do-Jin right away. For example, he could challenge the Orc War Chief Raid alone, which Kim Do-Jin hunted when he was D-rank.

    <i>¡®If I break his record as I did in the Goblin Fortress¡­¡¯</i>

    Wouldn''t Kim Do-Jin be shocked silly? Clearing the simple dungeon and also hunting raid monsters were different. Choi Yu-Seong contemted for a moment but soon shook his head.

    <i>¡®Still, survival is the most important thing, not the desire to win.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was also a human being, so he felt his heart burning with passion. However, he gave up his thoughts immediately because he valued his life more than such feelings. Instead, he continued thinking about where to spend the remaining 2,200 karma points.

    <i>''I kept putting it off, but now I¡¯ll have to decide.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong jumped up from his seat and held a stick candy he had prepared in the room. "Summon Dimensional Merchant."

    "Did you call me?!" said Ping Pong.

    Choi Yu-Seong first handed a lollipop to Ping Pong, who appeared as if he had been waiting. He then said, "Mr. Ping Pong, it''s finally time."

    "What?" Ping Pong was holding the peeled stick candy with both hands and licking it with his pink tongue. He tilted his head and asked.

    "I''ll ask for a level-up of the dimensional bundle.¡±

    Pingpong¡¯s eyes glistened at Yu-Seong¡¯s words, and jumped up from his seat. He shouted, "Oh-! That''s a wise choice. But in a little while!"

    He then licked the remaining lollipops and spoke in a dignified voice. "Let''s put it off after eating all this great invention, lollipops. Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

 Chapter 109

    <h4>Chapter 109 </h4>

    Exactly 2,000 karma points were needed to upgrade the level 1 dimension bundle to level 2. However, before that, there was something he had to do.

    <i>''First of all, I need to purchase 1,000 karma points.¡¯?</i>

    One might wonder what kind of mile achievement work this was, but there was no other choice for Choi Yu-Seong but to follow the rules. Anyway, because of that, Choi Yu-Seong steadily consumed karma points to purchase goods and achieved 1,000 purchased karma points without difficulty. After that, he couldn¡¯t make up his mind after he exceeded 2,000 purchased points.

    <i>¡®Should I collect a bit more for the Wind Control skill¡¯s upgrade? Or should I use it for the dimension store first?¡¯</i>

    First of all, Yu-Seong thought it was a good move to upgrade his Wind Control skill first, but upgrading the dimensional package was considerably useful, too, so he couldn¡¯t stop contemting his options. However, after his recent growth, he received 2,500 karma points which were enough for him to do both.

    <i>¡®I can raise both the Wind Control skill and the dimensional bundle¡¯s level.¡¯</i>

    Since he had collected enough karma points to literally do whatever he wanted, Yu-Seong could consume it without any hesitation. After that, the pink bundle that Ping Pong took out of his front pocket was enveloped in white light. The light disappeared before pink letters shed in front of Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes.

    - Bambapaba-! The dimensional bundle has leveled up! Congrattions!

    In the future, you will be able to purchase rare-ss dimensional items.

    The Lion Bear n¡¯s characteristics have activated! As a level-up bonus, you will be given a free lottery ticket for rare-ss items.

    The letter then turned into a piece of paper that fell onto Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s palm.

    <i>¡®A free lottery ticket!¡¯</i>

    This special item could only be received when the dimensional bundle¡¯s level was raised. It was a special gift that could only be received when signing a contract with the Lion Bear n among dimensional merchants.

    "Whoa... You must be surprised. To exin the lottery ticket..." said Ping Pong. He looked excited since it was a bonus effect of his n¡¯s.

    "It''s randomly changes of one of the rare-ss items in the dimensional bundle,¡± said Yu-Seong even before Ping Pong could start to exin.

    "What? How did you ...?"

    "Well, because I have a bigger secret than that. Of course, it''s a secret to Mr. Ping Pong,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "This is not fair¡­?!"

    Choi Yu-Seong slightly teased Ping Pong and looked at the lottery ticket with a faraway look. As a person who once worked as a gamepany employee, how could he not know the lottery system?

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the flower¡­ No, it¡¯s the poop of the game.¡¯</i>

    Many people pointed their fingers or cursed in severe cases at the highly unlikely probability of the lottery system. However, from the perspective of apany that distributed games for free, the lottery was the only way to earn money.

    <i>¡®Games should be fun and drawing the lottery should be just as enjoyable.¡¯?</i>

    It was not fun to just pick. Thepany had to make the act of drawing itself enjoyable or make one feel the item was worthy. Since Yu-Seong had had to think about this problem more than anyone else, it would be silly if he could not remember those details. Therefore, he wanted to use this lottery ticket right away and get more immersed in the nostalgia of his past, but it was not the right time yet.

    After getting rid of his disappointment, Yu-Seong first handed the lottery ticket to Ping Pong.

    "Don''t you want to try it right away?" asked Ping Pong.

    "No, since this lottery ticket is upgradeable," said Yu-Seong.

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t free. It took as many as 2,000 karma points to upgrade the rare-ss lottery ticket. However, looking beyond, it was a choice that held much more benefits.

    ¡°I need to work hard to collect more karma points," said Yu-Seong.

    Ping Pong big eyes grew even bigger at Yu-Seong¡¯s words. He murmured, "Oh-ho¡­ Only a few people know about that..."

    "If I were to just rip it, wouldn''t you have told me?" asked Yu-Seong.

    Ping Pong smiled at Choi Yu-Seong''s question and asked, "What if I was going to keep my mouth shut because I had annoyed about your secret?¡±

    "Sure enough, so that¡¯s why you watched until the end. Then, unfortunately, I guess I can never tell Mr. Ping Pong my secret," said Yu-Seong.

    "Ah-! That''s too much. Choi Yu-Seong!" shouted Ping Pong. As someone who couldn''t even break after trying to attack Yu-Seong, he puffed up his cheeks.

    Of course, it was simple to soothe Ping Pong from being upset.

    "I''ll give you this, so don''t be too upset," said Yu-Seong.

    "I don''t need it!" said Ping Pong.

    "Even if you say so, your bodynguage says otherwise.¡±

    Ping Pong received a stick candy from Choi Yu-Seong by sticking out his short arms. His cheeks were red as he sat in ce and stuck out his tongue again. As always, when he felt better, his round tail began to puff up like a bubble.

    <i>¡®Cute guy.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought to himself and smiled while he looked at Ping Pong. At that moment, he got a call.

    <i>¡®Huh? Father?¡¯</i>

    It was a phone call that he had no choice but to answer immediately.

    "Yes, Father?"

    - The date of the match is set.

    The topic hade out of nowhere, but Yu-Seong could understand what Choi Woo-Jae was talking about.

    <i>¡®The dungeon racing with Bernard Yoo!¡¯</i>

    In fact, if it wasn''t for Choi Byung-Chan''s death, it would have been a match that would have urred immediately. The match had been pushed back due to that incident.

    Yu-Seong remained silent and waited for Choi Woo-Jae''s next words.

    - The match is a weekter, in the Orc Vige, the rank 4 dungeon.

    "Pardon?" Taken aback, Yu-Seong unconsciously expressed an objection.

    - The government and the association seem to have already taken measures. As I always say, I do not like losing.

    Choi Woo-Jae understood Yu-Seong''s question as an objection asking how he could enter the rank 4 dungeon alone, so he hung up after a short exnation. However, that wasn¡¯t exactly why Choi Yu-Seong was flustered.

    <i>¡®It''s in the Orc Vige?¡¯</i>

    Even within the rank 4 dungeon, the Orc Vige''s was more infamous than the rank 2 dungeon, the Goblin Fortress.

    <i>¡®Well¡­ It makes sense since¡­¡¯</i>

    The Orc Vige¡¯s boss monster was the Orc War Chief¡ªa monster meant for a group raid. It was said to be impossible to hunt unless five C-rank hunters gathered to fight it, so it was practically unheard of for a D-rank hunter to hunt the raid-ss boss monster alone. Actually, under simr conditions, there was one person who had hunted alone in Korea.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin was the only one.¡¯</i>

    Thinking about it, Yu-Seong could see why the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s Chairman Yoo chose the Orc Vige as the battlefield.

    <i>¡®At the beginning of the original novel, Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo were described as rivals to some extent¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, there must have been quite a bit ofpetition. Needless to say, this was especially true for the rich chairman, who hated losing to others.

    <i>¡®In fact, it¡¯s the same for our family and Cheon-Ji Group.¡¯</i>

    The rich were human nature itself; they were greed and desire in a human form. This was why the rich continued to fight with each other, even though it seemed enough to the other people to be in the business world¡¯s top 100. Choi Yu-Seong was clearly aware now that the desire should not be underestimated.

    There was only one problem. Only 10 minutes ago, he had thought that if he risked his life, and if he was lucky, he might be able to hunt Orc War Chief, which was the rank 4 raid monster.

    <i>''And I gave up on that thought.¡¯?</i>

    He thought there was no reason to challenge the solo y to the raid monster while risking his life. A smile automatically tugged at his lips.

    <i>''Should I tell my father that it¡¯s impossible?¡¯?</i>

    He wanted to be honest and tell his father he couldn¡¯t, but that was a ridiculous thing to do since Choi Woo-Jae clearly said that he hated losing. So if Yu-Seong gave up before they even fought, then¡­

    <i>¡®I might live a life that would be worse than death.¡¯</i>

    Since Yu-Seong thought that it was better to be a live coward than a dead hero, this choice didn¡¯t seem bad. But, there was a clear reason for not saying he would give up to Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®Anyway, I did think that I could catch it, right?¡¯?</i>

    Two preconditions did apply¡ªat the risk of his life and if he was lucky. However, risking his life didn¡¯t mean he would die.

    <i>¡®It means that it¡¯ll be deathly difficult.¡¯</i>

    However, if he was lucky enough, Yu-Seong would definitely seed in hunting. But if he was unlucky, then he would die.

    <i>¡®Above all else, if I think I can¡¯t do it, I can just run away.¡¯</i>

    In fact, running away from a fight was not that difficult for Yu-Seong, since he had acquired the Wind Control skill. If so, there was actually only one thing he had to think about.

    <i>''I''m going to think about how to hunt the Orc War Chief as best as possible.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled as he opened his cell phone and began to look through the original novel¡¯s notes again. Since this was going to happen, he was going to do his best.

    <i>¡®Also, it would be fun to surprise Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Before he knew it, Choi Yu-Seong was burning with a desire to win against Kim Do-Jin.

    Less than half a dayter, Yu-Seong heard some good news. Yu-Ri had fully recovered, so she could make aeback. It was a day for Yu-Seong which he had many incidents he had to go through.

    ***

    Choi Min-Seok¡¯s daily life became extremely busypared to the days when he spent most of the day rxing in school. The hardest thing was to persuade the timid manager who originally handled Choi Byung-Chan''s money. The manager was too scared to even touch the money that had be ownerless and so was excessively wary and suspected Min-Seok¡¯s approach.

    However, Choi Min-Seok could not give up. If he could not persuade the manager, Choi Yu-Seong would reveal all his secrets to Choi Woo-Jae and push him off a cliff. Did the manager feel his desperation?

    After five days, Choi Min-Seok was finally able to persuade the manager. Next, he had to carefullyunder the money that had been in the overseas ounts and then bring it back to Korea. It wasn''t easy either. If this was unfortunately caught by the National Tax Service, the entire Comet Group could be overturned. Because of that, there were many things to be careful of.

    As a result, Choi Min-Seok became more sensitive day by day. This was only expected since he had never lived such a busy life until now.

    <i>¡®Damn you, Choi Yu-Seong. Maybe I should just say fuck it and just give up on everything.¡¯</i>

    Sometimes, Min-Seok had such thoughts in his mind. However, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes suddenly came to his mind. When he remembered Yu-Seong¡¯s momentum, which resembled Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s, he automatically trembled, and his rebellious thoughts immediately subsided.

    <i>¡®Terrifying bastard!¡¯</i>

    Since when did Choi Yu-Seong be so different? Too much had changed in such a short time. Choi Min-Seok shook as he thought of Yu-Seong. Then, he suddenly saw the TV news and the recent report on the bizarre murder of the Viins Geom-Gui and Medusa near Paju.

    The news said that Soal, the investigative expert of the Special Police Force, had been dispatched, and the traces of the battles and the mana explosion were found. Soal spected that the outline of the case was due to a certain enemy rtionship rted to the two viins. Listening to that, Min-Seok felt relieved.

    <i>''But who reported that countryside event?¡¯?</i>

    Just in case, Min-Seok looked into the reporter and found a name he had never heard of before, Hwang Ji-Woo. Choi Min-Seok would never know that he was an agent for the Hidden Team who was put forward by Choi Yu-Seong to not create bad rumors bying forward himself. Anyway, Choi Min-Seok was wary once again after watching the TV report.

    <i>''Let''s behave. There''s nothing good about being hated by Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok became pale when he received a phone call less than two hours after thinking about it.

    1. We believe this is referring to the Nook Miles on Animal Crossing where you can earn Miles bypleting challenges.

 Chapter 110

    <h4>Chapter 110 </h4>

    It was a call from Choi In-Young.

    <i>¡®Why now¡­ What should I do?¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok contemted until the cell phone stopped ringing. He only hit the answer button in surprise when the cell phone rang again.

    "Noo-nim, sorry I couldn''t answer the phone. I was a bit busy," Choi Min-Seok said as carefully and politely as possible.

    - It''s okay. So, how''s the Yu-Seong thing going?

    Choi Min-Seok stiffened when In-Young got to the main subject right away. Cold sweat formed on his forehead. Knowing the point of this conversation, he felt thankful to do it over a phone call.

    <i>''If I had faced her in person, I would have been caught.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Min-Seok had many reasons to be afraid of getting caught. If Choi In-Young started to doubt him, and if the consequence of that caused harm to Choi Yu-Seong, he would bepletely doomed.

    "...It''s going well," said Min-Seok. It was a littlete, but he pretended to be as calm as possible.

    After that, there was a short silence over the phone.

    - My dear Min-Seok, are you hiding anything from me?

    Min-Seok trembled, but he shook his head immediately. He quickly denied it. "How could I? What do I have to gain by deceiving you?"

    -Haha... But why do I feel like you are lying? You know that my intuition is pretty sharp.

    "Maybe you''ve gotten sensitive because you''ve been paying attention to many thingstely. I''m also pretty sensitive these days,¡± said Min-Seok. He wasn¡¯t exactly lying, so he could speak more smoothly.

    - Hmmm...

    Nevertheless, Choi In-Young''s suspicion over the phone did not go away easily.

    - Does Yu-Seong have something on you?

    At that moment, Choi Min-Seok almost screamed.

    <i>¡®She said that she has a good intuition, but she can actually open a fortune-telling shop.¡¯?</i>

    Min-Seok broke into a cold sweat, his back getting wet.

    - If that''s the case, feel free to tell me. I¡¯m your sister, and I can easily solve that. We are siblings, aren''t we?

    Choi Min-Seok''s gaze shook at Choi In-Young''s seductive voice.

    <i>¡®Yeah, wouldn''t In-Young noo-nim¡­be reliable?¡¯?</i>

    He thought that sharing the burden might be better than continuing to be dragged by Choi Yu-Seong. He agonized over it for a while.

    - Min-Seok, you can be honest with me.

    "That..." Choi Min-Seok''s dry lips slightly moved upon hearing Choi In-Young''s voice.

    In-Young immediately spoke again as if she couldn¡¯t miss the opportunity.

    - Yes, go ahead.

    It was like the devil was tempting Choi Min-Seok, but he still answered, "There is no such thing.¡±

    Choi Min-Seok had a hard time answering while hiding his nervousness. He made a clumsy smile.

    - Really?

    "There''s no way Yu-Seong would have something on me, right? There¡¯s no problem at all. I will contact you with good news soon, nu-nim."

    - Okay then, since you¡¯re saying that, I¡¯ll believe you. Let''s talk face-to-face when we have time.

    "Of course, noo-nim. Please feel free to contact me any time," Min-Seok said. With that, he ended the call and unknowingly breathed a deep sigh of relief.

    "Any time, my..."

    Of course, Min-Seok certainly didn¡¯t want to see In-Young in person. In fact, he didn¡¯t even want to talk on the phone with her again.

    Not too long ago, Choi In-Young''s voice had sounded pleasing, but it had be creepy now.

    <i>¡®Damn, it¡¯s all because Choi Yu-Seong has something on me¡­¡¯</i>

    Even now, Min-Seok thought about calling Choi In-Young again and honestly telling her the truth. However, he knew instinctively and logically that¡­

    <i>¡®It''s already toote.¡¯</i>

    If he turned to her now, he would be like the dog got killed after the hunt was over. Now, he had no choice but to follow Choi Yu-Seong to the best of his abilities.

    ***

    Yoo Chul-Min, the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s Chairman, opened his arms and hugged his beloved grandson. With a bright smile, he said, "My dear Bernard, you''re here. I heard it''s been a while since you came to Korea but only now do I get to see your face.¡±

    "I''m sorry. I was also busy wandering around as soon as I came to Korea,¡± said Jae-Yeol.

    "But you should have run to see me, your grandfather, first!" Yoo Chul-Min spoke harshly but still with a smile on his face. He held the hands of Jae-Yeol¡ªBernard Yoo¡ªand led him to the sofa in the living room. Then, he asked, "Ah Jae-Yeol, my dear grandson. I''ve kept up with the news. Wasn''t it hard to live abroad?"

    "There''s nothing hard about it. I just had to do everything ording to n, just like you¡¯ve prepared, grandfather,¡± Bernard Yoo said with a shrug.

    Bernard Yoo had short hair and strong facial features. His pale skin, gentle eyes, and soft smile gave an impression of a beautifully grown greenhouse flower. However, in terms of his true nature, he was quite the fighter. He hated to lose and was a very possessive person.

    To some extent, he dyed visiting Chairman Yoo at the house after returning to Korea because he had gone to trace Kim Do-Jin¡¯s footsteps. He had wanted to visit, experience, and evaluate his opponent''s skills in person, not just watch videos or hear rumors. Even his cautious personality was very much favored by Chairman Yoo.

    They inquired about each other''s health as they talked about what each had been up to. To Chairman Yoo, Bernard Yoo was just a cute grandson who always listened to him well and achieved everything he wanted. There was no reason to nag him. Naturally, the conversation continued in a friendly way.

    "Oh, and you''re well prepared for next week''s race, right?¡± asked Chairman Yoo.

    "You mean the Orc Vige, right? I''ve sent a couple of people to take a quick look at it...but can I be honest with you?¡± said Bernard Yoo.

    "Tell me."

    Bernard Yoo shrugged his shoulders with a slightly bitter smile. "Other monsters are not a problem. But the Boss Monster might be a little difficult to defeat alone.¡±

    "Ah, I see¡­ you said that you''re at level 80 of D-rank?" asked Chairman Yoo.

    "I''ll be at level 90 soon."

    "You are fast."

    Nevertheless, it was difficult to hunt Raid Boss alone in the Orc Vige.

    Chairman Yoo was not just a proud man. It had not yet been revealed to Bernard Yoo, but Chairman Yoo had made all sorts of preparations. Only when he began talking was the secret revealed.

    "It''s hard, but I think I can handle it. I just felt slightly unsure... Kim Do-Jin, that friend, he¡¯s such a monster," said Bernard Yoo.

    "So you think you can handle it?" asked Chairman Yoo. What caught his attention was Bernard Yoo¡¯s earlier words.

    "It''s going to take a while. Also, it''ll be dangerous...but I still want to give it a shot. After looking around, I want to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record in this dungeon once. It''s my first time being a challenger since I started hunting, so I''m even more excited," said Bernard Yoo.

    Chairman Yoo smiled. He was proud of every word Bernard Yoo had uttered so far. Then, a question arose in his mind for a moment. He asked, "Do you want to break his record?"

    "Yes, I heard that Choi Yu-Seong, my opponent, has already broken Kim Do-Jin''s record once."

    "Ah¡­ That..." Chairman Yoo nodded as he recalled the news that riled up Korea not long ago. He added, "It was a bit of luck to find a secret passage, but the result was pretty good."

    "Grandpa. Luck is a skill to have in the dungeon," said Bernard Yoo.

    Chairman Yoo eyes widened at those unexpected words. In fact, it wasn¡¯t a particrly bad feeling. Rather, it made him curious.

    "When I looked into Choi Yu-Seong, he didn''t have a great reputation. There were still quite a few people who ignored him. I might lose if I get fooled by this reputation of his,¡± said Bernard Yoo.

    "You mean that Choi Yu-Seong has pretty useful skills, too.¡±

    "No, Grandpa." Bernard Yoo shook his head firmly. "It''s not just useful, it''s excellent."

    "Hahaha-!" Chairman Yoo couldn¡¯t helpughing. He then asked, "But you''re going to win, right?¡±

    "Because I don''t intend to lose," said Bernard Yoo.

    "Okay, then let this old man help you," said Chairman Yoo.

    "What?"

    Bernard Yoo¡¯s eyes were full of questions at his grandfather¡¯s unexpected words. Chairman Yoo took out a jewelry box from a drawer next to the sofa and pushed it toward Bernard Yoo. He urged, "Open it."

    Still questioning, Bernard Yoo opened the jewelry box, which had a gold ring inside. At first nce, the ring looked normal. However, it was not difficult to figure out that the ring was not an ordinary object. It had a unique form of text written on its sides.

    "It''s an ancient relic," said Bernard Yoo.

    "It''s a hard-earned item for this match. It''s called <i>¡®Orc Hunt¡¯</i>."

    "Uh... Then its ability is¡­?"

    "You are right. Wearing this ring can make you infinitely powerful against the Orc species. If the target is an Orc, even a small injury could fatally poison it with this ancient artifact¡¯s ability."

    "How did you get this quickly?¡±

    "What do you mean quickly?" Chairman Yoo snorted. "I¡¯ve been looking for this for two months. I began looking the moment you came from the U.S. and said you wanted to try to break Kim Do-Jin¡¯s record. I spent a lot of money trying to get this, so use it well and make sure you win this game and achieve the record you want."

    "Wait, Grandpa. You mean that next week''s game is...."

    "Right. I chose the Orc Vige so that you can use this.¡±

    "Grandpa, I don''t want to win the game like this."

    When Bernard carefully rejected it, Chairman Yoo looked at Bernard Yoo''s surprised face indifferently. Bernard Yoo looked stubborn and full of pride. Although Chairman Yoo felt proud as Bernard Yoo looked exactly like him in his early days, he did not reveal his inner feelings and continued to talk with a hard expression.

    "All right, let''s say you don''t use it. Can you confidently say that you can beat Choi Yu-Seong?¡±

    "It''s... it''s not something I can be sure of..." answered Bernard Yoo after some thought.

    Choi Yu-Seong''s videos already showed how extraordinary he was, and Bernard Yoo was not very generous with praise. There was a reason he valued Yu-Seong¡¯s ability as excellent.

    <i>¡®Right, until recently, Kim Do-Jin was the only hunter in Korea who he praised.¡¯?</i>

    In addition, Bernard Yoo also praised Choi Yu-Seong as excellent.

    From the first time Chairman Yoo had heard Bernard Yoo praising Choi Yu-Seong, he had already expected this conversation to happen.

    ¡°As you said, luck is also a valued skill in dungeons. And that guy in the Comet Group has been pretty luckytely. You could lose. But what if you use this ring?¡± asked Chairman Yoo.

    "...I''m sure I can win," said Bernard Yoo. His confident words made Chairman Yoo smile gently.

    "Bernard, no, Jae-Yeol. From now on, keep in mind what I tell you."

    "Yes, Grandpa."

    ¡°It''s not a bad idea to win a fair game. Though for people like us, I¡¯m talking about Chairman Choi, Chairman Kim, myself, and perhaps even the future you, we need to put aside the idea of fairness.¡±

    "But Grandpa, I..."

    "Tsk¡­! Listen to me.¡± Chairman Yoo raised his voice and looked at Bernard Yoo with a hardened face. "If what we do is a game, we definitely need to be fair. That''s justice. But Jae-Yeol. It''s not a game we''re ying. It''s a war. If you lose, Comet Group will go into the guild business and take away our jobs, and a considerable number of employees will have to leave their jobs behind and be kicked out of thepany. When one person is kicked out, the whole family stumbles. If ten people are kicked out, ten families are in danger at once. Jae-Yeol."

    "Yes¡­ Grandpa."

    "This is the responsibility of the monarch, which you should know. The position where I am now, everything you enjoy is made up of the blood and sweat of the employers¡ªwho is our nation. What you have to do is to protect your position and take away your opponent''s. That is why it''s a war. We have to win by any means. Only then would it benefit everyone. Do you understand?"

    "...Yes."

    Chairman Yoo looked kind once again. Looking at his grandson, heughed heartily.

    Bernard Yoo dropped his head somewhat weakly.

    "Hahaha¡­ You don''t have to ept everything right away. But, Jae-Yeol, keep this in mind. The word cowardice does not exist in a war. Now, put on your ring. I have to see how well it suits you," said Chairman Yoo.

    In the end, Bernard Yoo could not refuse the ancient relics offered by Chairman Yoo. He wore them on his right index finger.

    "It suits you very well. Haha...!" Chairman Yoo''s bigugh seemed to shake the entire house.

 Chapter 111

    <h4>Chapter 111 </h4>

    Early next morning, Choi Yu-Seong received a call from Choi Woo-Jae and then headed immediately toward the family home in Yeonhui-dong.

    As always, Choi Woo-Jae was sitting in the office with his back to the window. When Woo-Jae looked at Yu-Seong, Yu-Seong could feel the suffocatingly cold vibe but it was not as bad as before.

    <i>¡®Is it because of this unique smell of wood? Or is it because this ce is where Father has stayed for a long time?¡¯</i>

    It was a question of whether ces could start to take after people or people could take after ces.

    While Choi Yu-Seong was questioning such a vibe, Choi Woo-Jae gestured to the sofa with his chin as he said, "Have a seat.¡±

    "Yes, sir."

    "It is no exaggeration to say that the fate of the guild business is on next week¡¯s match.¡±

    "...I am aware of it." Choi Yu-Seong nodded slowly at the abrupt conversation starter.

    "Chairman Yoo, that sly old man is not an easy one. There must be a reason why he chose Orc Vige as the ce for the match," said Woo-Jae.

    "I see.¡±

    "He will do everything he can. He may have prepared a special Ancient Relic or dug a trap that only applies to you.¡±

    While Choi Woo-Jae continued speaking, Choi Yu-Seong contemted even further.

    <i>¡®Why¡¯s he telling me all this?¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae was not a person who would invite people over to chat about nonsense, so Yu-Seong was trying to uncover the real intention behind this conversation.

    Woo-Jae smiled at Yu-Seong¡¯s worried expression and leaned forward slightly. ¡°Again, I won¡¯t ept any defeat. It¡¯s not just because of my greed. If you lose, the guild business that the second oldest had been dragged into managing would bepletely overthrown.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°From the third to the fifth, all of your siblings are secretly paying attention to you, Yu-Seong. Also, the second oldest would never look back on something that has once failed.¡± Speaking in such a way, it was obvious that Choi Woo-Jae had already sensed the rtionship between Choi Yu-Seong and Choi Mi-Na.

    Rather than trying to deny it, Yu-Seong admitted to the truth and nodded. He said, "So I must win at all costs.¡±

    "Finally, you''re agreeing with me." Choi Woo-Jae smiled as if satisfied. Then, he lifted two fingers and said, "There are two options."

    Choi Yu-Seong intuitively felt that this was the point of the whole conversation. He met Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s gaze.

    <i>¡®Look at this guy.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae thought Yu-Seong making direct eye contact was a great improvement. He recalled that his son hadn¡¯t been able to do so when he first came here. Choi Woo-Jae smiled inwardly, but he continued to speak with a stiff face.

    "Ask me for help. I''ll give you all the information, equipment, and support you need. If that side does anything by any means, then we can do the same thing. I''ll make it so that you cannot lose."

    "If you say that, then I can predict the second option without having to hear it," said Yu-Seong. The second option would be for him to solve the situation alone without any help from Woo-Jae.

    "That¡¯s only if you are confident in winning. Whatever you choose, it''s up to you,¡± said Woo-Jae while folding his arms.

    Looking at Woo-Jae, who was waiting for his decision, Choi Yu-Seong had a rather strange smile on his face. Then, he scratched his cheek. Had he adapted to the human named Choi Woo-Jae? Without further thought, he could tell that both options weren¡¯t the answer that Woo-Jae wanted.

    He asked, "If I win this game alone, what do I get?"

    Looking at Choi Yu-Seong, who naturally showed his greed, Choi Woo-Jae smiled. That was the answer he wanted.

    If Yu-Seong had chosen the first option, Woo-Jae would haveughed and called him a coward. If he had chosen the second option, Woo-Jae would have cursed him as a prideful fool. Anyone who would lead apany should think about the profit they could earn first, no matter what they eventually chose.

    Choi Woo-Jae found Choi Yu-Seong more and more favorable.

    "What do you want?" asked Woo-Jae.

    "There are two things that I want to have," answered Yu-Seong.

    "I''ll give them to you," said Woo-Jae without overthinking it. Perhaps his response would have been the same if Yu-Seong wanted three, not two, things.

    <i>¡®This is the first local battle against Cheon-Ji Group.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong immediately thought of ¡®war¡¯ once he heard that Cheon-Ji Group Chairman Yoo would do anything to win. The deration of war had already been announced, and the winner of the first local battle would increase morale and invade the opponent''s territory at once. In other words, it was not just the guild business that was at stake. It was a big war where the fate of the two groups may be at stake.

    Clearly, upon winning the battle, Choi Woo-Jae intended to overturn the Korean business hierarchy itself.

    <i>¡®If I had chosen the first suggestion, he might have to wait even longer to do so, but¡­¡¯</i>

    By choosing the second option, Choi Woo-Jae was able to save his strength and seek the opportunity topletely neutralize the Cheon-Ji Group with one critical hit. Yu-Seong had announced that he would make such a contribution, so what would it matter how many rewards he wanted?

    Nevertheless, the reason why Choi Yu-Seong only asked for two rewards was simple.

    <i>¡®He¡¯ll have at least one gift in mind to reward me with himself.¡¯</i>

    No beloved child would unconditionally ask for everything he or she could possibly ask for.

    Choi Woo-Jae enjoyed witnessing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s greed, but he wouldn¡¯t want his children to covet his things carelessly. In fact, that was the true nature of a greedy human being. Even if he could pass everything down someday, Woo-Jae would clutch it in his hands while he was alive.

    However, if Yu-Seong tried to carelessly take things away from Choi Woo-Jae, even if it was a favorable action to take, it would still make Woo-Jae ufortable. Therefore, Yu-Seong thought it was better to be moderately greedy when receiving things from Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®Since he would take care of his lovely child himself.¡¯</i>

    Whether Choi Yu-Seong''s thoughts had got it exactly right or whether he had guessed Yu-Seong¡¯s inner thoughts, Woo-Jae revealed an unexpected smile. He asked, "You are aware of the risk you might have to take on, right?"

    ¡°¡®You''re not going to kill me, are you?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I can make you penniless and kick you out of Korea.¡±

    That was good enough. If he could live, Choi Yu-Seong was confident of starting over wherever he went. He had been an orphan before getting possessed by the novel. Thus, now that he had the ability as a hunter, his position would be more advantageous than before if he had to start over.

    "I wouldn¡¯t say that if I wasn¡¯t determined."

    The punishment really didn¡¯t matter to Yu-Seong as long as he could stay alive. Looking at how calm he was, Choi Woo-Jae finally nodded. He said, "I¡¯ll trust you. You may leave."

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong''s day was a busy one. He had to go see Choi Woo-Jae after he received a sudden morning call from him. He also had an appointment that had been arranged in advance the other day.

    At 2 p.m. on a quiet weekday, Choi Yu-Seong sat on the second floor of the cafe located in Itaewon''smercial district. He waved at his opponent, Kim Do-Jin, who arrived a littleter than him. "Here."

    Kim Do-Jin approached with a rather cold face as always and sat across from Yu-Seong. Hemented, "Well, this is surprising.¡±

    "What?"

    "Since you contacted me and asked to see me first.¡±

    "Umm..."

    Come to think of it, Yu-Seong had a tendency to somewhat ignore Do-Jin¡¯s contact. Anyway, this was unsurprising, since he thought there was no good reason to be close to Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, this guy has been pretty patient with me regardless of that.''?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin was the original novel¡¯s main character with an extreme personality. He always overturned the game whenever it became unfavorable to him. Thinking of that, he had been pretty patient regarding this situation. There were two possible reasons.

    <i>''Whether he has found an alternative answer, or he hasn¡¯t found a reason to discard me¡­¡¯</i>

    This was the most desirable situation for Yu-Seong since it was closer to the best possible conclusion. He could avoid his fate of death naturally.

    <i>¡®Or he has rated me high enough to take this much time.¡¯</i>

    Among the original novels, this was the only case when Kim Do-Jin did not give up and was trying to befriend Yu-Seong with extreme patience.

    <i>¡®This is obviously not the case.¡¯</i>

    After some thought, Yu-Seongughed without realizing it.

    "Why are youughing?" asked Do-Jin.

    "Oh, I just had a lot on my mind for a moment," responded Yu-Seong.

    "Hmm... How did you feel after watching the video?"

    "What video? Oh, that dungeon of the dead..." As his voice trailed off, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled when he briefly recalled the video. He asked, "Oh, right. Why did you suddenly use magic¡­!"

    Yu-Seong neverpleted his sentence, but whatever Kim Do-Jin heard was enough for his gaze to change. The vibe around him also fluctuated.

    <i>''...I made a mistake.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong did well most of the time but made a mistake once in a while. Unfortunately, most of these mistakes were made in front of Kim Do-Jin, of all men. For this particr situation, it might have been due to Yu-Seong zoning out momentarily.

    "...Magical movement, you fought like a wizard," continued Yu-Seong.

    "...Since when did you know?" asked Do-Jin.

    Yu-Seong tried to correct himself as quickly as possible, but he knew that he was too clumsy to have Do-Jin not doubt him at all.

    Yet, surprisingly, Kim Do-Jin simply said, "I¡¯ve always known that you are hiding many things. Yet, you continue to exceed my expectations. You even know how to distinguish magic?"

    "...What?"

    "You can stop pretending to be a fool in front of me now. I already know that you have very good insight, a deep mind, and plenty of wisdom,¡± said Do-Jin.

    Yu-Seong never thought that he waspetent enough for Kim Do-Jin, the returnee, to praise him. Listening to what Do-Jin had to say, he naturally shook his head from side to side.

    "You can''t fool me even if you choose to be modest. Aren¡¯t you getting close to me because you want my help when you settle down in the Comet Group someday?" asked Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Not at all.¡¯</i>

    At that time, Choi Yu-Seong, the viin, had simply wanted to make use of the privilege from Do-Jin¡¯s reputation and name. But now, the Choi Yu-Seong today thought it best to have a civil and friendly rtionship with Do-Jin.

    As Yu-Seong continued to contemte, he became speechless at the unexpected situation.

    "I¡¯m thinking that, aside from myself, you would spend time making careful preparations. However, do not think that you can use me easily," said Do-Jin.

    "No, that''s...."

    "However, you can change my mind. It depends on how you act," said Do-Jin before Yu-Seong could rify anything.

    Then, there was silence in the cafe where a few people were dining inside.

    <i>¡®What kind of an enormous misunderstanding is this guy having?¡¯?</i>

    For some reason, Kim Do-Jin seemed to see Choi Yu-Seong as a great person.

    <i>¡®I recognized your magic only because I was a reader of the novel¡­¡¯</i>

    It was not because of something incredible, or any insight and wisdom. Choi Yu-Seong thought that Do-Jin was naive, not smart.

    <i>¡®That''s why I made such a mistake just now.¡¯?</i>

    Though, Yu-Seong was only confused for a moment.

    <i>''No way, this guy. Is he feeling me out?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong had many thoughts regarding Kim Do-Jin''s sudden excessive praise. Having read the original novel, he knew that Do-Jin was stingier at giving praises than anyone else.

    <i>¡®Is he trying to see if I noticed his revenge?¡¯</i>

    After thinking that much, Choi Yu-Seong became cool as a cucumber.

 Chapter 112

    <h4>Chapter 112 </h4>

    After some thought, Choi Yu-Seong made a decision. He said, "You''re right.¡±

    If Kim Do-Jin approached him with a certain thought, it was better for Yu-Seong to ept Do-Jin¡¯s impression rather than deny it. What was important here was Kim Do-Jin praising him, after all.

    <i>''Excessively praising me.¡¯?</i>

    It didn¡¯t have to be sincere. Choi Yu-Seong thought it was more important not to make Kim Do-Jin suspicious of the situation. If he simply agreed now, Do-Jin would have nothing else to say.

    "As expected..." replied Kim Do-Jin with a light nod.

    Yu-Seong expected this exact reaction. He simply found it strange that Kim Do-Jin epted the situation rather calmly and was not ufortable at all.

    "Am I the first one? To know your secret?" asked Do-Jin.

    Choi Yu-Seong quickly tried to understand the meaning of the question.

    <i>¡®My secret?¡¯</i>

    The situation was slightly confusing, but it was a slight relief that Kim Do-Jin didn¡¯t ask Yu-Seong whether he knew his secret.

    <i>¡®And I don''t think he noticed that I¡¯m possessed.¡¯</i>

    Making up his mind, Yu-Seong nodded in agreement once again. "Yeah."

    "I like that,¡± said Do-Jin.

    "Yeah... What?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "The more thoroughly you hide such secrets, the better. You''re doing well," said Do-Jin with a slightly happy expression.

    Why would he say that? Choi Yu-Seong had no choice but to feel strange as he looked at Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Is he serious?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was doubtful about Do-Jin¡¯s words, feeling uncertain about this entire situation. If this was the acting skill of a returnee who had been working for 30 years in another world, such a performance would make sense.

    "Well, that''s enough about me. I asked you to meet me today because I wanted to ask you something,¡± said Yu-Seong. He shouldn''t and didn¡¯t want to be lured into following the beat of Do-Jin¡¯s drum.

    Kim Do-Jin nodded lightly and epted the change in conversation. He repeated, "To ask me something?"

    "Yeah. You''ve done the Orc War Chief Raid by yourself before, right?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "Are you trying to challenge it?"

    Choi Yu-Seong scratched his cheek at the direct question. He muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to. This has something to do with my family.¡±

    "It must be rted to the Comet Group¡¯s guild business,¡± said Do-Jin.

    "Exactly," responded Yu-Seong. He did not deny Kim Do-Jin''s spection.

    Do-Jin sounded certain. Even if he didn¡¯t, he would eventually find out the truth. Above all, he had no power to stop the Comet Group''s guild business. Kim Do-Jin was not ready enough to stop the process that was already well underway.

    "Let me ask you one thing. If the Comet Group''s guild is created, will you also be actively involved with them?" asked Do-Jin.

    "Probably."

    This was to be expected. From the moment it was created, the Comet Group''s guild was going to grow at a rapid pace, an unprecedented speed in the history of Korea. For Choi Yu-Seong, who was already receiving a lot of attention from Choi Woo-Jae, it would be the best choice for him to enter the guild while receiving many benefits.

    <i>¡®Although there will be some responsibility following¡­¡¯</i>

    Considering his continuous effort in building a rtionship with Choi Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong found that even epting some responsibility could be rather advantageous.

    "...Then there is nothing I can tell you," said Do-Jin.

    "What?"

    ¡°Did you forget that I asked you to join my guild?¡±

    "I didn''t forget, but isn''t this inevitable? For me, I¡¯m..."

    Before Yu-Seong was done speaking, Kim Do-Jin jumped up from his seat and snorted. With a cold smile, he said, "Solve your problems on your own."

    There was no time for further conversation since Kim Do-Jin hardened his face and immediately left the cafe. Choi Yu-Seong did not bother to catch up with him.

    "Is he bipr or something? I thought he was in a good mood, but he got angry all of a sudden¡­ What a strange guy.¡±

    In the end, Choi Yu-Seong gained no benefits at all from the meeting.

    ***

    Kim Do-Jin left his meeting with Choi Yu-Seong and headed straight to the dungeon. He had a stiff expression, looking annoyed.

    <i>''It¡¯s always been my intention to use Choi Yu-Seong to get closer to and eventually kill Choi Woo-Jae. That¡¯s clear.¡¯</i>

    However, recently, Do-Jin had changed his mind.

    <i>¡®There''s no need to use Choi Yu-Seong to kill Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯?</i>

    It was true that using Choi Yu-Seong was the fastest way for Do-Jin to achieve his revenge. However, looking at Choi Yu-Seong in recent years, it seemed clear that this would not be easy.

    <i>''He''s pretty smart. It''ll seem suspicious if I suddenly try to approach Choi Woo-Jae¡¯?</i>

    Of course, if Choi Yu-Seong positively epted Kim Do-Jin''s thoughts at this stage, the results would be decent. But what if he became wary, or if he rejected him?

    <i>¡®Then it''ll be harder for me to kill Choi Woo-Jae.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, Do-Jin should not reveal his goal of revenge. As soon as he came to this conclusion, Kim Do-Jin felt slightly confused about one particr decision he had made.

    <i>¡®Why do I have to hang on to my rtionship with Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    This was Do-Jin¡¯s first time feeling like that, so his thoughts wereplicated. Though, he was skillful at understanding his inner thoughts.

    <i>¡®I guess I just like him.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin had quite a lot of reasons for liking Choi Yu-Seong. Quite high growth potential, excellent insight, and quite good bases were several external reasons why he liked Yu-Seong. However, there was a much more fundamental reason than that.

    <i>¡®When I look at him, I feel a strange sense of kinship.¡¯?</i>

    It was a mysterious feeling, like they had been together for a long time. In a way, the word "just" was the right reason. It was iprehensible, but on the other hand, it was also understandable.

    <i>¡®If it''s Choi Yu-Seong, he can stand next to me someday.¡¯</i>

    By the time Kim Do-Jin had fought against the Demon King, there were countless people, including his colleagues who supported him, but no one had stood by him. Everyone had simply pushed Kim Do-Jin from behind. They were together with him but Kim Do-Jin''s speed had been too fast for them to follow.

    However, Do-Jin felt that Choi Yu-Seong would be different. Someday, there would definitely be a day when they could fight together. Kim Do-Jin did not have much doubt about this fact. After all, his sixth sense was quite right. Even if he didn¡¯t try hard, he could quickly grasp the majority of the situation¡ªjust like now.

    <i>¡®Someone''s chasing me.¡¯?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin just entered a deserted dark alley somewhat intentionally. He tilted his head and asked with both hands in his pockets. "How long are you going to follow me like such a sneaky rat?"

    "...Kim Do-Jin."

    As if responding to a call, two foreigners appeared between alleys.

    <i>¡®Two B-rank hunters.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin made a fishy smile and immediately used his Insight and confirmed his opponent''s ability. He asked, "Another Demon King Worshiper?"

    "Godfather just wants to give you a chance."

    "Godfather..."

    Do-Jin had heard of the <i>¡®godfather¡¯</i>, the head of the Demon King Worshipers. He was one of the top three hunters in the world.

    "By all means, he has a nice name on the subject of being the Demon King¡¯s servant."

    Kim Do-Jin had already once knocked down the Demon King before. In that sense, he was not being arrogant at all. Of course, it was only for those who belonged to the worshipers of the Demon King that his words sounded pretty distasteful.

    "How rude! We''ll see if you can say that even after you''re captured," said one of the worshipers.

    "I admit you''re pretty good... but I don''t know how far you can go without a sword," said the other.

    Looking at them angrily, Kim Do-Jin jutted his chin. Then, he pulled out his hands from his pocket. ¡°Bring it on. I can beat you with my bare hands."

    In the first ce, the sword was only a rtively easy-to-use weapon for Kim Do-Jin. There was nothing he was bad at including spears, sticks, bows, axes, irons, or bear fighting skills.

    <i>¡®But at this point, I''ll also have to use magic to deal with them¡­¡¯?</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t be long.

    <i>¡®Two more years.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin grabbed the wrist of one of the approaching Devil King Worshippers, recalling the time when he hadpletely regained his power.

    <i>¡®How much longer can you keep up with me, Choi Yu-Seong.''?</i>

    A cruel smile came over his face.

    ***

    Time went by quickly and soon it was the day of the match. Before that date had arrived, Choi Yu-Seong had focused on raising his level by going hunting in dungeons.

    <i>¡®I heard that Bernard Yoo is over level 90 in D-rank.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong was over level 30 in D-rank. Considering that Bernard Yoo was also a considerable talent, it was inevitably difficult for Yu-Seong to ovee this excessive level difference simply with skills alone. Therefore, he had spent more time training than usual and had focused on hunting in the dungeons, which allowed him to achieve more level growth than he expected.

    <i>¡®D-rank, level 53.¡¯</i>

    In less than a week, Yu-Seong had grown by nearly 20 levels. In fact, his growth rate was faster than anyone else in the D-rank. It was fast even considering his Star Factor skill and the help of experience boost potions.

    <i>¡®If I am given enough time to focus on hunting like now, I¡¯ll be able to get to C-rank quickly. And if I can monopolize the experience after hunting Orc War Chief in this state, I could possibly reach the max level in less than a month.¡¯</i>

    It was not far off from Yu-Seong¡¯s expectation of promotion to the C-rank, which clearly implied one thing.

    <i>¡®Maybe I can stay in the same rank as Kim Do-Jin.¡¯?</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t be instantaneous, but Yu-Seong could catch up with Kim Do-Jin''s growth. That was rather pleasant news for him.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin suspects me. I should never overlook the fact that we might fight directly with each other someday.¡¯?</i>

    When that moment came, the narrower the power gap between the two, the better it would be for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s really not easy. I can''t believe I have to get to the same level as the main character after being possessed by a viin who originally dies at the beginning of the novel¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled bitterly. Though, on the other hand, the fact itself was exciting.

    <i>''Unless I don''t have to fight the demons directly, it''s best to have that much power.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong also felt assured when he thought of confronting the party of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s supporters. Chae Ye-Ryeong, the disaster-level viin who drove Kim Do-Jin into some crisis in the original novel, was growing at a really crazy pace.

    <i>¡®On top of that, there¡¯s Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯</i>

    His new teammate, who would be recruited immediately after the match, was also a person with as much potential as Ye-Ryeong. In addition, after Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s recovery, Yu-Seong was nning to elerate the growth speed of the Jin sibling.

    <i>¡®Anyway, starting with S Rank, it''ll be incredibly difficult to raise even one level.¡¯</i>

    Thus, first of all, Yu-Seong would focus on his goal for everyone to reach S-rank. For matters after that point, he found it safer to think about them afterward.

    <i>¡®In fact, based on the original novel, a party of viins would be created.¡¯?</i>

    Except for Choi Yu-Seong himself, all of his supporters were characters who put the main character Kim Do-Jin in danger.

    <i>¡®After it''spleted, my party might be stronger than Kim Do-Jin''s party.¡¯?</i>

    It was not bad. Actually, it was a rather good thing.

    <i>¡®As long as I don''t have to fight with the demons.¡¯?</i>

    As mentioned before, Choi Yu-Seong wanted to be in the position to secretly support Kim Do-Jin, who would fight against the demons with strong power. Fortunately, as a result of considering not wanting to fight dangerous demons, there was a good chance that he would achieve what he wanted.

    <i>¡®If I could just get my father''s trust and use the family¡¯s power appropriately¡­¡¯</i>

    The power of the conglomerate and the power of money shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Nevertheless, it was capitalism which this world used as the basic economic system.

 Chapter 113

    <h4>Chapter 113 </h4>

    In order to gain the most benefits, Choi Yu-Seong had to win the uing match. Of course, raising his level was not the only preparation he had to make for the match.

    <i>¡®I thought it would be helpful to get some information about the fight with the Orc War Chief from Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, the original novel did not have details of the fight between Kim Do-Jin and the Orc War Chief. There was just a short exnation of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sess in the Orc War Chief Raid. That was the reason why Yu-Seong had tried to get information by directly meeting up with Do-Jin. Unfortunately, he had failed to get answers.

    This was an unfortunate situation, but it wasn¡¯t a big problem.

    <i>¡®It would be helpful if I could get some information, but it¡¯s fine if I can¡¯t get any.¡¯</i>

    Besides Kim Do-Jin, there were quite a few other hunters who had hunted the Orc War Chief.

    <i>''They just hunted in parties or groups, not individually.¡¯</i>

    It was best if Yu-Seong could acquire key knowledge from an individual yer, but getting general information about the Orc War Chief would be helpful too. Above all, there was an ace in the hole which Yu-Seong had prepared for this match.

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t hastily choose to fight alone when Choi Woo-Jae had offered him the two options.

    <i>¡®They would have their own strategies, but I also have some information from the original novel¡­and this is the time for me to use it.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was aware that clumsy methods would not work here in the real world.

    Before heading to Bangbae-dong, Seoul, where Orc Vige, the dungeon match¡¯s chosen destination was located, Yu-Seong woke up early and was doing his usual morning training.

    Yu-Ri passed Yu-Seong with a smile. She asked, "Jenny said she got the item you asked for. She¡¯s at the airport. What should I do?¡±

    This was the news Yu-Seong had been waiting for. Wiping off his sweat with a smile, he said, "Tell her toe to Bangbae-dong right away. Let''s get ready and start.¡±

    ***

    Originally, the dungeon racing match between Bernard Yoo and Choi Yu-Seong should have drawn great attention from the media, since both of them were rookies in the global limelight. However, the fight was essentially between the two giant groups, Cheon-Ji Group and Comet Group, so they prevented the contents of the match from being leaked to the public.

    The reason was simple. Since it was a dungeon race between the son and the grandson of two conglomerate families, there would be reporters who would use drones to record what was happening inside the dungeon. However, it would be difficult to control if arge crowd gathered, not to mention, there wouldn¡¯t be any guarantee that there weren¡¯t any dangerous viins amongst the crowd.

    In any case, both groups did not want a threat from these viins to ur amid a confrontation between their beloved grandchild and son. Naturally, the match was not known to the public and had to be carried out in secret.

    A woman in her early 30s looked at Bernard Yoo, who had arrived in Bangbae-dong before her. He sat across from her on the second floor of a building overlooking Dungeon Square and was drinking coffee through a straw. She asked, "Are you nervous?"

    With big and sharp eyes, the woman was a cat-like beauty with fair skin. She was like family, having helped Bernard Yoo adapt to a rather lonely life abroad.

    "Nervous? No way... That word doesn''t fit me, Meghan.¡± Bernard Yoo stopped sipping on his coffee and revealed his teeth with a bright smile.

    "Bernard, do you know that the ends of your eyes are trembling? This is just like the time you took the first hunter test," she said.

    "...How do you even remember that?" he said.

    "Don''t be too nervous. Bernard, I have no doubt that you will win. I guarantee you as an S-rank hunter," she said calmly, her facial expression showing no change at all.

    Looking at her, Bernard Yoo knew better than anyone that Meghan was expressing her true feelings. To him, she was an excellent hunter, a warm sister, and a great teacher.

    "Thank you, Meghan, but...what should I do with this?" Bernard asked. He took out a golden ring from his jacket pocket and ced it on the cafe table. He had deep conflict in his eyes as he twirled the ring on the cafe table.

    "Whatever choice you make, I will respect it, Bernard, " she said.

    "I think I''d feel morefortable if you forced me to do something..." he said.

    "Like the chairman?"

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d refuse if that were the case. I would get scared if you forced me like grandfather did,¡± said Bernard Yoo with a smile. He held the straw in his mouth again and looked at the ring with thoughtful eyes.

    <i>¡®As Meghan said, I am pretty strong now.¡¯?</i>

    Bernard was probably the strongest out of all the existing D-ranks. He wasn''t just confident of his own ability.

    Bernard Yoo once had an unofficial match with Geras, who had been the top D-ranked yer on the hunter¡¯s ranking website, ¡®<i>Ranker</i>¡¯. Geras was quite a well-known hunter overseas. The very close match had ended with Bernard Yoo''s victory. Geras had clearly admitted his defeat, affirming that the result would not change even if they fought again. In fact, Bernard Yoo''s thoughts had been no different from his.

    <i>¡®Rather, if we fought again, my victory woulde a lot easier.¡¯</i>

    Even Geras, a strong enough yer to have been officially listed as the top D-rank yer on the Ranker¡¯s website, hadn¡¯t been able to follow Bernard¡¯s sense of battle. This simply proved that simple figures on a website could not capture and express all of a hunter¡¯s abilities.

    The problem was that Bernard Yoo thought that Choi Yu-Seong, who was not even at the D-rank Max level, was as strong and threatening as Geras. Thinking about this a bit more, Bernard then asked Meghan, "Meghan, don''t just cheer for me, but tell me honestly. If Choi Yu-Seong and I had a simple 1:1 match, what are my chances of winning?¡±

    "Fifty-fifty," responded Meghan without any hesitation.

    "But you said that I¡¯d win just a moment ago?"

    "You asked for an honest answer. And apart from that, I think you will win this game."

    "Why?"

    "Because you are nervous. Your weakness is that you tend to look down on your opponent, and that stops you from doing your best. You being nervous can be seen as a good sign.¡±

    ¡°Am I that full of myself?¡±

    "It can be seen as apliment. Depends on your perspective.¡±

    When he thought about it, Bernard Yoo had never won an argument with Meghan.

    "Dang it, everything is my fault. Anyway, those odds... What if I lose to Choi Yu-Seong?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to lose?"

    "Do I lose because I want to? It can''t be helped if the opponent is too strong. Dang it, this game is too burdensome," he grumbled. With a smile, he carefully put the ring on the table, no longer spinning it around with the tip of his index finger.

    At that moment, his cell phone rang. Bernard Yoo answered the phone immediately after confirming that it was from Chairman Yoo.

    "Yes, Grandpa?¡±

    - The Comet Group said they are ready. Choi Yu-Seong has arrived.

    Bernard Yoo''s expression changed immediately. Apart from the tension, he felt a strongpetitive spirit surging inside him. He quickly said, "I''m ready as soon as I wear the battle suit. When¡¯s the leaving time?"

    - We''re entering in an hour. More than that, Bernard, you haven¡¯t forgotten this old man''s words, have you? There¡¯s a lot of responsibility resting on your shoulders.

    "...Of course, Grandpa."

    -Try not to think foolishly. You''ll have to remember that you are Cheon-Ji Group itself during the match.

    Bernard Yoo sighed deeply after the call ended. He picked up the ring from the table and put it inside his pocket. Getting up from his seat, he said, "Let''s go, Meghan."

    "Yes, sir." Meghan, who was struggling to think about what she could say to cheer for Bernard Yoo, stood up and followed him. She walked by his side.

    Bernard Yoo¡¯s previously tense and anxious expression was no longer there. He tried to appear calm, but his eyes revealed his overwhelming desire to win. The tension, the pressure, and all the emotions that could hold him back had disappeared.

    <i>¡®Did he say that he can¡¯t help it if his opponent is strong? I don¡¯t think he has the slightest intention of losing.¡¯?</i>

    Meghan smiled at the change and looked out of the cafe window. In the distance, an Italian luxury car was heading to the parking lot.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a shame, Choi Yu-Seong.''?</i>

    The ninth child in the Comet Group¡¯splex family was just starting to get attention from the family, but he would have to experience a bitter defeat this time. Of course, the risks that Yu-Seong had to face after his defeat was not anything Meghan had to think about.

    ***

    Before entering Dungeon Square and heading to Orc Vige, Choi Yu-Seong met Jenny, who was waiting at the entrance. He received a heavy bag from her.

    "It cost about 10 billion won to get both items. I spent a little more money because I was in a hurry to get it," said Jenny.

    "It''s okay. At least I got them in time. Good work, Jenny," thanked Yu-Seong.

    When Choi Yu-Seong patted her shoulder lightly, Jenny slightly bowed her head. It wasn''t just a habitual nod. To be exact, her body reacted reflexively.

    <i>¡®Is this what Yu-Ri said about the boss¡¯ real worth?¡¯</i>

    In order to fill the vacant position of Jin Do-Yoon, who was away for a while, Jenny had been meeting Yu-Seong face to face often recently. She felt like she was getting to know more about Choi Yu-Seong little by little. He had a threatening vibe even though he was still a D-rank yer.

    Jenny could nowpletely understand Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s words about Yu-Seong, that while he might asionally act like a rascal, he would somedaye to his senses.

    <i>¡®He is a person of high caliber.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was ate bloomer, and his ability was steadily developing day by day. Jenny wasn''t the only one who felt that way.

    Park Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young Kim, who were waiting for the filming, hurriedly followed behind Choi Yu-Seong and exchanged looks.

    <i>¡®What''s this vibe?¡¯</i>

    <i>¡®It''s no joke.¡¯</i>

    It could not be expressed in words, but Yu-Seong¡¯s dignified presence naturally made them bow their heads.

    Was it because of how rxed Yu-Seong was even though a pretty tense match wasing up? The two reporters thought that this vibe was not bad, although it was ambiguous. After all, one¡¯s vibe would also be reflected in photos and videos.

    Starting from today''s filming, they had a hunch that Choi Yu-Seong''s poprity would soar even further.

    Park Jin-Hwan demonstrated his good journalism instincts and took out his camera and filmed Choi Yu-Seong''s back view. When they reached the Dungeon Square¡¯s entrance, the peak structure was fully framed in his shot too.

    One person, among those who were usually called a "robot" because they only silently identified people without expressing any emotion, greeted Choi Yu-Seong with a light bow. "It''s an honor to meet you. Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Don''t mention it. Thank you always for your hard work."

    The two shook hands lightly, and Park Jin-Hwan naturally pressed the shutter and licked his lips with his tongue.

    <i>¡®It''s a scoop.¡¯</i>

    Even before the match began, articles were already starting to burst.

 Chapter 114

    <h4>Chapter 114 </h4>

    An orc was a monster with green skin, blue blood like a demon, and a curved back. Adult men could look down at the orcs when the orcs were hunched over but when they were upright, they were over two meters in height. There were three main features of the orcs: humongous strength, ferocity to handle all opponents, and massive numbers due to a great breeding rate!

    It was such a well-known story that, as soon as hunters entered the Orc Vige, they became obsessed with hunting. They lost their minds. As a result, opinions regarding the Orc Vige dungeon were naturally divided into two sides. One side thought it was the ideal dungeon to raise one¡¯s level, thanks to the influx of orcs. The others said that it was a perfect dungeon to die of exhaustion fighting with the orcs. In fact, the Orc Vige was famous for the highest number of deaths per year out of all dungeons.

    Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo naturally showed off their skills as soon as they entered the dungeon. As Choi Yu-Seong''s spear cut through the air, sweeping the surroundings, the four orcs running from all directions were beheaded at the same time. As Bernard Yoo punched forward, his fast movement left an afterimage behind. He easily prated the two or three orcs standing in front of him at the same time.

    Then, to not be defeated, Choi Yu-Seong passed through the gaps between the orcs that flocked after Bernard Yoo with impressive footwork, thrust his spear into the back of their necks, quickly retrieved it, and moved forward to the next targets.

    There was a sense of wonder and admiration in the eyes of the reporters who were filming them through dozens of drones scattered in the dungeon.

    "Wow, they''re both incredible," said Kim Jin-Young.

    Park Jin-Hwan nodded in admiration. He said, "They¡¯ve long since gone beyond the D rank in terms of ability. They''re monsters.¡±

    Previously, there had been clear limitations to the Korean hunter industry, with reaching the top 10 in the world being the best possible scenario. Korea would not have been able to hold a candle to the world ranking without Cheok Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster. Kim Do-Jin, the super rookie that had appeared recently, was expected to enter the top five if he got lucky. However, the gap between Korea and the U.S., which was the world''s top ranker, was too wide. In fact, it was confirmed that Korea was within the top 5 countries in the World yer Association.

    <i>¡®If those two are added to the list with Kim Do-Jin and the Swordmaster Cheok Jun-Hui in the lead¡­¡¯</i>

    Next to Park Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young Kim, who were both there as they had been hired by Choi Yu-Seong, all the reporters sponsored by the Comet Group and the Cheon-Ji Group had amon thought.

    <i>¡®Maybe we could even beat China¡­¡¯</i>

    China was the overwhelming second ce in the world rankings. Reporters even imagined going beyond China, which was regarded as the only countryparable to the United States in the hunter industry.

    The reporters soon approached this particr job from a different angle. They had been asked to be here by their sponsors in order to make badments about their opponents. The problem was that, just by looking at the two people rushing back and forth from each other in the Orc Vige, they felt guilty for gossiping about the opponent. No matter how much reporters valued their ies, they had a conscience.

    ¡°If we st them on our media channels, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot,¡± said one of the reporters from the Cheon-Ji Group carefully.

    "Doesn¡¯t matter that it¡¯s our job to badmouth them, this is crossing the line,¡± responded a reporter from the Comet Group while nodding.

    Until now, the reporters had not even been looking at each other, even though they were in the same space and so close to each other. Park Jin-Hwan, who was stuck in the center of it, smiled.

    "You guys know the answer anyway, don''t you? Rather than denigrating them, we shouldpliment the hunter who belongs to the group we are getting paid by.¡±

    ¡°If someone crosses the line and stabs the rest of us in the back, that person should quit their job. What do you think?" said Kim Jin-Young with a smile, pushing Park Jin-Hwan''s proposal even further.

    Fortunately, neither side had any majorints.

    "Seriously, we¡¯re going to catch the backstabber and force him to quit.¡±

    ¡°That''s what I''m saying.¡± Park Jin-Hwan shrugged as he listened to the conversation between the reporters representing the Comet Group and the Cheon-Ji Group.

    <i>¡®We¡¯ve got a good sponsor for sure.¡¯?</i>

    Everything he did was a scoop. Now Park Jin-Hwan admitted that Choi Yu-Seong didn¡¯t just look amazing, but also extremely lovely.

    ***

    After running hectically around and killing the orcsing at them from the entrance of the dungeon, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s level had risen twice. He clicked his tongue as he watched Bernard Yoo, who was secretly getting ahead little by little.

    <i>¡®As expected, Bernard Yoo is strong. After all, he was Kim Do-Jin''s closest colleague in the original novel.¡¯?</i>

    Bernard Yoo was a Physical-type hunter who specialized in reinforcement. It was said that the mostmon Physical type was the Reinforcement type, but there were two special things about Bernard Yoo.

    First of all, as expected from the main supporting character, he had tremendousbat instinct. As it could be seen from the case of Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, even if they had the same skills, their ability to use them and achieve great results was extremely different. In addition to that, Bernard Yoo¡¯s skill palette consisted of skills that far surpassed general reinforcement ones.

    <i>¡®He has overwhelming power, great stamina, and the skill Eye of the Beast¡­¡¯</i>

    It was unusual to have such skills, which were the advanced versions of Strength Reinforcement, Stamina Reinforcement, and Vision Reinforcement. Moreover, he even had the special skill ¡®Descent of the Great Power King.¡¯ On top of that, this special skill, which was strong just by itself, also explosively increased all of the physical abilities.

    In addition, there was one more cheat-like skill that earned Bernard Yoo the title ¡®Fast Star¡¯. Explosion Shot, as its name suggested, was the ability to fire off explosions. Bernard Yoo was a Physical-type hunter, so he could not use them to st apart things in the distance. Instead, he trained to make the explosions to cover the surface of his body, and this allowed him to do something simple.

    <i>''Gaining eleration the moment he uses the explosion.¡¯</i>

    A typical hunter¡¯s body would be ruined, as it couldn''t withstand the explosions, but Bernard Yoo had a powerful physical buff that allowed him to easily endure it and he could even absorb the force forter use.

    Among these skills of Bernard Yoo, Choi Yu-Seong naturally stole the Eye of the Beast by using his Eye of Replication.

    ¡ºCopied Skill, Eye of the Beast D-.

    Can be used for Fusion.

    When used, the user can easily look at the world wider and farther.

    Copy penalty is applied, changing Persistent skill -> Activation skill.

    Copy penalty limits the number of uses to ten times.

    Copy penalty reduces the effect of the skill to 70%.¡»

    <i>''Now I only have two more uses of Insight left.''?</i>

    When he was left with onest trial, Yu-Seong was nning to merge it with the Eye of the Beast. After several experiments with Fusion, he had already confirmed that the better the base, the higher the probability of excellent skillsing up after the merging.

    There was no reason to reject a good base, the Eye of the Beast, in a situation where it could not be dyed any longer.

    In the meantime, Bernard Yoo broke through. He shot forward using his Explosion Shot skill, punching the air and showing extreme coolness.

    <i>¡®Yet, he can only do it once.¡¯</i>

    In the near future, Bernard Yoo would be able to use the Explosion Shot skill two or three times in a row, leaving behind only a silvery stream like a meteor. In fact, if he did his best now, he was able to break a big rock in a single blow. Thus, after using Explosion Shot, he could punch a big hole through a giant monster that even a missile could not pierce through.

    Choi Yu-Seong was hunting the fiercely attacking orcs using his Wind Control skill while chasing after Bernard but he didn¡¯t think the gap that was increasing between them could be narrowed.

    <i>''In the first ce, my movements are too simple.¡¯?</i>

    As Stylish was activated, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition was getting better and better. However, no matter how hard he tried, the distance was somehow maintained. However, it was not a big concern at the moment.

    <i>¡®Once we reach the elite monster section, there will be a chance to turn the tables.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong''s prediction was not wrong. About an hour after the start of the dungeon race, Bernard Yoo''s fist was blocked for the first time when he reached deep inside the Orc Vige dungeon and met the elite monster.

    <i>Kreeeaaa-!</i>

    The Orc elite monster, the Orc Warrior, howled, shaking the entire area. Hearing the distant cry, about a minute away from him, Choi Yu-Seong shook off the group of Orcs rushing toward him and exhaled loudly.

    At the same time, he remembered the skill he had copied from the person he had recruited during thest preparation period.

    ¡ºCopied Skill, eleration D-.

    Can be used for Fusion.

    The user¡¯s movement speeds up momentarily.

    Copy penalty limits the number of uses to ten times.

    Copy penalty reduces effect to 70%. ¡»

    This skill, which sped up instantaneous movement, was quite valuable. Even themon eleration skill could be achieved after some training. Although possibly limited by his rank, Choi Yu-Seong liked this eleration skill enough to fill one of his skill spaces.

    <i>¡®If I can read how Bernard Yoo uses his Explosion Shot skill, I might also use it.¡¯</i>

    When Choi Yu-Seong shook the spear and spun it around, the rushing Orcs faltered and made an opening for him to strike.

    <i>¡®Execute Eye of the Beast.¡¯?</i>

    With a single nce, Choi Yu-Seong found the small opening with his ovepping Vision Reinforcement skill. Then, he spun and thrust his spear straight ahead. At the same time, he activated two more skills.

    <i>''eleration, Wind Control.''?</i>

    Those two skills maximized movement speed.

    As he kicked the ground, Yu-Seong became like a ray of light shooting forward, only leaving behind a sh. This was abat formation used in the Middle Ages, by knights on horseback, to copse the opponent''s shield formation in one blow. Thus, of course, its power was also great.

    <i>¡®Lance charging!¡¯</i>

    As Choi Yu-Seong used his skills to fire himself off like a cannonball, about twenty massive Orcs pushed themselves into the gap he was aiming for. They ended up being torn like paper, falling dead without even a single scream. In that way, Choi Yu-Seong quickly caught up to Bernard Yoo.

    At the moment, Bernard Yoo was fighting with the Orc Warrior. Yu-Seong screamed andined inwardly because of the extreme physical pain that he was experiencing.

    <i>¡®Goodness, the Orcs. Why are they so tough?!¡¯?</i>

    Lance charging itself was a powerfulnce formation that originally used horses, spears, and the weight of armor. Of course, Yu-Seong was partially prepared for the rebound effect when going up against the Orcs, which had tough physiques. However, the rebound he felt was more than he expected.

    <i>¡®I can''t do this twice in a row.¡¯?</i>

    It could be possible if a Support-type yer or a Psychic-type yer supported him from the back, but Yu-Seong could not dare to try it again by himself. Yu-Seong smiled as he instinctively tripped the Orcs and pierced his spear through their heads one by one.

    - Your level has risen.

    With the following message, Yu-Seong¡¯s physical pain disappeared due to the healing effect of the level-up.

    <i>¡®As expected, leveling up is the best.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong looked back at Bernard Yoo, who looked surprised.

 Chapter 115

    <h4>Chapter 115 </h4>

    "Wow¡­ Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    ¡°Did you get the scene?¡±

    ¡°Someone check the filmed video!¡±

    There was a hugemotion among the filming reporters, who were all eximing at Yu-Seong. Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, who believed they were quite used to Choi Yu-Seong''s amazing talents and tricks, were also astonished by Yu-Seong. His short-lived Lance Charging scene just now was extremely shocking to them.

    "Holy Moly! Reporter Park, that one just now....¡±

    "He didn''t just invoke one skill. The timing of theunch was a little slow for that,"mented Park Jin-Hwan.

    Usually, the effect would be immediate if the mostmon skills were used. However, Choi Yu-Seong''s Lance Charging needed a short preparation time for theunch itself.

    "Maybe it wasn¡¯t an instant urring skill in the first ce?¡± One of the reporters who was listening to Park Jin-Hwan''s soft voice asked while looking somewhat bewildered.

    ¡°That doesn''t look like the power of a D-rank skill. Maybe it¡¯s rank C¡­ No, is it a special move? No way," spected another reporter.

    Soon, the buzz and uproar between the reporters grew much bigger.

    "Hey! Get a hold of yourself!"

    "Oh, sorry."

    To add to the chaos, some reporters hadn¡¯t been paying attention to flying the drones and caused a collision in the air. Their surprise could only be described as natural.

    Anyone could simply use skills to achieve something. In addition, invoking several skills at once was a rare but often used battle method by hunters with plenty of mana. However, creating special moves through skill coordination was truly otherworldly in its difficulty.

    The only known hunter in Korea who had developed the special move to this day was Cheok Jun-Hui, Korea''s Swordmaster. In fact, there were exactly twelve hunters who could do it in the entire world. For this reason, the World yer Association even gave the title of ¡®Death Star¡¯ to the twelve people who had created and used such special skills.

    The greatest advantage of these special moves was simple; they were not very much affected by rank. The base ability was indeed a registered skill, but it was the hunter himself who developed it. In other words, the special move¡¯s power could be infinitely increased through repetitive training, practice, and the attachment of new skills.

    The development of such special moves was desired by all hunters. However, there was a simple reason why the people who could develop this move were rare. As stated above, the difficulty level was too high. Not only did the hunter need to have a skill structure for his special move, but he also needed toe up with the idea of weaving the skills together.

    On top of that, there was the burden of mana when activating various skills at the same time, using the powerful force that could conquer even powerful boss monsters with a single blow, and finally, a physical ability that could withstand the repercussions. Only when all of these were achieved would a move be recognized and called a special move.

    However, Choi Yu-Seong, who was still only D-rank, had developed a special move.

    ¡°If it¡¯s really the special move which Choi Yu-Seong developed... Wouldn¡¯t this be the first time in Korea since Korea''s Swordmaster?" asked Kim Jin-Young.

    "We won''t know for sure until we see the precision video and our skill analysis experts confirm it, but I have a feeling that Choi Yu-Seong was activating the skills by ovepping them right before the dash,¡± answered Park Jin-Hwan.

    At that moment, a careful voice came from the Cheon-Ji Group reporters group.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think even Kim Do-Jin has been able to make a special move yet¡­¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s true that Yu-Seong Choi developed a special move¡­"

    Noticing the brief silence, Park Jin-Hwan smiled as he stood in the center of them. He then asked, ¡°Now, who is the best super rookie in Korea?¡±

    If the question had been asked just an hour ago, the reporters would have shouted the name of ¡®Kim Do-Jin¡¯ without hesitation. However, there was nothing but a heavy silence across the entire press corps now.

    ***

    Bernard Yoo had no choice but to gulp as soon as he felt Choi Yu-Seong catching up with an explosive sound. He could feel the maning up right behind his back.

    <i>¡®What was that just now?¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo did not see Choi Yu-Seong doing the Lance Charging, because he was concentrating on the battle against Orc Warrior. Even before he could be more curious about it, Choi Yu-Seong wove his way through the battlefield where he and Orc Warrior were fighting and started running ahead.

    <i>¡®Jeez!¡¯</i>

    Realizing that he had been overtaken, Bernard Yoo clenched his teeth and grabbed the thick ax de wielded by the Orc Warrior with his bare hands. Then, he turned his waist to gain momentum, and with his outstretched fist, he punched arge hole in the left chest where the Orc¡¯s heart was located.

    As Bernard Yoo had hurriedly grabbed the ax with his bare hands, part of his battle suit was torn and blood flowed out. However, he couldn''t afford to pay attention to it. This was because Choi Yu-Seong continued to run using the Wind Control and widening the distance with him while waving into the opening of the Orc Warrior who was attacking him.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he''s also a monster. How can a D-rank yer avoid all of the elite Orcs¡¯ attacks?¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo had no choice but to smile bitterly.

    <i>¡®I wouldn¡¯t even dare to copy his movement.¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo¡¯s favorite skill, Explosion Shot, could instantaneously elerate, but it still wouldn¡¯t be possible for him to squeeze between the opening like how Choi Yu-Seong had done.

    For this reason, Bernard Yoo had to inevitably fight when two or more Orc Warriors rushed in. If this situation continued, it was clear that their distance would widen by more than ten minutes until they reached the boss room.

    <i>¡®Though, I still have a chance.¡¯</i>

    In the end, Choi Yu-Seong would not keep avoiding the Orcs forever. The dungeon racing¡¯s final goal was to knock down the Orc War Chief, the powerful boss monster. Thus, there would surely be a moment of battle with the Orc War Chief.

    <i>¡®The Orc War Chief won''t fall so easily and¡­¡¯</i>

    Perhaps it was advantageous for Bernard Yoo to follow Yu-Seong at such a rather slow pace. By the time Choi Yu-Seong and the Orc War Chief were exhausted from each other, it would be possible for Bernard Yoo himself to be the final winner with a coup de grace.

    It was the same with sports, such as ser. No matter how well the advantageous team yed the game, if they didn''t score in the end, they would lose the game. Then, even the disadvantaged team could win if they score a goal. Bernard Yoo''s current situation was simr to that. There was only one problem.

    <i>¡®Ahh¡­ But I don''t want to win like that.¡¯</i>

    It was Bernard Yoo¡¯spetitive spirit. Taking thest hit of the monster that his opponent had been fighting against wasn¡¯t something he would do. However, if the distance continued to widen like this, he would definitely lose the match. Choi Yu-Seong was as strong as he expected and smarter than he thought.

    ¡°Did you really have to choose such a sneaky way¡ªnot directly fighting the elite monsters?¡± Without realizing it,ints he would not normally say escaped from Bernard Yoo¡¯s mouth. However, his feelings were not toward Choi Yu-Seong but toward himself. A great conflict lingered in his eyes as he grabbed the approaching Orc Warrior''s throat and threw it on the ground.

    <i>¡®If I wear the ancient relics that my grandfather gave me now¡­¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo could catch up with Yu-Seong. This was because, while using the ancient relics¡ª¡®Orc Hunt¡¯, even the elite monster, the Orc Warrior, could be defeated and passed by as easily as an ordinary Orc. However, his pride did not allow him to use it so easily.

    <i>¡®I''d rather lose like this¡­¡¯</i>

    By the time Bernard Yoo thought he would rather feelfortable losing this way, Chairman Yoo¡¯s face, the man who had scolded him with a stern face, seemed to appear in front of him.

    - Jae-Yeol, don''t forget that you have the whole Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s employees and their families on your shoulders.

    Due to the conflict between pride and responsibility, Bernard Yoo was struck by the Orc Warrior on the side. He flew into the air, swearing, "Dang it!"

    In fact, the answer had already been decided. If he really did not want to use it, Bernard Yoo shouldn''t have brought it. His eyes became hard as his hands squeezed the Oak Hunt that was in his battlesuit¡¯s storage box.

    After this match, he might hate himself and wander for a while. He was even starting to hate seeing his grandfather¡¯s face already.

    <i>¡®But how could I not?¡¯</i>

    With a responsibility to save countless families, Bernard Yoo took off the battlesuit¡¯s gloves at a high speed and wore the Orc Hunt on his right index finger. He began to run at a breakneck speed.

    ***

    Bernard Yoo, who seemed to be getting farther away, began to follow Yu-Seong closely.

    <i>¡®I thought I had at least three minutes to spare¡­¡¯</i>

    Before he knew it, the difference was reduced to about two minutes. There was nothing Yu-Seong could do about it. He was quick-footed, but he also had to sneak through the openings quickly to be ignored by the Orc Warrior. On the other hand, Bernard Yoo was chasing after him at some point, ughtering Orc Warriors as if he was only dealing with a stronger general Orc.

    Unlike Choi Yu-Seong, Bernard Yoo was pushing the Orcs hard without having to find the gaps. Thus, his speed was bound to be fast.

    <i>¡®The Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s secret weapon is an ancient relic.¡¯</i>

    Seeing the sudden change in Bernard Yoo, Choi Yu-Seong easily guessed the reason. At the same time, confusion arose.

    <i>¡®But why did he start using it now? Is it not an ancient relic, but a kind of secret weapon that¡¯s simr to what I prepared?¡¯</i>

    Of course, Choi Yu-Seong had also prepared a trump card. The first of them was the Lightning Burst, a medicine that had been hidden in a statue of a small shrine located somewhere in the northern tip of Hokkaido, Japan. It allowed the user''s physical and mental abilities to significantly surpass the rank as soon as it was taken. Of course, as great as the temporary effect was, the risk was also equally great.

    <i>¡®Itsts five minutes at the most.¡¯</i>

    Also, when the medicine¡¯s short effect was over, all system stats were locked, and the user would be incapable ofbat for about five days. In the original novel, after the Japanese S-rank hunter Nioh was defeated in a fight with Kim Do-Jin, he discovered the Lightning Burst and dreamed of revenge. However, he ended up with the conclusion that he could not surpass the main character.

    <i>¡®But the effect itself was described in a great way.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, the medicine was powerful that Nioh, who had stagnated in the S-rank, was able to cut off the arm of the SS-rank Kim Do-Jin. Kim Do-Jin had been able to survive because he had an S-ranked alchemist as well as Baek Ah-Rin, who wouldter be the only SS-ranked restoration-type and support-type in the world, by his side. Thus, it was clear that there was no doubt about the medicine¡¯s strong effect.

    Therefore, Choi Yu-Seong shortly suspected that Bernard Yoo had prepared a means to increase the firepower at the same moment as the Lightning Burst, but he soon shook his head.

    <i>¡®Such a medicinal item is notmon in this world.¡¯</i>

    It was said to be quitemon in China, where it was no different from the divergence point of the Martial Arts¡¯ world. However, it was notmonly used elsewhere since the risks were tremendously terrible. It ruined people to the extent that they would not be able to recover as a hunter forever. They couldn¡¯t even recover after lying down for a few days.

    Then, could there be two of the Lightning Burst? That was also impossible.

    <i>¡®The original novel said that the alchemist who made the Lightning Burst hid it in a statue and died.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, there were so many errors in the novel¡¯s setting that there might be a possibility. However, Choi Yu-Seong was also convinced that it could never happen.

    <i>¡®The alchemist who developed the Lightning Burst was Kaito Sang, the shrine¡¯s owner.¡¯</i>

    And when Jenny''s hidden team had visited the shrine, Kaito Sang was found dead.

 Chapter 116

    <h4>Chapter 116 </h4>

    There was only one thing to note. In the original novel, the cause of Kaito, the alchemist¡¯s death, was suicide. However, ording to the Hidden Team¡¯s research, murder was a possibility.

    Choi Yu-Seong had asked for an investigation just in case, but nothing unusual was found. Needless to say, there was only one existing Lightning Burst. If Bernard had it in his possession, then he certainly wouldn¡¯t have used it so hastily.

    The race was about ten minutes long. After ignoring dozens of Orc Warriors, Choi Yu-Seong found the entrance to the boss room. He was once again convinced of one fact.

    <i>¡®That''s an ancient relic.¡¯</i>

    Just then, Bernard Yoo pierced the heart of the Orc Warrior that was blocking Choi Yu-Seong. He sessfully overtook Yu-Seong. For a moment, they made eye contact.

    ¡°...I''m sorry,¡± Bernard Yoo said.

    Choi Yu-Seong tilted his head in surprise. "What?"

    However, Bernard Yoo offered no answer to that question. He simply continued to move forward.

    <i>¡®Does he feel guilty about using an ancient artifact?¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, Bernard Yoo was described as a pretty loyal man. If that was still the case, he might be feeling guilty about it. Of course, Choi Yu-Seong didn''t think it was a problem at all.

    <i>¡®Being able to use proper items at the right time can also be seen as a proper ability. Anyway, if I get overtaken right here¡­ Should I try to steal the Orc War Chief?¡¯</i>

    Naturally, Choi Yu-Seong also thought of what Bernard Yoo had been thinking. He shouldn¡¯t have a problem with stealing the Orc War Chief since victory was all that mattered. However, for some strange reason, the word "steal" felt heavy and pricked his conscience.

    <i>¡®No matter what methods I use, I just have to win. I have to win¡­¡¯</i>

    This particr race had a lot at stake. By losing, Yu-Seong¡¯s safety would also be at risk. In fact, Yu-Seong¡¯s greatest consideration was his personal safety. Therefore, he would choose whichever method that could help him win easily.

    That was a logical consideration, but Yu-Seong¡¯s heart told him something different. After all, this was apetition where they were supposed to show off their skills. He did not want to end thepetition and seize victory through what he considered to be ¡°stealing¡±.

    Eventually, Yu-Seong came to a conclusion.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t want to win by using such a cheap method.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong obviously did not want to lose thepetition and expose himself to danger. He still had to win. Fortunately, there was a way for him to do so.

    <i>¡®I wanted to save both of my tools, including the Lightning Burst, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Beggars could not be choosers.

    Choi Yu-Seong had asked for more than just one Lightning Burst from the Hidden Team over the past week. He had prepared a second secret weapon.

    <i>¡®I have the battle suit that has excellent flexibility and it has small holes that allows for attachments on top.¡¯</i>

    <i>¡¯</i>Of course, excellent defense was essential here.

    To help Yu-Seong achieve this, some of the Hidden Team members had gone to Germany, the kingdom of mass production, to hire five battle suit craftsmen. They had requested for the battle suit to be produced quickly. In the end, they had custom-made a battle suit just for Choi Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®And its price alone is 10 billion won!¡¯</i>

    There was a simple reason why Yu-Seong could sell the first, and very expensive, battlesuit and buy a new armor that could be considered a secret weapon.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s all thanks to Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice.¡¯</i>

    Choi Ji-Ho¡¯s incredible ancient artifact had many great factors. Under current circumstances, its ability to transform into a vast number of forms was very useful.

    <i>¡®In other words, it can transform into a rubber garment that wraps around the body.¡¯</i>

    With a luxury spear made by a French craftsman in one hand, Choi Yu-Seong wore a battle suit made by a German craftsman. He quickly transformed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a rubber material and attached it to his suit, so it wrapped around his entire body. Even his head was protected.

    Even with the additional protection, Yu-Seong retained his clear vision.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s made of rubber, but I made it transparent around the eye area to facilitate vision. Wow, I know I already experimented with it before, but I¡¯m still surprised that my vision is clear as day.¡¯</i>

    The more he used the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, the more Yu-Seong realized the incredible flexibility of the transformation of the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice. It could help him greatly increase the range of his battle abilities.

    "Invoke, Dancing Electric Doll."

    The Dancing Electric Doll was invoked right before Yu-Seong. It was the most powerful skill among the wide range of skills he had.

    Orc Warriors were being electrocuted by the attack. They screamed and twisted their bodies like they were dancing wildly.

    However, not even the Dancing Electric Doll¡¯s powerful force could affect Yu-Seong much. He had the protection of the rubber battle suit.

    <i>¡®My skin tingles a bit, but I can endure this much!¡¯?</i>

    Hunters who mainly utilized lightning power had an advantage, because lightning was the strongest out of all the attributes. As for their weakness, lightning was so powerful that it would be dangerous even for the hunters themselves. The hunters would also be powerless in the face of an opponent with the discharge ability.

    Yu-Seong constantly checked the stats of his own abilities to survive, so he was aware of their weaknesses and even thought of ways to ovee them. That was why he thought that the Dancing Electric Doll and his custom-made battle suit were the best for thispetition.

    Thispetition helped Yu-Seong to confirm those spections as facts. When he used his Magic Spear skill and delivered an even stronger electric shock to the stumped Orc Warrior that was caught by the Dancing Electric Doll, he instantly killed the Orc Warrior in one hit. It was simr to how Chae Ye-Ryeong had hunted the monsters in a first-ss dungeon.

    <i>¡®I can do it, too. One shot, one kill!¡¯</i>

    Of course, due to the nature of the Dancing Electric Doll, Choi Yu-Seong''s mana and chakra consumption was quite high. He couldn¡¯t use it too frequently. To be exact, he <i>thought</i> he would not be able to use it again.

    Your level has risen.

    A level-up message appeared once Yu-Seong defeated five Orc Warriors. Through the system interface, he confirmed the amount of chakra that he had quickly consumed was restored. His physical condition recovered as well.

    Beneath the rather stuffy rubber helmet, Yu-Seong wore a disappointed expression.

    <i>¡®Oh, if I knew about this, I would have juste here without leveling up.¡¯</i>

    Day by day, Yu-Seong¡¯s greed increased.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong had seeded in overtaking Bernard Yoo, but Bernard hade back to overtake him. Throughout the entirepetition, the reporters paid close attention and filmed with the drones. They sighed, cheered, and groaned with tense feelings.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    With a loud explosion, the dungeon square shook violently.

    "What''s going on?!¡±

    "Is it terrorism?"

    The surprised reporters jumped up from their seats and shouted. The Hunter Association¡¯s hunters who guarded the inside of Dungeon Square received a radio transmission, so they quickly regrouped and had a discussion.

    ¡°There¡¯s an external attack from a viin. Everyone, evacuate to a safe ce! If you leave now, you will die!¡±

    The reporters looked at each other and their expressions naturally hardened. Thepetition had strict security measures in ce, just in case the viins attacked. Due to that reason, most of the reporters themselves did not even know why they had been called to Bangbae-dong until they had arrived here.

    However, viins still attacked.

    "Someone tipped the viins off!"

    The reporters wanted to believe one another, but¡­ They couldn¡¯t help but feel suspicious of one another.

    "Don''t be preposterous! I was called here without any prior knowledge.¡±

    "You could have been contacted while already here.¡±

    "How could I? You know that they took our cell phones and searched our belongings...!"

    <i>BOOOM</i>-!

    As the fierce and intense usations began flying around, another explosion could be heard. Dungeon Square couldn¡¯t withstand the viin¡¯s consecutive attacks. Its magic barrier was starting to copse.

    ¡°Run-!¡±

    ¡°The viins areing!¡±

    The reporters began running to find a safe zone.

    "What are you doing? Aren''t you going?!" Kim Jin-Young shouted.

    Park Jin-Hwan, who was watching the monitor from his seat, bit his lower lip. "Ah¡­ This is a scoop...¡±

    ¡°You madman, is that more important than your life right now?!"

    Park Jin-Hwan was already aware that it would be dangerous for him not to escape now.

    Beyond the perforated mana barrier, a hugemotion and loud screams could be heard. From the distant cloud of dust, a ck huddle could be seening closer and closer.

    ¡°Reporter Park!¡±

    "I''m going. I''m going. Damn it, what a waste!"

    Kim Jin-Young forcibly grabbed Park Jin-Hwan by the cor and pulled him along, at which point Park Jin-Hwan finally got up from his seat and started to run.

    - Five S-rank viins, twelve A-rank viins, and thirty or more B-rank viins! All of them were Demon King Worshipers!

    The yer Association¡¯s hunters protecting Dungeon Square all had stiff expressions.

    <i>¡®We only have about ten people even whenbining internal and external forces¡­¡¯</i>

    The situation was made worse by the fact that not a single S-rank hunter was guarding the rank 4 dungeon. There were only two A-rank hunters here. At best, the rest were B-rank or C-rank hunters.

    However, the enemies who attacked were the Demon King Worshipers, a terrorist group with viins all over the world. Among them were S-rank hunters too.

    The hunters couldn''t help but feel tense.

    - The supporting hunters from the Comet Group and Cheon-Ji Group are on their way. Stop the enemy from entering the dungeon no matter what!

    Once they heard that radio transmission, everyone inside the Dungeon Square felt a slight sense of relief. Of course, that did not mean they were letting their guard down.

    "Everyone stay focused. We don''t know when the viins wille...¡±

    Before the chief hunter inside Dungeon Square could finish speaking, a round and small object flew across the dust cloud. Looking at the object, the chief hunter shouted, ¡°It¡¯s a stun grenade. Everyone close your eyes...!¡±

    At the same time, the stun grenade exploded, and viins began to rush into Dungeon Square. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t too many of them. Perhaps it was due to the deployment of outside forces and the two Groups working together, but the viins seemed like a number that could be dealt with.

    <i>¡®Ten?¡¯</i>

    After counting the number of viins, the chief hunter took out two batons, which were his main weapons, and stood in front of the dungeon entrance. Hemanded, "Do not let them enter the dungeon by any means!"

    A ck-masked viin attacked the chief hunter with a baseball bat.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    The chief hunter was slightly pushed back along with the explosion.

    <i>¡®This guy is also an A-ranker!¡¯</i>

    The opponent also paused with a slightly surprised expression upon grasping the chief hunter¡¯s rank and the fact that the others were also B- or C-rank hunters.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s a total of five internal hunter troops.¡¯</i>

    Soldiers who had just been waiting there rushed out and began to fire warning shots. Of course, it was impossible for them to fire direct bullets because of the narrow interior space.

    <i>¡®The viins¡­are cleverly using us as a shield.¡¯</i>

    The location restricted their movements. Although they were at a disadvantage in terms of the number of hunters, they could still prevent the viins from entering the dungeon.

    The chief hunter focused on the fight against the nearest viin who used a baseball bat. Well, he tried to do so.

    Perhaps nervous about the firstrge-scale viin''s attack, a hunter belonging to the Hunter Association got struck. His legs were twisted before he copsed in vain and died.

    ¡°Kuagh-!¡±

    Hearing the scream, the chief hunter turned slightly toward the noise.

    The A-rank viin, who was looking for an opening, approached and swung his bat widely. He yelled, "Stupid¡­ Where are you looking?¡±

    <i>Kwang-!</i>

    A loud noise rang out once again before the chief hunter concentrated all of his power on the enemy.

    ¡°Hey-! It''s an entry!"

    "Get in there-!"

    Two B-rank viins stepped over a Hunter Association¡¯s dead hunter to enter Dungeon Square.

 Chapter 117

    <h4>Chapter 117 </h4>

    After he started using the Dancing Electric Doll, the speed difference between Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo became smaller. Noticing how close Yu-Seong was getting, even without using ancient relics, Bernard smiled bitterly.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m using Orc Hunt, but his speed is still simr to mine?¡¯</i>

    Many people were mistaken about Yu-Seong¡¯s ability. To Bernard, Yu-Seong was probably the best among the D-rank yers right now.

    ¡°Not to mention, he¡¯s overwhelming.¡±

    Still, Bernard Yoo was considered a genius. He had a bitter smile, but his expression soon hardened.

    <i>''I mean, I didn''t have a choice from the beginning. I had to put my own conscience aside and use the ancient relic.¡¯</i>

    Others used to say that Bernard Yoo''s greatest advantage was his family or natural talent. However, Meghan, who was his teacher and had been watching him the closest and longest, used to tell him that his unique strengths were actually quick understanding and ready eptance of himself and his circumstances.

    <i>''I have to ept it. Choi Yu-Seong is stronger than me right now.¡¯?</i>

    Ironically, it was only at this point that Bernard Yoo''s real talent began to emerge. It was sparked by a simple reason.

    Bernard Yoo had trouble concentrating for a long time. Perhaps it was due to overconfidence or his rxed personality. Therefore, the longer the battle, the more minor mistakes or useless movements he made. However, all these shorings disappeared when his concentration increased to an extreme.

    That was why the S-rank hunter Meghan used to say this.

    - Bernard, if you can keep your concentration for more than two hours, you will be called the strongest D-rank yer ever.

    Of course, Bernard Yoo didn''t really care about that. As Meghan said, he was quick to acknowledge his own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, he knew very well that he could never concentrate for more than an hour.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong, I''m sorry, but I''m not in a position where I can lose you.¡¯?</i>

    Bernard Yoo''s concentration began rising to the limit. Soon, he fell into a trance. He smashed and moved past the Orc Warriors without looking back and quickly reached the entrance of the boss room.

    Bernard appeared to be unstoppable. Even until the moment he reached the entrance to the boss room and grabbed the giant doorknob, Bernard Yoo was excited about the battle and his victory.

    Distracted by his own thoughts, Bernard did not hesitate to turn around and send a punch flying when he felt Yu-Seong urgently grabbing his shoulder. His fist was strengthened by his will to break the head of anyone who interfered. He delivered a powerful punch that tore Yu-Seong¡¯s ear in the process.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong swayed side to side as an explosive sound rang out.

    "Are you deaf? Why aren''t you listening to me?¡± shouted Yu-Seong, who turned around with a groan.

    It wasn''t until then that Bernard Yoo realized that he had done something quite dangerous. His gaze softened, returning to its normal state. He then asked, "What do you mean...?¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong was lying on the floor and wiping the blood flowing down his ear. He said with a sigh, "Dang it. I''m so dizzy. I''ll try to recover so you stop the Orcs from rushing in.¡±

    "I don''t understand. We''re stillpeting, and there seems to be no reason for me to help you make up for your mistake."

    "Look at the sky, you idiot."

    Bernard Yoo raised his head while frowning at Choi Yu-Seong''s words. He tilted his head in confusion. ¡°A gray sky is nothing special.¡±

    "That''s not what I meant... The drone¡­" Choi Yu-Seong''s words came out slow and heavy because his head hurt too much for him to continue speaking. He sat down in ce cross-legged while clutching his head. The God¡¯s Chakra was activated, and red and blue energy soon enveloped his body.

    After watching Yu-Seong for a while, Bernard Yoo widened his eyes as he blocked the fist of the rushing Orc Warrior.

    <i>''There isn¡¯t a single drone?¡¯?</i>

    Since it was apetition between the two big groups, the match¡¯s process and conclusion had to have clear evidence.

    As soon as Bernard Yoo first entered the dungeon, he had plenty of reporters following him and many drones that filmed his every action. It made him feel quite strange. But now, there wasn''t even a single one when drones had been swarming him like bees everywhere.

    At that moment, Bernard Yoo snapped back into reality. After struggling with an Orc Warrior who blocked his punch, Bernard lifted the monster and threw it at the others. Then, he looked around.

    <i>¡®There are pieces of a broken drone lying there. Seems like the drones all collided with one another.¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo quickly got the picture. He muttered, "Someone attacked from the outside.¡±

    He was soon boiling with anger.

    "How dare they... Bastards!"

    It was apetition between the two biggest groups in Korea. It was a game that thrilled Bernard Yoo so much that he even gave up on his pride and chose to cheat. However, the game was now messed up by outside interference.

    <i>''Who the heck did this? Grandpa and Chairman Choi wouldn''t have made a mistake.''?</i>

    If it was not a mistake, it would be a conspiracy. Someone must have betrayed the two chairmen. The traitor would certainly be caught once this situation was over, but Bernard himself wouldn¡¯t be able to vent his anger over the situation.

    It seemed like Choi Yu-Seong had figured out the situation quite early on. In fact, the drone had suddenly exploded overhead, so he would be a fool to still not understand the situation.

    However, Bernard Yoo had be a fool while in a trance and had hurt Yu-Seong, who had tried to stop him. It was certainly his fault.

    Once he began adopting that perspective, Bernard Yoo¡¯s anger soared to the highest point. He went ballistic. But thankfully, he managed to calm himself after a moment. He caught his breath and remembered what he had to do.

    <i>''It''s definitely the viins. I don''t know how many of them can get inside the dungeon, but¡­I have to stop them.¡¯?</i>

    If possible, it would be best if the viins did not enter the dungeon. Forces from the Cheon-Ji Group, Comet Group, and the yer Association located outside would do their best to achieve that. However, as it was an unexpected attack, there would definitely be a window allowing the viins to enter the dungeon.

    In fact, the attacking Orc Warriors that prevented Bernard Yoo and Choi Yu-Seong from entering the boss room gradually decreased. This was because the monsters that unconditionally rushed towards them were now running in the opposite direction.

    <i>¡®The viins came in.¡¯?</i>

    After noticing the situation, Bernard Yoo clenched his fist and readied his body for battle.

    <i>''I''m protecting Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was injured because Bernard Yoo had run wild without even looking around. If Yu-Seong were to get seriously injured or killed by a viin, Bernard Yoo would feel unbearably remorseful.

    Momentster, two viins wearing ck masks that resembled demon faces appeared in the distance. Bernard Yoo immediately recognized who they were.

    <i>¡®Demon King Worshipers!¡¯?</i>

    They were the only viins who wore ck masks that resembled demons. It was not difficult to understand why such a global terrorist group had entered this dungeon.

    <i>''Crazy bastards! They are trying to make money by kidnapping the two of us...!¡¯?</i>

    Smiling through the gaps in the masks, the viins quickly approached Bernad Yoo who ground his teeth in anger. The viins easily ughtered the approaching Orc Warriors around them, so they were most likely above D-rank.

    <i>¡®They are C-rank or higher. For the weapons: one has two daggers, and the other one¡­ Is he a Projection skill type?¡¯?</i>

    Looking at the viins who might be B-rank, Bernard Yoo bit his lower lip and stood in front of Choi Yu-Seong.

    "You''re not going to run away? You''re fearless, young man!"

    ¡°Kyahaha-!¡±

    The two viins talked leisurely with loud voices. However, they got it all wrong. Bernard Yoo wasn¡¯t fearless; he was very much afraid.

    <i>¡®They are definitely stronger than me.¡¯?</i>

    And since he was up against more than one viin, Bernard Yoo believed that he was going to die.

    <i>''No, I won¡¯t die. They''re gonna have to take me alive somehow.¡¯?</i>

    The experience wouldn¡¯t be a great one, but Bernard Yoo thought it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to keep in mind the fact that they could not kill him.

    <i>''If I use that to my advantage, I''ll get a chance to get out of this.¡¯?</i>

    At that moment, Bernard Yoo''s mind was filled with determination to risk his life. Again, he felt someone urgently grabbing his cor. He turned around in surprise and saw Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s urgent expression.

    Noticing how tense Bernard was, Yu-Seong shouted, ¡°Are you crazy? What are you doing?! We have to go inside.¡±

    "What¡­?¡±

    "They are obviously B-ranks. If we fight here, we will definitely lose."

    Would entering the boss room offer them a different and better situation? Bernard Yoo thought back to what he knew, remembering that the boss room with the Orc War Chief inside was a huge cave.

    Bernard Yoo could only think it over for a second, because he didn¡¯t have too much time. Before he knew it, the viins were going to reach them in about 30 seconds. He quickly made a decision, turning around and following Yu-Seong. He ran toward the boss room.

    ¡°But howe you don''t budge when I pull you?¡±

    Bernard Yoo contemted for a moment at Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s question. Then, he suggested, ¡°Maybe you are weak?¡±

    "No way."

    With a chuckle, Bernard Yoo leaped in front of Choi Yu-Seong and yanked hard on the boss room¡¯s doorknob.

    Once the huge door opened wide, Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo looked at each other and nodded lightly. They quickly threw themselves inside. Ten secondster, the two viins followed them through the entrance to the boss room.

    ***

    If a normal Orc was about two meters tall, an Orc Warrior was about three meters tall. Then, what about the Orc War Chief, who was the raid-level boss monster?

    <i>¡®At least five meters. No wonder people said it looks quite like an Ogre¡­¡¯</i>

    They were right. As soon as Yu-Seong entered the boss room, he looked at the giant monster that had bloodshot eyes and gulped. In fact, looking at that huge monster in front of his eyes, he seemed to understand why it was given the special title, ¡®<i>the Raid Boss</i>¡¯.

    <i>¡®Keuooo-!¡¯</i>

    The giant Orc War Chief started running towards Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo with a roar.

    "Don''t attack for now and spread out! We need to make things difficult for the viins.¡±

    Before he could even finish speaking, Bernard Yoo was already running deep into the huge cave. Choi Yu-Seong also ran quickly.

    Following them, the two viins entered the boss room and frowned when they saw the Orc War Chief in front of them. A huge ax then fell overhead, and the viin armed with two daggers leaped up on the jumping Orc War Chief¡¯s thick arms.

    The viins looked for Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo, who were scattered in both directions.

    <i>''You think we don¡¯t know your ulterior motives?¡¯</i>

    Just as the dagger viinughed and contemted who to prey on first, Choi Yu-Seong activated Magic Spear and quickly struck forward with his spear in session.

    Three des of wind cut through the air and flew across space.

    <i>¡®He has Projection skill?¡¯</i>

    The dagger viin was shocked by Choi Yu-Seong''s unexpected ability, but he soon hardened his expression. He stared at the Wind de that was approaching him.

    For the Projection skill types, especially those with the natural element attributes, they had considerable power. However, since Yu-Seong was only at the level of D-rank, his skill could simply be defeated with the physical force of a B-rank hunter.

    As if to prove such a fact, the viin ripped the Wind de apart with his daggers.

    The Wind de that brushed past the dagger viin scratched the Orc War Chief¡¯s face, since the monster was standing right behind the viin.

    <i>Pit-!</i>

    Naturally, sticky blue blood dripped down the dagger viin¡¯s back.

    <i>Keuleuleu-!</i>

    The Orc War Chief¡¯s angry roar could be heard from behind.

    <i>¡®Why am I caught in the crossfire?¡¯</i>

    The dagger viin slowly raised his head and met the huge eyes that stared at him. He had no choice but to moan bitterly.

 Chapter 118

    <h4>Chapter 118 </h4>

    <i>¡®Keuwaaa-!¡¯</i>

    The dagger viin stumbled, feeling dazed by the Orc War Chief¡¯s roar. As the Orc War Chief swung violently, the dagger viin lost his bnce and fell to the floor.

    Seeing hisrade lying on the floor awkwardly, the viin who fired a blue Mana Orb toward Choi Yu-Seong and Bernard Yoo burst intoughter. "Kyahaha-! What are you doing? Jackie!"

    "Shut up, Marlon!"

    "Do you have time to talk? You are going to be a ttened pizza!"

    "What?"

    Sure enough, the viin with the dagger, Jackie, acted swiftly when he saw a huge shadow of the Orc War Chief¡¯s foot over his head. He tumbled on the floor several times, avoiding the Orc War Chief''s feet, and swallowed the clouds of dust that had arisen in his ce.

    "Cough, Cough. Damn it!"

    "Oh, it¡¯sing again, Jackie!"

    Choi Yu-Seong had been listening to the conversation between the two and was quite disappointed.

    <i>''It would be nice if I could guess their abilities from their names.''?</i>

    In direct battles in the yer¡¯s world, victory or defeat often depended on how well they knew each other''s abilities. And in the case of most viins, it was possible to guess to a certain extent because they usually picked nicknames based on their main abilities. However, the two viins in front of Choi Yu-Seong seemed to use their real names with each other.

    Choi Yu-Seong quickly fired the Wind de made by the Magic Spear at the viin called Marlon, who was the Mana Orb Projection skill type yer. He wanted to check the opponent''s ability from a distance.

    "Is this a joke? Are you trying to disturb me with these kids'' games? Do I look easy, you damn silver spooner!" screamed Marlon.

    Marlon easily blocked Choi Yu-Seong''s attack by sticking one of the Magic Balls forward and using it as a shield. At the same time, he sent five Mana Orbs in all the directions of Yu-Seong''s movements and they flew a synchronized attack.

    In order to avoid all those attacks, Yu-Seong began to invoke Wind Control. However, there was a violent explosion that swept behind him. He felt a shock traveling up his back, but thanks to the enhanced physical abilities of the God''s Chakra, he didn''t lose his bnce or tip over.

    ¡°Die, die, die!"

    At Marlon''s cry, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes gleamed as he narrowly avoided a series of attacks through the Wind Control.

    <i>''The number of Mana Orbs that he can fire at once is limited to three to five, and he is definitely not a Physical-type.''?</i>

    The dagger viin called Jackie did not seem to be able to afford to take care of Yu-Seong and Bernard because he had to deal with the Orc War Chief, who was pursuing him. To be precise, he seemed even angrier with the Orc War Chief.

    "This insolent mass of muscle¡­!"

    At this point, Choi Yu-Seong felt fortunate that the group of Demon King Worshipers themselves were a group of crazy viins.

    <i>''If he doesn''t have anger management issues¡­then he''s probably thinking that Marlon alone can handle both me and Bernard Yoo by himself.¡¯</i>

    An ordinary B-rank hunter could handle up to ten or 20 D-rank hunters on his own, so Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t entirely mistaken.

    <i>¡®But...it''s making me feel unpleasant.¡¯</i>

    From Yu-Seong''s perspective, he had to seize this opportunity and make the most of it. Bernard Yoo thought the same and his eyes shone as their gazes met.

    <i>¡®Who''s going first?¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®I''ll lead the way.¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo shed a cool smile in response to Choi Yu-Seong''s unspoken question and activated his Explosion Shot.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    With a loud explosion, Bernard Yoo lunged toward Marlon.

    "You''re rushing to your death!"

    Marlon''s Mana Orb immediately enveloped Bernard Yoo.

    Despite being a rare physical D-rank hunter, Bernard Yoo was more of an attacker than a defensive tank. If he were hit by a Magic Ball of B-rank or higher, he would inevitably be knocked down in an instant.

    Marlon, Jackie, and even Choi Yu-Seong stared at the scene in astonishment.

    <i>¡®That idiot! What the hell were you thinking, rushing in like that?¡¯</i>

    Before Yu-Seong could let out a sigh of absurdity, another explosion rocked the air.

    Bernard Yoo''s voice resounded loud and clear. "Wake up, Choi Yu-Seong!"

    Bernard Yoo hadn''t fallen. Convinced by the strong voice, Yu-Seong didn''t hesitate any longer.

    <i>¡®I can''t afford to hold back now.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong chomped down on the Lightning Burst that was tucked between his teeth, ready to swallow it at a moment''s notice. The bitter taste was worse than any cold medicine, and a heat radiated from within his body. It felt like he was in a boiling furnace. His face reddened briefly from the slightly painful sensation.

    Choi Yu-Seong shivered. He was hyper-aware of his body, which increased in temperature. The heat quickly got to his head.

    <i>¡®This is more than I thought¡­''?</i>

    It pushed Yu-Seong beyond his limits.

    However, the duration of this transcendent power was by no means long. Also, Yu-Seong felt the lingering effects of the wind pressure he had encountered while dodging Bernard Yoo''s attack.

    <i>''I¡¯m acting like I am okay, but my focus isn''t very good now.''?</i>

    The direction of the attack would be affected if Yu-Seong¡¯s concentration was even slightly disturbed. Needless to say, he couldn¡¯t prolong the battle time. He had to act as quickly as possible.

    <i>''There are only three opponents to overpower.''?</i>

    The three were Marlon, who used Mana Orbs, Jackie, who used daggers, and the Orc War Chief. Yu-Seong captured the opponents in one nce and used the only two remaining skills first.

    <i>¡®Activate Insight.¡¯</i>

    mes of ghost fire burned in Yu-Seong''s eyes.

    <i>¡®Chakra is overflowing.¡¯</i>

    It exploded with an unpredictable intensity.

    <i>¡®Invocate Magic Spear, Wind Control, and eleration.¡¯</i>

    Even though he used four or more skills at the same time, there was still a lot of Chakra left to spare. Yu-Seongunched himself forward in this state. With Magic Spear, he twisted the thunderbolt. With Wind Control, he flew through the wind, soaring through the high dome.

    Marlon, who had been focusing all his attention on the wildly charging Bernard Yoo, turned his gaze to the sky. He eximed, "Are you telling me that''s a leap of a D-rank hunter?!"

    Marlon momentarily panicked before regaining hisposure. He fired one of his Mana Orbs toward Bernard Yoo, like a seasoned viin. He then turned his gaze back towards the front. Despite being surprised by Choi Yu-Seong''s leap, Marlon remembered that Yu-Seong was only an All-Rounder.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not a monster like the Orc War Chief, and so he would never be able to stand my Mana Orb!¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo raised his arms and covered his head as he charged forward like a rhinoceros though he was not in good shape. Even if his ultra-expensive battle suit had a defense ability as good as Yu-Seong''s, it was torn to shreds and his whole body was covered in bloody wounds. He was so wounded that even in the darkest and most chaotic of battlefields, the smell of his blood seemed to burrow into Marlon''s nose.

    However, Bernard Yoo''s gaze did not waver. Despite not using any special skills, his eyes were so bright that they seemed to be glowing with sparks. That alone gave Marlon goosebumps because Bernard Yoo was just a D-rank.

    When Marlon thought back to that moment, he realized just how stubborn and ridiculously strong this monster, Bernard Yoo, was. As a chill ran down his back, his bloodshot eyes filled with anger.

    <i>¡®I''ll make this guy cower in fear¡­¡¯</i>

    Marlon felt he had to do this or else he would have to worry about retributionter. But a part of him began to feel afraid. He noticed a change in Bernard Yoo''s expression.

    "...Are youughing?"

    With a curious expression, Choi Yu-Seong tore through the dust clouds high up in the sky and thrust his spear.

    <i>Kuang-!</i>

    ¡°Ack-?!¡± Marlon, who couldn''t predict the explosion that shattered the stone floor, let out a scream and stumbled. He tried to find Choi Yu-Seong when something hard hit his back.

    "Hey..."

    Surprised by the small voice, Marlon widened his eyes and quickly turned around, backing away.

    There was Choi Yu-Seong, with a bewildered face, holding onto the spear he had thrown. He said, "I was trying to finish you off with this, but the aim was a bit off."

    With an angry face, Marlon expressed his doubt. ¡°What¡­?¡±

    There was a loud explosion as Bernard appeared from behind Marlon.

    "Forget it. I have to finish this guy off to let off some steam."

    Bernard swung his waist around like a gymnast.

    "...?!¡± Marlon quickly split his Mana Orb into two and shot them out to both targets.

    "You shall feel the full force of my wrath, you damn viin!" Bernard Yoo gave a rough shout.

    The loudest explosion that Marlon had ever heard took ce. Then, Bernard Yoo''s fist mmed into the corner of Marlon''s jaw.

    "Keuack-!" Marlon sputtered blood and his Mana Orb hit the ground in vain.

    Bernard Yoo did not miss his chance and chased after Marlon with a raised fist again. He growled, ¡°This is punishment for you ruining the match.¡±

    "How could just...a D-rank...!"

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    With another loud explosion, Marlon''s eyes rolled back and he fell backward. After Marlon fell down, Bernard Yoo climbed on top of him and began repeatedly punching him.

    Even if the difference in rank was significant, there was still a big difference in Physical and Psychic typed yers. Above all, Marlon did not have the mental fortitude to endure pain and continue fighting like Bernard Yoo.

    Completely overpowered, Marlon was unable to say anything more. He becamepletely battered and lost consciousness.

    "Marlon. That bastard..."

    Having inflicted numerous wounds on the startled Orc War Chief¡¯s arm, Jackie threw a dagger toward Bernard Yoo. However, his weapon was easily blocked by Choi Yu-Seong''s spear.

    "Your opponent is me." Breathing heavily, Choi Yu-Seung swung his spear tip so that it faced Jackie and the Orc War Chief. He then added, "Or should I im that both you and the Orc War Chief are mine to defeat?"

    "Ha¡­ This All-Rounder brat condescending me like this.." Jackie, wielding two daggers, created an illusion to deceive the Orc War Chief and aimed straight for Choi Yu-Seong''s back.

    Without missing a single beat, Yu-Seong turned slowly. He said with a smile, "It looks like your specialty is the Illusion skill.¡±

    The viin Jackie¡¯s dagger cut Yu-Seong in half. No, it seemed like he had.

    <i>''An Illusion...?''?</i>

    Just when Jackie was surprised by such a simr ability and was about to turn his gaze, he felt Yu-Seong¡¯s light tap on his shoulder.

    ¡°Kyaaak-!¡± Jackie screamed in pain. It was as if his shoulder was being crushed by an enormous force.

    "Unfortunately, even someone you deem as inferior, like myself, possesses the same skill as you." Choi Yu-Seong acted somewhat arrogantly, sneering at Jackie who had ignored him with ease.

    "Actually, I thought I was really short on time...?"

    He was mistaken.

    "But it looks like we have time to spare."

    Despite seeing enough description in the original novel, he did not properly understand the difference between S-rank and SS-rank, and the difference between the protagonist of a returning hero and a natural-born hero.

    Now that he had the Lightning Burst, Yu-Seong was confident he could win even if an A-rank viin appeared as an enemy.

    With his bare hands, Choi Yu-Seong lightly caught the dagger which Jackie swung.

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Afterward, Yu-Seong smiled and activated a <i>gift</i> toward the flustered viin. He said, ¡°Invoke, Dancing Electric Doll.¡±

 Chapter 119

    <h4>Chapter 119 </h4>

    ¡°...?!¡± Jackie shook once he was wrapped in a thunderbolt. His eyes rolled back.

    Yu-Seong swung the spear outward and lightly bounced it off the ax wielded by the Orc War Chief, who had followed him.

    The Orc War Chief fell back. Then, a loud roar rang in the cave¡¯s surroundings.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    There was a cloud of dust.

    <i>¡®He''s more than a monster! I''m going to die, I''m definitely going to die! How is this a D-rank?¡¯</i>

    After having a lucky escape from the Dancing Electric Doll¡¯s attack, Jackie ran toward the entrance of the boss room. As he made his escape, he left a vision behind. Despite his speed, it was not difficult for Choi Yu-Seong to follow.

    "Lance Charging."

    Once thatmand was uttered, the viin Jackie fell forward with arge hole from his left side of his chest to his right shoulder. He struggled. "Cough¡­!"

    Jackie watched the trembling tip of Choi Yu-Seong''s spear pass him at a velocity that he could not even attempt to keep up with. As Yu-Seong¡¯s spear smashed through a part of the massive cave, Jackie couldn''t help but utter a curse internally.

    <i>¡®The information we received was way¡­off.¡¯</i>

    Jackie was losing consciousness. He thought he should risk his life since this was a big operation, but he didn''t know he was going to die against a D-rank opponent. His end was very quiet.

    <i>Keoow!</i>

    Meanwhile, the Orc War Chief, who had fallen from Choi Yu-Seong''s attack, raised itself up with a scream.

    With ast blow, Bernard Yoo broke Marlon''s neck bone and fell forward from his position. Bernard Yoo looked at Choi Yu-Seong, meeting each other¡¯s gaze.

    <i>¡®I don''t know what you''ve done, but¡­¡¯</i>

    As Jackie thought, the current Choi Yu-Seong was not a D-rank hunter. Bernard Yoo didn''t think it was a cheap shot.

    <i>¡®At least one hidden weapon... Everyone has prepared for the worst.¡¯</i>

    Bernard Yoo knew that cheap tricks weren¡¯t to be looked down upon. Starting from the middle of thepetition, even Bernard Yoo himself had used an ancient relic, the Orc Hunt, to win. Nevertheless, he couldn''t help feeling angry and upset. There wasn¡¯t a particr reason.

    <i>¡®I lost.¡¯</i>

    The feeling of defeat shook Bernard Yoo''s heart. Fortunately, he managed to shake off the dark feeling quickly.

    It was a shame, but thepetition was already over. And most of all, the fact that he lost to Choi Yu-Seong, who was the same D-rank and a lower level than him, made him feel relieved rather than feeling empty.

    <i>¡®And I wasn''t necessarily bad, right?¡¯</i>

    It was just that Choi Yu-Seong was incredibly strong.

    Bernard Yoo organized his feelings in a short period of time. Then, without a word, he gave his trademark sophisticated smile to Choi Yu-Seong who had been waiting for him. Bernard Yoo strained to tense the index finger of his clenched fist.

    <i>''You win. I only have the strength to hold up a finger.''?</i>

    As Bernard wondered if he received the message, Yu-Seong lightly nodded and showed respect toward Bernard Yoo. Then, he suddenly faced the fierce, red eyes of the Orc War Chief that hade to him.

    <i>''Originally...I thought I would have to struggle a lot to catch it...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong had prepared many strategies to catch this stupid raid monster, but now they were all meaningless. Even the unique rough energy of the giant raid boss monster now seemed insignificant to Yu-Seong.

    <i>''This is why people are addicted to power.''</i>

    As he looked at the ax slowly falling towards his head, Yu-Seong quickly thrust the end of his spear forward. His weapon traveled approximately 500 meters in an instant using his Wind Control.

    <i>¡®Activate Magic Spear, attribute: thunderbolt.¡¯</i>

    Thunderbolt shot up from the end of the spear, releasing a shallow noise. Preparations werepleted in an instant.

    <i>¡®Lance Charging.¡¯</i>

    As if the air was beingpressed and then exploded, Yu-Seong leaped forward at the moment of his attack.

    <i>KABOOM-!</i>

    Across the short 500 meters gap, a single bolt of lightning tore through the air like it was tearing through paper. When the giant raid boss monster, Orc War Chief, was roaring and trying to swing its ax down, a massive hole had already been created from its chest to below its belly.

    The Orc War Chief couldn''t even keep up with its movements. Just by lifting its ax high, it breathed heavily and stumbled forward.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    Slightly shaking off the effects of the earlier concussion, Yu-Seong looked up at the cave¡¯s expansive ceiling.

    - Your level has risen.

    - Your level has risen.

    - Your level has ri¡­.

    Like rain pouring down, the never-ending stream of level-up messages appeared first. Choi Yu-Seong didn''t even try to count how many there were.

    <i>''I can just check the system interface to see how many there are anyway...''?</i>

    Instead, he focused on the other messages that followed.

    - The Friend of Thunder and Hammer is paying attention to the yer Choi Yu-Seong. 200 karma points are donated.

    - The Green Spring of the East is paying attention to the yer Choi Yu-Seong. 200 karma points are donated.

    - Sparkling God Who Loves to Love is interested in yer Choi Yu-Seong. 100 karma points are donated.

    - The Father of Magical Hymns has discovered yer Choi Yu-Seong. 100 karma points are donated.

    - The Oldest Hunter happily smiles at yer Choi Yu-Seong. 500 karma points are donated.

    - Cnn¡¯s Hound sends a message saying<i>?''May your life be filled with only glory...''</i>. 500 karma points are donated.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster sends a message saying<i>?''Stop eyeing my friend, you trashbags.''?</i>3000 karma points are donated!

    - Many gods with mythologies rted to thunder and lightning are paying attention to the yer Choi Yu-Seong. A history of "<i>receiving the protection of the thunder god</i>" is formed.

    There were pouring messages of the gods and the acquisition of a new history after so long. If Bernard Yoo, who had lost consciousness, were able to see, he would have let out a scream of astonishment at the sight of thepensation.

    Yu-Seong smiled contentedly and slowly slumped back in his seat. He was relieved that the tension was gone and his body was starting to lose strength due to the after-effects of the Lightning Burst. He wouldn¡¯t be able to go on a proper dungeon hunt for at least five days, but he wasn''t particrly unhappy about it.

    <i>''Anyway, I did well.''?</i>

    He just won the match with one of the protagonist¡¯spanions in the novel and he even defeated the viin who had suddenly attacked them. Choi Yu-Seong closed his eyes with a joyful smile on his face. He felt a satisfaction that he hadn¡¯t felt in a while.

    <i>''Since it¡¯ll take more than a month for the boss monster to be regenerated...''?</i>

    He wanted to rest a little.

    ***

    When Yu-Seong opened his eyes again, he was in a hospital room. He looked at the familiar white ceiling before smiling bitterly.

    <i>''Now it''s as familiar as home.''?</i>

    As if responding to the small movement, Jin Yu-Ri, who had been looking somewhere else, turned her gaze to Yu-Seong. She asked, "Are you awake?"

    "Yeah."

    As Choi Yu-Seong naturally tried to sit up, Jin Yu-Ri shook her head and said, "Lie down. Don''t overdo it."

    "I''m not overdoing it. Don''t worry."

    "Please... Yu-Seong oppa," Yu-Ri said.

    Yu-Seong looked puzzled because Yu-Ri wasn¡¯t saying much. Come to think of it, he found it strange just how serious Yu-Ri¡¯s expression was. He was momentarily lost in thought when he saw Yu-Ri had tears in her eyes.

    <i>''Why is she like this?''?</i>

    Just in case, Yu-Seong checked if any of his body parts that he couldn''t feel were missing, but there was still no problem. He tried to sit up again when he said, ¡°I¡¯m okay, Yu-Ri.¡±

    Yu-Ri held onto Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder tightly as she shook her head from side to side. She eximed, "There''s no way you''re okay!"

    Yu-Seong raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Why are you saying that?"

    "Have you tried using your mana?" asked Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Only then did Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widen in understanding.

    <i>¡®Oh... Does that mean¡­¡¯</i>

    One side effect of using the Lightning Burst was the inability to use mana for a while. One would then be no different from a normal person.

    After being rescued by someone from the yer Association and taken to the hospital, Yu-Seong and Bernard''s conditions were checked. If they had paid attention, they would have realized that Yu-Seong was unable to use mana for the time being.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, I can¡¯t even feel the Chakra¡¯s effects¡­¡¯</i>

    It was like he hadpletely returned to a normal person.<i>?</i>

    Yu-Seong knew that this condition would recover in a few days, but Yu-Ri had no idea. After all, it was Yu-Seong''s own fault for not properly exining the situation to anyone around him when requesting to use the Lightning Burst. He couldn''t help butugh at himself.

    He started to exin in detail the effects and side effects of the Lightning Burst. He had thought that Yu-Ri might have trouble understanding since it was a type of medicine still unknown in this world. It was fortunate that Yu-Ri seemed to easily grasp the concept.

    "So you''ll be okay in a few days, right?" Yu-Ri asked.

    "Yeah. Trust me and, you know, my hidden ability."

    "Is it...the future foresight?"

    ¡°Simr,¡± replied Yu-Seong with a mischievous smile. With a shrug, he continued, "I can still do regr things except go on dungeon hunts or do intense training. Just think of me as a normal person.¡±

    In the first ce, Yu-Seong had spent most of his life living as a normal person rather than as a person with supernatural abilities. He had be strong and ustomed to this way of life, so while he did find his current condition somewhat ufortable, it wasn''t unbearable.

    <i>¡®In fact, I''m not feeling that powerless. Maybe It¡¯s because I''ve been trained to some extent.¡¯</i>

    That might be the reason Yu-Seong was able to smilefortably.

    "The doctor said that if you''re not careful, you could be a person incapable of using mana," Yu-Ri warned.

    "That''s just the usual side effect of using the skill," Yu-Seong replied while looking at Yu-Ri. He then said reassuringly, "So let''s just move on. I''ll be fine in a few days. Rather than that, I¡¯d like to hear about what happened."

    Yu-Ri no longer doubted Yu-Seong. She exined, "You probably already know, but there was a viin attack. They were the Demon King Worshipers, and there were quite a lot of them. I think that there were five S-rank viins deployed. Themotion was quite intense, but with thebined efforts of the Cheon-Ji Group and us, it was quickly suppressed. The strange part was that the S-rank viins retreated too easily. If it weren''t for that, the damage to the city would have been much worse.¡±

    Upon hearing the name of the worst terrorist group in the world, the Demon King Worshipers, and the situation, Yu-Seong tried to think of the reason for their strange behavior. He then looked at Yu-Ri in surprise and asked, "Was the ughter Queen also there?"

    "No, why are you..." Yu-Ri¡¯s voice trailed off as she too looked at Yu-Seong with wide eyes. She then asked, "Was the n from the beginning to take her out?"

    It was clear that the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, the head of the n, had taken in the ughter Queen, Rachel. However, it would not have been an easy task to quietly take out Rachel, who was being pursued by the entire Korean government and the Comet Group.

    <i>¡®So they caused confusion...and took the opportunity to send Rachel out of the country.¡¯</i>

    In this operation, it was likely that the Demon King Worshipers had judged that it was worth the risk to simply feel them out since they could capture either Choi Yu-Seong or Bernard Yoo.

    "Since they treat all the hunters ranked lower than S-rank as expendables, so..."

    By now, Rachel must have safely left Korea behind. For the South Korean government and for Choi Woo-Jae, it was like they had been punched in the face by the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ leader.

 Chapter 120

    <h4>Chapter 120 </h4>

    The next day, Choi Yu-Seong was discharged from the hospital. There wasn''t really a need for him to stay in the hospital, and he thought it would be better for him to move around a little.

    It was only under the doctor¡¯s extreme insistence that Yu-Seong reluctantly underwent additional treatments from the Recovery yer¡¯s skills. Although the treatments were somewhat cumbersome, he was somewhat addicted after receiving them.

    <i>¡®I felt powerless when the Chakra disappeared¡­but this feels quite refreshing.¡¯</i>

    The treatments infused energy into Yu-Seong, who was more revitalized than when he had gotten a glucose IV after his corporate days had tired him out.

    <i>¡®I wish the Recovery skill could also heal Jin Do-Yoon''s injury.¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, to be able to fix broken body parts with the Recovery skill in this world, one had to achieve at least the minimum rank of SS. And so far, there were no SS-ranked Recovery hunters who could possibly help.

    <i>¡®Recovery hunters probably have a hard time passing the promotion exam.¡¯</i>

    That was why recovery hunters of B-rank or higher were often promised significantly higher pay than the other type of yers. It was also the reason why the vice chairman of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s guild¡ªEclipse, Baek Ah-Rin, had be apanion of the protagonist.

    <i>¡®She is a future SS-rank Recovery hunter, and also has Support-type abilities as well.¡¯</i>

    Although she hasn''t particrly encountered Yu-Seong yet, Baek Ah-Rin was also a character as reliable as the protagonist Kim Do-Jin''spanion.

    <i>¡®And there¡¯s Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s incident... Ultimately, my party also needs someone with great recovery abilities like Baek Ah-Rin."?</i>

    However, among hunters, there was no one other than Baek Ah-Rin with such outstanding recovery abilities. That was why Choi Yu-Seong was looking more toward the future.

    <i>¡®If the tower opens, I''ll definitely get my hands on it no matter what other things happen.¡¯</i>

    ¡®Pet¡¯ was considered the strongest title among those of simple recovery.

    <i>¡®The Cyanic Wind Spirit Cat.¡¯</i>

    If Yu-Seong could only get this mythical creature, he knew that it would surely be more reliable than any other Recovery hunter.

    <i>¡®And...what kind of incident or object will there be around spring? Oh right, there¡¯s the ancient artifact, the Book of Faust. I''ll have to give that to Chae Ye-Ryeong. Maybe not the ones Kim Do-Jin will obtain, but I¡¯ll monopolize all the objects that the viins used, as long as their source is certain.¡¯</i>

    During the remaining time until his mana recovered, Choi Yu-Seong spent his days organizing his thoughts and checking the original novel''s contents. He did some light exercises to loosen up his body, but he didn''t push himself too hard or exert himself too much during his training. It was a short period of rest until his abilities returned.

    While he was doing that, Choi Yu-Seong called Choi Woo-Jae, who would be the most curious about the match. However, for some reason, he didn''t pick up the phone. Not only that, but he didn''t call Yu-Seong back.

    <i>¡®I wonder if something happened to him?¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was momentarily worried. He couldn''t help but be surprised at his own emotions.

    <i>¡®Is it because I''m so used to calling him father, father¡­¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, the thought that he considered the chairman, who used to only seem scary and intimidating to him, as a family member crossed his mind. The strange thing was that the thought didn''t feel bad.

    - I am too busy to contact you for a while.

    Fortunately, Choi Woo-Jae responded before another day passed by. It was a short message, but since it was written in his characteristic manner, there was nothing to be suspicious about.

    And around the time when Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s mana fully returned, which was five dayster, Bernard Yoo regained consciousness in the hospital room.

    ***

    Bernard Yoo opened his eyes in the hospital room. The first thing that came to his mind, as expected, was the match. He muttered, ¡°I lost."

    Despite the certain words, Meghan, who was silently standing by Bernard¡¯s side, nodded in agreement. "It''s a disappointing result."

    "Are you not surprised?" Bernard asked.

    Meghan smirked and sat down next to Bernard Yoo. She said, "Bernard. You did your best but still couldn''t defeat Choi Yu-Seong. Doesn¡¯t that mean he was <i>that</i> amazing?"

    "Yes."

    "Then that''s enough. It was an amazingpetition. How can you always win? It''s possible to lose, too. You will win next time."

    "...Thanks, Meghan," said Bernard Yoo, smiling wryly.

    He then nodded firmly.

    <i>''Next time...''?</i>

    Bernard Yoo could win and he would make sure that happened. His gaze became determined again. Then, he asked Meghan for his cell phone and called his grandfather, Chairman Yoo, right away.

    - Oh, my dear grandson, Bernard. Are you alright?

    As if he had checked the caller id, Chairman Yoo answered the phone with a friendly voice and asked about Bernard¡¯s well-being first.

    "Yes, grandfather. My body is rather strong... I think I will be fine in a few days."

    - The doctor said that your injuries are on the more serious side, but you will recover soon. On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong...

    Bernard Yoo thought that Chairman Yoo was dragging out the sentence on purpose. Feeling too curious when Chairman Yoo''s voice trailed off, Bernard couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What happened to Choi Yu-Seong?"

    - It seems that he might be Mana-deficient. He may have over-exerted himself during the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ sudden assault.

    "...Mana-deficient?" Bernard Yoo looked at Meghan in surprise. He noticed that she looked equally surprised by the news, shaking her head in disbelief.

    - This is information obtained in secrecy. It hasn''t been told to anyone yet. Anyway, it became a fierce game because of the mages¡ªthe Demon King Worshipers. But since the oue caused the boy to be Mana-deficient, it''s okay to consider it your victory.

    ¡°No, no. Wait a moment, grandfather,¡± said Bernard Yoo as he quickly lowered his head. He was quickly overwhelmed by aplicated mix of thoughts in his head.

    <i>''Now that I think about it... Choi Yu-Seong was somewhat strange.''</i>

    The viins¡¯ sudden attack and the fierce battle that followed had happened so quickly that he hadn¡¯t had the time to think about it. However, looking back, there were definitely many strange things that had urred during that time.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong single-handedly took down a B-rank viin, and even an Orc War Chief?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was just a D-rank yer, and even a lower level than Bernard himself.

    Without Yu-Seong trapping Marlon in a corner, Bernard would not have been able to get close enough to defeat him. In fact, it was likely that Bernard would have been the one to fall in the battle. No matter how much the mind surpassed the limits of the body and pushed it, there was still only so much that could do.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong''s movements...definitely weren''t D-rank.''?</i>

    Bernard Yoo felt like he had a headache.

    Sometimes, there were yers who possessed the ability to temporarily gain immense strength bypromising their own lives or futures. Bernard had the impression that Choi Yu-Seong possessed such a skill, so he also wondered why Yu-Seong had used it.

    <i>¡®It''s my fault.¡¯</i>

    Bernard was somewhat closer to a power type, while Yu-Seong was a little closer to a speed type. If Yu-Seong had used Bernard as bait for the two B-rank viins, then he could have escaped once a window of opportunity had shown up.

    <i>¡®But because of the injury I inflicted on him¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong might have chosen to sacrifice himself and not abandon Bernard Yoo because he couldn''t bring himself to do such a selfish thing. With that thought, Bernard''s head pounded.

    "I lost," Bernard Yoo said with difficulty.

    - What?

    Chairman Yoo asked, expressing surprise.

    "Grandfather, Choi Yu-Seong is really strong," Bernard said.

    - ¡­

    There was a brief silence. It only broke when the chairman spoke in a low, heavy voice over the phone.

    - Anyway, that guy is Mana-deficient. The video didn¡¯t even capture you guys entering the boss room. If it¡¯s announced that he failed because he lost control and went berserk, we can change the record for it to be your win. "

    "...What?" Bernard was surprised by the chairman¡¯s unexpected suggestion.

    - We will announce that you won. It''s fine, Bernard. Trust this old man. I will make sure that no one ruins your career...

    "Grandfather!" Bernard shouted in opposition.

    - Listen to this old man! If it bes known that we lost in this state, do you think that venomous Chairman Choi will stay quiet? Like I said, on your shoulders...

    The chairman raised his voice as if to drown Bernard out. However, before he could finish speaking, Bernard interrupted him.

    "Grandfather, please listen to me!" Bernard yelled. His face was flushed from the anger he felt.

    He had already epted the oue of the match. Even amidst all this, he hade to realize the sacrifices that Choi Yu-Seong had made. But now, his grandfather was suggesting to manipte the official record of the match. That was outrageous. At least in regards to the result of this match, he couldn''tpromise.

    This was the first time Bernard had raised his voice in front of Chairman Yoo. He was driven by his refusal to ept this decision.

    - Yoo Jae-Yeol.

    The chairman''s voice wasced with both anger and confusion.

    "I did my best because of the burden on my shoulders. I gave it my all because I didn''t want to disappoint those who rely on me. But is this just about me? Am I the only one being affected here?"

    - Being selfish isn''t always a bad thing, Jae-Yeol. You just don''t understand the world yet.

    "No, your world is a bad one, grandfather."

    - Yoo Jae-Yeol¡­

    "Make the announcement as you see fit. But if you lie, then...I won''t stay quiet either."

    - Are you really going to bully this old man? Do you dare? Do you think you can get away with it?

    "It doesn''t matter if it''s not okay! Money, honor, whatever you have given me¡­ Take it all back. I am Bernard Yoo. I am not a toy for you to brag about," said Bernard Yoo, cutting off the call gruffly.

    If the call was prolonged, it would only be Chairman Yoo trying to convince Bernard to change his mind. Bernard didn''t want to listen to that anymore. It was the first time the once beloved and kind voice of his grandfather had sounded so unpleasant to him.

    <i>¡®Buzzzzz, uz-!¡¯</i>

    The phone that had been thrown on the hospital bed continued to buzz, scolding Bernard Yoo. He buried his face in the nkets and blocked his ears as if to ignore it.

    Meghan, who had been watching Bernard from the side, slowly moved. She picked up the phone from the hospital bed and looked at Bernard. Then, without hesitation, she opened the hospital window and extended her hand with the phone in her grip. She slowly strengthened her grip¡­

    <i>Smash-!</i>

    The small phone was crushed by the merciless strength of an S-rank hunter and scattered into the air. Bernard Yoo raised his head at the sudden cold wind and confirmed the scene. He then widened his eyes.

    "Well done, Bernard. As your teacher, it feels good to see a worthy disciple," said Meghan with a satisfied smile.

    "...Thank you, Meghan," said Bernard Yoo.

    "What do you want to do?" asked Meghan.

    "Let''s run away. Grandfather wille looking for me soon," suggested Bernard Yoo.

    "Understood. I will protect you to the best of my abilities, Bernard," said Meghan as she silently lifted Bernard¡¯s rigid body.

    In that short time, Bernard Yoo''s eyes shone as he wondered where they should run to. He quickly said, "There is a ce, Meghan. A ce where Grandfather can''t easily approach. That¡¯s also where you need to be.¡±

    It was easy for Meghan to figure out the location that Bernard was suggesting. With a nod, she asked, "Are you going to protect him from now on?"

    "Yes¡­ If he doesn''t refuse," replied Bernard Yoo with a smile. He looked up at Meghan.

    "If that''s your will, then I will follow it to the end," said Meghan. With a smile that mirrored Bernard¡¯s, she held onto him tight and flew out of the hospital window.

    <i>''Wait for me, Choi Yu-Seong. I''ming.''?</i>

    Bernard¡¯s destination was Choi Yu-Seong''s house.

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121 </h4>

    "I will protect you."

    Yu-Seong was taken aback by the unexpected guest¡¯s first words. Looking at Bernard Yoo, Yu-Seong said, "I don''t understand what you''re saying..."

    "I heard that you''ve be Mana-deficient..." Bernard Yoo exined.

    "What?"

    Bernard then stood up from his seat and knelt down. Before Yu-Seong could say anything, he let out a deep sigh and bowed his head. "I know that you didn''t sacrifice yourself for me and it was a choice you made to protect yourself. But I can''t deny the fact that the oue might have been different if it wasn''t for the injury I had inflicted on you."

    "Wait, Bernard¡­?"

    "Mana-deficient hunters live miserable lives. It is natural to feel helpless after losing the power they initially had. I even heard that some of them chose to end their own lives because it was easier that way. I just¡­ I just want to show you that..."

    "Stop. I bet it¡¯s easier to just show you rather than say it." Choi Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh. He activated Wind Control and created an illusion.

    Bernard Yoo, surprised at the illusion of Choi Yu-Seong splitting into two, widened his eyes. Meghan, who stood near him, also shook her head.

    "I''ve never be Mana-deficient. I don''t know how the rumor started, but as you can see, I''m in perfect health," said Yu-Seong.

    "But, but surely during the viin¡¯s attacks, you became stronger by explosively releasing your mana..." said Bernard Yoo.

    "It was a medicine¡¯s effects. It was for a single use only. And fortunately, it doesn''t have serious side effects," replied Yu-Seong.

    "A medicine¡¯s effects?"

    "Overgeared, medicine-buffs, skill-buffs, what¡­ Isn''t that amon thing?" asked Yu-Seong.

    It was indeed amon thing. However, Bernard Yoo had not anticipated this situation at all. He couldn''t hide his trembling gaze.

    "...Seems like the Chairman was about to make a huge mistake, and Bernard stopped him," Meghan said, having grasped the situation faster than Bernard Yoo.

    At first, Bernard Yoo was confused, so he simply shook his head. Then, finally understanding the situation, heughed loudly and nodded. "I see. Because Grandfather Yoo thought that Choi Yu-Seong had be Mana-deficient, he was about to make a false announcement¡­ If he had been careless, he would have made a big mistake."

    Through the conversation between the two, Choi Yu-Seong was also able to guess the reason why Bernard Yoo hade to find him.

    <i>''Seems like Chairman Yoo heard that I had be Mana-deficient and tried to manipte the oue of thepetition.''</i>

    And Bernard Yoo, who was not pleased with the conversation, hade to find Choi Yu-Seong. If this were the original novel''s righteous Bernard Yoo, it would not have been a strange thing at all.

    <i>''He''s a cool guy as expected.''?</i>

    Bernard was one of the original novel¡¯s characters that he liked while reading, so when Yu-Seong met Bernard¡¯s gaze, he felt a strange sense of gratification. Then, he said, "Anyway, there¡¯s no reason you have to protect me like that.¡±

    "Agreed," Bernard replied. He stood up from where he had been kneeling.

    Yu-Seong waved his hand lightly, watching Bernard''s relieved expression. "Now if you are done here, you should go. I''m sure the reporters will be swarming you soon enough, now that they know you''re awake."

    Thepetition between the two men had been kept secret, but it had be known to the entire country due to the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ attack. Needless to say, many people were now curious about thepetition¡¯s result.

    Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young also asked Yu-Seong if they could be the first to know the result, but Yu-Seong had told them that he would announce it only after Bernard had woken up.

    It was finally time to do so.

    However, Bernard, who Yu-Seong had thought would leave right away, remained in his seat. He sat across Yu-Seong and asked seriously, "Yu-Seong, we are friends, right?"

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at the sudden question.

    <i>''I mean, it''s not like we''ve even seen each other that much¡­ We¡¯ve only seen each other twice.''?</i>

    Even their first meeting had been a fight. However, it had been a fair fight and Yu-Seong had a good impression of Bernard. If there was anything to worry about, it was whether Bernard would want to be Kim Do-Jin''s colleague or not. Although, those worries didn''tst long.

    Yu-Seong didn''t want to live in constant anxiety that he couldn''t even be friends with the person he liked.

    " Mm, I don''t dislike you," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Can I take that to mean we''re friends?"

    "We''ve been speaking informally to each other since you came to my house."

    In fact, that wasn''t awkward. When he thought about it, was there anything special about being friends? Bernard smiled brightly at Yu-Seong¡¯s eptance and said confidently, "Then help me hide."

    Bernard showed a cool smile that was no different from a trademark. Then, he nodded vigorously at Yu-Seong.

    "What...?"

    "My grandfather is really angry at me right now. I''ll be in trouble if I get caught. I''ll book a flight to the U.S. tomorrow, so please hide me until then. I can announce thepetition results there, right? Please, friend?"

    Yu-Seong looked as if he had been hit by something. Meanwhile, Bernard leaned forward as if to kneel in front of Yu-Seong again.

    "Please, don''t do that. We''re friends, there''s no need to kneel."

    "So are you going to let me stay for the night? You have plenty of empty rooms anyway. Meghan and I would need one each," said Bernard.

    "Dude, you truly have thick skin,¡± said Yu-Seong to Bernard.

    Choi Yu-Seong was surprised by the request, so he shifted his gaze to Meghan, who was standing behind Bernard. She was a cat-like beauty.

    .

    "Please," said Meghan. She also bowed her head toward Choi Yu-Seong.

    The two of them were so simr, it was almost as if they were a ridiculous pair of teacher and student.

    Choi Yu-Seong eventually had no choice but to lean his head back on the sofa and ept. He said, "Fine. But you guys are leaving right away tomorrow. I¡¯ll feel pressured by your grandfather otherwise."

    "Of course. Then tonight is a beer party to celebrate our friendship!"

    "...Weren''t you just discharged from the hospital? Your condition..."

    "There''s no problem at all."

    Even if Yu-Seong had tried to stop him, Bernard wouldn''t listen. Yu-Seong sighed again and nodded as if to say ¡®do as you please.¡¯

    Jin Yu-Ri, who was standing behind Choi Yu-Seong with a simr expression, took out Choi Yu-Seong''s cell phone that she had been keeping. The phone rang again with a short vibration. After checking the caller id, she said to Choi Yu-Seong, "It''s the chairman.¡±

    It was a call from Choi Woo-Jae.

    ***

    The party was pushed back. Choi Yu-Seong received the call from Choi Woo-Jae and immediately left the house. He headed towards the grand mansion in Yeonhui-dong.

    "You''ve be much more handsometely, young master. You look good.¡±

    "Thank you, nanny. How are you doing?"

    "I¡¯m doing well. Thank you for caring about me... Hehe, pleasee in. The chairman is waiting for you."

    As always, when Yu-Seong came to the main house, his nanny weed him with a warm smile. As soon as he entered the house, he felt a heavy atmosphere. The mood was naturally heavy due to Choi Woo-Jae''s preference for dark wallpaper and heavy materials, but from Choi Yu-Seong''s perspective, this atmosphere didn''t seem particrly out of ce.

    <i>''It''s kind of cool... If I think about it, wearing a coat over my battle suit might even be helpful with my Stylish skill. Like a main character in a game.''?</i>

    If he had the new custom-made battle suit that was just produced, it wouldn''t be impossible for him to use Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice to form a somewhat special coat material.

    <i>''Spear, coat, and if there¡¯s even a gun... It might look cool. ''</i>

    The Stylish skills¡¯ effects would be greatly enhanced, and it would also likely be a great help in increasing the number of views on Yu-Seong¡¯s new NewTube videos. In reality, the videos had higher views when the fights were more spectacr rather than an efficient battle with minimal moves.

    Since the number of subscribers steadily increased and the ie from NewTube was expected to be promising, it would be good for Yu-Seong to equip himself with skills that would allow him to use a gun.

    With these thoughts in mind, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled.

    <i>''Should I ask Jenny?''?</i>

    Jenny was one of the hunters who used guns. Maybe her gun might be able to deal damage to monsters, since it used mana.

    <i>''I''ll ask her tomorrow.''?</i>

    While distracted by the many thoughts in his head, Choi Yu-Seong entered Choi Woo-Jae''s study. He walked down the dark hallway. As always, the study was full of a woody scent.

    Choi Woo-Jae was sitting by the window. He nced at Choi Yu-Seong and gestured toward the empty sofa. "Sit down.¡±

    Yu-Seong moved quietly to sit on the sofa. Only then did Choi Woo-Jae toss a stack of documents toward him. Despite the documents being thrown from a distance, the papersnded perfectly in front of Choi Yu-Seong without a single crease.

    Yu-Seong was not too surprised by that move. Choi Woo-Jae, an S-ranked hunter and the leader of the Comet Group, was capable of such uracy.

    It was only after looking at the documents that Choi Yu-Seong expressed surprise. He said, "The M&A report for Cheon-Ji Ironworks?"

    Cheon-Ji Ironworks was a subsidiary of the Cheon-Ji Group. It was known for its high profits and sales. If the automobile industry was the heart of a person, then ironworks was at least a person¡¯s legs. Choi Woo-Jae and the Comet Group were nning to easily acquire and merge with Cheon-Ji Ironworks.

    "Take a look at that," said Woo-Jae.

    Yu-Seong quickly flipped through the documents and swallowed hard. The contents of the documents included the faces of people affiliated with the Cheon-Ji Group Board of Directors.

    <i>''Geez, it''s hard to find someone who doesn''t have some dirt on them, but why are there so many of them here?''?</i>

    Tax evasion, embezzlement, and illegal gambling were the norm. It was difficult to find someone who didn''t engage in these activities, and there were also many people who hadmitted horrible acts such as extortion and murder. In reality, it was as if these corporate individuals were no different from gangsters.

    <i>''But why is this report on a merger and acquisition?''?</i>

    As Yu-Seong quickly flipped through the documents, a question arose in his mind.

    "The best way to fight war is through surprise attacks, not head-on battles. You have to strike your opponent when they least expect it and secure your victory. It''s a very useful surprise attack to shake up the enemy''s generals."

    Choi Yu-Seong jerked his head up. He muttered, "Then this list of crimes is...?"

    "We''ll have to blow off steam. When the announcement of your match with Bernard Yoo is made, and Chairman Yoo is distracted trying to cover it up, we''ll strike. I¡¯ve already had talks with the media and government."

    It was like sharpening a de to chop off the Cheon-Ji Group''s leg. Choi Woo-Jae had finished preparing money and forging connections to cut it off with a single stroke. His calm, quiet eyes seemed to burn with hot mes.

    <i>''He''s excited.''?</i>

    Feeling a chill run down his spine, Cho Yu-Seong realized something else. Although Choi Woo-Jae didn''t yet know the oue of the match between him and Bernard Yoo, he had already prepared a definite oue. It was hard to predict how much money, time, and people Woo-Jae had manipted and spent since he had even persuaded the media and political circles.

    "Father, then if I lost...?"

    "Then the responsibility would be all yours," said Woo-Jae.

    <i>Thud.</i>

    The burning in Choi Woo-Jae''s eyes was frightening. It was a surprise attack, but he had truly bet everything on this match. If he were to fail, he had even nned to use his own son, Choi Yu-Seong, whom he held dear, as a sacrifice.

    "You''re surprised. But at least I wouldn''t have killed you like the other guys. You just wouldn''t have been able to set foot in Korea again."

    Choi Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly at Woo-Jae¡¯s dismal words. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead. It was the first time he realized how scary those words could be, even though Woo-Jae had said he wouldn¡¯t kill him.

    ¡°So, did you win?¡±

    ¡°...Of course, I won.¡± Yu-Seong smiled bitterly.

    ¡°Of course you won. You burnt yourself out so much that you became Mana-deficient... It''s a pity, really. That''s why I showed you the strategy n,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    ¡°What...?¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae must be having the same misunderstanding that Bernard Yoo had.

 Chapter 122

    <h4>Chapter 122 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong chose to give Choi Woo-Jae a demonstration to clear his misunderstanding. He showed the illusion made by Wind Control and walked over to sit on the sofa on the other side. The two versions of Yu-Seong sat across from each other on separate sofas and their gazes met for a fleeting moment. Then, it was all gone like a mirage.

    ¡°...¡± Choi Woo-Jae watched silently. After that, he let out a loudugh. "Haha!"

    Yu-Seong had never heard such loudughter; it rang throughout the entire office and seemed to rattle the whole building like an earthquake. When he heard thatugh, Choi Yu-Seong felt a chill run down his spine. There was only one thing on his mind.

    <i>''S-rank hunter?''?</i>

    It was known that Choi Woo-Jae was an S-rank hunter. Moreover, when Choi Woo-Jae was killed by Kim Do-Jin in the original novel, he had been described as an S-rank. Even so, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s uneasiness could be easily exined. The feeling of energy that suddenly came out of Choi Woo-Jae was heavier and more suffocating than he had imagined.

    Although Choi Yu-Seong was currently just a D-rank hunter, he had faced quite a few S-rank hunters. That was why he could be sure.

    <i>''I¡¯ve faced Park Cheol-Ho, Baek Chul, and Rachel before...but he''s stronger than anyone else.''</i>

    It was said that after achieving S-rank, Choi Woo-Jae had been focused on work and had not ventured into dungeons. But was that spection really true?

    When Choi Yu-Seong gulped, Choi Woo-Jae stoppedughing and released a de of ck light from his fingers. The ck light instantly burned the strategy n that Choi Yu-Seong had been looking at just a moment ago. Despite the fierce mes, there was no damage to either Choi Yu-Seong, the sofa he was sitting on, or the wooden table.

    <i>¡®He hasplete control over the me¡¯s power.¡¯</i>

    It was the first time Choi Yu-Seong had seen this ability of Choi Woo-Jae This situation made it easy to realize Woo-Jae¡¯s extraordinary abilities.

    "Anyway, I''ve memorized all the content. In fact, I''m not going to do the job myself, so it would be foolish to leave it as a document," Woo-Jae exined why he had personally burned the strategy n. Then, he asked, ¡°How did you pull off the deception?"

    In fact, there was nothing deceptive about it; Choi Yu-Seong had used a drug that did not exist yet. Thus, everyone had been mistaken about it, including his doctor. Since the doctor was a trustworthy doctor Choi Woo-Jae employed, it resulted in a series of misconceptions, causing Choi Yu-Seong to hoodwink the public.

    At this point, Choi Yu-Seong was deep in thought.

    <i>''How can I use this to my advantage?''?</i>

    Just as he had told done with Jin Yu-Ri, he couldpletely reveal everything. However, since the opponent was Choi Woo-Jae, it was necessary to think a little differently.

    In the end, Choi Yu-Seong said, "...If everyone knows the secret, it won''t be a secret anymore, right?"

    Choi Woo-Jae furrowed his gray eyebrows and said, "So you won¡¯t even tell me, your father?"

    "You never know. If the fight at home bes too one-sided, you might be bored and start supporting the opposing side, Father.¡±

    Choi Woo-Jae''s lips tugged up into a cold smile.

    <i>¡®I am still underestimating my ninth child.¡¯</i>

    Although Yu-Seong¡¯s somewhat rebellious behavior was not pleasing, Woo-Jae also didn''t dislike it.

    From start to finish, holding suspicions and not trusting the opponent¡ªwas exactly what Woo-Jae himself would do. Perhaps that was why, instead of finding Choi Yu-Seong''s rebellion annoying, it seemed somewhat endearing for Woo-Jae. Most of all, this was a time for Choi Yu-Seong to receive a gift¡ªnot punishment.

    ¡°Well, you should also keep a trick or two left up your sleeves,¡± said Woo-Jae, nodding in agreement. He then continued, "I originally intended to entrust you with the task of managing Cheon-Ji Ironworks. If you had lost your abilities as a hunter, I have hoped you would grow as apany manager.¡±

    In fact, it would also be a test of sorts. If Yu-Seong had taken on the task of managing Cheon-Ji Ironworks, but failed to fulfill his responsibilities, Woo-Jae would have soon reced him with someone else as the new CEO. That would be the reason Woo-Jae didn''t mention it as a gift.

    "But I see it was a needless concern. You''ve done well. You''ve aplished more than I had asked for. Since Chairman Yoo knows about your condition, you''ll be able to do something quite interesting soon."

    Through these words, Choi Yu-Seong was able to understand one more thing.

    <i>''Father must have been the one to reveal to Chairman Yoo that I had be Mana-deficient!¡¯</i>

    When Chairman Yoo had spoken of using this as a tool in this victory, Choi Woo-Jae had thought of undermining his and Cheon-Ji Group''s morality and scraping it off. Then, utilizing thepany''s money, in other words, capital, he would drive the stock prices down during a bad business climate and smoothly carry out a merger and acquisition.

    Upon realizing the n that Choi Woo-Jae hade up with, the back of Choi Yu-Seong''s neck felt icy cold.

    <i>''Frightening person.</i>''

    Choi Yu-Seong lowered his head and looked at his father, whose eyes were cier cold.

    " ...There''s one thing that''s going to be disappointing for you, Father."

    "Hm?"

    "Chairman Yoo will not be able to write a false article about the contents of the match as you desire."

    "Why do you think that?"

    "Because Bernard Yoo, the one who had the match with me, will probably reject that proposal," said Yu-Seong.

    "What are you saying? That doesn''t make sense. That man, Chairman Yoo, is a maniptor. He''ll try to use anyone, even his own grandson, if he believes it will benefit him."

    <i>¡®Like you, father?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong held back ament that almost escaped him, gave a wry chuckle, and shook his head. He simply replied, "It¡¯s impossible.¡±

    "Why do you say that?" his father asked.

    "Because Bernard Yoo has left.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He''s at my home right now, nning to depart for the US tomorrow. He ns to personally announce thepetition¡¯s oue from there."

    Woo-Jae narrowed his eyes before a sly grin appeared on his face. Fully understanding the situation now, he said, "Looks like his dear grandson has helped ease the tension around that old man¡¯s neck.¡±

    Woo-Jae clicked his tongue in disappointment before making a phone call.

    "Secretary Kim, have them revise the n. Chairman Yoo will announce the result of thepetition, that''s right, it''ll happen. At thetest, tomorrow morning, we''ll make the official announcement... Within 24 hours. If anyone says they can''t make it, fire them. I don''t want any good-for-nothing cowards on my team. And you should move too. We need to reel in the old politicians again. I''ll also be ready in 30 minutes. Alright, do it."

    As the conversation proceeded in front of him, it became clear to Choi Yu-Seong how the Korean business world moved.

    After a sinct phone call, Choi Woo-Jae put down the phone. His eyes burned with greed, like a volcano on the verge of eruption. It was a look that Yu-Seong certainly noticed. Then, Woo-Jae said, "As you''ve heard, the time is short. Tell me what you want as a gift. I''ll give you anything.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes also revealed a simr emotion when he replied, "...That certainly sounds tempting.¡±

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong stepped out of Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s mansion with a somewhat exhausted expression on his face. He climbed into his car.

    Dealing with Choi Woo-Jae was never easy, but the hardest part about this encounter was choosing a gift. When Yu-Seong picked a gift, he had to be careful about one thing: he couldn''t just express his true intentions to Choi Woo-Jae and ask for anything, even though Woo-Jae had offered to give him anything he desired.

    <i>¡®After all, I can¡¯t just directly ask for control of the Comet Group.¡¯</i>

    If interpreted correctly, Choi Woo-Jae''s words meant that he would give Yu-Seong anything he desired, as long as it was within reason and proportional to the favor he had done. Thus, he had to tread carefully. If he asked for too little, he would regret itter, and if he asked for too much, he would be in trouble.

    Choi Yu-Seong had already roughly thought of an appropriate gift that fell within the eptable range, but during his conversation with Choi Woo-Jae, he began to think that he could push for a bit more. The reason for this was simple.

    <i>¡®Since I told him where Bernard Yoo will be in the future.¡¯</i>

    Because of that, Choi Woo-Jae could quickly make adjustments to his original n and make even more out of the information provided. Thus, Choi Yu-Seong made his request for two gifts after much deliberation.

    Choi Yu-Seong first requested for a special ess pass simr to that of Kim Do-Jin. This was because being in a party of ten or even twenty people for every dungeon raid was not convenient for him.

    <i>¡®Soon, Chae Ye-Ryeong would be ascending to D-rank.¡¯?</i>

    Also, his next colleague, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, was also set to be recruited soon.

    <i>¡®Three of us would be sufficient.¡¯</i>

    Originally, each one of them was a powerful viin enough to fight against Kim Do-Jin. Recently, Choi Yu-Seong had also been showing great progress, so he believed he would be able to exert betterbat power than the same rank party members with ten people.

    <i>¡®And once I rise to rank A or higher, Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon will be able to join¡­¡¯</i>

    Moreover, Jenny would be there.

    On the other hand, the party members¡ªthat even their faces were unknown¡ªcould be a burden that would drag down the whole party. Due to this consideration, Choi Yu-Seong had a deep longing for a special ess pass.

    Regarding this, Choi Woo-Jae said that he could easily solve that problem.

    The second thing was about a new house. The apartment where Choi Yu-Seong currently lived in Hannam-dong was certainly nice, but as previously mentioned, he wanted a house with a mana barrier installed in the backyard.

    In truth, in this aspect, Choi Yu-Seong became more greedy.

    <i>¡®Originally, I had only intended to request for a level of training ground that could be used up to A-rank, but¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong thought he could show a bit more greed and requested for a house with training grounds that could be used even up to S-rank.

    Obtaining a good-sized plot ofnd within the city of Seoul was not easy. Also, to make a training ground with a mana barrier that one could use even after reaching S-rank required an enormous amount of money. Considering the number of mana stones that would be used, as well as the cost of hiring experts to operate them, Yu-Seong roughly estimated it to be at least 300 billion won.

    As it was a time when a lot of money needed to be moved due to the merger and acquisition of Cheon-Ji Construction, Choi Yu-Seong made the request like he was walking on eggshells.

    However, Choi Woo-Jae nodded, indicating that this would also not be a problem.

    The fulfillment of his requests would have been enough to make him feel good, but Choi Yu-Seong was able to get another unexpected gift in addition to what he wanted.

    <i>¡®Ancient relic, the Sun God''s Protection.¡¯</i>

    This gift that Choi Woo-Jae¡ªwho thought Yu-Seong had be Mana-deficient¡ª had obtained for Choi Yu-Seong was a tremendous object that also appeared in the original novel. The effects were simple.

    <i>¡®Enhancement of natural healing ability, maintenance of the best condition, and even being able to block the abilities of S-rank hunters by summoning a shield, limited to three times.¡¯?</i>

    The value of this object, which didn''t even have a wearing limit, was so high that it didn''t even need to be said.

    <i>¡®Maybe it''s worth even more than 500 billion won?¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae had certainly prepared a big present for Choi Yu-Seong. Despite being tired, Yu-Seong was able to smile at the unexpected additional rewards.

    <i>¡®He said there''s still a present left.¡¯</i>

    The problem was, Yu-Seong didn''t know what the present was yet. All Woo-Jae gave was a hint that Yu-Seong would soon find out. Yu-Seong felt anticipation and worry. For some reason, as he arrived home, he had the intuition that thest present would be mind-blowing.

 Chapter 123

    <h4>Chapter 123 </h4>

    As mentioned once, Meghan was a Western beauty with a cat-like appearance. To further describe her physical characteristics: her skin was exceptionally fair, her hair was a light shade of brown, and even though she was an S-rank hunter, she always wore her frameless sses. She liked dark-toned sleek suits and wore them often with matching shoes.

    Therefore, when Meghan dressed in a suit and sat silently in the backseat of Bernard Yoo''s car, she seemed to exemplify the definition of professionalism through her appearance alone.

    Contrary to her usual appearance, currently, Meghan¡¯s hair was tied backfortably and she was wearing round and slightly foolish-looking sses as well as gray pants and a hoodie, the source of which was unknown, with the hood covering her face. As she entered Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s house, she stopped in her tracks and looked back with her hood still covering her face.

    "You¡¯re back, Mr. Choi," Meghan said, tilting her head with a smile in greeting. She and Yu-Seong had arrived at the house at the same time.

    Her outfit waspletely gray that Meghan would blend in with the background as if she were a cement statue. She tossed aside the three-striped slippers that Choi Yu-Seong normally wore when he went out to the nearby market and held up a white stic bag filled to the brim with the logo of a nearby mart.

    "I went grocery shopping. Bernard wants to have a party.¡±

    Yu-Seong had been quite satisfied to see her in real life, as she embodied the cold and resolute character of "Meghan" as depicted in the original novel. So he was speechless when he saw her like this, with apletely different appearance from her usual cold self.

    Touching his forehead, Yu-Seong asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Bernard?¡±

    ¡°He is sitting quietly on the sofa and watching TV,¡± Meghan replied.

    "At least¡­he seems to know his own situation well," Yu-Seongmented.

    "Oh, I''m fine. There are fewer people who recognize me than Bernard, and most of all... If I walk around like this, even my acquaintances wouldn''t recognize me."

    "I understand," said Yu-Seong.

    Meghan¡¯s current appearance was a big enough change that even Choi Yu-Seong would have unknowingly passed by her on the street.

    "If you don''t mind, I would like to cook the party food myself," said Meghan.

    "Isn''t that a question you should ask before going grocery shopping?"

    "...You¡¯re right."

    "Something is strange, but anyway..." Choi Yu-Seong let out a short sigh and walked past Meghan toward the living room. Meghan and Jin Yu-Ri followed him.

    He then continued, "So you are a good cook?"

    "ording to Bernard, my cooking is second best after his mother''s," Meghan replied.

    "Oh, that''s great. I don''t have any talent for cooking..." said Yu-Ri.

    "It''s actually easier than you think once you start¡­ My cooking skills have improved as I have been taking care of Bernard..."

    While listening to theirfortable conversation, Yu-Seong took a few steps and looked in the living room. He saw Bernard sitting with a stiff posture, like a soldier in his military days. He casually asked, "What are you doing?"

    Bernard got up from his seat and smiled sheepishly. "Oh, for some reason, I felt embarrassed when the owner of the house wasn¡¯t in. I can¡¯t seem¡­to rx.¡±

    "You feel that way all of a sudden? You even changed Meghan¡¯s clothes¡­¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "That¡¯s a necessary step for a perfect disguise. In any case, did your mission go well? You know, your father is quite infamous for being scary," replied Bernard Yoo as he raised his right hand, making a gesture like a horn.

    "He''s not as scary as his reputation, and furthermore, isn¡¯t it impolite to talk about someone else''s father that way?"

    "Yeah, I guess. Sorry, if the joke was too harsh, Yu-Seong," said Bernard Yoo.

    In truth, even Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t understand why he himself was reacting so sensitively to this matter. Since he had received a quick apology, Yu-Seong didn''t dwell on it. Instead, he turned his attention back to Meghan and said, "Anyway, Ms¡­. Meghan? Sorry for not knowing your surname and addressing you that way.¡±

    "It''s okay. Just call me Meghan. Anyway, you¡¯re also a friend of Bernard''s," replied Meghan.

    "Thank you for saying that. Oh, and I''ll leave the food to you. Actually, I really like to eat good food," said Yu-Seong.

    "That''s good to hear. I won''t disappoint you," Meghan said with a nod. She then headed to the kitchen. Even though the housekeepers also offered to help her, it seemed like she wanted to be alone to focus on cooking.

    "Don''t worry too much. Meghan really is a good cook," said Bernard Yoo.

    "It seems like you prefer western food,"mented Yu-Seong.

    "No, Meghan is actually an expert in Korean cuisine. Since the beginning, she learned to cook because of me," said Bernard Yoo.

    "Oh... I''m definitely starting to look forward to it."

    Bernard Yoo nodded in response to Yu-Seong''s words, conveying that it would be worth Yu-Seong''s anticipation.

    ¡°Now that the homeowner has arrived, I can rx a bit. May I also request some clothing to change into?" Bernard Yoo asked.

    Yu-Seong turned to Yu-Ri and said, "Just anyfortable workout clothes will do. As for the size... I think just somethingrge will suffice.¡±

    "I''ll go grab some," Yu-Ri said. With a quick nce at Bernard Yoo¡¯s muscr physique, she headed towards the room where the clothes were kept.

    With just the two of them left, Bernard Yoo scratched his head and spoke with a somewhat awkward expression.

    "To be honest, my grandfather is quite scary. He pretends he¡¯s not, but there are moments when he''s quite tough. I just thought that maybe you might be in a simr situation.¡±

    "Don''t worry about what was said earlier. You¡¯ve already apologized for it," said Yu-Seong.

    "But it¡¯s still on my mind. In any case, from my perspective, this is a situation where I''m in debt to you... "

    Just then, the doorbell of Yu-Seong¡¯s house suddenly rang. The maid, who had moved hastily, looked at the visitor''s face through the inte and was surprised. " ...Young master?"

    At the maid''s cautious words, Yu-Seong looked at the inte screen and saw the visitor¡¯s face. "Kim Do-Jin?"

    - Hey, Choi Yu-Seong, are you home?

    It was the visit of a third unexpected guest.

    ***

    The living room was now upied by three men. In the center of the sofa sat Yu-Seong, on the left was Bernard Yoo, and on the right was Kim Do-Jin. An eerie silence filled the room as they sat there staring at one another. Except Meghan who was cooking, even Jin Yu-Ri only watched from a distance. The entire atmosphere was strangely tense.

    Kim Do-Jin eventually broke the silence, asking, "Bernard Yoo, why are you here?¡±

    "Where I am is none of your business. But why are you calling me informally like that?"

    "Choi Yu-Seong. Exin this," said Do-Jin.

    "I don''t see why he should answer when I refuse to," said Bernard Yoo.

    When Choi Yu-Seong looked ufortable and scratched the back of his head, Kim Do-Jin gave him a confused look. He cried out, "Choi Yu-Seong, don''t you feel wronged? I heard that you became Mana-deficient because of your fight with this foolish guy. How could you..."

    "Hey, wait a minute. How do you even know about that?" said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s ¡°Mana-deficiency¡± was no longer a secret. It was now a rumor that had spread throughout the neighborhood. In the case of the Cheon-Ji Group, it seemed that Choi Woo-Jae had spread the rumor intentionally, but it raised the question of how Kim Do-Jin had also heard the rumor.

    "The association chairman told me," Do-Jin replied.

    "The association chairman? The chairman of the yer Association?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Yes. He heard it from the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s chairman. He was saddened by the loss of such a great talent in South Korea.¡±

    As expected, rumors spread quickly once someone started talking about it.

    "That information will be updated soon," said Bernard Yoo.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Choi Yu-Seong is not Mana-deficient."

    "I didn¡¯t ask you, did I?" said Do-Jin.

    "You''ve got an attitude. Were you like this before? On TV, you seemed to be quite witty and gentle," pointed out Bernard Yoo.

    "Perhaps he would have won all the awards at the Cannes Film Festival, if he was an actor," replied Yu-Seong with a grin as he shook his shoulders.

    For some reason, the atmosphere had be strange, but the feeling of the three men being together was not ufortable. Kim Do-Jin seemed a bit more sharp-tongued than usual, but that was a minor thing.

    <i>''After all, the two of them did be colleagues in the original novel.''?</i>

    In fact, it wouldn''t be bad for them to be acquainted with each other at this point.

    "Wait, by the way, why did youe looking for me after you heard that I became Mana-deficient?"

    "The reason should be obvious. I was worried," said Do-Jin.

    "...Are you crazy?"

    "I need to use your ability someday. If you lose your power in a negligible victory or defeat like this... Well, if that were the case, I would have been disappointed." Kim Do-Jin wore a cold expression and stood up from his seat. He said, "Anyway, I''m d to know that you''re fine. I''ll leave now. It was a pointless errand.¡±

    "See ya, brat," Bernard Yoo said, waving Do-Jin off as if he were chasing him away.

    Kim Do-Jin looked at Choi Yu-Seong with an unreadable smile before leaving.

    <i>''What? What''s going on?''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong wondered as he looked back at Do-Jin with a questioning look.

    <i>''Come to think of it, in the original novel, these two also had a simrly rough start.¡¯</i>

    The rough start wouldn¡¯tst long and the two of them, while clearing difficult dungeons and repelling demon invasions, would develop a deep camaraderie with each other. Although the current sensitive atmosphere was strange, Yu-Seong decided not to worry about it too much.

    <i>¡®After all, it''s a future event that the two of them will be colleagues.¡¯</i>

    Eventually, they would meet each other when the right time came.

    While Yu-Seong had that thought in mind, Kim Do-Jin, who was leaving the house, suddenly halted his steps. He looked towards the kitchen where Meghan was cooking. He tilted his head and let out a sigh, ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Bernard Yoo paid no attention to Kim Do-Jin''s behavior and spoke to Yu-Seong. "Ah, isn¡¯t this smell amazing? Meghan is making Budae Jjigae[ref]Budae Jjigae is a Korean stew dish that originated during the post-Korean War era, when food was scarce. It is made bybining various meats and vegetables with a spicy broth, and ismonly known as "Army Stew". [\ref]. It''s one of my favorite dishes. It pairs perfectly with alcohol.¡±

    As Yu-Seong sniffed the air, he realized the smell that came from the kitchen was fascinating.

    "The quality of this Budae Jjigae relies on the ham being used. We don''t skimp on the cost and use good quality ham. But if it''s too salty, it ruins the taste. Meghan has a good handle on that," exined Bernard Yoo.

    "I fully agree," said Kim Do-Jin, who, for some reason, had returned to the sofa. He appeared to have changed his mind about leaving the house.

    "You...?" Bernard Yoo looked at Do-Jin with a baffled expression.

    Kim Do-Jin did not look at Bernard Yoo. He simply looked straight at Yu-Seong and asked, ¡°Don''t tell me you''re not going to offer me a meal as a guest?¡±

    When Choi Yu-Seong thought about it, Do-Jin was an extreme fan of Budae Jjigae. Yu-Seong smiled wryly at the sudden realization. He said, "It''s not a meal, it''s a party..."

    "It doesn''t matter. I can just eat and go."

    Yu-Seong wore a strange smile and looked at Kim Do-Jin, who gave a threatening re. It was as if Do-Jin would kill him if he refused. Yu-Seong nodded.

    <i>¡®I''m growing increasingly fond of him¡­.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was aware that Kim Do-Jin was a dangerous person, but he didn''t think of refusing him as a guest at this point.

    <i>''Well, it''s true that he has some kind of positive interest for me at the moment...''?</i>

    Rather than being scared, it was better to use the rtionship properly. Yu-Seong thought as he nodded.

    Just then, someone opened the closed door and entered the living room in a hurry. They shouted, "Choi Yu-Seong!"

    ¡°Noo-nim?¡±

    It was Choi Mi-Na. Without paying attention to the people around Yu-Seong, including Bernard Yoo and Kim Do-Jin, she grabbed Yu-Seong''s shoulder with a trembling gaze. She eximed, "I heard that you became Mana-deficient. Who the hell...?"

    "No, that¡¯s not it!" Choi Yu-Seong now let out a shout. He sounded like he was being driven close to tears.

 Chapter 124

    <h4>Chapter 124 </h4>

    Choi Mi-Na ran so fast that she might as well have flown over to see Yu-Seong when she heard the news. She blushed after realizing that he was fine and that she had caused a ruckus for nothing. After saying she felt flustered and guilty because she failed to keep her promise to help Yu-Seong to some extent. Then, as if running away, she quickly left her seat.

    It was understandable. She had always been ufortable in crowded spaces, and today, she had shown an embarrassing side of her so it was only natural for her to run away.

    Not long after, the party started and quickly became much more chaotic than Yu-Seong had anticipated. Bernard Yoo enthusiastically showed off his skills, and surprisingly, Jin Yu-Ri and Meghan had a lot ofmon ground and were constantly chatting. They even exchanged numbers.

    The strange thing was that Kim Do-Jin, who had seemed like he would leave as soon as he finished eating, stayed in his seat and drank. His face turned slightly red as he said that he didn¡¯t hate getting drunk andughed more openly than usual.

    However, from Choi Yu-Seong''s perspective, it was a situation where his own heart was getting colder. Though, such feelings didn¡¯tst for long. He gradually got drunk and got into a good mood. He was gradually letting go of his inhibitions and was truly taking a leisurely break for the first time in a long time. He truly let loose without a care in the world.

    "...I drank a lot," said Yu-Seong as he looked at Jin Yu-Ri sitting next to him. It seemed like he had fallen asleep on the couch in a somewhat disheveled state and was woken up by the morning sun.

    "Yes, it was no joke. It''s been a while since you drank as much as you wanted. Haha¡­" Jin Yu-Ri chuckled and nodded.

    It must be because Jin Yu-Ri and Meghan had been by Yu-Seong¡¯s side in thefort of his own home, but he had felt a sense of ease and rxation wash over him.

    <i>''Or maybe I just really wanted to get drunk.''?</i>

    The problem was that Yu-Seong had some memory loss because of it.

    "What about Bernard Yoo and Meghan?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "They left early in the morning. They''re on a ne right now.¡±

    "They probably went straight to America. I wonder if Chairman Yoo of Cheon-Ji Group Yoon stayed calm...¡±

    "Meghan also mentioned that. I was worried that he might have imposed restrictions on their departure, but it seems that he simply suspended their card. I think Chairman Yoo of Cheon-Ji Group is so angry that he¡¯s throwing Bernard Yoo out to get a taste of life living on his own.¡±

    "I don''t think the older man will be able to bear it for long, considering how much he cares for Bernard," said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Yes, it is a well-known rumor,¡± replied Yu-Ri.

    Furthermore, in the original novel, Bernard would often act against his grandfather¡¯s intentions, and ultimately, Chairman Yoo always ended up on the losing side. Yu-Seong believed this time would be no different.

    ¡°What about Kim Do-Jin?" Yu-Seong asked. The memory of Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo fighting suddenly came to his mind. He then asked, "Didn''t he fight with Bernard Yoo?"

    "They did. But you truly don¡¯t remember it at all?"

    "Sorry. I truly don''t remember," said Yu-Seong.

    Jin Yu-Ri smiled mysteriously before saying, "Well then, it is a secret. You can hear it from the two yourself.¡±

    "You mean, to meet the two of them together again?" Choi Yu-Seong looked at Jin Yu-Ri with a surprised expression.

    It was understandable to include Bernard Yoo in the story, but the sudden mention of Kim Do-Jin was too unexpected. After all, Yu-Seong knew that Jin Yu-Ri held a certain level of disdain for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s because I have some newfound certainty from the previous day''s events. At least I am now convinced that Kim Do-Jin holds no ill will towards you, young master¡­ And most of all, the three of you seem to look better together than I had imagined."

    "You talking like that only makes me even more curious. What exactly happened yesterday?"

    "Hmm... Why don''t you ask Kim Do-Jin directly?" Yu-Ri said.

    .

    "Is he still at our house?"

    "No, he left for a dungeon when Bernard Yoo was leaving.¡±

    "I guess I''m the onlyzy one."

    "You must be the weakest drinker."

    "Dang..." Choi Yu-Seong chuckled and jumped up from his seat.

    The spinning sensation of being hungover made Yu-Seong feel like he couldn''t do anything if he didn¡¯t stay on the couch.

    However, he couldn''t let that happen. He had to move forward just as much as, if not more than, Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo. After all, both of them were working diligently.

    Choi Yu-Seong picked up the iron rod on the wall and said to Jin Yu-Ri, "Ahh, the smell of alcohol is still strong in my mouth. I''m going to exercise and freshen up, so tell Jenny to give me a call ande over. I have something to ask her. Also, I''ll be leaving for somewhere quite far in the afternoon."

    "Where are you going?" asked Yu-Ri.

    "Goseong in Gangwon-do."

    "Ah¡­ You are finally going to meet him." Jin Yu-Ri''s eyes sparkled.

    As she was the one who had investigated, Yu-Ri knew very well just who was in Goseong, Gangwon-do.

    "Since I shouldn¡¯t leave toote. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Yu-Ri."

    It was time for Choi Yu-Seong to meet hisst colleague, Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    ***

    After sweating out in morning training and getting rid of all the alcohol in his body, Choi Yu-Seong took a shower and dressed neatly before leaving his house.

    "Oh, boss! Hello!" A cute girl with a plump appearance and bright eyes greeted Choi Yu-Seong by bowing her head.

    At first, Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t recognize the girl for a moment. He finally realized who she was a momentter. "Oh... Chae Ye-Ryeong? You changed your hair."

    Every day, Ye-Ryeong would walk around with her bangs covering more than half of her face. Only when she flipped her long bangs to the side would her childish-looking face be revealed. With slightly squinted eyes, a round face, small dimples, and a delicate body, it was hard to believe that she was the "The Sorceress of the Flood" who had sent many to their deaths in her original story.

    <i>¡®She still has baby fat on her face. She is certainly still a child. Haha¡­¡¯</i>

    Even though Choi Yu-Seong and Ye-Ryeong were only a year apart, because of Yu-Seong¡¯s memories of his past life, he felt that Ye-Ryeong was way younger. Choi Yu-Seong smiled like an old uncle.

    "Well, it¡¯s quite cumbersome when hunting, and I don¡¯t feel the need to cover it, so... What do you think? Is it strange?¡± asked Ye-Ryeong.

    "Not at all. You look good. By the way, what''s going on? I thought you were focusing on hunting for your promotion examination?"

    "Oh, that''s why I came to see you." Ye-Ryeongughed and made a peace sign. "I am D-rank, sir."

    "...What?"

    "I got promoted yesterday! So, I cut my hair to celebrate my achievement," Ye-Ryeong said.

    That was fast. He had expected it, but Yu-Seong was still surprised by Ye-Ryeong''s rapid growth.

    <i>¡®Maybe it''s because it''s not my own progress. It feels even faster.¡¯</i>

    Before Yu-Seong knew it, the cold weather was getting warmer and spring was approaching. If he thought about it, Ye-Ryeong''s rate of growth was enough for her to have been promoted. However, something still felt quite strange for Yu-Seong.

    Anyways, apart from that, Yu-Seong felt good about the news. A natural smile soon appeared on his face.

    Jin Yu-Ri, who also looked surprised, was the first to speak. "Congrattions, Ye-Ryeong. You''re growing really fast."

    "Thank you, unni. I still can¡¯t believe it yet...but everyone says it''s a big thing. I even got my new D-rank certification. Hehe."

    "That''s good news."

    "Yeah! So now I can go to the same dungeon as the boss.¡±

    "Hmm... That''s also good news. But I regret to inform you that I have to go somewhere else today," said Yu-Seong.

    "Oh, if you''re busy, then it can''t be helped. I''ll just do some personal hunting then. Anyway, since the boss is on a higher level than me, I''ll try my best to catch up." Ye-Ryeong clenched her fists and looked determined.

    Yu-Seong watched the girl and smiled. Then, he looked at her as if something had suddenly urred to him. He asked, "Or how about you consider today a day off ande with us?"

    "A day off?"

    "We''re nning to go to Goseong in Gangwon-do. It''s right next to Sokcho, so we can see the beach too. It''ll be nice."

    "If the boss says so, then I''ll do that," said Ye-Ryeong.

    "No, I''m not forcing you... " said Yu-Seong as he scratched his head.

    "I''m just joking. I was excited about taking the day off. I also want to see the sea! But can I really follow along?" With her tongue sticking out, Ye-Ryeong grinned and looked back and forth between Choi Yu-Seong and Jin Yu-Ri.

    "Of course," replied Yu-Seong.

    "If Yu-Seong oppa is okay with it, then I''m good with it too," said Yu-Ri.

    And so, the three of them became a group and got into the car.

    ***

    Since Yu-Seong had requested to visit Jin Do-Yoon at the hospital first, Jin Yu-Ri''s car did not head directly towards Gangwon-do, Goseong. Despite losing one foot, Do-Yoon was undergoing consistent rehabilitation treatment and was expected to be able to be discharged soon.

    There would be inconveniences such as using a wheelchair and living with crutches, but if there was no need to stay in the hospital, it was better for Do-Yoon to be discharged. Choi Yu-Seong eagerly awaited the day Jin Do-Yoon would return home as he left the hospital.

    Only after the hospital visit did the car head toward Goseong. As it would take about three hours from Seoul, it was not a short journey. During that time, Choi Yu-Seong sat in the back seat and checked his social media and NewTube channel. When a popr video appeared on his feed, his attention was soon drawn to it.

    - Promising D-rank tanker, Park Hyuk-Jin, leads the charge in challenging the Goblin Fortress dungeon racing as a tanker.

    In fact, since records were important in dungeon racing, it was not something that a tanker, who mainly focused on defensive abilities, would often challenge. As Choi Yu-Seong had experienced, even the Goblin Fortress dungeon was a dungeon with many challenges.

    <i>¡®Even if he is D-rank, it won''t be easy as a tanker¡­¡¯</i>

    Since Park Hyuk-Jin was described as a promising yer, he was a pretty well-known yer. Based on the fact that he had made this difficult decision, it was an event that would raise his reputation. It was not just a simple challenge announcement that made the video popr.

    <i>¡®Anyway, Park Hyuk-Jin...looks familiar. I wonder who he is.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong scratched his cheek and opened the notepad to check the contents of the original novel. He had a thought that Hyuk-Jin might be an important character. He checked to see if there was anyone with the same name, but soon turned off his phone when he found no matching name.

    The brief encounter during his E-rank days, when he had first entered the dungeon, had made a small impression on Choi Yu-Seong. However, it had been forgotten.

    Afterward, Choi Yu-Seong looked at his own system interface.

    <i>¡®Wow, I have over 5,000 karma points.¡¯?</i>

    Due to his great performance in the battle with Bernard Yoo, Yu-Seong had received more attention from the gods than he thought. Many of the gods'' names were rted to thunder, including Odin and Thor.

    Because of this, Loki, who seemed somehow jealous, had suddenly given away 3,000 karma points. This resulted in the current huge numbers being recorded on the interface window. It was a source of satisfaction for Choi Yu-Seong to see the number, but it was time to put it to use instead of saving it all up.

    Yu-Seong thought about which skill to raise. He also thought about the fusion of Insight and Eye of the Beast, which only had one use left.

    It would take about three hours to go to Goseong, so the journey wouldn¡¯t be as long as he thought.

    <i>¡®It''s skill enhancement time.¡¯</i>

    In that way, Choi Yu-Seong began the work he had been putting off for several days.

 Chapter 125

    <h4>Chapter 125 </h4>

    Karma points were used to enhance skills. For Choi Yu-Seong, who had already raised his Wind Control skill to D-rank, there were three choices left.

    <i>¡®Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails, Dancing Electric Doll, and Magic Spear.¡¯</i>

    With the karma points Yu-Seong had now, he could enhance two of these. The first priority for upgrading was obvious.

    <i>¡®Of course, it¡¯s going to be the Magic Spear.¡¯?</i>

    The spell may have seemed somewhat disappointing, as it only granted a short period of powering up in E-rank, but the Magic Spear was so much more than that.

    <i>¡®In the end, it''s a skill thatbines magic and spear techniques to reach the ultimate level.¡¯</i>

    The best thing about Magic Spear was that the user could choose their own direction of growth.

    <i>¡®Shall I start right away?¡¯</i>

    This was the moment Choi Yu-Seong requested the upgrade of his Magic Spear skill on his system interface.

    - The Magic Spear skill at E-rank is upgraded to D-rank by consuming 2,500 karma points.

    Instead of a message indicating that he had risen through the ranks as a Spear Expert, Choi Yu-Seong''s system interface brightened with a golden light. Afterward, messages appeared one after another in front of Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The Magic Spear at D rank is a Special Skill and has improved to C- due to the influence of Spear Practioner D.

    - Overpower is expressed due to the Special Skill.

    - From C rank, the direction of development for Magic Spear skill can be chosen: 1. Specialization. 2. Diversity.

    Choi Yu-Seong looked at the messages and grinned.

    <i>¡®I''m really reaping great benefits thanks to the Spear Practioner.¡¯</i>

    The full potential of Magic Spear could be fully realized from C-rank, which was also known as a turning point. Therefore, the skill that originally had no significant effect was forcibly elevated, presenting the user with choices.

    It was as expected, but the results unfolding before him made Choi Yu-Seong feel excited.

    <i>¡®Wait a minute. If this continues to progress in over-grade, wouldn''t I reach the same level as the Spear King¡­with pure spear skills?¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, the Spear King, Bencliffe, had been inundated with offers of sponsorship from gods associated with spears. He had ultimately be one of only ten judges in the world. Such a yer had disregarded the offers of countless gods who used spears and had chosen the Magic Spear of Cu Chinn.

    <i>¡®Bencliffe said that as long as he had the Magic Spear, he did not fear the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    In fact, in thetter half of the original novel, he had fought the Demon King with just one spear, using his innate talent and the Magic Spear.

    <i>¡®Ultimately, he couldn''t win, but.....¡¯</i>

    He had fought the Demon King alone, inflicted a great wound that destroyed half of the Demon King''s physical body, and had managed to escape alive.

    Bencliffe had said that two things made up the essence of the Magic Spear.

    <i>¡®First is the talent for the spear, and second is the special skill that provides over-power only for spear-rted skills.¡¯</i>

    Coincidentally, Yu-Seong had both. Thus, simply following in Bencliffe''s footsteps, he could be a much more powerful person in a world where many strong people were fighting just with spear techniques alone.

    <i>¡®Bencliffe said he had chosen ¡®Diversity¡¯ in this Choice.¡¯?</i>

    As a result, Bencliffe had gained two benefits. The first was the record of countless spear techniques inherent in the Magic Spear skill. The original foundation of the Magic Spear skill was the spear technique used by Cu Chinn, the king of Irnd. As it was mentioned earlier, the Magic Spear that had changed to a skill was created with the ultimate spear skills in mind. So, Cu Chinn had recorded all the Spear skills that he had experienced during his lifetime in this Magic Spear skill.

    In terms of the direction of skill development, if Choi Yu-Seong chose Diversity, he would be able to store all of these techniques in his mind and could watch those techniques be yed out like a video at any time. And if he had a high understanding of spear skills, through this, he could constantly reach new levels continuously.

    <i>¡®The second is the expression of various attributes.¡¯</i>

    The attribute that Choi Yu-Seong could only use for a short time now would gradually be easier to use as the rank of the Magic Spear skill increased. Later on, it would eventually change into a permanent form.

    Even the number of attributes increased greatly so that various attacks could be made like magic. Bencliffe was famous for making use of this as a trick by linking andbining the attributes to make the Demon King''s gap.

    <i>¡®Certainly, if I think about the versatility brought about by Diversity, option 2 is the right choice.¡¯</i>

    However, at this point, Choi Yu-Seong thought that he would choose the opposite of Diversity which was option 1¡ªSpecialization. Although it was not mentioned in the original novel, it was likely that Specialization had some kind of advantage.

    <i>¡®If I follow the original novel, choosing Diversity like Bencliffe would be better, but in my case, Specialization has a higher probability of being helpful.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, there was no hesitation in Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s choice.

    - The choice made by yer Choi Yu-Seong leads to an upgrade in the C-rank Magic Spear skill, Specialization.

    - The Irish style Spear skill of Cu Chinn is passed on to yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    - From now on, yer Choi Yu-Seong can only express one attribute through magic. Please select one. 1. Fire. 2. Water 3. Wind 4. Earth 5. Thunder 6. Wood¡­

    As the rank of Magic Spear skill rose, more options of attributes became avable. In fact, even though Yu-Seong was currently only at C-rank, there were almost ten options to choose from. However, the skill that he ultimately chose had already been determined.

    <i>''Thunder.''?</i>

    The moment Choi Yu-Seong chose that attribute, a blue light flickered in front of his eyes. Then, the blue light turned into a doll-like figure that held onto a spear and began to wildly unleash thunderbolts as if it were going to tear the world apart. Surely, the figure¡¯s movements with the spear were not clean. It was intense and shy, but also surprisingly practical.

    Choi Yu-Seong knew that this was the true vision of Cu Chinn. It was the spear technique he had chosen, which was the spear god¡¯s method after experiencing countless forms.

    Choi Yu-Seong stared nkly at the doll-like figure¡¯s movements and was suddenly enveloped by a powerful light that burst out as if the world was exploding. In its ce, a new, evolved Magic Spear skill appeared in front of Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes.

    ¡ºInheritance Skill, Magic Spear C-.

    Fusion is not possible.

    Cu Chinn, the ¡®Cnn¡¯s Hound,¡¯ was a hero who excelled in both Spear and magic.

    ¡´¡´The skill exceeds the limit grade due to Special Skill, Spear Practioner D.¡µ¡µ

    The basic Irish Royal Court style is merged with the user¡¯s Spear.

    The attribute ability is fixed to <i>¡®thunder¡¯</i> through Specialization selection.

    When using a spear, you can continuously consume mana to disy the fixed attribute.

    A powerful ability is sealed. Please raise your rank to release the sealed ability.¡»

    The skill information window had be cleanerpared to before, but the effectiveness presented was difficult topare to the previous one.

    Now, Choi Yu-Seong could freely use the attribute that he was most familiar with and best at handling¡ªthunder. Of course, he would have to keep in mind the mana consumption, but the fact that there was no time limit like before meant the removal of penalties.

    Above all, Choi Yu-Seong now had a master of the spear.

    <i>''I wonder if that blue light is the remnants of Cu Chinn?''?</i>

    When he tried to think about it, Choi Yu-Seong felt his fingertips tingle as he mentally saw Cu Chinn''s spear technique like a video ying in his mind. He wanted to immediately run outside and experiment to see how well he could mimic the spear technique he saw.

    - Cnn¡¯s Hound looks at the yer Choi Yu-Seong with a captivated gaze.

    Choi Yu-Seong forced down the feeling of excitement that was rising within him as he read the message.

    <i>¡®This is only the beginning.¡¯</i>

    Despite the fact that the original novel had shown a definite direction and answer in selecting Diversity, there was a reason why Choi Yu-Seong had chosen Specialization.

    <i>¡®If I can control the wind by Wind Control and the thunder through the Magic Spear to perfection¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong would be able to use the ¡®Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡¯ that was only mentioned by name in the original novel and was impossible for anyone to learn.

    <i>¡®Although I can''t be sure of its power since it wasn¡¯t described in the novel.¡¯</i>

    He clearly remembered one phrase from the description. It was the ultimate skill that could threaten even Kim Do-Jin, who had reached the EX-rank, if someone with a wicked heart were to master this.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s trust this.¡¯</i>

    This was a phrase said by someone who Kim Do-Jin, the arrogant returnee who was known as the strongest among others, would call his teacher.

    Choi Yu-Seong once believed that mastering the technique ¡®Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡¯ was unattainable and therefore had excluded it from his personal growth guide. However, his perspective has since changed.

    <i>¡®If I continue in this phase, it will be possible.¡¯</i>

    The more power Choi Yu-Seong had to protect himself, the better it was¡ªeven if that power was not used to fight. In that sense, his determination fired up again, and he looked at the skill interface.

    <i>¡®There is still time, and there are still karma points left.¡¯</i>

    Now the remaining choices were the Dancing Electric Doll and the Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails. Originally, Choi Yu-Seong was deeply worried about which one to promote, but as soon as he promoted the Magic Spear skill, he was clear about his next choice.

    <i>¡®I have enough attack skills currently.¡¯</i>

    Thus, his choice was Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails.

    <i>¡®After raising it¡­¡¯</i>

    He was nning tobine the final Insight and the Eye of the Beast. Since these two skills did not have a separate choice for him to make like the Magic Spear skill, Yu-Seong did not hesitate to simultaneously cast fusion and promotion. Then, he closed his eyes tightly and prayed inside his heart without checking the expected results.

    <i>¡®Not worried about the promotion, but for fusion since I am giving up Insight. I really need a good one. Please give me something good... something really good!¡¯</i>

    Fusion often brought good results when used strategically, but this time, as it was based on such a powerful skill as Insight, Yu-Seong could not help but feel tense. That was why he had waited a long time for a skill that could bebined with Insight.

    "...right, really?"

    "Yes. His concentration is also good, so..."

    The soft music and conversation between Jin Yu-Ri and Chae Ye-Ryeong had not been heard until now since Choi Yu-Seong was focusing on skill promotion. Yu-Seong, who had been praying with both hands tightly sped near his heart, slowly opened his eyes after a short sigh.

    <i>¡®Is it up? Is it?¡¯</i>

    At first, Choi Yu-Seong raised one eye heavily and looked at the blurry view between them. Then, he looked at the message that was not easily readable. He once again tried to calm down and opened both eyes wide.

    ¡°...¡± After checking the results, Choi Yu-Seong let out a stifled sound. With one hand covering half of his face, he fell into a short silence.

    "Hm?"

    "Boss? Are you crying?"

    The two girls sitting in front looked at Choi Yu-Seong with a flustered look and asked. They did find the sound a bit too strange to be crying.

    "Kuek-kuek... Kuek-kuek... "

    "Yu-Seong oppa?"

    "Is this...crying?" Choi Yu-Seong showed a big smile as he uncovered his face once again. With a slightly flushed expression, he said, "Guys, life is way too sweet. Sweeter than chocte. Cough cough.¡±

    After that, Choi Yu-Seong turned away from the girls¡¯ slightly bewildered looks, pulled out his cell phone, and began searching.

    <i>''Goseong 3rd rank dungeon in Gangwon-do.''?</i>

    He was itching for action. It felt as if he could no longer hold himself back.

 Chapter 126

    <h4>Chapter 126 </h4>

    The only rank 3 dungeon located near Goseong, Gangwon-do, was ¡®The Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep¡¯. Its name made it sound like a rather peaceful ce, but in reality, the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep wasn¡¯t a dungeon to be looked down upon.

    <i>¡®A party of minimum five adventurers with an average rank of D and level 50 is rmended¡¯.</i>

    Sheep generally had gentle appearances, but their true nature was a violent one, so it wasn¡¯t particrly difficult to predict how ferocious they became once they turned into monsters.

    Moreover, these green sheep were easily twice asrge as regr sheep, and they even possessed sharp horns. It was only natural for the dungeon to be difficult since one had to fend off such ferocious creatures, all the while climbing the ridge.

    However, proceeding through the dungeon was a breeze for Choi Yu-Seong, even though he was apanied only by Chae Ye-Ryeong. They hunted the green sheep without any difficulties, and there was a rather simple exnation for it.

    The most troublesome and ferocious aspects of the green sheep were their brashness, mobility, and tenacity. However, the green sheep were rather dull in their movements when they descended the nted ridge. They weren¡¯t slow, but considering that they were charging downhill, they weren¡¯t fast either. If aparison had to be made, it could bepared to a disciplined cyclist cycling while warming up for apetition.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t say for sure, but it must be close to about 30 kilometers per hour.¡¯</i>

    The sheep were clearly fast by human standards, but slow considering that they were speedy monsters specialized in traversing rugged terrain. Originally, the monsters would have been as fast as speeding cars, but the reason for their sluggishness was simple.

    ¡ºInheritance Skill ¨C Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails D.

    Fusion impossible.

    The oldest hunter, Scathi, has never lost their target. Summon a translucent form of twin snakes that are not easily visible to the naked eye and track your opponents. Recall the name and appearance of your opponents as urately as possible in your mind.

    *New D-rank perk ¨C those being tracked by the twin tail-biting snakes will be slowed dramatically.

    Unlock new perks by increasing the rank.

    The snakes cannot pass through walls or obstacles.

    The snakes will automatically disappear if the distance to the opponents exceeds a radius of 2 kilometers.

    Cooldown ¨C two minutes. ¡»

    Choi Yu-Seong had promoted Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails to D-rank, which granted an additional effect of slowing down the opponents it tracked. He had targeted the green sheep with the twin snakes; that was why the vicious monsters that should have been charging at nearly 200 kilometers per hour were so slowpared to their usual selves.

    <i>¡®The only disappointing thing is that there¡¯s a cooldown of two minutes.¡¯</i>

    Even so, two minutes was better than three minutes, the previous waiting time. No matter how many times Yu-Seong thought about it, the added effect of limiting his opponents¡¯ movements was simply too powerful.

    If he utilized the twin snake to slow the movements of a hunter of simr rank and level to himself, his opponent would be forced to show a gap in their defense. Choi Yu-Seong could easily take advantage of that to overpower the enemy at once.

    In fact, the green sheep failed to evene close to Ye-Ryeong, who continued to bombard the monsters with water from her hands. The monsters continued to fall one after another with gaping wounds in their bodies.

    ¡°Yes, level up!¡± Chae Ye-Ryeong shouted excitedly while being enveloped by a silver light once again.

    About one hour had passed since the two of them first entered the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep and in that time, Ye-Ryeong had leveled up three times. Her tion at her unbelievable rate of progress wasn¡¯t strange at all.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, Chae Ye-Ryeong said she has Titanic Growth.¡¯</i>

    Titanic Growth was the greatest skill that Nioh, the pride of Japan, possessed. However, Chae Ye-Reyong had started off with Titanic Growth at E-rank. In addition, Choi Yu-Seong was providing her with an experience boost potion. It was only natural for her to be growing stronger at such an explosive pace.

    Yu-Seong was somewhat envious, but he felt reassured that he had such a reliablerade. In fact, Ye-Ryeong was the reason why Choi Yu-Seong could leisurely walk up the ridge with his hands behind his back.

    <i>¡®Even if I didn¡¯t use the twin snakes, she would have blown up the monsters before they could even reach me.¡¯</i>

    There was nothing for Yu-Seong to do. At first, he rather felt useless, but not anymore.

    <i>¡®It would be better to test how much I¡¯ve grown against an elite monster.¡¯</i>

    Even though the twin snakes proved to be tremendously useful, it was nothing inparison to the new skill Yu-Seong had obtained from Fusion.

    <i>¡®Come on out, elite monster.¡¯</i>

    About five minutes had passed since Choi Yu-Seong started hoping for an encounter with an elite monster to experiment with.

    ¡°Ah, boss. That monster¡­¡± Ye-Ryeong called out.

    It was definitely a green sheep, but it was about 1.3 times bigger than the others. Moreover, its twin horns were thicker and taller than those belonging to its peers. Even its eyes looked sharper than the other green sheep. It was obvious even at a nce that this was an elite monster.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this one,¡± Choi Yu-Seong replied while taking out his spear. Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice took on its coat form as his eyes glimmered with light. He ran forward before Chae Ye-Ryeong could say anything.

    Three regr monsters and the elite monster cried out when they spotted Yu-Seong. He did not contemte for long at all.

    <i>¡®First, I¡¯ll undo the snakes.¡¯</i>

    He then had both snakes target the elite monster since it would prove to be the most burdensome opponent. Choi Yu-Seong briefly looked away after confirming the slowing of the monster¡¯s movement. Then, he activated the skill he had gained frombining Insight and Eye of the Beast ¡ª his lucky break.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, Third Eye D.

    Fusion impossible.

    See the opponent using the Third Eye and disy their information data as messages.

    You can only see the data of opponents on the same rank or lower rank than yourself.

    It can be blocked by the opponent¡¯s mental barrier skills.

    Predict the opponent¡¯s movements with the Third Eye.

    A mental barrier capable of defending against attacks up to C rank will automatically be applied.

    You can use psychokinesis through the Third Eye.

    Maximum force avable to be used against D-rank objects ¨C 10 kilograms.

    There is a cooldown ¨C 30 seconds.

    ¡ù Special : The Third Eye skill is only applied and activated through the use of special energy, ¡®Chakra¡¯.

    If the Chakra user develops Azna Chakra, they can unlock their transcendental capabilities! ¡»

    On his way to Goseong, Yu-Seong could not help but be truly astonished when he saw the description of his new skill, Third Eye. In fact, he had burst outughing. The skill bestowed him the abilities of Insight, as well as special abilities like psychokinesis and the automatic application of a mental barrier.

    Furthermore, there was only one penalty apanying the incredible ability ¨C it could only be activated by Chakra rather than mana. Fortunately, Choi Yu-Seong had already reced all of his mana with Chakra via God¡¯s Chakra. In other words, he had already met the basic conditions for activating the Third Eye.

    <i>¡®Moreover, I could develop it further by developing God¡¯s Chakra. It has a synergistic effect.¡¯</i>

    It was the best thing he could have hoped for. If Yu-Seong could develop his skills as such, it was reasonable to say that the God¡¯s Chakra skill was the equivalent of, or even better than, the inner cultivation methods of the martial arts world, what wasmonly known as Divine Arts.

    mes did not appear in Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes when he activated the Third Eye; instead, a faint eye-shaped tattoo appeared on his forehead. He utilized the Third Eye to exert the maximum force he could apply with psychokinesis toward the charging monster.

    <i>¡®Max force. 10 kilograms.¡¯</i>

    At first nce, it appeared to be rathercking to be used against powerful monsters. However, with sufficient eleration, the force behind 10 kilograms could be an outrageous.

    <i>¡®Just like this.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong gulped when he saw the green sheep¡¯srge head explode right in front of his eyes. It was as if the sheep had been hit by arge truck. His psychokic force did not travel very fast, but when faced with the green sheep¡¯s momentum, it made for an incredible result.

    <i>¡®This could be amazing if I practiced the applications for real battles.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was still faced with the two remaining green sheep. He wound a thunderbolt around the tip of his spear, then let his coat flutter in the wind while triggering Stylish.

    <i>¡®Small fries like these aren¡¯t important.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong kicked off the ground and opened his palm to activate the Dancing Electric Doll.

    The two green sheep charged toward Yu-Seong after jumping over the corpse of their kin but cried out in pain as their wool burnt to a crisp due to the powerful electric shock. It was an obvious oue. There was no way they could withstand the attack.

    Choi Yu-Seong knew the power of his attacks better than anyone else, so he stepped over a tree located on the ridge without hesitation and quickly arrived in front of the elite monster. It was preparing to charge while huffing.

    As if desperate, the elite monster charged toward Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Slowed movements.¡¯</i>

    Combined with the perception that Third Eye granted him, the movements of an elite monster of a rank 3 dungeon felt as if they were ying out in slow motion. Choi Yu-Seong waited until the monster was right in front of his eyes before using Wind Control to take a single step to the side. He dodged the monster¡¯s attack and used Cu Chinn¡¯s secret spear technique.

    The essence of the newly acquired spear skill was quite clear.

    <i>¡®Variability and Speed.¡¯</i>

    It was the culmination of elegance. Choi Yu-Seong attempted to replicate the first of Cu Chinn¡¯s secret spear techniques ¨C Raging Snake.

    .

    It was an imitation.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not capable ofpletely replicating it right now.¡¯</i>

    But even a mere imitation brought a disy of sharp curving lines. It was as if a giant snake was gliding above the giant elite monster. As Yu-Seong retrieved his spear, blood started to gush out from the five chunks of what once was the elite green sheep.

    Choi Yu-Seong sighed while using his coat to guard himself against the sshing blood. He was satisfied in many ways. He had killed an elite monster with only one strike. It was a strike he had gained from his skills, but it was useless unless he could digest it on his own.

    <i>¡®I truly am getting stronger.¡¯</i>

    He was getting stronger and stronger while surviving and facing various crises. However, he wasn¡¯t without regrets either. If Choi Yu-Seong had executed the Raging Snake as he intended, the monster would have been split into more than ten pieces rather than five.

    <i>¡®Icked both speed and variability.¡¯</i>

    It was disappointing, but he could not help it. After all, it was his first time executing it.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s practice.¡¯</i>

    And when he mastered it¡­

    <i>¡®It will be my second after Lance Charging.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong would gain yet another ace up his sleeve. He was getting stronger at a rapid pace, and the path to even greater strength was clearly visible. Naturally, he had no ns to put a brake on his growth.

    ¡°Uh, boss. That¡¯s¡­¡± Chae-Ryeong said with a surprised look while looking at the end of the ridge. Arge ck pir had disappeared with a sh, and both of them knew what the pir represented.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s time for the boss monster to regenerate.</i>

    Any other party of two D-rank hunters would have retreated. However, the two of them were more than capable of hunting it down. Rather, it was safe to say that this was a golden opportunity for them to gain many levels. This was no time to be putting on the brakes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go get it,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    Chae Ye-Ryeong nodded.

    Although it wasn¡¯t recorded officially, on that day, Yu-Seong and Ye-Ryeong achieved a new record of 1 hour 39 minutes for clearing the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep as a duo. It overwhelmingly exceeded the previous record of 2 hours and 20 minutes.

 Chapter 127

    <h4>Chapter 127 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong reached the max level of D-rank after hunting the Mountain Ridge of the Green Sheep¡¯s boss monster.

    <i>¡®That was faster than I expected.¡¯</i>

    But there was a simple exnation. Boss monsters were difficult to hunt in various ways and presented different types of challenges to hunters, but they gave proportionate rewards.

    .

    Not only did the max level give him the chance to challenge the promotion test to the next rank, but he also felt that his physical ability and mana had grown much stronger than before.

    He felt reassured and confident as he nced at Chae Ye-Ryeong, who stood by his side.

    <i>¡®Without Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s help, I would have had a much harder time dealing with the boss, the three-headed green sheep.¡¯</i>

    Even though there were only two of them, this was the easiest time Yu-Seong had against a boss monster, except for the time he had taken the Lightning Burst. So what if a third person, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, joined their group?

    <i>¡®¡­We could form a three-man attack squad.¡¯</i>

    Originally, an attack party at this point in time referred to arge group that was capable of hunting a raid boss monster. However, Choi Yu-Seong had a different outlook regarding the term. He wanted something more future-oriented.

    <i>¡®The numbers don¡¯t matter. Rather, we should prioritize the quality.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it was necessary to allow Chae Ye-Ryeong to grow as fast as possible in order to do so, and fortunately, her pace of growth was very satisfying.

    ¡°Are you at level thirty now?¡± Yu-Seong asked.

    ¡°Yes. At this rate, I should be able to reach max level within the month,¡± Ye-Ryeong replied.

    Choi Yu-Seong closed his eyes and fell into thought.

    <i>¡®Since it¡¯s mid-April right now¡­¡¯</i>

    It was already spring, so Chae Ye-Ryeong could probably achieve C rank before the passage into summer. Choi Yu-Seong was quite knowledgeable when it came to such a trend.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s gained momentum.¡¯</i>

    There was a saying ¨C man proposes, but gods dispose. Even if a man diligently performed his duties, what he reaped was the will of heaven. Until now, Choi Yu-Seong had faced numerous challenges and difficulties regardless of how hard he tried, but there was a good chance that things would be different from now on.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s hard to regain momentum once it¡¯s been lost, but¡­¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, once you started riding and climbing, it would push you forward like a tailwind.

    Choi Yu-Seong had been contemting. In the original novel, Choi Yu-Seong had performed the role assigned to him ¨C a proper rascal ¨C without any problems or difficulties until his death, so why was his life so difficult now?

    The answer was yet another simple one.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve been running into one problem after another because I¡¯ve continued to defy Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s death, which was destined to happen.¡¯</i>

    Such was destiny. Even if one tried to escape, fate would never loosen its grip on their ankle. It would hold on for dear life.

    But the momentum Yu-Seong felt now was clearly something new.

    <i>¡®Fate may still be holding onto my ankle, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Everything was set in ce for him to begin his journey upward.

    Just in time, Choi Yu-Seong arrived in front of Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s house. This was thest card he needed to set the foundation for his climb. He looked at the rather old building, a five-story apartmentplex with no lift.

    <i>¡®On the top floor¡­¡¯</i>

    18-year-old Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had feigned even his own death, was living there.

    ***

    The apartment was quite small, just a 10-pyeong space[ref]About 35 square feet] which consisted of only a bedroom and living room. In it was a young man curled up on aputer chair, messing around with a mouse and keyboard while staring at his monitor. Inside the monitor, a character was moving under hismand and it swept the battlefield to eventually upy the enemy base and take the victory.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk was always at the center of the victorious battles, and his teammates always praised his ys. It was to the point where he was referred to as a monster by some of the opposing yers. But from Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s point of view, it was a rather curious phenomenon. Most of his strategies and ys had been made without much consideration.

    <i>¡®Is this supposed to be difficult?¡¯</i>

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been left without anything to do after his parents¡¯ death and began to y as a hobby. He didn¡¯t know what others thought of it, but he didn¡¯t want to die, so he yed games to quiet his mind.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk dismissed the notification on his screen, which screamed ¡°Promoted to Challenger!¡±. His monitor was constantly being bombarded with messages. There was a flood of friend requests from coaches, managers, and yers of professional teams. He stared at the messages indifferently before closing the game. It wasn¡¯t that he hated attention from others, but he found it scary.

    <i>¡®They don¡¯t know me.¡¯</i>

    After leaving behind the monitor, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rolled onto the narrow bed before stretching out his hand toward the ceiling. A red hexagram appeared, and something started to push its head through it when¡­

    <i>Ding-dong-!</i>

    Someone rang the doorbell. Yoo Jin-Hyuk hesitated for a moment, then disregarded it. It was probably a delivery for daily necessities anyways. Thanks to the insurance money from the death of his parents and brother, he was able to live isted from everyone else, but that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to die. As such, he purchased various goods for daily living off the inte, so he has learned to ignore such small disturbances.

    <i>Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong-!</i>

    However, the intruder appeared to be quite obsessive this time around. They continued ringing the doorbell, then proceeded to knock on the door as if they were impatient.

    <i>Bang! Bang! Bang!</i>

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk felt quite annoyed by the loud disturbance. He turned his gaze towards the front door.

    <i>¡®Who is it?¡¯</i>

    His curiosity was quickly satisfied.

    ¡°Yoo Jin-Hwan! I know you¡¯re in there. Open the door!¡± The intruder called out.

    The intruder was calling out his alias, the name of his dead brother, to be exact. Yoo Jin-Hyuk felt slightly curious about the intruder, so he slowly rose from his bed and approached the door with staggering steps. He peeked through the small peephole and confirmed the intruder¡¯s identity.

    <i>¡®Who is this?¡¯</i>

    The unfamiliar face felt strangely familiar for some reason¡­ Yoo Jin-Hyuk quickly realized why.

    ¡°It¡¯s your uncle. Open the door.¡±

    The intruder was a man who resembled his dead father.

    ***

    After much consideration, Yoo Jin-Hyuk carefully pushed the door handle, which was shaped like a long horizontal stick. Although it only gave way for a small slit, the sunlight stung his pale skin for the first time in a long while.

    A momentter, the middle-aged man said, ¡°And you finally open the door. It¡¯s been a long time. You remember your uncle, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk shook his head instead of answering.

    ¡°Well, you were only five years old thest time we met, so you may not remember me. By the way, you¡­¡± A strange look glimmered in the eyes of the middle-aged man, Yoo Choong-Ryeol, as he scanned Jin-Hyuk from head to toe. With an awkward smile and an oddly sharp gaze, hemented, ¡°My, you¡¯re barely skin and bones. You must be having a difficult time going through this alone, right?¡±

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk stared at the man with an indifferent gaze while asking, ¡°¡­Why did youe?¡±

    Had he noticed that Jin-Hyuk was living a life using his brother¡¯s name? It couldn¡¯t be, since Yoo Jin-Hyuk had taken care of everything as secretly as possible. He thought he would never be found out, but he was understandably worried now that a rtive was visiting him out of the blue.

    ¡°What do you mean why? I heard the news. I heard that my brother, sister-inw, and even Jin-Hyuk have died in a dungeon break. My heart broke to think that you¡¯re suffering alone. I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± the middle-aged man answered.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk was a cautious person, and he had lived a life while being wary of others. It was easy for him to see straight through Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s lie. However, Jin-Hyuk had no intention of calling him out.

    <i>¡®This is dangerous.¡¯</i>

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk was quick-witted, and he was quite capable when it came to seeing through people¡¯s true intentions. He knew well that the goodwill offered to him by Yoo Choong-Ryeol was something that could change at any moment, depending on the situation. Perhaps it was impossible for an ordinary person to harm Yoo Jin-Hyuk since he was a yer, but the same might not hold true for Yoo Choong-Ryeol.

    Jin-Hyuk instantly noticed the brown sheathe hanging from Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s waist. He asked, ¡°¡­Are you a hunter?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Huh¡­? Haha, I guess my brother told you. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m currently working as a hunter. Despite how I may look, I¡¯m actually a B-rank.¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol shed his hunter license, then lightly tapped his waist.

    He then said, ¡°Of course, I have a certificate of possession for the sword, and it¡¯s officially registered with the government. I carry it around just in case something unexpected happens. You never know when and where you might need to fight as a hunter. By the way, are you just going to keep me out here?¡±

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk opened and closed his mouth a few times before answering, ¡°¡­The house is dirty right now.¡±

    ¡°What does that matter? We¡¯re family. Let¡¯s just go in and have a good chat. I just want to know how you¡¯ve been living until now and¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Can youe back tomorrow?¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk asked after interrupting.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°Jin-Hwan. If there happens to be a misunderstanding¡­¡±

    Just then¡­

    ¡°Ah, excuse me. Is this Mister Yoo Jin-Hwan¡¯s ce?¡± Choi Yu-Seong approached and called out to Choong-Ryeol, who was still speaking to Jin-Hyuk through the gap in the door.

    ¡°Hmm? And who might you be?¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol asked. It was clear from his tone that he was raising his guard.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk was rather surprised when he saw Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s face through the small opening.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s good-looking.¡¯</i>

    Indeed, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s appearance was quite stunning, enough to startle even Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was normally indifferent. However, that was all.

    ¡°Ah, I am¡­¡±

    ¡°Both of you, please go back. I don¡¯t really want to meet with anyone today,¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk said before Choi Yu-Seong could finish, then mmed the door.

    ¡°Jin-Hwan! Again, don¡¯t get me wrong. I only came here because I was worried about you. I wille back tomorrow. Please believe me, okay?¡±

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol shouted towards the door, then sighed before turning his gaze towards Choi Yu-Seong. His stare was cold and filled with greed. He lookedpletely different from just moments ago when he had been speaking to Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    ring at Choi Yu-Seong with annoyance, Choong-Ryeol muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t know what rumors have brought you to this ce, pretty boy, but¡­you better back off when you have the chance. That is, unless you want to waste your life.¡±

    Then, he attempted to shove Choi Yu-Seong on the shoulder. However, his eyes were filled with disbelief when Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s hand came out of nowhere and grabbed a hold of his wrist.

    ¡°You should watch what you say if you want to keep that glib tongue of yours,¡± Jin Yu-Ri said with a grin. She made her index and middle finger into the shape of scissors, then ced them together while muttering, ¡°That is¡­if you don¡¯t want it to be snipped. Hoho¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol was shocked as cold sweat dripped down his back. He had been caughtpletely unaware; he hadn¡¯t even noticed Yu-Ri¡¯s presence.

    When Jin Yu-Ri released him from her grip, Choong-Ryeol turned back and bolted down the stairs as if he were being chased. He didn¡¯t even dare to nce in Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s direction as he fled.

    Choi Yu-Seong stared indifferently as Choong-Ryeol ran, then said to Jin Yu-Ri, ¡°Please find out who he is and what he does. One day should be enough, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yu-Ri answered.

    Choi Yu-Seong then stepped forward and nced at the tightly shut door. For a moment, a sad glimmer appeared in his eyes.

    <i>¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯</i>

    Yoo-Jin Hyuk had been known as the Demonic Beast Tamer, then the Demonic Beast King in the original novel. He had lived an extremely harsh childhood too. Even so, he had chosen to live an isted life instead of resenting the world. How much pain and suffering had he experienced before finally transforming into a terrible disaster?

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryeong were simr in some ways.

    <i>¡®An artificial evil created by the twisted world.¡¯</i>

    The difference was that Choi Yu-Seong had managed to meet Chae Ye-Ryeong before she experienced her suffering. As such, it had been easy to convince and win her over. However, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had already been hurt because of his parents and brother.

    How could it be easy to persuade him in such a situation?

    <i>¡®It¡¯s obviously going to be difficult.¡¯</i>

    Even so, it needed to be done. It was obvious that Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s presence would greatly assist Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s ns. Moreover, Choi Yu-Seong had felt the greatest sympathy for Yoo Jin-Hyuk when he read the novel. As such, he sincerely hoped for Yoo Jin-Hyuk to avoid a tragic ending.

    1. Previously, tranted as Lightning Bolt

 Chapter 128

    <h4>Chapter 128 </h4>

    As if running away, Yoo Choong-Ryeol hastily left the apartmentplex and then got into a sedan that was parked between the alleys. He took a moment to catch his breath.

    ¡°Those little punks. They look pretty young but don¡¯t even know to respect their elders¡­!¡± After muttering under his breath, Choong-Ryeol fell into contemtion with a frown. ¡°But I feel like I¡¯ve seen that pretty boy around somewhere¡­¡±

    He searched deep within his memories, and just as he was on the verge of remembering¡­ he was interrupted by his cell phone¡¯s loud ringing.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol jumped, then quickly checked who the caller was. He hesitated while chewing on his bottom lip, then finally answered the phone. What greeted him was unrestrained profanity, such as a female dog and donkey, to put it nicely.

    -¡­So where are you?

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol slowly brought the phone closer to his ear. He had been holding it at a distance with a frown while receiving harsh abuse from the caller. He said carefully, ¡°I am in Goseong, Gangwon-do for a bit.¡±

    -Goseong? Why? Don¡¯t you know that there¡¯s a lot of work to be done?

    To be honest, Yoo Choong-Ryeol was desperate for money. He was a B-rank hunter, and he boasted a fairly good ie thanks to his activities as a ck mercenary. However, he was always struggling financially due to his extravagant spending and serious gambling addiction.

    Even so, with his capabilities, he could usually fill his pockets to his satisfaction if he took on jobs that were offered by this particr caller. However, that wasn¡¯t currently an option for him.

    <i>¡®The reason there¡¯s a lot of work is because no one wants to take them on.¡¯</i>

    There was always work to be done in the mercenary industry, especially for the viins known as the ck mercenaries. Even so, it was quite rare for so much work to be left untouched¡­ There was a simple exnation for the current situation.

    ¡°How could I possibly go back and work now? The Cheon-Ji Group, Comet Group, not to mention the Special Police Force are running amok and pummeling all the viins¡­¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol retorted.

    -Hey, you little punk. We still need someone to take care of the jobs. And you owe me, don¡¯t you? Three billion won. Are you not going to pay it back? If you don¡¯t return right this second, you¡¯re going to need to pay me back by tomorrow. Otherwise, I¡¯ll find you and kill you. You know me, right? I¡¯m a man of my word.

    ¡°Ah, hyung-nim. Come on, is this all that we are? Why are you acting like that when it¡¯s just pocket change?¡±

    -Pocket change? You call three billion pocket change? You little bastard, you really need to¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll be back real soon. I just need to take care of something here. Don¡¯t you know me? I¡¯m Choong-Ryeol, bro. How many years have we been working together? Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    -Oi. I don¡¯t trust viins, and I especially don¡¯t trust debtors. As for you, Yoo Choong-Ryeol, I wouldn¡¯t even trust you to look after my pet goldfish. Get to the point. When are you going to return?

    ¡°Not today,¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol answered as he looked back at the apartmentplex.

    Strangely enough, it appeared as if the apartmentplex was seeped in an unusually ck shadow.

    -What about tomorrow?

    ¡°That will be difficult. I¡¯ll make sure to return within the week.¡±

    -Within the week? Hey, it¡¯s only Tuesday. Stop spewing nonsense. Come back tomorrow, no matter what.

    ¡°Ah, hyung¡­¡±

    -If I don¡¯t see you tomorrow, I''m going to send in the pursuers. Your life''s on the line here, so think before you act.

    ¡°Hyung-nim, that¡¯s too harsh¡­¡±

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol was not given a chance to finish before the call abruptly ended.

    ¡°Motherfu¡­!¡± Yoo Choong-Ryeol swore loudly in a fit of rage while throwing his phone to the passenger seat. His eyes were bloodshot.

    <i>¡®From the looks of it, he didn¡¯t spend much of the insurance money. He¡¯s been living quietly¡­¡¯</i>

    In truth, Yoo Choong-Ryeol didn¡¯t know much about Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s family. In fact, he hadn¡¯t been close to that family at all. However, he was familiar with Yoo Choong-Ho, his brother and Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s father.

    <i>¡®He must have left behind a lot of money. That little punk must be hiding it somewhere. Yoo Jin-Hwan¡­¡¯</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol licked his lips, then impatiently grabbed his car handle with his shaky hands.

    <i>Rumble-!</i>

    The sound of thunder suddenly resonated from the sky, which appeared rather darker than usual. Yoo Choong-Ryeol let out a sigh after looking up at the sky. He muttered, ¡°Damn it. Even the weather¡¯s crappy.¡±

    Choong-Ryeol wanted to talk Yoo Jin-Hyuk out of all the hidden assets, but he didn¡¯t have much time. He was given only a single day, so he came to a decision after much thought.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t have hidden it anywhere besides the house. And knowing my brother, the insurance money won¡¯t be small either,¡± he said before licking his lips once more. He reached for a bag located on the back seats, then took out a small bag containing white powder.

    <i>¡®Glocaine poison.¡¯</i>

    The medication bag looked nothing out of ordinary, but the white powder contained inside was a lethal poison. The moment someone ingested it, their organs would melt, and they would die painfully.

    If Yoo Jin-Hyuk had acted even slightly more friendly towards him or if he had some more time, Choong-Ryeol would not have resorted to this option. However, since the teenage was clearly wary and suspicious, he couldn¡¯t see any good reason in keeping Yoo Jin-Hyuk alive any longer.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t let him hide away the money while I¡¯m not here. I¡¯ll have to kill him tomorrow.¡¯</i>

    When Yoo Choong-Ryeol came to a decision, a distant sh of lightning struck outside his sedan.

    <i>Rumble-!</i>

    Soon, heavy rain began to pour down in turn with a deep growl of the sky.

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong was staying in a small ce located near Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s house. It was rather small and modest to be called a hotel.

    Choi Yu-Seong called Jin Yu-Ri to his room and the two continued their conversation.

    ¡°So, what you are saying is that Yoo Jin-Hwan is actually Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who is supposed to be dead, right?¡± Yu-Ri asked.

    ¡°Yeah. He probably faked his identity because of the insurance money. After all, Yoo Jin-Hyuk is still 18 years old, a minor,¡± Yu-Seong answered.

    ¡°How?¡± Yu-Ri asked.

    ¡°Yoo Choong-Ho, his father, was an expert in forging identification cards. It wouldn¡¯t have been a difficult task for him, since he learned from his father and actually took on a couple jobs as well,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°¡­Wait, so what about the deaths of the three people?¡± Yu-Ri asked with a surprised expression.

    Choi Yu-Seong shook his head with a bitter smile before answering, ¡°No, that was really an ident. You know about it too, right? The dungeon break in Gyeongju from a year ago.¡±

    ¡°It was a big deal. There were a lot of casualties. Right, I guess you couldn¡¯t really fake or manipte something like a dungeon break,¡± Yu-Ri said.

    ¡°Yeah, more importantly, there¡¯s no way Yoo Jin-Hyuk could have hurt his family,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°Right¡­ His mother was a yer. Her ability was¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri quickly skimmed over the documents she had received from Choi Yu-Seong. She continued, ¡°D-rank hypnosis. I had forgotten because it¡¯s been some time, but now I remember. Their family¡¯s records were unusual as well. His father had a history of murder, and his brother, as a student, had been at a juvenile detention center.¡±

    ¡°But Yoo Jin-Hyuk is clean, right?¡± Yu-Seong asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just clean. It¡¯s strange, it¡¯s like¡­there¡¯s no record of him. In the first ce, there¡¯s no record of him at any schools either,¡± Yu-Ri answered.

    ¡°It¡¯s because he would have rarely left the house,¡± Yu-Seong said while looking out the window with a bitter smile. The rain apanying the thunder was getting quite dense.

    ¡°It would be safe to say that he was abused as a child,¡± Yu-Rimented.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    To be exact, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been abused as a child and into his teenage years. There was a reason why he was the only one treated like this in the family of four. Although his name was Yoo Jin-Hyuk and he was officially registered as Yoo Choong-Ho¡¯s son, he was actually an orphan who had been picked up from the streets.

    <i>¡®An abandoned child.¡¯</i>

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk, a child no one cared about, had been picked up from the streets and made their possession. By brainwashing and training him, he had been controlled and usedpletely and thoroughly.

    Jin-Hyuk had also been abused. To be exact, it was the wife and Yoo Jin-Hwan, not Yoo Choong-Ho, who had wielded violence against him to relieve their stress while Yoo Choong-Ho had watched. In the first ce, Yoo Choong-Ho had only decided to bring in Yoo Jin-Hyuk and raise him because he had seen the child quietly using a barrier skill in a dark alleyway.

    ¡°Yoo Jin-Hyuk was born Awakened. He could use his abilities from birth, and one of them was the barrier he erected,¡± Choi Yu-Seong exined.

    ¡°Then, the reason Yoo Choong-Ho took him in was¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri said.

    ¡°He had hopes that the small child would bring them money,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°But why¡­?¡±

    ¡°The first thing Yoo Choong-Ho did after bringing him home was to have his wife brainwash the child using her skill. Jin-Hyuk was made to consider the three people as his family, people he had to show absolute, unconditional love toward to repay their kindness. It wouldn¡¯t have been easy since the skill rank was low, but¡­ Yoo Jin-Hyuk was a child. Soon, they seeded in brainwashing him. However, that¡¯s when the problem arose,¡± Yu-Seong exined.

    Although Yoo Jin-Hyuk was born with abilities, he could not use them any more after being brainwashed.

    Yu-Seong continued, ¡°How angry do you think that made Yoo Choong-Ho? He went through the trouble of picking up the kid and adopting him, but the kid suddenly became unable to use his abilities. So he tossed the kid outside, but the hypnosis kept its grip on Yoo Jin-Hyuk, so¡­¡±

    ¡°He returned. Back home. For him, his family must have been more precious than anything else in the world,¡± Yu-Ri said.

    ¡°Yeah. That was always the oue, no matter how far he was abandoned.¡±

    Like a dog abandoned by its owners, Yoo Jin-Hyuk always returned home, and Yoo Choong-Ho had chosen to take him in in the end. Then he had taught Yoo Jin-Hyuk how to forge identification cards and had made him work, sometimes letting him be a punching bag for his family to relieve their stress.

    ¡°Bastards¡­¡± Jin Yu-Ri growled angrily after hearing Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s exnation. She balled her hands into fists and her eyes reddened. ¡°I¡¯m d they died. No, rather, that¡¯s too bad. Dogs like them should have had their limbs ripped one by one after experiencing hell¡­¡±

    Her hands even dug into the wooden table that she had been touching. She added softly, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It just made me so angry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m not in a good mood either,¡± Yu-Seong answered.

    <i>Rumbleee-!</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong looked out at the thundering scenery while recalling Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s face. The hypnosis had been undone after the deaths of Yoo Choong-Ho and his wife.

    However, Jin-Hyuk had loved Yoo Choong-Ho¡¯s family for a long time and had craved their love. Although he was freed from the brainwashing, it did not mean that the remnants of his emotions had disappeared as well. Currently, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was struggling, stuck between resentment, anger, and a craving for affection.

    <i>¡®I don¡¯t dare to think I can cure that wound.¡¯</i>

    However, ording to the original novel, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would continue to experience countless betrayals. His resentment against the world for abandoning and hurting him would continue to grow. In the end, he would be a disaster with hatred and anger toward humans, a creature with more malice against humans than even the devil. He would be the worst disaster, the Demonic Beast King.

    ¡°Ah, the man you asked about earlier. I got the data.¡± Jin Yu-Ri checked her phone after receiving a notification, then frowned. She proceeded to read the information, ¡°He¡¯s the brother of the deceased Yoo Choong-Ho. His age is¡­¡±

    <i>Rumble-!</i>

    At that moment, an unusuallyrge sh of lightning descended along with a roar causing the whole room to tremble.

 Chapter 129

    <h4>Chapter 129 </h4>

    "Wait¡­"

    At the same time, Choi Yu-Seong remembered the content of the original novel he had recorded on his cellphone''s notepad, particrly the story about Yoo Jin-Hyuk, whom he had read quite attentively.

    ¡ºThe Demonic Beast Kingmitted his first murder on a day when thunder was roaring, and rain was pouring down. It was when his lying uncle hade to see him.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk indifferently watched his victim die and began to question whether taking someone¡¯s life was wrong. It had been much easier than he had thought. Eventually, evil began to sprout from such a small starting point.¡»

    The content of the original novel was rather vague, so Yu-Seong did not know the exact circumstances nor did know how Yoo Jin-Hyuk had killed his uncle, who was a B-rank hunter. However, one thing was certain¡ªsoon Yoo Jin-Hyuk wouldmit murder, and this would be the first step leading him deeper into the dark.

    Thus, Choi Yu-Seong no longer had time to hesitate. He jumped up from his seat and looked outside the window where the spring rain was pouring down. He asked, "Would running or riding a car be faster?¡±

    "On a day like this, it''s definitely faster to run. Are you going straight to Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s house?" asked Jin Yu-Ri.

    Yu-Ri was quick-witted as usual as she sensed the seriousness of the situation. Without any further words, she put on her coat quickly.

    "What''s the shortest time?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "10 minutes," she said.

    "I''ll leave it to you."

    When Choi Yu-Seong opened the window and stood in front of the pouring rain, Yu-Ri grabbed him and said, "Hold on tight.¡±

    "I already am¡­"

    At that moment, Yu-Ri leaped out of the window like a bird. Unfortunately, there was no romantic mood under the current circumstances. The pouring rain pelted their faces relentlessly.

    ***

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk was hunched on a narrow chair while moving his mouse about. His eyes shone.

    "Choi Yu-Seong."

    The face of the handsome man who had briefly visited him during the day had suddenly came to his mind, so Jin-Hyuk searched the inte. The man was quite a celebrity, so a lot of information came up.

    ¡ù Comet Group''s troublemaker, progressively transforming his image in a good direction.

    ¡ù Choi Yu-Seong once again breaks new records!

    ¡ù From the rascal son of a chaebol to Korea''s top Super Rookie

    ¡ù How much is Choi Yu-Seong''s NewTube revenue?

    ¡ù Choi Yu-Seong''s socialwork photos are a sensation!

    Reading the articles one by one out of idle curiosity, Yoo Jin-Hyuk furrowed his brows.

    <i>''Why did this persone to see me?''?</i>

    To be honest, Yoo Jin-Hyuk thought that Choi Yu-Seong was much more suspicious than Yoo Choong-Ryeol.

    <i>''Come to think of it, I did im a considerable amount of death insurance from Comet Insurance...''?</i>

    Even if there were a problem, the insurancepany employee woulde instead of the son of a chaebol.

    "...I haven¡¯t a clue."

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk light licked his lips and suddenly looked outside the window where lightning shed. He really liked rainy weather. He found the dark sceneryfortable, and the sound of rain pouring down made his ears buzz. He looked at the raindrops hitting the window with a somewhatplicated expression.

    <i>¡®Uncle¡­¡¯</i>

    Although there were slight differences, Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s face resembled Yoo Choong-Ho, and their body shape, body size, and the vibe were also quite simr.

    Was that the reason? Yoo Jin-Hyuk intuitively thought that Yoo Choong-Ryeol was scheming something, yet the influence of the brainwashing on his mind made him have good feelings toward Yoo Choong-Ryeol. To be more precise, it made him crave the man¡¯s love.

    <i>¡®Maybe he came looking for the money that father hid?¡¯</i>

    If he gave his uncle the money, could he be loved?

    <i>¡®Stupid thought.¡¯</i>

    However, he couldn¡¯t avoid the thought that it may not be a bad idea to fill the hollow feeling in his heart in such a way.

    Feeling the sudden pain that gripped his heart, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rolled around on the chair while letting out a rough breath. "Huff...huff..."

    The familiar yet harsh smell of cigarettes from under his nose brought up memories of the dead rose, reminding him of the faces of his loved ones. He remembered his mother who hadughed while covering him with a nket and stepping on him, all the while saying she that loved him. He remembered his older brother calling his small and delicate hands adorable and then suddenly breaking his finger. And he remembered his father smoking a cigarette while watching with a viciously delighted yet indifferent expression.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk had been told to love them. In fact, he had lived with feelings that he would do anything for them.

    "But why¡­?!"

    <i>Bang!</i>

    As thunder roared and shook the entire house, someone pounded on the front door.

    <i>Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.</i>

    "Jin-Hwan, it''s your uncle. Did something happen? Open the door, please."

    The firmly closed front door was blurry. Still groaning in pain, he slowly stood up and took a deep breath. He opened the front door with great effort, once again seeing the middle-aged man whose shoulders were slightly wet from the rain.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk with a bright expression while holding a ck stic bag in one hand. He said, "You finally open the door. How are you, kiddo? Are you even eating properly?"

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk did nothing to stop Yoo Choong-Ryeol when he naturally entered the house as if it was his own. Instead, Jin-Hyuk moved aside and let him pass.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s gaze quickly scanned the surroundings. He thenmented, "Nothing seems special.¡±

    "...Because I live alone," replied Jin-Hyuk.

    "The things that were in the original house... You didn¡¯t leave them behind, did you?"

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s eyebrows twitched at Choong-Reyol¡¯s question. He quietly closed the open front door and locked it.

    <i>nk.</i>

    ¡°I brought everything I need. I just left everything else in the warehouse.¡±

    ¡°Warehouse? You have a separate warehouse?¡± asked Choong-Ryeol.

    ¡°What did you bring with you?¡± replied Jin-Hyuk with a question.

    Finally, Yoo Choong-Ryeol turned around and smiled brightly. "I assume you couldn''t eat properly living alone. I asked for a take-out from a nearby haejanggukrestaurant. You don¡¯t dislike it, don¡¯t you?"

    Without waiting for Jin-Hyuk¡¯s response, Yoo Choong-Ryeol started reheating the haejangguk in the kitchen. Yoo Jin-Hyuk sat in the corner of the living room, silently staring at him cooking.

    <i>¡®Damn punk, did he already hide the money somewhere else?¡¯</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s eyes flickered. He had been nning to search the house after killing Yoo Jin-Hyuk with the poison hidden in the haejangguk.

    <i>¡®Should I try a little persuasion before feeding him the poison?¡¯?</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol originally nned to wait for one more day but decided to move up his n. The reason for this was simple.

    <i>¡®That sissy-looking guy I saw earlier.¡¯</i>

    For some reason, that guy was stuck in his mind. Yoo Choong-Ryeol felt like something big would happen if he dyed the n even a little. That was why he acted urgently and came to Jin-Hyuk at dawn. Fortunately, Yoo Jin-Hyuk did not defy him this time.

    <i>¡®Let''s talk slowly. He''s still young. He doesn''t know anything yet¡­ If I just coax him a little, he''ll spill everything.¡¯</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s eyes were filled with desire as he watched the haejangguk simmering, and the me of the gas stove burning underneath.

    "Isn¡¯t it hard living alone? I have a house in Seoul. If you want, you cane and live there anytime. It¡¯s not something to brag about, but since I''m not married and don''t have any other family, nobody else would be there. I would be happy if you came."

    Taking advantage of the conversation, Yoo Choong-Ryeol opened a drawer, took out a few serving dishes, and slowlydled out the hot haejangguk.

    "The house is big too. All of your stuff from the storage should fit, and there should still be room left, but I won¡¯t'' be sure until I see it for myself¡­ Where is the dining table?"

    As Choong-Ryeol asked Yoo Jin-Hyuk while slowly turning his head, Jin-Hyuk gestured towards the side of the fridge. There was a small and neatly folded dining table.

    "Even though things may be tough, it''s good to see that you''re taking care of yourself and have all the essentials you need for eating."

    "...Because I am scared of dying."

    "Did you ever think of suicide?" asked Choong-Ryeol.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk smiled slightly at Choon-Ryeol, who pretended to be surprised. He muttered, "I was considering it¡­when I had the courage to die. I just thought about it."

    "You kiddo," said Yoo Choong-Ryeol. He spoke calmly, but at that moment, he felt his heart pounding when he saw Jun-Hyuk¡¯s gaze.

    <i>¡®Now that I think about it, this guy''s eyes look...simr to mine.¡¯</i>

    To be more specific, the expression on Jun-Hyuk¡¯s face seemed to suggest that he was quite familiar with death. It was unlike his words about being scared to die.

    <i>¡®It seems like he killed someone before...but there''s no smell of blood.¡¯</i>

    Choong-Ryeol awkwardlyughed and tilted his head, then brought the unfolded table with a bowl of haejangguk to Jun-Hyuk. Afterward, he looked for cutleries and asked, "Where''s the warehouse? While you eat, I''ll go and look around by myself. At the very least, I need to know the approximate size so it will be easier when we move."

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol continued speaking, assuming that Yoo Jin-Hyuk would follow him. Though his method was somewhat clumsy, Jin-Hyuk didn''t seem to have any objections and obediently received the spoon that Choong-Ryeol had handed him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. Since I¡¯ll have to take items out and use them whenever I need them¡­¡±

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol smiled brightly.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure there''s money in the warehouse.¡¯</i>

    He felt a slight tinge of nervousness. However, he didn''t show it on his face. Instead, he slowly looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was stirring the soup with his spoon. He asked in a friendly manner, "That''s fortunate. I¡¯ll be back soon. So, where was it located...?"

    "Want to know?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his head and smiled, holding his spoon filled with soup.

    "What?"

    "I''ll tell you, but you have to eat with me."

    "Ah... I¡¯m okay. I had it before I came¡­¡±

    "Eat with me." Jin-Hyuk emphasized again, and then he pushed the spoon toward Choong-Ryeol. He added, "I get lonely by myself."

    Choong-Ryeol looked at the soup and held his spoon with a trembling hand. He couldn''t help but feel a chill run down his spine.

    <i>''Did this kid notice something?''</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol wondered while trying to read Jin-Hyuk¡¯s expression. However, Jin-Hyuk had a calm look on his face, like a seasoned gambler, not showing any hint of emotion.

    <i>¡®I can''t read his thoughts.¡¯</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol sighed, eventually settling into his seat. He urged, "I understand. I¡¯ll stay by your side, but I need you to eat first. After all, I brought it here for you¡­"

    "Our country has been known as thend of Eastern manners since ancient times," said Jin-Hyuk.

    "What?"

    "Father always hated it when I started eating before him. Sometimes he would get so angry that he would ssh boiling water on me."

    "What does that have to do with¡­?"

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol couldn''t understand Jin-Hyuk¡¯s words. Behind him, a figure with dark red eyes slowly rose from the floor.

    1. It refers to hangover soup that relieves the stomach after drinking alcohol.

 Chapter 130

    <h4>Chapter 130 </h4>

    <i>Booom-!</i>

    There was a loud thunderp along with the sound of pouring rain.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol was so busy paying attention to Yoo Jin-Hyuk who was staring at him indifferently that he didn¡¯t notice a presence behind him at all.

    "Please, go ahead. Here," said Jin-Hyuk.

    "As I said, I am quite full..." replied Choong-Ryeol. When something suddenly covered his back, he cried out in surprise, "Whoa¡­?!"

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol quickly turned around, noticing the monster that covered his body. Looking at the monster that was like a sticky liquid, he muttered, "What, what is this...? A monster?"

    A monster had suddenly appeared in the house. Even in this iprehensible situation, Yoo Choong-Ryeol began gathering mana without any hesitation, as he had plenty of experience as a viin.

    Just then, Yoo Jin-Hyuk flipped the table and threw the haejangguk bowl toward Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s face.

    Choong-Ryeol gasped and covered his face with his arms as he knew very well that the soup had a deadly poison that would kill him in seconds once it entered his body.

    At that moment, the pile of swamp slime that had appeared around him began to engulf his entire body.

    "...?! Are you the one who is¡­?"

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol finally understood the situation and looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk in shock.

    Jin-Hyuk moved somewhat leisurely without any emotion in his eyes. He asked, "Are you afraid to eat first? Why?"

    "Yoo Jin-Hwan¡­! Even if you are my older brother''s son, I am not going to put up with such behavior,¡± warned Yoo Choong-Ryeol furiously.

    At Jin-Hyuk¡¯s question, Choong-Ryeol started to use mana. His muscles bulged all over his body. He nned on defeating Jin-Hyuk with physical force.

    <i>¡®I have no idea how this brat became a yer, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol was a Physical-type B-rank hunter. He didn¡¯t know what kind of experience Jin-Hyuk had, but he didn''t remember hearing anything about Jin-Hyuk having any hunting experience. Thus, he thought that it shouldn''t be difficult for him to block whatever skill Yoo Jin-Hyuk was using.

    "...?!"

    But even though Choong-Ryeol thought that the slime sticking to his body could not be easily shaken off. Instead, the more he used his strength, the more the slime pressed down on him.

    "Give up. Those guys are leech slimes."

    "...What?"

    With a surprised expression, Yoo Choong-Ryeol suddenly looked up at Yoo Jin-Hyuk who had approached him and was slowly crouching down.

    Normally, leech slimes appeared in rank 1 or 2 dungeons, and were not considered to be threatening monsters. They had slow, easily startled by small movements, and were not strong enough to kill a human. That was why there were many hunters who didn''t know the characteristics of leech slimes.

    "How could a dungeon monster be here¡­? You, you''re not a summoner, are you? Even if you are, it''s impossible for a rank 1 monster to block my power¡­?¡±

    "Hm, you don''t seem to know much, uncle. You should probably study more." Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s pale face showed a cool smile. He continued, ¡°Leech slimes cannot kill a person, but once theytch on, it is hard to shake them off. They especially love those who use their mana recklessly, like you did just now. Do you know why?¡±

    "How the hell should I know? Jin-Hyuk, stop messing around and stop this now."

    "Really. Listen to the end of the story, uncle. These little guys live by eating mana. The more they get, the more they like. Don''t you understand?"

    "Ugh..."

    In reality, Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s bulging muscles were quickly shrinking.

    As he watched Yoo Choong-Ryeol slowly weaken, Jin-Hyuk picked up a rag lying on the floor with a look of disgust on his face. He picked up a cabbage leaf from the spilled haejangguk with his bare hands.

    Then, with a sly smile, Jin-Hyuk brought the food to Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s face and shook it left and right. "Don''t be so scared. As I said earlier, let¡¯s eat together. Once you finish, I''ll let you go."

    "You¡­ You...!"

    "Open your mouth."

    "You are crazy, do you even know what you''re doing now?!"

    "You''re making it so difficult till the end."

    With a smirk, Jin-Hyuk forcibly twisted the jaw of Yoo Choong-Ryeol whose hands and feet were now tied. The middle-aged man¡¯s face crumpled. Seeing the fearful expression that somewhat resembled his father¡¯s, Jin-Hyuk showed a bright smile and said, "Haha, it seems like you also like to eat with me."

    .

    "No...stop...!" With the majority of his mana taken away by the leech slimes and his limbs bound, Choong-Ryeol could only resist by shaking his head left and right with great effort.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk took his uncle¡¯s face in both hands and slowly pushed food that was stuck on the man¡¯s cheek to his dry lips. He said, "Please enjoy, uncle."

    A bright lightning bolt shed in the back as Yoo Jin-Hyukughed brightly, shedding tears.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    Along with another roar, the firmly closed front door shattered onto the floor. Choi Yu-Seong appeared and quickly overpowered Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who hadn¡¯t even flinched at the noise.

    "Let go! Let me go!" shouted Yoo Jin-Hyuk. He struggled and attacked Choi Yu-Seong who had overpowered him. His actions were quite fierce, but he still failed to shake Yu-Seong off.

    <i>¡®He''s quite clever and might be a future Demonic Beast King, but for now, he''s just an E-rank.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong, a D-rank max level, and Yoo Jin-Hyuk had a significant gap in their physical abilities and strength.

    At that moment, Jin Yu-Ri, who had slowly entered the house to check on the situation, saw Yoo Choong-Ryeol lying on the floor. Her eyes brightened. She said, "Yoo Choong-Ryeol."

    "Please, please help me. These leeches..."

    "Viin name, Jang-Gi."

    "You... How do you know¡­?" questioned Choong-Ryeol in surprise.

    Yu-Ri was now wringing out her wet hair. She smiled faintly as she spoke. "You have an impressive criminal record, murder, arson, rape, and so on..."

    "Oh... Damn it..."

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s eyes widened. In fact, he wasn''t aplete idiot. It didn''t take long for him to realize that this sudden rescue-like situation was not a good situation for him.

    "What should I do with him?" Jin Yu-Ri asked Choi Yu-Seong.

    By that time, Yu-Seong hadpletely overpowered Yoo Jin-Hyuk who was panting on the ground. Without even a nce, he instructed, "Hand that man over to the Special Police Force."

    After surviving a dangerous situation where he was about to be killed, Yoo Choong-Ryeol had a somewhat relieved butplicated expression. However, he soon realized something and his face turned pale.

    <i>¡®No, if I get handed over to the police now, the guild will abandon me.¡¯</i>

    Then, eventually, the debt collectors woulde chasing after Choong-Ryeol to collect their money. He would end up dead, or even worse, be forced to endure endless suffering.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s face turned pale as he shook his head.

    Just like Yoo Jin-Hyuk earlier, Jin Yu-Ri approached the middle-aged man with a sly smile. She cooed, "Hm, you''re a sharp one. Of course, I¡¯m not just going to hand you over easily."

    "No, that''s not it... Please, don¡¯t."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t kill you. Hehe... Remember what I said earlier?" Jin Yu-Ri once again made a scissors shape with her fingers, and whispered, "Snip.¡±

    In a swift move, Yu-Ri struck Choong-Ryeol''s neck, rendering him unconscious. Then, she looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was breathing heavily and crying, with a sidelong nce and took a short breath.

    <i>¡®As expected, Yu-Seong oppa hasn''t changed.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Ri smiled gently as she dragged away the unconscious man.

    ***

    Only the sound of pouring rain could be heard in the dark room. Choi Yu-Seong slowly let go of the exhausted-looking Yoo Jin-Hyuk. Then, Yu-Seong sat down next to him and leaned back. A deep silence descended upon them.

    After Yoo Choong-Ryeol disappeared, Jin-Hyuk quickly regained hisposure and showed no further signs of agitation. In this situation, there was nothing that Choi Yu-Seong could say.

    <i>''But at least I managed to prevent him frommitting his first murder.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong already knew, from experience, that this life as a hunter was not easy. One day, whether intentional or not, he himself would inevitablymit murder.

    <i>¡®If Ie across a predicament where failing to take action could ultimately lead to my own demise, I will do whatever it takes to ensure my survival.¡¯</i>

    In fact, the earlier situation might have ended up not much different. However, Yu-Seong didn''t want to let Jin-Hyuk be swept away by dark emotions. He didn¡¯t want the teenager tomit murder without even knowing what he was doing and leaving his prey to die carelessly. That was why Choi Yu-Seong had rushed here, wildly running through the rain to sessfully prevent Jin-Hyuk''s first murder at thest moment.

    Yu-Seong had been tense because it had been a rather urgent situation but the tension that had deeply seized hold of his body began to slowly dissipate as he began to rx.

    At that moment, Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡ªwho Yu-Seong thought would yell upon opening his mouth to speak¡ªspoke with a surprisingly calm voice.

    "...Why did youe?"

    "Can''t you tell by looking?" Since Yoo Jin-Hyuk dropped the formalities first, Yu-Seong replied equally casually.

    "You mean it¡¯s because you knew that I was going to kill that man?"

    Instead of going around in circles, Choi Yu-Seong activated his Third Eye skill. With some degree of audacity, he then said, "I can see a little bit of the future.¡±

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk easily nodded in understanding. "So that was why...those videos were¡­"

    "Oh, you watched my videos?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "A few of them. I was surprised at how you were moving as if you already predicted the situation," said Jin-Hyuk.

    "Well, yes, it''s roughly like that."

    "But... Even so, the fact that you came here to stop me is still hard to believe."

    "Hmm?"

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk slowly lifted his head that was hanging low. His eyes were emotionless. It seemed as if there were no expectations or desires, but a deep sadness within them.

    Meeting the teenager¡¯s gaze, Choi Yu-Seong briefly trembled.

    "This is Goseong in Gangwon-do. And you live in Seoul."

    "Oh, that..."

    "And to you, I am a stranger who has never even met you before. But you came all the way here to stop my murder? Because of some convenient justice orpassion?"

    "Yoo Jin-Hyuk."

    "As I thought, you know my name exactly."

    It seemed like a mistake, but actually, it was a deliberate statement. Choi Yu-Seong looked at Yoo Jin-Hyuk and slowly said, "Right. I feel sorry for you. One could call that convenientpassion."

    Of course, to some, it may appear as if Yu-Seong was indulging in a luxurious sense ofpassion or looking down on Jin-Hyuk. However, as Choi Yu-Seong said, Yu-Seong was a reader who, more than anyone, had felt heartache over Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s story when reading the original novel.

    It was true that he didn''t know Jin-Hyuk¡¯s face.

    <i>¡®Because I just read the novel.¡¯</i>

    Still, he didn''t think of Jin-Hyuk as aplete stranger.

    <i>¡®In fact, I really liked the novel, [Modern Master Returns].¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong sometimes cursed inwardly or had writtenments of anger and frustration while reading the novel alone. But fundamentally, he enjoyed reading the [Modern Master Returns] quite a bit.

    The tform on which [Modern Master Returns] was serialized was quite difficult to read on aputer, and almost always had to be read andmented on through a mobile phone. Needless to say, it was quite difficult to write such a long criticism. For Yu-Seong, the effort itself was a demonstration of his love for the series.

    And during the time he was reading that novel, Yu-Seong had been most immersed and invested in Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s origin story among all the viins. Now, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was standing in front of him in reality.

    <i>¡®Convenientpassion?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong didn¡¯t care about thebels or how his actions could be deemed at all.

    "I am sincere."

    Yu-Seong truly did not want the boy in front of him to get caught in the same deep darkness as the original novel.

 Chapter 131

    <h4>Chapter 131 </h4>

    When Choi Yu-Seong mentioned the word ''sincere'', it was not spoken easily. Out of all the viins, the Demonic Beast King yed a big role in the original novel. Was it because Choi Yu-Seong himself was an orphan? While reading the story, Yu-Seong had also wondered several times if he could have made a different choice if he were in Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s situation.

    <i>¡®If I were in your situation...¡¯?</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t have mattered who was in Jin-Hyuk¡¯s situation, they would all have had a difficult time. It would not be strange to curse such a cruel world to disappear.

    ¡°You¡­have no idea.¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his head and looked at Choi Yu-Seong with sharp eyes. Emotions surged in his eyes, which only showed an indifferent gaze before. His distorted face made him look like a twisted demon.

    "I can''t say I know everything, but... I understand you,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong deeply empathized with what he had read about Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s feelings in the novel.

    "Bullshit. Where are youing from with such hypocrisy?"

    Filled with anger, Yoo Jin-Hyuk rose from his seat. He then stalked into the kitchen and picked up a sharp knife. He pointed the handle of the knife toward Choi Yu-Seong. He spat, "If you''re sincere, then go ahead and die. Don''t tremble like a scaredy-cat and show me that you can do anything for me."

    "Yoo Jin-Hyuk."

    "You sympathize with me?" A cunning smile appeared on Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s face as he said, "Don''t talk nonsense. What would a spoiled rich kid who''s been eating well and living well all his life know about sympathy? And sincerity? Ha."

    Jin-Hyuk spat on Yu-Seong''s face and brought the knife close to his own fair neck. He said, "I would have died for those people. But it was all a lie.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong, watching Yoo Jin-Hyuk cry, quickly grabbed the teenager¡¯s wrist, snatched the knife, and threw it into the air. He said, "You don''t have to prove your beliefs by making extreme choices like death.¡±

    ¡°For me, that was my only choice. So, you try to die. Didn¡¯t you say that you sincerely sympathized with me? That¡¯s what you can do for me. You can''t do it, can you?"

    "Of course, I can''t. Even if I sympathized with you, my life is not something that I would put above you, you fool," Choi Yu-Seong said coldly.

    He wanted to stop Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s pitiful life from falling into a bad ce, but he had no thought of sacrificing his own life for him. Why would he throw his life away just to save someone else when all this time, he had been working harder than anyone else to survive? Choi Yu-Seong sighed deeply and furrowed his eyebrows.

    "It doesn''t seem like a good time to talk right now. I''lle back tomorrow. Think about it until then. No matter what you think, I¡¯m not a bad person, and I won¡¯t do anything to harm you.¡±

    Already agitated by the incident with Choong-Ryeol, Yoo Jin-Hyuk gave a loud shout just as Choi Yu-Seong was about to leave.

    "Don''t go!"

    zing red energy began to swirl around Yoo Jin-Hyuk. The energy then formed a passageway that wasrger than Jin-Hyuk himself, leading somewhere beyond.

    Choi Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he witnessed the entire process unfold in a mere instant.

    <i>¡®This is...a M</i><i>ana?</i><i>Overload?¡¯?</i>

    Mana Overload was a rare phenomenon that urred when the yer experienced a drastic change in emotional state. It had two main characteristics. Firstly, as its name suggested, the target would suddenly use a massive amount of mana. Secondly, the cost was the consumption of one''s own life force,monly known as innate energy in the martial world.

    "Don''t leave me alone," said Yoo Jin-Hyuk. With tears streaming down his face, his eyes were already out of focus. Not only had he lost hisposure, but he had also lost control of himself and his rationality.

    "Oh my..."

    In a state of panic, Yu-Seong forcibly grabbed onto Jin-Hyuk¡¯s shoulders. The mana that was pouring out of the teenager pushed him back by about ten steps. When he met Jin-Hyuk¡¯s eyes with a desperate gaze, he realized that it was already toote.

    <i>Crrrrrrrr-!</i>

    A beast-like screech echoed as the terrifyingly sharp front legs of a creature resembling a mantis enveloped Yoo Jin-Hyuk. It was ring at Yu-Seong.

    <i>''This is insane... That thing... It''s the raid boss monster, rk, the Mantis Hunter...!''</i>

    rk was the rank 4 dungeon¡¯s raid boss monster. As a named monster, it was obviously the strongest among those of the same rank. In fact, its strength was evaluated to be higher than Krutak, the Orc War Chief that Choi Yu-Seong had defeated after eating the Lightning Burst.

    Of course, even if Yoo Jin-Hyuk was a natural-born talent, rk wasn¡¯t a monster that an E-rank yer could easily summon.

    <i>¡®It was summoned by the Mana Overload.¡¯</i>

    In other words, in order to control that demon, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would have to continuously use his own life force.

    <i>¡®He can somehow handle it for a short period of time...but¡­¡¯</i>

    As time passed, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would inevitably die. He wouldn¡¯t be able to endure this consumption of life force for long.

    Additionally, the suddenly released Mantis Hunter, rk, would also create many victims.

    <i>¡®A sudden Mana Overload¡­¡¯</i>

    This was a development that had not urred in the original novel. The reason for this situation was obvious.

    <i>¡®Is it because I prevented Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s death?¡¯?</i>

    It might be that the butterfly effect hade more quickly than expected. Perhaps it was a fate predetermined by the original novel that someone must sumb to death tonight.

    "Yu-Seong oppa!" shouted Jin Yu-Ri.

    After feeling the sudden burst of immense energy, Yu-Ri had quickly overpowered Yoo Choong-Ryeol and rushed to Yu-Seong.

    At that moment, rk flung its body and swung its sickle towards Jin Yu-Ri. It was a surprise attack, but Yu-Ri, who was an A-rank hunter, calmly made a ck barrier and blocked the attack. She then created a ck de in both hands while standing beside Choi Yu-Seong.

    "I''ll handle this. Yu-Seong oppa, you..." said Yu-Ri.

    "Wait, hold on," interrupted Yu-Seong as he looked into Jin-Hyuk''s eyes.

    Jin-Hyuk¡¯s eyes were unfocused as if he had lost his rationality. In that state, he said, "Sincere? That¡¯s a joke. You''re just trying to deceive me as a wealthy individual.¡±

    Did Jin-Hyuk truly lose his senses? Or perhaps he was fully aware of the entire situation, but he was unable to control himself due to his overwhelming emotions.

    <i>¡®Then...¡¯</i>

    The responsibility was on Choi Yu-Seong. He had to do this. To save Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had been greatly disappointed by the world, Yu-Seong had no choice but to step forward and try to gain some of Jin-Hyuk¡¯s trust.

    Yu-Seong looked at rk, which was tearing the ck barrier anding at them. He said, "I''ll do it.¡±

    "Yu-Seong oppa?"

    "I can do it."

    This was not simply a boast or a gamble with his life.

    <i>¡®I was going to fight with the Orc War Chief anyway.¡¯</i>

    rk was a raid boss monster that was considered slightly stronger than the Orc War Chief. And now, Yu-Seong believed that he was much stronger than he had been. Perhaps this situation could offer a rtively ideal oue in the end.

    <i>¡®I might be able to teach that damn brat a valuable lesson.¡¯</i>

    To stop his Mana Overload, Jin-Hyuk¡¯s unconscious mind also had to bepletely turned off.

    There was just one problem.

    <i>¡®I have to suppress him before it''s toote.¡¯</i>

    .

    The Mantis Hunter, rk, was a rtively strong boss monster. Despite Yoo Jin-Hyuk being a naturally born Awakened yer, and even if he had exhausted his powers through a Mana Overload, it was still impossible for him, as an E-rank hunter, to summon a powerful creature such as rk.

    <i>''As expected... Yoo Jin-Hyeok''s talent is truly immense.''</i>

    If he came to realize his own worth through this incident, could Yoo Jin-Hyuk learn to live on self-love rather than love from others?

    Yu-Seong contemted only for a moment.

    <i>''Activate the Third Eye.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong activated the Third Eye skill that he had temporarily deactivated, turned Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear, and ran forward. He swung his spear as he met the sharp front legs of the approaching rk.

    Without any hesitation, the spear''s sharp edge broke and shattered everything in its trajectory. The surroundings became a sea of debris.

    Yu-Seong read every move with his Third Eye at an extremely fast pace, not missing a single thing. However, there was a problem. He found that it was getting harder to keep up with rk¡¯s movement.

    <i>''This monster...is getting even faster?''?</i>

    rk¡¯s energy source was the dark red energy that was flowing from Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s body. Since Choi Yu-Seong''s abilities were much better than Jin-Hyuk had expected, the teenager must have begun to pull and use more of his life force.

    <i>''Are you serious?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong sighed inwardly, but he couldn''t keep his eyes closed for long.

    <i>''I don¡¯t have the battlesuit. I''ll be defeated upon getting hit.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had to overpower rk without any major injuries.

    <i>''I''m definitely being pushed back in this state.''?</i>

    However, an opportunity soon came about. Amidst the exchange of attacks, Choi Yu-Seong unleashed the Raging Snake skill of Cu Chinn. rk''s front legs swept through the air at that sudden attack, and Yu-Seong didn''t miss the opportunity. He quickly activated another skill.

    <i>''Twin Snakes Biting Their Tails. Target: rk.''?</i>

    Upon seeing the two twin snakes chasing after it, rk widened its eyes. It swung its front ws once again. Thanks to that, Yu-Seong was able to pierce through its shoulder with his spear. However, rk was sessful in cutting the twin snakes. rk rolled its big eyes and roared.

    <i>Screeeech-!</i>

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    When Choi Yu-Seong covered his ear in surprise, rk stood up and spread itsrge wings.

    <i>''What the...?''?</i>

    Then, rk broke through the ceiling and flew into the sky.

    <i>Thuu-uuu-uud-!</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong stepped back to avoid the copsing ceiling and looked up. He made eye contact with rk, which was flying in the rainy sky. rk''s protruding mouth seemed to show a smile.

    Since rk possessed arge body and wings, a long battle in the narrow room would be disadvantageous for it. Breaking through the ceiling was a wise decision on its part.

    <i>''Look at that one...''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong was surprised, but soon had a bitter smile on his face.

    <i>¡®So you want a piece of me.¡¯</i>

    In fact, the cramped space inside the house was a source of difort for Choi Yu-Seong as well.

    <i>¡®I couldn¡¯t do any big attacks, because I was worried that the damage would spread to other houses and people might get hurt.¡¯</i>

    In the pouring rain, Yu-Seong jumped up to the rooftop and looked up at rk wandering through the sky. Then, he gripped his spear tightly. Perhaps it was due to the power of the Third Eye, but he could clearly read rk¡¯s intention.

    rk was seeking an opportunity to strike. Once tension reached its peak, and Yu-Seong¡¯s concentration waspromised, it wanted to swiftly sever Yu-Seong¡¯s neck and kill him.

    Having read rk¡¯s intention, Yu-Seong kept his distance from the monster.

    As expected, rk did not let Yu-Seong out of its sight and made a sharp sound as it tore through the air. With a strong swipe of its sharp front legs, it cut Yu-Seong in half. Deep emotions rose in rk¡¯s eyes as it experienced a sense of victory.

    Yu-Seong retreated while utilizing the remaining Wind Control skill, which had created the hazy illusion of being split in half by rk. He then met rk''s gaze and smiled, having finally revealed that it was an illusion.

    <i>¡®Why would I risk my life in a battle like this?¡¯</i>

    No matter how he thought about it, Yu-Seong found it foolish to take on the boss monster''s strike with his bare body in mid-air. Thus, he had set a trap and had caught rk.

    He had taken the wide rooftop, the bright outdoors, and the proper distance all into consideration. After all, just as rk was feeling suffocated in the narrow house, Yu-Seong himself was also not pleased with the previous situation.

    <i>¡®I was actually waiting for this moment.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong could see rk trying to escape while desperately flying back into the sky. However, it was already toote for it to run away.

    <i>¡®Lance Charging.¡¯</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong''s finishing move ripped through the dark night and became a beam of light.

 Chapter 132

    <h4>Chapter 132 </h4>

    After leaving a long trail like a fallinget, the ray of light that shone through the pouring rain and the dark night sky finallypletely disappeared.

    Choi Yu-Seong felt that the big incident hade to an end, and Jin Yu-Ri let out a deep sigh of relief with him.

    At that moment, Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s eyes regained their initial light. He also looked at the trail of light in the sky and muttered in admiration, ¡°Oh..."

    Jumping back down to the apartment through the hole in the ceiling, Yu-Seong stood right in front of Yoo Jin-Hyuk. He asked, ¡°Have you regained your senses?¡±

    "..." Yoo Jin-Hyuk looked at Yu-Seong in surprise.

    Jin-Hyuk hadn¡¯t been fully conscious, but he also recognized that the situation had been urgent and dangerous. If it weren''t for Choi Yu-Seong''s assistance, Jin-Hyuk would have likely met a tragic end, whether bymitting murder or losing his own life. He had believed that as long as he didn¡¯t have any significant regrets, he wouldn¡¯t care whichever end would im him.

    However, when the critical situation was finally over, and when he thought of the tragic end he could have had, Jin-Hyuk began to shake uncontrobly. He couldn''t withstand the short trembling and copsed on the spot.

    "Ah..." Yoo Jin-Hyuk let out a sigh and struggled to look up at Choi Yu-Seong. His gaze was blurry.

    "You¡¯re going to feel weak for a while since you used up your manapletely and even tapped on your life force. Actually, it¡¯s strange that you regained consciousness so quickly.¡±

    "Ah... That..."

    Jin-Hyuk''s mind was like a nk sheet of paper,pletely empty. However, he had things that he wanted to say. He just couldn¡¯t think of a way to express them right now.

    "I know. You fool," said Choi Yu-Seong as he changed the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a warm nket and covered the trembling Yoo Jin-Hyuk with it. He added, "How could I leave you alone? You¡¯re about to copse. Don''t worry and rest. I won''t leave you alone, ever.¡±

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk looked at Yu-Seong with wide eyes.

    "I told you. Even if you can''t see it, I sincerely care for you," said Yu-Seong with a bright smile. He began stroking Jin-Hyuk''s wet hair with a warm hand. Then, he added, "And remember, who cares if the foundation of goodness is only sympathy? All good intentions start from sympathy, you kid."

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk began to make a face like an abandoned pet on the streets. He started to whimper. "Ahh..."

    His tears flowed alongside the rain falling on his face. Then, unable to maintain consciousness any longer, he copsed with his eyes closed.

    Naturally, Choi Yu-Seong held Jin-Hyuk in his arms and slowly stood up from his seat.

    <i>¡®What boy is this light.¡¯</i>

    Inwardly clicking his tongue, Yu-Seong smiled when he saw Jin Yu-Ri. He said, "Apologies, but would you mind fetching the car? He¡¯s a patient, after all, so I can¡¯t carry him through this rain."

    "Yes," replied Yu-Ri with a nod. She turned towards the window and threw her body out.

    ***

    Just as Jin Yu-Ri brought the car through the pouring rain, the rain gradually lightened up. Looking at the sudden change in weather, Yu-Seong felt rather annoyed that he had asked Yu-Ri to put in pointless effort.

    Then, Yu-Seong suddenly remembered and asked Jin Yu-Ri, "What about Yoo Choong-Ryeol?"

    "Oh, that bastard. I tied him up in the hallway earlier. I utilized my skills so he shouldn¡¯t have escaped." Yu-Riughed while tightly grasping the ck rope made by her Shapeshift skill. Then, she flew into the sky again.

    However, when Jin Yu-Ri returned, her expression was not good. She also came back empty-handed.

    "He didn''t run away, did he?" Yu-Seong asked in surprise.

    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t escape.¡± Yu-Ri shook her head and shrugged. She frowned to express her frustration. "But when I went to find him, he was already dead.¡±

    "What?"

    "He died from shock and excessive bleeding under his tongue. It¡¯s suicide," Yu-Ri said.

    "...But why?" asked Yu-Seong.

    Yoo Choong-Ryeol thought that being dragged to prison with unpaid debts was a far more bitter fate than death. The guild''s chasers being sent to collect his debt would strip him of everything he had, so perhaps it was better for him to die now.

    The two had no idea about Yoo Choong-Ryeol¡¯s entire situation, so they found the middle-aged man¡¯s suicide rather shocking.

    Meanwhile, from Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s point of view, another thought came to mind.

    <i>''Is this ultimately his fate to die...?''</i>

    If Yoo Choong-Ryeol had followed the original plot of the novel, he should have been killed by Yoo Jin-Hyuk today. But thanks to Yu-Seong¡¯s involvement in the incident, his life was saved.

    And as a result, Yoo Jin-Hyuk caused a Mana Overload and summoned a raid monster, which was eventually defeated by Choi Yu-Seong.

    What if Yoo Choong-Ryeol''s death had led to a return to the original plot? After all, a single change in fate could cause all other variables to deviate.

    <i>''...Doesn¡¯t that mean that I am in danger too?''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong had this sudden thought.

    He had improved his rtionship with Kim Do-Jin to a certain extent, and it seemed that it would take a while for Do-Jin to approach Choi Woo-Jae. However, Kim Do-Jin would inevitably try to kill Choi Woo-Jae in some way. This would not change no matter how the plot changed.

    <i>''Because Kim Do-Jin is now obsessed with revenge.''?</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae might ultimately face the death that had been predetermined for him. Following his death would be, as nned, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s.

    <i>''A predetermined death...''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong got into his car and suddenly checked the date on his phone.

    <i>''April 9, 2030.''?</i>

    The original novel had stated that Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s death was scheduled for around 2032.

    For a moment, a cold feeling gripped Yu-Seong¡¯s chest. However, he knew that he should not be swayed by it.

    <i>''I''m doing well enough.''?</i>

    He was walking apletely different path from the original Choi Yu-Seong, so he had to trust himself.

    <i>''I''m doing great.''?</i>

    And he just needed to keep doing well in the future.

    Yu-Seong calmed himself down and slowly closed his eyes. He also needed to get some rest.

    ***

    When he returned to his lodging, Yu-Seong walked into his room in a daze and immediatelyy down on the bed. He also remembered to request Jin Yu-Ri to take care of Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s room separately.

    As asked, Jin Yu-Ri found Jin-Hyuk a room and put him to bed. When she walked out of the room, she saw that Chae Ye-Ryeong had been waiting for her by the door. She asked with a smile, "Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?"

    "I heard you two suddenly going out."

    "Don''t worry about it. I''m quite strong, unlike my appearance," said Yu-Ri. She raised her thin arm and revealed the muscles hidden beneath her fair skin, bulging to the surface as if showcasing her strength.

    Chae Ye-Ryeong looked at Yu-Ri with an amazed expression. "Wow¡­ If I be an A-rank, would I also have muscles like you, unni?"

    "For those who are Psychic-type yers, the body does be stronger as the rank increases. However, to reach this point, you must also directly train the body."

    "Ah¡­ Just as I expected!" said Ye-Ryeong.

    "Hahaha, you¡¯re adorable. As you already know, even if you are a hunter, training is still important. There are only two reasons why there is a big difference in skill even within the same rank¡ªInborn talent, and constant training. Those who aremonly referred to as Super Rookies possess both of these qualities," said Yu-Ri.

    "That¡¯s why Yu-Seong oppa also trains every morning."

    "Yeah. When I wake up every morning, the first thing I do is invoke my Shapeshift skill in various forms."

    "Ah¡­ You can train that way too?"

    "Of course. Training isn''t just about moving your body. See, for example¡­ This is easy for me." Jin Yu-Ri spread her hand wide and made a long ck whip.

    "If I apply it a bit more..."

    After that, Yu-Ri threw the whip up into the air. The shape of the whip immediately changed into a ck curtain, blocking all vision.

    "You use your ability like an Alteration skill," asked Ye-Ryeong with shining eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, basically we divide Psychic-type abilities into various categories. In fact, if you put in the effort, you can mimic abilities that you weren''t born with to some extent. Just like how I''m mimicking Alteration skill."

    "Wait, something''sing to mind." Ye-Ryeong immediately raised arge water droplet in the air with shining eyes.

    The water droplet looked harmless, but it had significant pressure. Upon bursting, its power could knock out most monsters of the same level.

    <i>''That''s the realm of a natural talent.''?</i>

    Ye-Ryeong naturally had skills that were already far beyond those of a typical yer. However, as always, talent was not limited to just one area.

    "If I¡­change it like this..."

    After gaining inspiration from Jin Yu-Ri''s ability usage, Ye-Ryeong concentrated and reached out her hand. Sweat began to bead on her forehead.

    In the end, the results were considerable. The shape of the droplet, which used to be round, had transformed into a sharp spike.

    "Got it! This is how it''s done, right, unni?" Ye-Ryeong shouted with excitement.

    Yu-Ri, after she witnessed the amazing transformation with her own eyes, couldn''t help butugh. "Exactly."

    "But...it took too long. To use this in a real battle, I would need to practice a lot like you said, unni," said Ye-Ryeong. She let out a deep sigh and lowered her hand.

    The spike of water disappeared into the vast sky.

    Jin Yu-Ri shook her head. "Don''t be too disappointed. It''s normal that you can''t seed right away."

    "Really?"

    "Of course. Originally, your skill type is Projection skill, but you just used the Alteration skill. Even for me, it took... " Jin Yu-Ri closed her mouth and made a bitter face.

    <i>''It took a week.''</i>

    Yu-Ri came to realize that talent that had risen from the depths of oneself was truly formidable. She even thought that it would be dangerous if she didn''t exert more effort.

    In fact, Jin Yu-Ri was also a well-known genius in the entire hunting industry. She said that it could be ¡®<i>done by effort</i>¡¯, but most hunters actually found it almost impossible to imitate other skill types.

    And looking at Ye-Ryeong, who had proved her talent by invoking it as soon as she saw an example¡­

    <i>''I have to really put in effort if I don''t want to be left behind.''?</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri was consumed by a burning desire topete. At that moment, her thoughts turned to Yoo Jin-Hyuk, whom she had just put to sleep.

    <i>''No way¡­ Is that person also a preeminent genius like Ye-Ryeong?''</i>

    At first, Choi Yu-Seong was convinced that Ye-Ryeong had incredible talent, so he showed no hesitation in hiring her. That proved to be true, and Yu-Ri had seen great examples several times with her own eyes. And when Choi Yu-Seong had asked for an investigation on Yoo Jin-Hyuk, he had expressed simr intentions.

    <i>¡®He said that he¡¯s a supporter who must be kept close.¡¯</i>

    Looking at today''s incident, it might simply be due to Yu-Seong¡¯s sympathy. However, Yu-Ri was somehow convinced that he would not make such a decision out of sympathy alone.

    <i>''...Even if there was a Mana Overload, how could an unlicensed hunter summon a raid monster?''?</i>

    Jin-Hyuk would undoubtedly be a genius, perhaps even surpassing Ye-Ryeong in brilliance.

    <i>''Maybe an Irregr or Inborn Awakened...''?</i>

    Yu-Ri pondered. Her initial n of retiring to bed after thoroughly cleaning her sticky bodypletely fell through.

    <i>¡®If I don''t do well, I''ll be reced by my juniors. I don''t have time to sleep.¡¯</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri swiftly returned to her room, leaving behind Yu-Ryeong who was absorbed in her newly acquired skill. It was as if a passion that had been dormant in Yu-Ri¡¯s heart for a long time had been reignited.

 Chapter 133

    <h4>Chapter 133 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong woke up in the morning, promptly arising from bed and making his way to the bathroom. He filled the tub with warm water.

    He was still feeling drained from the previous night''s battle and getting caught in the rain. As he soaked in the warm water, the exhaustion from the previous day seemed to melt away swiftly. The only downside was that the tub in his lodging was quite small.

    <i>¡®No, I should be thankful for this¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, it was just that the bathtub in his own house was abnormally big.

    <i>¡®Human beings are animals of adaptation.¡¯</i>

    Since he adapted so easily to therge bathtub before, Yu-Seong would easily adjust to the small tub as well. As if to prove this, he began to organize his thoughts right after he sat in the bathtub.

    <i>¡®Anyhow, it seems like Yoo Jin-Hyuk will join us...¡¯</i>

    The aftermath of the various events that had urredst night seemed to have been resolved by Jin Yu-Ri in the early morning. She must have been exhausted from working all night, since she had even sent Yu-Seong a message saying that she would oversleep this morning.

    Thanks to that, Yu-Seong was also able to enjoy such a rxed morning in another province.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, Bernard Yoo must have arrived in the United States by now.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps the results of the match had already been announced and the news had reached Korea.

    While thinking such thoughts, Choi Yu-Seong finished hisfortable bath and stood in front of the mirror. His body was covered in long and short wounds that had not existed when he first possessed this body, in fact at that time, there hadn¡¯t even been a single blemish. Even though he was a hunter with a strong recovery rate, it was unrealistic to expect his body to remain unharmed after being battered like that.

    "Mm¡­ not bad," Yu-Seong said to himself as he smiled slightly. He looked for a hairdryer.

    In fact, he considered these wounds as badges of honor, since the number of wounds was not the only thing that had increased in his body. His body had improved also in terms of muscle mass.

    <i>¡®My shoulders have be wider and I can now do things that I never thought possible when I was just a gamepany employee¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong suddenly felt disconnected from reality. Before he knew it, he was in a state of admiration.

    <i>¡®And also, my hair has grown quite long. Would it be easier to move if I cut a bit?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong dried his hair, put on the robe provided by the lodging, and picked up his phone that he had plugged into the charger. He couldn''t help but make a strange expression when he looked at his phone screen.

    <i>¡®Why do I have so many notifications from social media...?¡¯</i>

    His phone screen was filled with an endless stream of new notifications. He was momentarily flustered, but quickly understood the current situation. He blocked the notifications before checking the news screen on a portal site.

    ~

    ¡ù Choi Yu-Seong, the ninth child of Comet Group, shakes the world!

    ~

    The headline was not an exaggeration or a simple metaphor, because the world was truly captivated by the name ¡®<i>Choi Yu-Seong</i>¡¯.

    ***

    Upon returning to his home in the United States, Bernard Yoo contacted all major domestic and foreign mediapanies through Meghan.

    The journalists who were waiting for thepetition results felt both surprise and admiration. Up to this point, they only knew that there had been a match between the two groups. They immediately began writing their articles after they received the news.

    After being contacted by Meghan, the journalists who were eager to break the story took less than an hour to write their articles. They disseminated the news that the winner of the dungeon racing among the descendants of South Korea''s conglomerate groups was Choi Yu-Seong. They had no videos, unfortunately.

    If theck of video evidence were the only factor, it would not have resulted in such a widespread upheaval in the world. However, there was only one reason why the name ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯ shook the world.

    A journalist sent by CNL, one of thergest mediapanies in the United States, had directly gone to meet Bernard Yoo and attempted an interview. They were to broadcast the video on the news screen and upload it onto NewTube. Within a day, the video had recorded a world mega hit with one billion views.

    In fact, the video''s content was not that spectacr. It started with Bernard Yoo, who was sitting on a sofa, showing off his trademark smile.

    The journalist was the first to speak. "I heard about your defeat at the rank 4 dungeon, the Orc Vige, in Korea, Bernard Yoo. I imagine you must be feeling quite conflicted¡­but you seem surprisingly at ease."

    "It¡¯s because I''ve already settled my mind," replied Bernard Yoo.

    "Should I take it that you have some regrets about the oue?" asked the journalist.

    "Of course, the oue is disappointing. Is there any way not to be disappointed? Anyway, I fought the battle and lost, so I can''t be feeling great, can I? Haha," said Bernard Yoo with augh.

    The journalist smiled and continued the interview. "Then, if you were given the opportunity to go back again, do you think you would win this time?"

    Bernard Yoo was fiercelypetitive. He was not a man who would easily admit defeat after losing once. Above all, he was a hunter who was being supported by the United States despite being Korean. There were even rumors that the government was secretly preparing a bill to ept him as an American. Therefore, the journalist¡¯s question was to boost his self-esteem.

    However, Bernard¡¯s answer was beyond the journalist''s expectations.

    "No, how could I? Choi Yu-Seong is a monster. It''s disappointing to lose, but I don''t have the confidence to fight and win if I go back," said Bernard Yoo.

    "You just described Choi Yu-Seong as a monster. But didn''t you also hear the same from many people, Bernard?"

    In the video, Bernard Yoo shrugged his shoulders, and the journalist was unable to hide the slight surprise.

    "There are differences in levels among monsters as well. Goblins, orcs, and ogres are all referred to as monsters, but we do not see them as being of the same level."

    "I understand. You respect Choi Yu-Seong as a fellow Korean."

    "Let me be clear, I, Bernard Yoo, a hunter who is well-respected by many, do not want this to be viewed as an act of patriotism. I would be disappointed if that were the case."

    "I heard that, before you came back to America, you stayed at Choi Yu-Seong''s house. Is there any special rtionship between the two of you?"

    "How did you already find out? Yes, I am friends with Choi Yu-Seong. But that doesn''t mean I evaluate him and his strength based on personal feelings. I evaluate him purely as a rival. Don''t doubt me. Well, let me put it this way. Choi Yu-Seong is the best Super Rookie that I know of in South Korea."

    "I see. Wait, what? Isn''t there already one in South Korea?"

    "Are you talking about Kim Do-Jin, right?"

    ¡°Yes, Kim Do-Jin, the Super Rookie of South Korea. The man who will be the hero of the future."

    ¡°I agree that he''s also a monster. But..."

    "But...?"

    "In my personal opinion, he''s below Choi Yu-Seong. Above all, hecks character."

    "Pardon...?" the journalist stammered, feeling surprised by Bernard¡¯s unexpected fiery statement.

    Bernard Yoo smiledfortably and leaned back on the sofa. "Everything that Kim Do-Jin does on TV is all fake. I have a lot more to say, but it''s not something that can be said in this short interview, so let''s move on. You keep bringing up doubts about Choi Yu-Seong, and I know that I''m not ordinary. Fortunately, I have enough ability to be loved by many people. Is it too simple to call me the orc among monsters? Let''s just say that I''m an ogre.¡±

    He then showed a sly smile. "And let''s talk about Kim Do-Jin. To be honest, I haven''t had direct experience with this friend, so I can''t say for sure¡­ But let''s say he¡¯s a drake.¡±

    Drake was a monster that only appeared in dungeons with a minimum rank of nine and was considered to be one of the higher ranked monsters within the dragon-type subspecies.

    "But isn''t it true that there are cases where drake is hunted by an ogre if they fight onnd?" asked the journalist.

    Bernard Yoo grinned and gestured to himself with his index finger at the question. He said, "That''s what I mean¡ªto watch out for me.¡±

    "Haha... Does that mean Choi Yu-Seong is slightly stronger?"

    "A little stronger? No, not at all. Can you believe me? Choi Yu-Seong, he is just a D-rank. And even in a state where he was not at the max level, he has hunted one B-rank viin alone and a rank 4 named monster, the Orc War Chief."

    "What¡­?" the journalist asked in disbelief, once again feeling surprised.

    ¡°In history, who were the hunters who had aplished such a feat? James Rochchild? Bernard Leos? Steve Lindberg, America''s hero?¡±

    These were all names of the world¡¯s greatest hunters. But even they would not have been able to survive the deathly situation of simultaneously hunting a B-rank viin and a 4th-rank dungeon-named monster during their D-rank days. Yet, Choi Yu-Seong had managed to aplish such an incredible task alone.

    "Unbelievable..." the journalist eximed, unable to hide his emotions any longer.

    "What''s more surprising is that, while I may have been hallucinating, Choi Yu-Seong single-handedly killed the Orc War Chief," said Bernard Yoo.

    ¡°What did you just say¡­?"

    ¡°You are asking me to repeat myself a lot today.¡±

    As if the achievement was his own personal story, Bernard Yoo had a wide smile on his face. He said, "He killed an Orc War Chief in one blow as a D-rank yer. This is something that no one could have done before until now.¡±

    This time, Bernard Yoo did not bring up anyone else''s name as aparison. This was because Choi Yu-Seong had aplished something that no one had ever attempted before and something that had always been thought to be impossible. Even bringing up aparison would be an insult to Choi Yu-Seong.

    "...This is a joke, right? Bernard Yoo?"

    "Then let me put it this way. On my honor, name, and everything, I swear that all I said in this interview is true.¡±

    "You said you were delirious, so it could have been a mistake..."

    "I absolutely don''t think so." Bernard Yoo, who had a smile on his face a moment ago, stiffened his expression and slightly leaned forward. He said, "If Kim Do-Jin is the drake, Choi Yu-Seong is the dragon. Just watch and see. Someday, he might stand at the top of the world, which is yet to be determined. Haha."

    The video ended with Bernard Yoo¡¯s distinctughter.

    ***

    Kim Do-Jin woke up early one morning and checked out a video interview of Bernard Yoo that had been posted on NewTube. As he watched, he couldn''t help but distort his handsome face.

    "Me as drake, and Choi Yu-Seong as dragon...?"

    Of course, Kim Do-Jin admitted that Choi Yu-Seong was indeed an impressive individual. In fact, Yu-Seong was the first person in modern times who fired up hispetitive spirit. Also, he didn¡¯t doubt Bernard Yoo''s words saying that Choi Yu-Seong had defeated the Orc War Chief with a single blow.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, he must have used a hidden skill.¡¯</i>

    Thinking calmly, Do-Jin remembered the image of the Orc War Chief which he had once knocked down before. He remembered how he had used his full mana and hadbined magic to unleash his secret weapon.

    <i>¡®...It''s enough.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin could also do it. It may not be absurd to bisect the giant body with one blow, so it was definitely within the realm of possibility. However, what if another B-rank viin were to intervene?

    <i>¡®Since it¡¯s after a battle, his condition would be at 60%.¡¯</i>

    Even in this state, could he cut the Orc War Chief in half with one blow?

    "...I don''t know."

    Kim Do-Jin was bbergasted at the words he himself had spoken. It was something that even he, who had returned from another dimension with the experience and knowledge of taking the life of the Demon King, felt unsure about. It was strange. He felt an eerie feeling.

    He was expecting that Choi Yu-Seong had a hidden skill, but would the skill be this powerful?

    Suddenly, Kim Do-Jin looked towards a corner of the room where a picture and the information of the Comet Group''s Choi family was hanging. He focused on the face of Choi Yu-Seong, who stood out among his family members with his remarkable appearance.

    Then, widening his eyes, Do-Jin shouted, ¡°No way¡­ Could it be that he is too?¡±

    Kim Do-Jin¡¯s gaze hardened. He realized that there was something he needed to check.

 Chapter 134

    <h4>Chapter 134 </h4>

    Having be a world star in just one day, the very first thing that Choi Yu-Seong had to do was to exin the situation to the people around him. In fact, he only had to talk to a select few.

    <i>¡®Just father, Mi-Na noo-nim, Jin Yu-Ri, and Jin Do-Yoon¡­¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong most urgently had to speak to his father, Choi Woo-Jae. Choi Woo-Jae had left a message for Yu-Seong, telling him to call back as soon as he woke up.

    Yu-Seong made the call, and Choi Woo-Jae answered within 10 seconds.

    - Is it all true?

    "It''s not a lie, but the thing is¡­ if you tell me to do it again, I wouldn¡¯t be able to do it," said Yu-Seong.

    The events during the dungeon racing had been possible because he had used the power of the Lightning Burst. Unless there was another pill of the same level or he tried something so life-threatening that it would cause a Mana Overload, it was impossible for him to even attempt such a performance again.

    - It must be rted to the fact that you were temporarily dered as mana-deficient.

    Fortunately, there was no need for Choi Yu-Seong to exin the situation in detail to Choi Woo-Jae. Choi Woo-Jae easily understood the current situation and, after a short silence, burst outughing.

    - It''s interesting. Your brothers and sisters will think that this news is true.

    Choi Woo-Jae had a simple reason for saying that. Up until now, Yu-Seong had been somewhat of a minor concern to his brothers and sisters, since he was too young and insignificant to be considered a real threat. However, it was certain that this incident wouldpletely change their thinking.

    <i>''They will consider me as a dangerous threat that should be caught right away.¡¯</i>

    Some of them would prioritize eliminating Yu-Seong despite the potential consequences from Mi-Na. What would be the best thing Yu-Seong could do in this situation?

    ¡°Please help me.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong didn''t hesitate for long, because this wasn¡¯t a difficult decision for him to make. All he needed was a word from Choi Woo-Jae. No matter how much his brothers and sisters fought, no one had enough strength to ignore Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s directive.

    - Why should I?

    The problem was Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s response, as mentioned above. He had been indifferent to thepetition between Yu-Seong¡¯s brothers and sisters for a while. But what would be the oue if he were to suddenly intervene in their dispute?

    - Someone would certainly raise the issue of fairness. Even if you¡¯re performing well, they will im you are not doing well.

    In other words, there was no real justification for it.

    Choi Yu-Seong had a small smile on his face as he replied, "I''m not certain if I should say this... but you¡¯re not someone who worries about justification, are you, Father?"

    Somewhat taken aback by Yu-Seong''s words, Woo-Jae stayed momentarily silent over the phone.

    Yu-Seong didn''t let the opportunity slip away. He continued speaking. Of course, the words he had spoken were not said without any confidence.

    ¡°Not to mention, I am more important to you, or rather, to the Comet Group, than my siblings¡¯ objections, doubts, or anger.¡±

    - Are you saying that your value is higher than that of all of your brothers and sistersbined? Right in front of me?

    ¡°Yes,¡± Choi Yu-Seong confidently replied.

    It was inevitable for his heart to pound from the tension of having Woo-Jae as his opponent. However, he had no need to doubt the oue.

    Until now, there had been many direct descendants of the Choi family in the Comet Group who had made a name for themselves domestically. However, there were only a few who had made a name for themselves globally.

    <i>¡®Ji-Ho hyung-nim, Mi-Na noo-nim, and finally, myself.¡¯</i>

    However, Choi Yu-Seong was making a name for himself with the ambition of surpassing the world''s top-ranked yer. This was a title that the previous two did not hold.

    Of course, there were many who had doubts about this. There were also quite a few people who criticized it as being overrated.

    <i>¡®It''s actually true that it¡¯s overrated due to my use of the Lightning Burst.¡¯</i>

    However, what could this name bring to the Comet Group? The answer was obvious just by looking at the stock prices of the Comet Group''s affiliatedpanies¡ªthey were currently hitting new highs.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s an increase of 12% on averagepared to yesterday.¡¯</i>

    In a giant group like Comet Group, a stock price increase of 12% in one day was not amon urrence, but more importantly, this figure was not at its limitation yet. As long as Choi Yu-Seong continued to grow and consistently perform, this figure would continue to rise within thepany. How could this be possible?

    ¡°You¡¯ve finished preparing to take down the guilds rted to the Cheon-Ji Group, right? And Comet Guild will officiallyunch within this month as well. You would certainly have left a ce for me at this point, Father... "

    - Hmm¡­

    Choi Woo-Jae let out a short sigh. The tone of his voice alone revealed that he felt both curiosity and appreciation.

    "If I continue to progress like this, you canpletely swallow the Cheon-Ji Group within two years. You might even be able to do it without any bloodshed."

    Humans fought wars because of their own desires. The fight betweenpanies was no different. In such a situation, the idea of not shedding a single drop of blood would be too tempting to resist. Winning without fighting¡ªwouldn¡¯t it be the ultimate strategy?

    - You''re bing more and more ruthless as the days go by.

    "I learned from you, Father," said Yu-Seong.

    Like father, like son. As the father and son exchangedpliments, Choi Woo-Jae chuckled softly.

    - Since you''re pleading with me like that, I''llply with your request. But if you can''t take responsibility for the consequences¡­ you know what''s going to happen, correct?

    "Father."

    - Hmm?

    "Have I ever disappointed you?"

    - No, never. Haha!

    Choi Woo-Jae ended the call with a bigugh.

    Yu-Seong put down his phone, which continued ringing with new calls. He took a deep breath.

    <i>''Everyone could make mistakes at some point.''?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong was nning to minimize those mistakes as much as possible.

    <i>''Because I am desperate.¡¯</i>

    As he had said upon first meeting Choi Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong was putting his life on the line in this war called life.

    Yu-Seong turned his attention to the sparkling system message. Although the interview with Bernard Yoo had led him to a state of confusion, there was no doubt that he had made arge profit.

    <i>¡®Star Factor!¡¯</i>

    With anticipation for its progress, Choi Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled as he opened the system interface window. He eximed, "Wow..."

    He quickly picked up his phone and sent a message to Bernard Yoo.

    - I''m so grateful to you, do you want a kiss?

    The reply that came back was as sharp as a knife.

    - ...? Are you crazy?

    - I feel crazily good.

    - Blocking you.

    Even though he had been called crazy, Yu-Seong kept smiling. With a happy tune, he said, "Life has be sweeter recently.¡±

    ***

    Choi Yu-Seong exined the situation and requested help from Woo-Jae early in the morning. After that, time passed by quickly, and it was soon evening.

    And at that time, Yoo Jin-Hyuk slowly opened his eyes and looked around at the unfamiliar ceiling and surroundings with a dazed expression. He slowly sat up. He mumbled, "Nobody...is here.¡±

    Just as Jin-Hyuk tilted his head, the closed door opened, and a small, delicate-faced girl entered. Surprised by the appearance of an unexpected person, he revealed his full astonishment as he quickly clung to the edge of the bed and summoned his powers.

    "Oh... You''re awake?"

    The girl who looked at Jin-Hyuk with a calm gaze was the first to speak.

    "Who are you?"

    "I''m Chae Ye-Ryeong."

    "..."

    "Don''t be on guard. I heard from the boss a moment ago that we will be together from now on as a family."

    "Boss? Family? Where''s Choi Yu-Seong?"

    "The boss I''m talking about is the one you''re looking for. And as for family... don''t you know the meaning of that word?" asked Ye-Ryeong.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s face twisted in confusion at Ye-Ryeong''s strange provocation. He yelled, "Do you think I¡¯m stupid¡­?!"

    "Then why did you ask?"

    "Choi Yu-Seong is..."

    "He just left to have a meal after checking on your condition."

    "How am I supposed to believe that?"

    "You''re a suspicious one," said Ye-Ryeong, letting out a sigh and slowly shaking her head. "Believe it or not, this doesn''t matter to me. I''m not here because I have any special feelings for you; I''m just here because the boss asked me to check on you."

    ¡°...¡±

    Did his suspicions ease a little? As Jin-Hyuk slowly lowered his guard, Ye-Ryeong looked at him with a hint of a smirk on her face and walked toward the chair on the other side of the room.

    When Jin-Hyuk flinched, Ye-Ryeong said calmly,<i>?</i>"Don''t be scared. I won¡¯t hit you."

    "You... "

    "And no matter how I look at it, I think I¡¯m older than you. Be polite. Or do you want to die?"

    "...What?"

    Surprised by Ye-Ryeong''s sudden fierce words, which belied her innocent and cute appearance, Jin-Hyuk flinched again slightly.

    "You''re not in middle school? You look like my second younger brother or something."

    "I''m 19."

    This time, Ye-Ryeong was surprised. She said, "You''re older than I thought. But you''re still a kid."

    Jin-Hyuk trembled as he asked, "How old are you...?"

    Ye-Ryeong, sittingfortably in her chair, shot Jin-Hyuk a sharp gaze. "20 years old. Call me noona."

    "...Just a one-year difference."

    "So what? What¡¯s the problem?"

    Jin-Hyuk could not help but feel perplexed as he forced out the words he wanted to say.

    <i>''What''s going on? Why am I getting so flustered by this girl?''?</i>

    Jin-Hyuk had grown up surrounded by violence and vulgarities, and he had always thought that he would not be easily pushed around by anyone. In fact, even when faced with the subtle pressure emitted by his uncle, a B-rank viin named Yoo Choong-Ryeol, Jin-Hyuk hadn¡¯t been pushed around.

    But now, strangely, he couldn''t face the small girl who looked about his height.

    <i>¡®Where does this kiddo think he''s going to beat me, his noona¡­ Hmph.¡¯</i>

    This was a skill that Ye-Ryeong had acquired from long years of training and raising her three younger brothers as the eldest sister. In front of Choi Yu-Seong and Jin-Yu-Ri, Ye-Ryeong appeared as a gentlemb. However, how could it be easy for her to raise her three younger brothers alone? Ye-Ryeong had never been pushed around, not even in the fierce fights with the notorious mothers in the neighborhood.

    Jin-Hyuk felt a certain instinctual fear towards her, and Ye-Ryeong, who sensed the opportunity, pounced. She urged, "Come on, call me noona."

    "..."

    It should be impossible for a kid like him to endure this. Contrary to Ye-Ryeong''s confident thoughts, Jin-Hyuk''s words of resistance came out.

    "....I don''t want to."

    "What?"

    "Stupid."

    "...What?"

    While looking at Ye-Ryeong flustered, Jin-Hyukid on the bed and pulled the nket over himself.

    Ye-Ryeong was not an easy person, but Jin-Hyuk also hated to lose.

    "You, you...?"

    .

    "I''m going to sleep, when your boss Choi Yu-Seong¡­ No, Yu-Seong hyunges, wake me up.¡±

    "What?"

    Jin-Hyuk groaned from under the nket. He raised his voice towards Ye-Ryeong, who was flustered. He moaned, "Ugh¡­ My head hurts¡­ Thanks to <i>someone¡¯s</i> voice, my head hurts even more. Oww..."

    Ye-Ryeong couldn''te up with a response to Jin-Hyuk''s harsh words. She held her aching head and shook it back and forth, trying to stay determined.

    <i>¡®What''s with this brat¡­ Just you wait, I''ll make you call me ''noona'' somehow.¡¯</i>

    Meanwhile, Jin-Hyuk, hidden under the nket, also made a promise to himself.

    <i>¡®I will never call her ''noona,'' no matter what. In fact, that girl looks close to my age.¡¯</i>

    From Choi Yu-Seong''s perspective, it was the moment when the two kids'' childish battle of pride began.

 Chapter 135

    <h4>Chapter 135 </h4>

    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re here!¡± said Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    "Yu-Seong hyung, you''re here!" said Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    Yu-Seong, who had just returned from dinner, could only nod in a slightly flustered manner to the eager greetings from Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    <i>''What''s with these guys?''?</i>

    Before Yu-Seong could settle in, Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk began bickering with each other.

    "Boss, do we have to hang out with that brat from now on?"

    "Yu-Seong hyung, I don''t think I can be friends with that shortie."

    "What? Shortie!? Hey, how tall are you?"

    "I think I''m taller than you. And you were the one who called me a brat first!"

    Yu-Seong was confused by the intense conversation between the two. He pulled them away from each other to stop them. He said, "Just a moment. I have two things that I haven''t adjusted to yet.¡±

    Yu-Seong then asked, "First, why are you suddenly calling me hyung, Jin-Hyuk?"

    "Well... You are older than me."

    Jin-Hyuk¡¯s response made sense in some way. However, the difference between the Yoo Jin-Hyuk who Yu-Seong had just met and the one he had known before was so great that it was hard for him to adjust.

    Yu-Seong gave Jin-Hyuk a doubtful look.

    Jin-Hyuk, with an embarrassed expression, scratched his red cheek lightly. "Can I¡­?"

    "It''s not that it won''t work out, it''s just that I wish it had been like this from the beginning."

    "I''m sorry..."

    "It''s fine. At least you know now." Yu-Seong smiled and patted Jin-Hyuk¡¯s head lightly.

    Jin-Hyuk looked even more embarrassed now.

    <i>''Maybe because of his small build and fair skin, I''ve never felt that a guy could be this cute.¡¯</i>

    It felt like looking at a wounded cat. Yu-Seong did not dislike this change in Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    <i>¡®It''s better to be hopeful.¡¯</i>

    It was a change because Jin-Hyuk had made up his mind to rely on Yu-Seong.

    <i>''As long as I don''t disappoint him.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong didn''t need to pour excessive affection on the teenager either. Once, he had heard the words of a famous South Korean escaped prisoner¡ªif someone had just given him a warm word or a safe touch in his childhood, the devil wouldn''t have grown in his heart. It was a way to free one person from the fate of a terrible disaster. Thus, there was no reason why Yu-Seong couldn''t make this much effort.

    <i>''To be honest,pared to father''s conditions, it''s easy.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong looked at Jin-Hyuk with a somewhat pleased gaze.

    Ye-Ryeong stared at Jin-Hyuk with a sharp gaze. "But I''m older than you too.¡±

    "But you''re shorter than me," said Jin-Hyuk.

    "I''m not short! You seriously..."

    "Stop. I haven''t finished my question yet," said Yu-Seong

    "Hyung thinks you are noisy, you stupid," said Jin-Hyuk.

    "Ugh..." Chae Ye-Ryeong balled up her fists and trembled in anger when she lost to Jin-Hyuk.

    Yu-Seong, who had not seen Ye-Ryeong like this before, felt a strange feeling. He made a peace sign and asked with a yful expression, "Second question. When did the two of you be so close?"

    "Hyung, that''s a bit ..."

    ¡°Boss, I have never expressed any disagreement with your words before, but the words spoken just now were not pleasant. I ask for you to take them back.¡±

    "Both of you, stop. If you are not close to each other yet, start being closer now. We''re all going to be together for the rest of our lives."

    "For the rest of our lives...?" Ye-Ryeong asked in surprise, her eyes widening.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk looked at Yu-Seong with a slightly moved expression.

    "Yes, from now on, we''re friends for life. Anyway, it seems you''ve both calmed down, so go and have fun spending time together. I still have something to do. We''ll be going back to Seoul tomorrow, so Jin-Hyuk, you should make preparations too."

    "Hyung, me too?" asked Jin-Hyuk.

    "You don''t want to go?"

    Jin-Hyuk shook his head briskly.

    "Okay, let''s be together." Yu-Seong gave Jin-Hyuk a slightly gentle smile. Then, he looked at Cha Ye-Ryeong, who had a look full of dissatisfaction. He said, "Ye-Ryeong, you too, be reasonable. When you''re in society, everyone bes friends despite a year or two of age difference.¡±

    ¡°Boomer Boss.¡±

    "Ugh... Your words are too harsh."

    "I dislike you."

    Yu-Seong made a somewhat pained expression, shrugged his shoulders, and left the room.

    .

    In the end, they were the only two left. Yoo Jin-Hyuk made a smile of victory as he raised his chin and looked at Ye-Ryeong, who lowered her head, clenched her fist, and furrowed her brows in anger.

    ¡°The boss might have told us to be friends, but if you really think we are equal, you''ll die.¡±

    "...hic." Without realizing it, Jin-Hyuk hupped. Still, he kept shaking his head.

    ***

    The next day, early in the morning, the three of them returned to their home in Seoul. Choi Yu-Seong spent the next few days happily humming due to his crazy growth in NewTube subscribers and Instagram followers. He wondered, "My NewTube channel has 3 million subscribers... Is that within the top 5 hunters in the country?"

    Also, the average number of views per video was over 5 million. Popr videos like Goblin Fortress also surpassed 50 million views. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong had received a call from Park Jin-Hwan that his NewTube revenue was rapidly increasing.

    <i>¡®It is always better to have more and more money.¡¯</i>

    Although hunters had be a desirable profession for many people around the world, the foundation of it was still money and honor. Even someone like Choi Yu-Seong, the descendant of a chaebol family, couldn''tpletely say that he was entirely free from those shackles.

    <i>¡®Anyway, I am gradually breaking away from being dependent on my father''s allowance, right?¡¯</i>

    If he could start umting some wealth at this point, Yu-Seong could make enough money in the next five years to surprise even Choi Woo-Jae.

    He began making big ns for his assets, then contacted Jenny and ryed the material of the ancient artifacts that he had decided to use. He had written these down in excitement, and the artifacts were those that had appeared in the original novel.

    <i>¡®She said it would take about three months to get everything.¡¯</i>

    The wait wasn¡¯t that bad. At this point, Yu-Seong also thought that Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong would be able to steadily rise up to C-rank.

    <i>¡®I bet that Yoo Jin-Hyuk would need a lot of support.¡¯</i>

    The fortunate thing was that, as befitting of his fate as a former disaster-ss viin, Yoo Jin-Hyuk also had a skill called ¡®<i>Titanic Growth</i>.¡¯

    <i>¡®It''s a skill that Nioh of Japan was so proud of¡­¡¯</i>

    Looking around him, Yu-Seong found growth to be verymon. In fact, his Star Factor had also grown significantly in recent days. That was because people''s interest in him had continued to increase.

    <i>¡®It''s quite a big deal.¡¯</i>

    Had it been ridiculous to say that he would have kissed Bernard Yoo¡¯s cheek for this? Yu-Seong checked his Star Factor, which had grown even more in thest day, with a satisfied gaze.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor D+

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates.

    In a short amount of time, the interest towards skill holders has drastically increased to the point of absurdity, and a rank adjustment effect has urred.

    Hidden Piece is opened.

    D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras.

    Current eleration rate +130% ¡ú 180%

    Additional privileges are opened by achieving new interest figures. Experience points required for growth -3% ¡ú -5%

    The Hidden Piece skill ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ can now be used in addition.

    The skill ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ does not have a rank.

    When using the skill, it allows the user to check the fame of the target. If the target''s fame is lower than the user''s, it can randomly trigger a curse.

    The current fame of yer Choi Yu-Seong: 560.

    Note: If fame drops below 100, the ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ skill will disappear.

    ¡»

    The eleration rate and decrease in necessary experience points had both been explosively raised.

    <i>¡®Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong''s eleration effect of Titanic Growth skill is 300% during E rank.¡¯</i>

    If Nioh of Japan knew this, he would absolutely lose his mind. His Titanic Growth skill had only 150% eleration effect during E rank. This led to the simple fact that¡­

    <i>¡®Two people with the same skill can have different effects depending on their talents.¡¯</i>

    Thinking about it in this way, Yu-Seong could not help but wonder how much of a cheat the Titanic Growth skill that the two had was and how they could quickly follow Yu-Seong¡¯s footsteps.

    <i>¡®Don''t be too surprised. Those two were destined to fight even with Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Most of all, Yu-Seong''s Star Factor skill was not simply a possession of eleration, but also had an experience decrease effect. Most of all, thanks to Bernard Yoo, a hidden piece had also been unlocked. Even after looking several times, his Star Factor skill was several times better than the Titanic Growth.

    <i>¡®And the Prestige Show Off skill is really good.¡¯</i>

    Prestige Show Off skill could randomly curse people who were less famous than Yu-Seong. Mana was consumed, but there was no reuse cooldown. Most of all, there were no ranks. The only thing that would be affected was the opponent¡¯s fame.

    To understand this exactly, Yu-Seong first used his Prestige Show Off skill to find out about the fame of the people around him.

    <i>¡®Jin Yu-Ri is 120, Chae Ye-Ryeong is 60, and Yoo Jin-Hyuk is 3.¡¯</i>

    Jin Yu-Ri was known to be a fairly sessful A-rank hunter and had a considerable amount of fame due to the fans who followed her because of her beauty. After all, she had been seen by Yu-Seong¡¯s side.

    <i>¡®Chae Ye-Ryeong is known as the top domestic prospect following me, so her fame is reasonable.¡¯</i>

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk had almost no external activities, so his fame was at a very low level. Maybe his score would rise considerably after taking the hunter exam, just like Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    Inparison, Yu-Seong''s current fame was 560.

    At first, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders at the score that was below expectations. However, when he saw the score of Kim Hyuk-Joon, the most popr hunter in South Korea, Yu-Seong could easily understand the situation.

    <i>¡®His fame is 430.¡¯</i>

    Kim Hyuk-Joon was well-known in South Korea and also had many fans worldwide due to his celebrity status. However, there was only one reason for his score being lower than expected.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s the same as the level. The higher the score, the harder it is to raise.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong''s fame score of 560 was by no means low. Even now, any person of average ability could not avoid this Prestige Show off skill. Someday, no one would be able to avoid his skill. To put it simply, it was a curse skill with 100% uracy.

    <i>¡®Even though it''s randomly applied¡­¡¯</i>

    No curse-caster in the world would be able to curse someone else as easily as this. In fact, cursing someone of a higher rank was considered almost impossible. Although, Yu-Seong could now do it through the hidden ability in his Star Factor.

    <i>¡®I am not a real jack-of-all-trades... I''m bing a master-of-all, ¡®the All-Rounder¡¯!¡¯</i>

    Being a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-all was just like a piece of paper.

    <i>¡®The difference is whether there¡¯s something special or not.¡¯</i>

    And currently, Yu-Seong was clearly someone special for anyone to look up to. As he became more famous, he might have to face an invasion of demons in the future, but at this point, he could not escape from such a fate.

    <i>¡®And Bernand Yoo has already caused a big scene¡­¡¯</i>

    In exchange, Yu-Seong had gotten an enormous reward. In fact, he thought it possible for there to be even more hidden abilities in his Star Factor skill.

    <i>¡®Above all... fame is not something that continues forever.¡¯</i>

    When poprity decreased, the Prestige Show off skill would disappear. If he had known that from the start, Yu-Seong wouldn''t have gone after it. Now, he would just try his best to not lose it.

    <i>¡®I''ll have to give it my all, even if it means I have to bite the bullet.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong decided to stop thinking about the demon invasion. With that decision, he began preparing for another challenge, the C-rank promotion evaluation.

    <i>''Skills and training are enough.''?</i>

    He was definitely strong enough to transcend rank. However, since he was thinking of taking an extremely difficult test and aimed to clear it, he was going to try his best to make all sorts of preparations. So what was left to prepare? Of course, it was the equipment.

    "Summon Dimensional Merchant."

    In response to Yu-Seong¡¯s call, a cute little creature appeared in the room with a ¡®<i>pop!</i>¡¯ sound.

 Chapter 136

    <h4>Chapter 136 </h4>

    Opening a small pink-colored door, Ping Pong confidently and majestically strode in, or so he thought. To the eyes of a third party, though, the way he walked was adorable. He toddled and wagged his tail, only raising his hand when he saw Choi Yu-Seong. He greeted with a lively voice, "Choi-Hi! It means Choi Yu-Seong, hi!¡±

    Ping Pong¡¯s round ck eyes sparkled when Yu-Seong quickly peeled off the wrapper and handed over a lollipop that he had prepared in advance.

    "Ping-Hi! It means Mr. Ping Pong, hi."

    "Woo hoo hoo... Choi Yu-Seong, you''re quite the yful one. Just wait a moment. I''ll finish this and start with business," said Ping Pong. Perhaps he liked that Yu-Seong had used a simr greeting because Ping Pong¡¯s tail was wagging so much. This was a rare sight. He eagerly munched on the lollipop.

    Watching Ping Pong incessantly licking the candy, Yu-Seong suddenly muttered to himself, "Isn''t just watching you eat candy itself part of starting business...?"

    "Huh? What do you mean?" asked Ping Pong.

    "It means you are cute."

    "What! How dare you, Choi Yu-Seong! Using such an expression for a powerful and dignified Lion Bear n member like myself! It¡¯s very disrespectful!"

    "...Is it really that disrespectful?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Of course." With that, Ping Pong swallowed part of the candy whole and stood up, puffing out his chest. He added, "Especially for one who has figured out my exact taste..."

    "Alright, fine. Just finish eating your candy first, Mr. Ping Pong. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have a cut on the roof of your mouth.¡±

    Not able to properly enunciate while eating candy, Ping Pong rolled his eyes and nodded. He continued to chew on the rest of the lollipop.

    <i>¡®Even so, he must like the taste of the candy.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong gazed at Ping Pong''s tail that puffed up, Ping Pong said, "Hm, well¡­ In any case, since you, Choi Yu-Seong, understand my taste, I''ll let you off the hook. But from now on, be more careful with your words!"

    "Yeah, yeah. By the way, is the candy enough?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "How can you think that I would be addicted to mere candy..."

    When Yu-Seong pulled out five more lollipops from his pocket, Ping Pong¡¯s eyes widened. He trembled, and his cheeks turned red. In no time, his tail that only just stopped wagging started moving from side to side again. It also became even more puffed up.

    <i>¡®That''s why the Lion Bear n cannot lie. What a cute creature.¡¯</i>

    Not voicing his true thoughts, Yu-Seong handed over the five more lollipops to Ping Pong. Then, he finally got to the main point of Ping Pong¡¯s visit. He said, "By the way, I was thinking about trying that thing out.¡±

    "Hmm? What thing?" Ping Pong asked. Then, realizing what Yu-Seong was talking about, he said with a smile, "You''re thinking about using the free lottery ticket!"

    "Correct."

    Choi Yu-Seong hadn''t used the free lottery ticket he had obtained from leveling up before dungeon racing with Bernard Yoo only because of one reason.

    <i>¡®If I spend 2000 karma points to upgrade the free lottery ticket, I can get a Treasure-ss item.¡¯</i>

    The free lottery ticket Yu-Seong had originally obtained would only give him a chance to get a Rare-ss item at best. However, by upgrading it with 2000 karma points, he could increase his chances of obtaining a Treasure-ss item.

    <i>¡®In other words, if I am unlucky, I could still get a Rare-ss item.¡¯</i>

    This was why, despite having umted over 2000 karma points, Yu-Seong prioritized investing in skill rank upgrades. As a result, he currently held all skills at D-rank or higher, excluding the special skill ''<i>Dancing Electric Doll</i>.¡¯

    There were two reasons why Yu-Seong did not rank up the remaining skill, ''Dancing Electric Doll''. First, he believed that the attack power of ''Dancing Electric Doll'' was still sufficient. Yu-Seong judged that ''Dancing Electric Doll'' was a more effective skill inrge-scale battles than in one-on-one battles. It was more useful for dealing with arge number of small monsters than with a single powerful monster. Therefore, there was no need to seek a higher power from ''Dancing Electric Doll'' in his current situation.

    <i>¡®Since I can use Lance Charging when I need a big offensive power.¡¯</i>

    The second reason was that Yu-Seong did notck offensive power.

    <i>¡®If possible, I should try to enhance my defensive capabilities by getting abilities or items that would boost my defenses.¡¯</i>

    For that reason, Yu-Seong had utilized the empty skill slot to learn D-rank Protective Shield skill, Natural Healing skill, and Bleeding Resistance skill for emergency situations. However, these were not enough to block all threats.

    <i>''There are countless resistance skills, such as Poison Resistance, Fracture Resistance, Curse Resistance, Burn Resistance, and so on¡­¡¯</i>

    The fact that there were so many resistance skills meant that there were many situations that could prove to be dangerous.

    <i>''To some extent, it could be solved with basic physical abilities as a hunter, but having resistance skills is much better.''</i>

    Even so, there was a simple reason why Yu-Seong did not fill most of the empty slots with resistance skills.

    <i>''It''s due to the limitations of the Eye of Replication skill.''?</i>

    Most resistance skills were passive skills, but they would be active skills upon being brought over with Eye of Replication skill. This was due to the penalties. For example, burns or frostbite could be dealt with an active type skill by recognizing one¡¯s surroundings or the opponent''s abilities. However, in cases of poison or curses, those were often not easily recognizable as they came with little warning. Therefore, resistance skills were always better as passive skills.

    <i>¡®The problem is, I was born without any resistance skills.¡¯</i>

    In this case, there were two solutions. First, to gain support from the gods for resistance skills. Second, to ovee it by wearing items, and this was what Yu-Seong was trying to do right now.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, there was an Insignia of Protection among the Treasure-ss items¡­¡¯</i>

    For Yu-Seong, the Insignia of Protection could be considered the best for a resistance ability type.

    With a clear goal in mind, Yu-Seong licked his lips and looked at Ping Pong while stretching out his hand. ¡°Upgrade, please.¡±

    Ping Pong put his small round front foot on Yu-Seong¡¯s hand. After trembling briefly, he absorbed a bright purple gas that flowed through Yu-Seong¡¯s palm into his paw. He shouted, ¡°2000 karma points, received well!¡±

    Then, Ping Pong pulled out a free lottery ticket from his pocket, which originally shone in blue, and the room was suddenly filled with a scarlet light. Yu-Seong blinked from the brief re of light.

    Ping Pong smiled and handed over the ticket that now shone in scarlet. "Alright, now all you have to do is tear this, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    Looking at the random lottery ticket, Yu-Seong¡¯s heart raced. He held the edges of the ticket, which looked like an old movie ticket, with slightly trembling hands and tugged.

    <i>Rip-!</i>

    As the Treasure-ss free lottery ticket was being torn, something enormous suddenly burst forth. A hugemotion took ce with a popping sound.

    <i>Charrrrrrrrrr-! Pampaba-!</i>

    As if baby angels were ying trumpets atop a roulette machine at some casino, the loud melody echoed throughout the room. Time seemed to slow down as Yu-Seong waspletely distracted by the spectacle.

    In fact, Yu-Seong had a great deal of knowledge about lotteries as a game developer.

    <i>''The cause of all lotteries is nothing but to bring revenue to thepany!''?</i>

    It was a ruthless business model created by corporations and chairmen of greatpanies to make money. Needless to say, the lottery had no rules or regtions. Instead, it relied on percentages and probability based on a system. asionally, some unscrupulouspanies would manipte the odds of the lottery, but it was unlikely for the roulette machine operated by the Dimensional Merchants to do the same.

    <i>''In other words, the result of the lottery is based on luck!''?</i>

    Boldly grasping the roulette machine¡¯s lever, Yu-Seong looked at Ping Pong. He said, "I''ll spend an additional 100 karma points to buy the Luck Potion!"

    "Hmm? I don''t rmend it, Choi Yu-Seong. The Luck Potion is like a city legend among Dimensional Merchants. There¡¯s a saying that almost nobody has actually seen its effects..."

    "Mr. Ping Pong, trust me," said Yu-Seong with gleaming eyes.

    Ping Pong pulled out a small vial of red liquid and handed it over to Choi Yu-Seong with a somewhat suspicious look. He said, "This is for free.¡±

    As expected, the Lion Bear n had good business skills. Yu-Seongughed and grasped the roulette handle tighter, then stared straight ahead. He was taking a long time to prepare, but he only had this one chance!

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin never truly benefited from this lottery.¡¯</i>

    However, that was not a big deal for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®I have a feeling that I''ll be different.¡¯</i>

    With the same unfounded confidence as most people who failed at lotteries, Yu-Seong grasped the roulette handle without hesitation. As he pulled the lever with a thud, the numbers on the roulette wheel began to spin wildly. The numbers that came up were predetermined to be 777. However, that did not mean that good items always came up.

    <i>¡®Please, please, please. Give me the Insignia of Protection. Please.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong prayed desperately with his eyes closed and hands sped together. His heart pounded with anxiety. He unintentionally frowned.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster looks at the agitated Choi Yu-Seong with a disdainful eye.

    Even though it had been a while since Loki''s message hade, Yu-Seong didn''t even notice it as he had been focused on his prayer with his eyes closed.

    After a moment, the numbers stopped at 777, and the bottom of the roulette machine opened. With a thud, the machine spat out one item before making a loud <i>bang</i> noise and disappearing.

    Even though he already knew it was over, Yu-Seong found it difficult to bring himself to look at the results. He took a deep breath before opening his eyes. The first thing he saw was Ping Pong''s expression.

    "Wow..." Ping Pong had a look of slight awe as he smiled at Yu-Seong. "Congrattions, Choi Yu-Seong. You seem to have better luck than I had anticipated."

    Yu-Seong knew then that the oue was at least not unfavorable.

    <i>''Just because it''s a Treasure-ss item doesn''t mean it is always going to be a good one, but at least the item is above average.''?</i>

    Would it be the long-awaited item¡ªInsignia of Protection¡ª that he had been hoping for? Yu-Seong quickly looked at the object that had rolled across the floor and held it in his hands. He then widened his eyes.

    The object was a small bead that emitted light as if it was burning. There were so many colors being mixed together, such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.

    "At first nce, you wouldn¡¯t know what it is, Choi Yu-Seong. That is a treasure called the Insignia of Protection. The usage is..."

    Choi Yu-Seong clearly knew the usage of the item.

    "Jackpot!"

    Convinced that this was the item he had been waiting for, Yu-Seong quickly put the bead in his mouth and swallowed it.

    "Really? You already knew about it?" asked Ping Pong.

    "Of course. I''ve been wanting it," said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s left vicle began to heat up as he answered. He moaned slightly from the intense pain, but he knew that it was worth it. An angel-winged shield with a cross was now tattooed across his left vicle. He looked at it with a wide smile.

    <i>¡®The engraving item, the Insignia of Protection.''?</i>

    The Insignia of Protection could be considered the best among all Treasure-ss items, granting the effect of obtaining all resistance skills that matched the yer¡¯s rank.

    <i>''It costs 30,000 karma points to officially purchase it!''?</i>

    It truly was a sweet deal.

    <i>''No, it''s like a gorgonz pizza with honey poured all over it, it tastes fantastic...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was caught in a fantasy of happiness as his mouth curled into a contented smile.

 Chapter 137

    <h4>Chapter 137 </h4>

    In this world, items such as ancient relics or treasures of the otherworld had ranks. They functioned almost like they would in games.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, the ranks were revealed to be Common, Rare, Treasure, Unique, Legendary, and Mythic.¡¯</i>

    Among these, items of the Unique rank or above were said to be the only ones in existence throughout the entire universe.

    <i>¡®Ultimately, the best that one could normally obtain were items of the Treasure-ss.¡¯</i>

    Even so, there was a simple reason why the Insignia of Protection was particrly special. It was an engraving item. Treasures of the otherworld were somehow visible to others because the items often had peculiarities that stood out, and they could be acquired by killing the owner. However, the engraving item was different.

    <i>¡®In any case, it is engraved on the body like a tattoo, so it cannot be easily taken away.¡¯</i>

    Even though it was visible as a tattoo, it was something that essentially engraved itself on the soul, so it was impossible to take it away from the owner. Death was no exception. Due to this reason, even though they were also Treasure-ss items, the engraving item''s value was much higher.

    <i>¡®And among these engraving items, the Insignia of Protection has the highest level of defensive performance within the Treasure-ss.¡¯</i>

    Needless to say, the Insignia of Protection was a popr item and was difficult to find in the dimension bundle, even though it was not a Unique-ss.

    <i>¡®This is unsurprising since there are only a few hundred Treasure-ss items in the entire universe¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong had obtained the treasure through the lottery. This was an item that would have been difficult to obtain even if he had 30,000 karma points to purchase it.

    Ping Pong observed how naturally Yu-Seong was engraving the Insignia of Protection on himself and wondered how Yu-Seong had obtained knowledge about the item. However, after epting the celebratory treat, a single stick of candy, that Yu-Seong had offered him, he happily went back to his own dimension with all his doubts dispelled.

    After that, Yu-Seong met with Yu-Ri and asked her to do several things, including watching over Yoo Jin-Hyuk, before challenging the promotion examination. In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t have to think long about the difficulty level for the promotion examination.

    <i>¡®Extreme difficulty level.¡¯</i>

    Even from the start, one would only pick the normal difficulty level if they couldn¡¯t clear the extreme difficulty one. However, some people were entirely opposed to choosing the extreme difficulty level.

    <i>¡®If you''re not careful, you could die before you even announce to give up.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong believed that his umted experience and skill were decent enough that he wouldn¡¯t fail to clear it. Of course, this challenge wouldn¡¯t be an easy one. However, the harder the challenge, the greater the reward.

    With such considerations in his mind, Yu-Seong entered the C-rank promotion examination.

    ***

    ¡¶Choi Yu-Seong, the D-rank MAX level yer, is entering the extreme difficulty level C-rank promotion evaluation.

    Good luck.¡·

    Yu-Seong heard the same message that he had heard during the D-rank promotion exam. Then, as if he were swallowed whole, he suddenly entered a whole new ce. When he opened his eyes, he saw the familiar face of Mr. Guy, a rabbit wearing a tuxedo.

    Mr. Guy smiled and waved at Yu-Seong. "Choi-Hi! It means Choi Yu-Seong, hi!¡±

    "Yeah, that must be a popr catchphrase now," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Oh, I see. So there''s someone else besides me who used this cool catchphrase. I''m sure they must have great character and charm too, hong hong." Mr. Guy smiled.

    If Ping Pong had heard Mr. Guy¡¯spliment, his tail would have certainly fluffed up with pride.

    "You''ve grown quite a lot. It''s hard to see it as just a rank difference. Just how many near-death experiences have you been through?" asked Mr. Guy.

    "I''ve encountered countless near-death experiences since being in E-rank," said Yu-Seong.

    For some reason, death always seemed to loom over an Irregr. Whether it was due to the tendency of Irregrs to be stronger simply by surviving or because Yu-Seong had grown strong from surviving in such an environment, Yu-Seong, who had been chosen as an Irregr, certainly experienced many perilous situations. And those experiences had now made even the promotion exam supervisor, Mr. Guy, take notice.

    "Well, that¡¯s all good. Seeing a yer like you challenge the extreme difficulty level is quite an enjoyable thing for me. Most of all, thanks to the support of the gods again, we were able to make a great test field," said Mr. Guy.

    Yu-Seong heard Mr. Guy mention "the support of the gods" and felt a sense of frustration. He had suspected that the mischievous Loki may have had something to do with it, but the thought that the other gods may have intervened as well caused his anger to rise. However, he managed to suppress his emotions and replied with an awkward smile, "Wow, I¡¯m already hearing such happy news.¡±

    "Hong hong, that''s right. I''ve heard that, in your world, there''s even a saying, ¡®make hay while the sun shines,'' so shall we start right away?" asked Mr. Guy.

    "Sure. You''re going to make me lose consciousness again?"

    "No, this time, you can just watch with open eyes."

    As Mr. Guy spread his arms wide, the space that had previously been empty began to fill with a rainbow light. The light was so intense that Yu-Seong couldn''t even open his eyes to look at it. Naturally, he closed his eyes. He could hear Mr. Guy''s yfulughter behind him.

    "If you can," said Mr. Guy.

    "...What a delightfulment," Yu-Seong replied.

    The intense light momentarily blinded him, even with his eyes closed, and the ringing in his ears grew louder as it enveloped him. He was still conscious, but his body felt limp, and his senses were dull. His head was spinning so much that it felt like the world was upside down.

    <i>¡®I can even smell something¡­¡¯</i>

    Was it the smell of oil? Or was it a slightly acrid smell like sulfur? Just as Yu-Seong was starting to feel that way, the light, noise, and sensation that had been making him feel uneasy all disappeared, and he quickly returned to normal.

    Naturally, Yu-Seong slowly opened his eyes and easily identified the source of the sulfurous smell that was heating him up. "Is this..va?"

    In front of him was an empty space with nothing but a small patch ofnd where he and Mr. Guy were barely able to stand on it. Thend was surrounded by bubbling, boilingva. In fact, Yu-Seong did not need Mr. Guy¡¯s further exnation.

    ?yer Choi Yu-Seong is currently undergoing a promotion examination of extreme difficulty level ++

    The format of the exam has been altered from a snake''s path to a Hot mes Board of the Five-Colored Hells. To sessfully pass the promotion, you must navigate through all five hells. Good luck!?

    This promotion examination didn''t have any harsh penalties like the time Yu-Seong had to catch a thief. Nor was there any borate exnation.

    <i>¡®In fact, there''s no need for that.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong looked out at the vast expanse ofva in front of him. There were small rocks that he could step on scattered throughout thendscape, but he couldn''t see an exit beyond the horizon of boilingva.

    "Hahaha... How do you like it? I picked out a great test site for you," Mr. Guy said.

    "It''s very impressive. Is it even possible to clear this?" asked Yu-Seong while tilting his head skeptically.

    "Of course. Promotion examinations are designed so that even if the difficulty level is high, yers can still clear it within their own rank. There''s no such thing as impossible. That''s why the Five-Colored Hells has appeared in Hot mes Board form. Hong hong," Mr. Guy said.

    "So it''s designed to be cleared..." said Yu-Seong.

    "Yes, typically, the passing rate for an exam of this extreme difficulty level is around 2%," Mr. Guy replied.

    "How about the exam I am taking right now?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "If I calcte it roughly, it has a passing rate of about 0.001%," Mr. Guy replied.

    "Wow, this isn¡¯t apletely impossible area. It''s amazing!" Yu-Seong eximed sarcastically.

    "Hong hong. Yes, our examiners work hard to prepare fair test sites. Cheer up, Yu-Seong. I''ll go ahead and wait for you at the next location," Mr. Guy said with a satisfied smile.

    Once Mr. Guy leaped over theva and disappeared quickly, Yu-Seong was left alone. He took a deep breath, looked at theva, and said to himself, "Lava..."

    He then sat down on the central ind and fell into deep contemtion. How was he going to cross this sea of boilingva? Feeling doubtful, he muttered, "Wait... Shouldn''t I be feeling incredibly hot while standing here in the middle of a sea ofva?"

    Yu-Seong was standing in the center of a sea ofva. Normally, by now, he would be drenched in sweat, and his body would have turned red, but a few beads of sweat were only starting to form on his forehead now.

    <i>¡®Could it be...?¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, Yu-Seong realized something and carefully lifted his toes up to theva. In an instant, his shoes melted away without a trace. As the tips of his toes touched theva and heated up, he cried out, "It¡¯s hot!"

    It was like being in a cold ce and then suddenly stepping into a hot spring. His skin instantly prickled. In other words, it was incredibly hot.

    ¡°...It¡¯s incredibly hot, and that''s it?¡± Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he realized something.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster expresses his frustration at the fairness of the test.

    Then, Loki''s message popped up in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes.

    <i>¡®Aha...?¡¯</i>

    Normally, in such a dangerous situation, Loki would have been excited and would have sent a message to express that. Only now did Yu-Seong understand why he had been so quiet.

    <i>¡®So this is what Hot mes Board means!¡¯</i>

    It looked likeva, but in reality, the temperature was not that extreme.

    <i>¡®If one has the ability to resist heat, one can handle the scorching temperatures of this level with ease.¡¯</i>

    And before the promotion examination, Yu-Seong had acquired an engraving item called the Insignia of Protection, which granted him overall resistance.

    After assessing the situation, Yu-Seong took off all of his clothes without hesitation. There was no point in keeping clothes made of thin cloth or linen because they would just melt away in the heat.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster mockingly criticizes yer Choi Yu-Seong for his shameless action.

    Yu-Seong looked up at the sky and smiled. Then, he leaped into the sea ofva without hesitation. "Uaaah-!"

    As he expected, the heat was so intense that a cry of pain escaped his lips. Although, it was not an unbearable level of heat. Thanks to that, he could asionally rest on the rocks that jutted out of theva as he went on his way.

    <i>¡®If I stay here for more than five minutes, I''ll get burns, or my body will start to burn anyway.¡¯</i>

    Despite the fact that he took a bit of time, Yu-Seong made steady progress. By choosing this method, he was able to sessfully pass through the first stage of the Five-Colored Hells, the red hell, in approximately half a day. He proceeded to the next gate that was emitting a ck light.

    ***

    Mr. Guy, who had said he would wait in the next location, widened his eyes as he saw Yu-Seong, who looked extremely miserable. Hemented, "You...came much faster than I thought?"

    "Is that important?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Mr. Guy nodded firmly. "To be honest, I thought the probability of you passing the first level was 0.00001%..."

    "The numbers are even lower than before; how pleasant."

    "Oh, hong hong...!" With an awkward smile, Mr. Guy''s gaze turned to a faraway ce. Then, as if reading something, Mr. Guy looked at Yu-Seong in surprise and asked, "Eh? Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, have you obtained the Insignia of Protection?"

    "Yes." Choi Yu-Seong nodded, his tousled and burnt hair swaying along.

    Mr. Guy widened his eyes. "I''m hearing this for the first time... Are you telling me to change the exam''s contents?"

    Then, as Mr. Guy started a conversation with someone, Choi Yu-Seong ignored him and looked around. The ck hell, where purple poison fumes were spreading, opened up after he had passed through the red hell ofva.

    <i>''This promotion examination...''</i>

    If one had the ability to resist, one could clear the test with rtive ease. However, the conditions of the test were somewhat harsh.

    "Excuse me... Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, or rather, Mr. Yu-Seong, there is a suggestion to change the content of the test..." said Mr. Guy.

    "The die has been cast."

    "What?"

    "Why change the content of the promotion examination once it has been decided?" asked Yu-Seong.

    Mr. Guy dropped his head in frustration. It was clear that Yu-Seong intended to pass the exam easily.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster scorns the yer Choi Yu-Seong. He sends a direct message. ''Do you want to be handed a pass on a silver tter like that?! Youzy bastard!''

    With a happy smile, Yu-Seong immediately replied, ¡°What can you do with it? I''m just lucky."

 Chapter 138

    <h4>Chapter 138 </h4>

    The extreme difficulty level promotion exam had the following: the red hell of moltenva, the ck hell of venom, the blue hell of ice, the white hell of hallucinations, and finally, the yellow hell of gravity. For Yu-Seong, the only difficult ce among these hells was the yellow hell of gravity.

    <i>¡®To be honest, the sudden appearance of hallucinations in the white hell was also a bit disconcerting.¡¯</i>

    In general, any form of attack would be threatening. However, the most dangerous of all would be a mental-type attack.

    <i>¡®After all, if my mental state copses, then my physical body would also be vulnerable.¡¯</i>

    That was why, when he had first drawn the map of growth, Yu-Seong thought that he should first acquire the ability of a mental-type defense. Coincidentally, the white hell was exactly focused on mental-type attacks, so it was inevitable for Yu-Seong to feel flustered upon entering.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong was able to pass through the white hell more easily than he had thought due to two reasons.

    The new item, Insignia of Protection, that he had recently obtained was the first reason. This amazing item even increased resistance against mental-type attacks. However, since his mental state was not as trained as his physical body, Yu-Seong certainly had vulnerable gaps. Thankfully, this problem was ovee by his other secret ability.

    <i>''The Third Eye.''</i>

    Although the Third Eye skill was only activated by his Chakra, it was a unique and unparalleled secret skill that could bepared to Kim Do-Jin''s Insight skill.

    Thebination of both skills allowed Yu-Seong to immediately dispel all illusions created by the Hot mes Board¡¯s white hell.

    At this point, Mr. Guy, who was watching from the side, sighed and lowered his head. He was close to simply giving up.

    The final hell, the yellow hell of gravity that gave Yu-Seong the most difficulties, was not difficult in the usual sense.

    <i>''It took too long.''?</i>

    The yellow hell of gravity was different from the other hells, and Yu-Seong¡¯s Insignia of Protection and the Third Eye were also ineffective here. As the name suggested, it was and where the entire body was crushed by gravity. To pass through the yellow hell, there were only two things that were required.

    <i>¡®Firstly, a strong physical ability to move in any way, even in the face of intense gravity.¡¯</i>

    ording to Mr. Guy, the gravity being applied was about 10 times more than Earth¡¯s. Yu-Seong found it difficult to walk even an hour in the yellow hell in the very beginning. At least it was possible due to his regr training and the improvement of his physical abilities due to the Chakra breathing technique. If he was a Psychic-type yer or a normal All-Rounder, it was certain that he would not have been able to pass through the yellow hell of gravity.

    <i>¡®And secondly... provision of food and water to sustain me during the passage through the yellow hell.¡¯</i>

    Fortunately, there was food in the yellow hell.

    <i>¡®Just that it''s all hanging on the trees.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not know how many times he had waited while biting his lips, looking at the fruits that did not fall off the branches. Eventually, he realized that even if the gravity was 10 times more than Earth¡¯s, the fruit hanging on the trees was not affected by it. In the end, Yu-Seong had to ovee the over-gravity and climb the trees.

    It was during those moments that he could understand why the ce had been referred to as hell. But being able to finally eat the fruit after all of that effort was indescribable.

    <i>¡®It wasn''t a joke.¡¯</i>

    The fruit was a great source of energy as it replenished both calories and hydration. It had offered Yu-Seong much-needed strength and motivation to take another step forward. As a result, he had finally reached the end of the yellow hell of gravity with great difficulty.

    <i>¡®In fact, the yellow hell itself can even be seen as a rewarding experience.¡¯</i>

    At first, the yellow hell¡¯s intense gravity did make walking a huge struggle for Yu-Seong. However, after a while, he could take quick strides and eventually run with rtive ease. It was as if the yellow hell had be his personal training ground.

    When he finally reached the empty space where Mr. Guy had been waiting, Yu-Seong was surprised by the feeling of freedom and ease in his body.

    <i>¡®Even among the same D-rank, I think I have grown at least 1.5 times stronger than before the promotion¡­¡¯</i>

    He had thought that he had reached the peak of growth within his D-rank, but there was actually still more growth to look forward to.

    <i>¡®Yes, training never truly ends.¡¯?</i>

    It was true that awakening as a yer had allowed Yu-Seong to acquire abilities a lot more easily. However, if that was all there was to it, the world of the yer would be ruled solely by rank.

    <i>¡®Even someone like her, a real Irregr, wouldn''t have appeared.¡¯?</i>

    There existed a person in this world who possessed absolute strength that was unrted to rank. At this moment, Yu-Seong clenched his fist as he thought of Kim Do-Jin¡¯s master in the original novel.

    <i>¡®I must not stop researching, developing, and training.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had understood this before, but now he felt it even more strongly, thanks to the yellow hell.

    Mr. Guy, who quietly mumbled something toward the sky, was ring at Yu-Seong as if he were in pain. Massaging his temples with his fingers, he said, "Well... Due to theints of the higher-ups, the settlement of rewards has been dyed. I apologize for this.¡±

    "Don¡¯t mention it. Now that we''re done talking, can I ask a question?"

    "Please do."

    "Um, how long was I in the yellow hell? Time seems to have lost its meaning there."

    "Oh, about six months, ording to this ce''s flow of time."

    Choi Yu-Seong widened his eyes at how much time had passed unexpectedly. He was surprised since growth was important to him, and so every day counted. He then asked, "...By Earth''s standard?"

    "Let me see. About two months, I believe."

    "What a waste..."

    Even though the promotion examination could usuallyst for quite some time, two months was still a lot longer than Yu-Seong had expected.

    "It¡¯s thanks to the many gods who have put in effort on the Five-Colored Hells. But anyways, the prepared reward is not too bad, so you don''t have to feel too upset," said Mr. Guy.

    "Of course," said Yu-Seong.

    He thought that the yellow hell was already no different from a reward, but it was still a trial nheless. If the yellow hell itself was truly a reward, it would be hard to imagine how much praise he could say right now.

    "By the way, Lok... I mean, A Joke-loving Prankster seems to have lots ofints?" asked Yu-Seong. He quickly closed his mouth before unintentionally mentioning the name of Loki. For some reason, gods didn''t seem to like it when their true identities were revealed.

    This waspletely unrted to whether the yer was aware of it or not.

    "No, the god A Joke-loving Prankster only expressed regret. Comints came from elsewhere," said Mr. Guy.

    "From elsewhere?"

    "It has something to do with business secrets..."

    Choi Yu-Seong had thought that Loki would be the most likely one to be grumpy, so he widened his eyes in surprise.

    <i>''Then who could it be?''?</i>

    In fact, the truth was hard to find. As Yu-Seong began to handle the power of thunder, many gods rted to lightning began to pay attention to him. Other gods also began to realize that he was growing explosively. If he simply thought that they were all looking at him favorably, it would be a naive assumption. After all, there were most likely gods who were just watching him without sending him any messages or support.

    <i>¡®Although, there would be those who support me and yet still seek to critique me.¡¯</i>

    For example, while Yu-Seong may not have wanted to admit it, the rtionship between Choi Yu-Seong and Loki was quite deep. This was inevitable because Loki was one of the three gods who supported Yu-Seong the most firmly.

    Of course, this meant that other Northern European gods, such as Odin and Thor, who did not have a good rtionship with Loki, may not view Yu-Seong favorably. Even though they supported Yu-Seong and showed interest, they might actually have tried to criticize and torment him through scrutiny if it seemed that he would be of great help to Loki.

    <i>''Come to think of it, recently, Loki''s message has decreased significantly.¡¯</i>

    Also, most of the messages were strangely aggressive in content.

    <i>¡®Is this guy being careful in his own way¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not say this question out loud. If it was true that Loki was purposely choosing to be harsh in order to support Yu-Seong, then there was a need for Yu-Seong himself to meet that new expectation to some extent.

    "Personally, I thought theints woulde from A Joke-loving Prankster. You know, his personality is really bad," said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Hong hong¡­¡± Mr. Guy scratched his cheek with an awkward smile.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster sends an angry look at the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The Oldest Hunter supports the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The Cnn¡¯s Hound nods while looking at the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The Friend of Thunder and Hammerughs heartily towards the yer Choi Yu-Seong.

    - The Father of Magical Hymns looks at the yer Choi Yu-Seong with an ambiguous expression.

    The reaction of the Northern European gods followed shortly after.

    <i>¡®Regardless of his sincerity¡­¡¯</i>

    It was clear that there weren¡¯t any gods who thought that Loki had a good personality.

    "Alright, alright, let''s move past the parts that I cannot talk about. I have something to say about the reward settlement," said Mr. Guy.

    "What?"

    "It may not have been particrly difficult for you, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, but the fact that the Five-Colored Hells appeared during the C-rank promotion examination is an unprecedented event. So, there are two options."

    "Oh, wow...?"

    "First option is a veryrge and good reward. The second option is several small and quite good rewards. Although it''s bold of me to say whichever one would be better for you, none of them would be disappointing. I also took care of the rewards in my own way," said Mr. Guy.

    From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective as an ordinary yer, the second choice could be considered a pretty good deal. He made a decision without any hesitation. When such a fork in the road came, Yu-Seong''s choice was always the same.

    He knew that minor details could be ovee through the future information he had gotten through reading the original novel and through the Eye of Replication skill. However, the chance of a veryrge reward being a difficult-to-obtain kind of ability was high.

    "I¡¯ll go for a veryrge and good reward."

    "Alright. Please close your eyes and count to three." Mr. Guy nodded cheerfully.

    Choi Yu-Seong, with his eyes closed, began counting as instructed.

    <i>''Three, two, one...''?</i>

    As he finished counting thest number, his consciousness slowly started to fade away.

    .

    "I''m not sure if you trust me, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, but I always support you. Hong hong."

    As always, Mr. Guy''s gentle voice followed Yu-Seong.

    ***

    Yu-Seong regained consciousness, opening his eyes in shock upon hearing a loud roar that filled the entire house. He hadn''t had the chance to read the messages congratting him on his promotion yet.

    <i>¡®What was that bomb-like noise just now?¡¯</i>

    With wide eyes of surprise, Yu-Seong rushed toward the living room. He saw Jin Yu-Ri, who had made a weapon using her Shapeshift skill with a serious expression, and Jennie, who was guarding the path to Yu-Seong''s room with a gun in her hand. The next person he saw was a white-haired woman wearing a ck robe.

    Yu-Seong could only make a surprised expression while looking at the woman who appeared to be in her 20s. He had never seen her in person before, but he had seen her through photos and videos several times.

    <i>¡®Helen Mirren?¡¯</i>

    She was Helen Mirren, the Miraculous Alchemist looking for the Philosopher''s Stone. She was the one who Yu-Seong had also hoped to meet for Jin Do-Yoon''s treatment.

    Yu-Seong had been away from Earth for about two months due to his promotion examination, so it was not strange that she had already returned to Earth after wandering in dungeons. However, it was strange that Helen Mirren was already at his house and staring at Yu-Ri and Jenny. Yu-Seong couldn''t understand why.

    A brief moment of contemtion passed before Yu-Seong noticed that Helen Mirren was now looking right at him. With a smile, she said, "I was counting the minutes until I saw you, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    At the same time, the sharp energy that filled the entire house dissipated rapidly.

 Chapter 139

    <h4>Chapter 139 </h4>

    Helen Mirren was emitting an unusually fierce energy before Yu-Seong appeared, and the reason for that was nothing special.

    "So you got angry from waiting?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "I am not known for my patience, and I am not a pleasant person, sweetie," said Helen.

    Helen Mirren had the appearance of a young woman in her early to mid-20s, but she was actually over the age of 80. It was not strange for her to call Yu-Seong ¡®sweetie¡¯ in such a condescending manner.

    "Why did you take the promotion examination after calling me to Korea?" Helen asked irritatedly.

    Yu-Seong was briefly lost in contemtion. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t take him long toe up with an answer.

    <i>¡®Helen Mirren is hard to meet once she enters the dungeon, where she¡¯ll stay for at least a few months or even up to a year.¡¯</i>

    Without contacting Helen Mirren immediately, Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s treatment would have been too dyed. Therefore, even though Yu-Seong had been undergoing the promotion evaluation, Jin Yu-Ri had decided to contact Helen urgently and had luckily been able to reach her.

    "That¡¯s inevitable. If seonbae-nim suddenly goes into the dungeon and doesn''te out for a few months, there''s nothing we can do about it, right?" said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong felt that Yu-Ri had made the right decision, so he expressed that opinion confidently.

    Lifting an eyebrow, Helen said, "Alright, sure, let¡¯s say that¡¯s inevitable. But why make me wait for more than a month?"

    "Did you really wait for a month?" asked Yu-Seong in surprise.

    Helen Mirren was known as an impatient person. It was rather unexpected that she would wait around for Yu-Seong for more than a month.

    <i>¡®I never would have thought that the promotion examination would take two months. but¡­¡¯</i>

    Helen furrowed her eyebrows and nodded fiercely. She yelled, ¡°Now you finally realize how much of a mistake you''ve made!¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± said Yu-Seong

    ¡°What?¡± scoffed Helen incredulously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the ability to set the duration of the promotion examination, and I wouldn¡¯t know how much time has passed here upon entering it. How can this be my fault? Seonbae-nim''s words are just empty talk,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Wow, this brat is talking back to an adult, look at him¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, it''s interesting that you, seonbae-nim, can speak Korean so well.¡±

    ¡°Curious? If you''re curious, ask your daddy Choi! Hmph!¡± Helen gnawed on her lip as she red at Yu-Seong. She was struggling to keep her anger in.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it¡­ She¡¯s not putting up with me just because I know the location of the Philosopher''s Stone, is she¡­?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong, feeling surprised, looked at Helen closely. He noticed her disdainful expression.

    "You really thought I came all the way to Korea and waited this long just because I believed what you said? You¡¯re just some kid!¡±

    Helen Mirren looked young, but she was in fact an old fox of over 80 years old. As if able to read Yu-Seong¡¯s mind from his expression alone, Helen gave him a contemptuous look.

    <i>''Father''s third gift is Helen Mirren.''?</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae must have known that Yu-Seong was searching for the Miraculous Alchemist. It would have been strange for him to remain oblivious since Yu-Seong was looking for her quite openly.

    ¡°I am indeed looking for the Philosopher''s Stone, but after so many years of dealing with various guys, I''ve developed some sense of judgment. If your name was the only thing written in the message that led me here, I wouldn''t have waited a day, let alone a month," said Helen.

    "I see," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Good. I can be nice and say that everything you¡¯ve done so far, like making me wait, is okay and let you off the hook. But if you''re lying about the Philosopher''s Stone..." Helen spoke as she suddenly began emanating dark energy. She added, "I won¡¯t consider your father¡¯s reputation, and you''ll experience the worst suffering you can imagine.¡±

    A chill ran down Yu-Seong¡¯s spine. Wiping the cold sweat on his forehead, he forced a smile and disguised his real feelings.

    <i>¡®Father''s gifts nevere without a catch.¡¯</i>

    If he was not careful, the gift could turn into poison. Yu-Seong had to handle the situation with care.

    "Hey, kid, I''ll give you onest chance if you¡¯re lying to me. Do you really know where the Philosopher''s Stone is? If you tell me honestly now, I''ll let you off by only cutting off one of your legs.¡± Helen disyed a cold smile.

    Yu-Seong gave a slight nod. He did have a fair amount of confidence in the location of the Philosopher''s Stone.

    "Where is it?"

    "Do you know Pyongyang?"

    Helen¡¯s eyes widened because she certainly knew the ce. She asked, "Isn''t that the only remaining area of humanity in North Korea?"

    "That''s right. In Pyongyang, that''s where the Philosopher''s Stone is at," said Yu-Seong.

    The Philosopher''s Stone was hidden underground in Pyongyang. Thus, Yu-Seong knew the location but thought it would be difficult to ess.

    Despite losing most of its territory, the Kim family, who ruled North Korea, still held unchallenged power in Pyongyang and received god-like worship. However, from the perspective of other countries, North Korea was now little more than a city-state.

    <i>¡®The military was desperately trying to defend Pyongyang from monster breaks originating from the outside, but this was all they could urgently defend. Although rumors said that there are many skilled hunters thanks to their harsh living conditions¡­¡¯</i>

    Evenpared to the dire state of the Earth¡¯s North Korea, it was the worst-case scenario.

    <i>¡®It''s not strange that North Korea continues to survive even as it approaches its demise.¡¯</i>

    It was because of the Philosopher''s Stone. To be precise, a group seeking the power of the Philosopher''s Stone was ruling Pyongyang.

    <i>¡®The Demon King Worshipers.¡¯</i>

    They believed that, by using the Philosopher''s Stone, they could have support in summoning the Demon King. They were currently conducting various cruel experiments using the lives of Kim Un-Jeong and the citizens of Pyongyang as coteral.

    <i>¡®After all, the person who first obtained the Philosopher''s Stone was the Godfather¡­¡¯</i>

    Godfather, the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, had realized the great power and dangers of the Philosopher''s Stone before handing it over to Kim Un-Jeong. He chose not to use the power recklessly until it could bepletely controlled. It was a cruel but prudent choice of the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ Godfather, and thanks to that, the Kim family were able to maintain the city of Pyongyang.

    Helen''s lips twisted peculiarly as she fell into a momentary silence. She tried to organize her thoughts before saying, "For sure, I''ve never been to Pyongyang, but I''ve heard rumors about Kim Un-Jeong being an alchemist. But...the Philosopher''s Stone is quite a powerful object for him to deal with¡­¡±

    "Kim Un-Jeong is a follower of the Demon King Worshipers," said Yu-Seong.

    "Well¡­ I guess that''s how that small city has managed to survive until now."

    That was the reason why Helen Mirren hadn¡¯t been able to find any clues or obtain the Philosopher''s Stone itself.

    ¡°Those damn Demon King Worshipers..." Helen red at the distant horizon as a malicious energy flowed through her.

    <i>''Good.''?</i>

    In truth, Helen Mirren was not a good person. Why else would even Yu-Ri firmly stop Yu-Seong when he had mentioned the Miraculous Alchemist? Helen Mirren¡¯s personality was unpredictable and wild, and nobody could tell just where she would end up. It was also understandable for Yu-Ri to feel resentful toward Helen, whose help always came at an unreasonably high cost.

    The most important point was that, at this moment, Helen held a grudge against the Demon King Worshipers.

    <i>¡®After all, Demon King Worshipers have used and taken advantage of Helen Mirren several times.¡¯</i>

    The Demon King Worshipers were aware of the location of the Philosopher''s Stone, but had kept it a secret and had provided Helen Mirren with false information. They also took advantage of her.

    Even if Helen Mirren was a skilled and powerful hunter, she had no way of getting the information if the worst criminal organization¡ªthe Demon King Worshipers, particrly the Godfather¡ªwas using their full power to cover it up. Now that she had just found out this truth, how could she not hold a grudge? From now on, the Demon King Worshipers had created a formidable enemy, Helen Mirren.

    ¡°Just a moment ago, the weight of your words grew even heavier, sweetie. Do you know the meaning of the phrase ¡®equivalent exchange¡¯?¡±

    "It''s the exchange of two goods of equal value," replied Yu-Seong.

    "If the Philosopher''s Stone is in Pyongyang, and if I were to acquire it, I will pay you a fitting reward under my name, the Miraculous Alchemist. But if all of this is just a scam..."

    Looking at the woman who was threatening him, Yu-Seong awkwardlyughed and nodded. He said, "I am ready to take responsibility, so please don''t worry too much."

    Yu-Seong had his own insurance.

    "Alright. Let''s go together," Helen Mirren simply said.

    Choi Yu-Seong was surprised. "Pardon?"

    "This is your responsibility. Surely you weren''t going to send this old woman alone to that dangerous ce?" asked Helen Mirren.

    Despite her advanced age, Helen Mirren was a renowned expert recognized all over the world. On the other hand, Choi Yu-Seong had recently advanced to C-rank, and was finally gaining enough experience to no longer be a greenhorn.

    "Don''t worry. I''ll also make sure to repay you for following me..."

    "No, wait. What if I get hurt following you, seonbae-nim?"

    "I''ll heal you."

    "Alchemy is all about equivalent exchange! You¡¯re asking me for more than you¡¯re giving!"

    "But what if I get lost and can''t find my way back?" asked Helen.

    "I''ll make you a detailed map."

    "I can''t read maps."

    Helen Mirren was pretending to be nonchnt about it, but her thoughts were easy for Yu-Seong to read.

    <i>¡®If she suspects that I¡¯m lying, she wants to deal with me right away.¡¯</i>

    In any case, as long as Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s influence was present within Korea, Helen Mirren would have more incentive and pressure to harm Yu-Seong.

    "I can''t go. Pyongyang is too dangerous for me," said Yu-Seong.

    "Sweetie, does my proposal sound like a casual suggestion to you?"

    Helen Mirren''s attitude changed once again. At the same time, Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny, who had both been guarding Yu-Seong, pulled out their weapons again. The sharp and confrontational air that had been present before Yu-Seong''s appearance had returned to the room.

    Yu-Seong frowned as he slowly transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into the spear.

    <i>''I can''t keep being treated like a fool anymore.¡¯</i>

    The opponent was an S-rank hunter and an Irregr, so she was particrly powerful. However, Choi Yu-Seong did not spend all his time training and improving himself in vain.

    <i>''If there is amotion, the people around will hear and report it.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong just had to hold out until that moment. If there was an ident at his house, Choi Woo-Jae would not stand idly since he had already lost Yu-Seong once.

    ¡°Sweetie, it¡¯s notte to follow me. Listen to me calmly ande with me. Otherwise, your precious two people could get hurt," Helen cooed, trying to persuade Yu-Seong.

    However, this situation was like spilled milk.

    Yu-Seong firmly shook his head. At the same time, he tensed his shoulders and activated his Third Eye skill.

    "Who do you think you are¡­to take Choi Yu-Seong away?" a low male voice echoed coldly.

    A silver sword light split Helen¡¯s dark energy wide open. Then, it spread out andpletely destroyed the tension between Helen and Yu-Seong. It was an overwhelming presence. Pure power itself might be pushed back, but this pressure was enough to overwhelm the S-rank hunter Helen Mirren.

    The cold tip of the man¡¯s sword was pointed at Helen''s neck.

    "If you want to take someone with you, at least get the person''s consent, old woman."

    It was the arrival of the returnee, Kim Do-Jin.

    1. This term is used in South Korea to address or refer to an older person who is in a position of seniority, such as a mentor, a teacher, or a senior colleague

 Chapter 140

    <h4>Chapter 140 </h4>

    Kim Do-Jin''s sudden appearance was unexpected. He had simply flown into the house.

    <i>¡®How...did you¡­?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong asked with his eyes.

    Kim Do-Jin continued to release sword energy while keeping his gaze and sword tip on Helen Mirren. At first nce, it appeared as though he was the only one exerting pressure on Helen Mirren. In reality, however, even the slightest mistake on his part could result in a perilous oue for himself.

    "...You''re Kim Do-Jin," said Helen with a frown. After a brief contemtion, she clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Hah... the best among the rookies? Looks like everyone''s eyes are no different from a blind man''s. You are already close to being a perfectionist, huh.¡±

    With her sharp gaze on the tip of Kim Do-Jin''s sword, Helen added, "But sweetie, that sword still cannot reach me. I don''t know why you got involved in this, but wouldn''t it be better to back off now?"

    "As long as there is a will, the sword will reach its ce," said Do-Jin.

    Yu-Seong was surprised by those words.

    <i>¡®The peak of martial arts mastery!¡¯</i>

    The peak of martial arts mastery was too high a level to be achieved in this world. It wouldn¡¯t be possible even if he returned to modern times and had ovee numerous crises.

    Yu-Seong lowered his head.

    <i>''If he has already reached the peak of martial arts mastery, then he already would have killed my father.''</i>

    If Do-Jin was already at the peak of martial arts mastery, his sudden appearance would have killed Helen Mirren already. However, it did seem like Do-Jin was getting idental glimpses of the peak of martial arts mastery.

    <i>¡®He is just catching a glimpse of it... Wait, but what''s his rank and level now?¡¯</i>

    Regardless of Kim Do-Jin''s current rank and level, he was still progressing at a rapid pace. His growth was clearly surpassing the character in the original novel that Choi Yu-Seong had read about.

    ¡°...That¡¯s an interesting statement,¡± said Helen Mirren, who also felt something from Do-Jin¡¯s statement. Feeling slightly surprised, she widened her eyes and stared at Do-Jin.

    ¡°Since when did the Seductive Demon be so loose-lipped?" said Do-Jin.

    Helen''s face twisted into a sneer, because that was a nickname she hated the most. She said, "Most alchemists are like that. They have a lot of thoughts all of the time. When we think too much, our thoughts be disorganized, so we have to spit some out to help with that process. Well, let''s cut the nonsense for now."

    The first one to ease off was Helen. She held up her arms in a gesture of surrender and plopped down on the couch. She then said, "To be honest, no matter how much I boast, I can''t guarantee a win against four people. If I decide to kill, there might be a difference, but..."

    Helen shrugged with a bitter smile, feeling resigned and helpless. She couldn¡¯t afford to offend Choi Woo-Jae.

    Once again, the brewing storm went away. The tension in the room dissipated. Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny, who had been holding their breath for a while, breathed a sigh of relief.

    "That¡¯s just impossible.¡± Kim Do-Jin snorted. He slowly sheathed his sword since Helen no longer showed any intention to attack.

    "Are you two friends? You two look alike. You both always stand your ground and never back down easily too," said Helen.

    "We''re not friends," replied Yu-Seong immediately.

    "I''ve also never thought of you as a friend." Kim Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong sharply.

    "Haha... So you two are in love?" said Helen.

    "Old woman, do you want to get beat up?" shouted Do-Jin as he unsheathed his sword again.

    Yu-Seong quickly shook his head. "Unfortunately, I have no interest in men.¡±

    "Yeah, yeah. Let''s move on to the main topic. Young Choi," said Helen. Looking right at Yu-Seong, she said, "If I can''t bring you with me by force, I guess we''ll have to negotiate. I need you under any circumstances.¡±

    "Just in case?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Yeah, just in case. You said it easily, but if there are really Demon King Worshiper bastards in Pyongyang, it would be impossible for me to steal the Philosopher¡¯s Stone alone," said Helen.

    "Hmm..." Yu-Seong sighed.

    They both had thought of a ¡®just in case¡¯ scenario, but their criteria for what that meant were slightly different.

    "So, I was thinking of taking you with me and taking the girls behind you as hostages to get the job done. Hahaha," Helen Mirren candidly confessed all of her ns and shrugged. She continued, "Let''s do this, sweetie. I''ve never made this kind of proposal before. I assume you were trying to help me find the Philosopher''s Stone since you also have something you wish for, right? Whatever that wish may be, I''ll fulfill it in advance.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong couldn''t hide his surprise because he knew that Helen Mirren''s alchemy was based on the principle of equivalent exchange. For her to fulfill a distant wish without receiving anything in return, she was showing that she would sacrifice something too.

    <i>¡®Since there are no miracles without a price.¡¯</i>

    Helen Mirren''s proposal was certainly attractive. However, this would be more of a breakeven scenario than one raking in a profit.

    Hiding his surprise, Yu-Seong said, "It''s not enough. I have to stake my life.¡±

    "Most of the people who ask me for a wish do end up staking their lives. Are you scared now?" asked Helen Mirren.

    "Yes. I want to live," answered Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong always lived life on the edge, but he had never lived with the resolve to die.

    "Let''s do this, Helen Mirren. I have two conditions. First, as you said, please treat the patient I want in advance, and second, give me five Return Stones," said Yu-Seong.

    "What...? How do you know about Return Stones?"

    Choi Yu-Seong had originally thought of demanding both Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s treatment and the Return Stones after handing over the Philosopher''s Stone.

    <i>¡®The Philosopher''s Stone is worth enough for it to be an equal exchange.¡¯</i>

    Return Stones were one of Helen''s inventions, and Yu-Seong needed them for himself.

    <i>¡®The owner of the Return Stone and one apanying person can use it to be transported to a designated location.¡¯?</i>

    This might not sound special, but the Return Stone had one remarkable aspect.

    <i>¡®There are no restrictions on distance or space.¡¯</i>

    If the designated points were set in advance, one could activate the Return Stone and travel between the United States and Korea in a single minute. Of course, such a fantastic item naturally had penalties.

    <i>¡®Limited to one use.¡¯</i>

    After being used, the Return Stone would turn into sand and disappear.

    The original novel had mentioned that the raw materials needed to make one Return Stone exceeded several hundred billion won. It could only be made by Helen Mirren too, so its value could actually be said to be incalcble.

    "Is that important?" Yu-Seong asked calmly.

    The Return Stone was notmonly known, but it also was not a secret. For example, it could be assumed that most of Helen Mirren''s wealthy clients knew about the Return Stones.

    ¡°It is indeed important. I make sure to enforce a confidentiality agreement with those to whom I sell Return Stones. If they break the confidentiality agreement, they will no longer be human.¡±

    Choi Yu-Seong didn''t know about such a confidentiality agreement, so he let out an awkwardugh.

    "Hmm." Helen clicked her tongue and nodded. She said, "At least your father, Choi, is not the one. As I can see that he is still alive.¡±

    "Everyone has secrets. What do you think, seonbae-nim? I am listening to your request and offering to take it up,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    With the five Return Stones, Yu-Seong could go to Pyongyang together with Helen Mirren and escape when it got dangerous. He could also make this trip with a good safety for himself.

    In truth, Helen Mirren was not the true danger here.

    <i>¡®The danger lies in thend of Pyongyang itself.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong knew one more secret that Helen Mirren needed to know about. Keeping that as a hidden card up his sleeve, he had less to worry about regarding Helen. He was more worried about the other aspects.

    "Five Return Stones... You are quite greedy. Let''s settle for three," Helen said.

    "Five or nothing."

    "Three."

    "Let''s pretend it never happened."

    "Ah, you little thing...!" Helen stood up from her seat in anger, nced at Jin Yu-Ri, Jenny, and Kim Do-Jin, who all surrounded Yu-Seong, and breathed a sigh. She nodded. "Fine, five, but for now, I only have three. It¡¯s not the easiest thing to make in the world.¡±

    Yu-Seong lightly nodded and smiled. ¡°We will draw up a contract that states you will no longer be a human upon breaking the contract. And I have onest proposal."

    "Another one¡­?!"

    "You are the current representative of the Researchers of Miracles, right?¡±

    "You damn brat. How many secrets do you have?" cried Helen.

    The Researchers of Miracles, based in San Francisco, USA, was the world''srgest alchemist organization. They produced most of the alchemical products being supplied worldwide. Unfortunately, there were not many alchemical products yet, and they had not been able to exert much influence.

    But in the future, they would be a giantpany that controlled the world economy in partnership with artifact creators. The only problem was that the leader¡¯s identity would not be fully revealed until the end.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, only Kim Do-Jin learns the leader¡¯s identity through the Philosopher''s Stone.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, Kim Do-Jin, through a contract with Helen Mirren, had received about 5% of the shares of the Researchers of Miracles and umted quite arge fortune. However, what Yu-Seong wanted was something much more than that.

    ¡°Give me half of your shares in the Researchers of Miracles,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "What...?"

    In fact, the Researchers of Miracles did not receive much investment. Helen Mirren, the founder of the organization, already had a lot of money, so she held onto a significant 60% of thepany¡¯s shares.

    This was one of the reasons why Helen Mirren could be confident when she had the conflict with the Rochchild family, who was known as the center of the global economy in the original novel. In fact, giving half of her shares to Yu-Seong meant that he could be a co-owner of the Researchers of Miracles.

    <i>¡®With this, I can be a tycoon, maybe even a billionaire.¡¯</i>

    Anyways, if he had to go to Pyongyang, Yu-Seong might as well go all in. Furthermore, The Researchers of Miracles didn¡¯t have much value yet, so it would be easier for him to acquire it now.

    <i>¡®She wouldn¡¯t even contemte it if she knew what¡¯s going to happen in the future, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Helen Mirren deeply contemted as she furrowed her brow and bit her lip.

    Choi Yu-Seong had decided to take the plunge. In fact, the oue of this negotiation was already predetermined.

    ¡°If you don''t like it, then quit. I also don''t like doing things that require me to risk my life¡­¡±

    "Who said I wouldn''t be interested? I was simply calcting the value of half a share. What a cunning little demon!" Helen Mirren shouted.

    ¡°Does that mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I''ll do it! Dang it! What a demon. Even worse than the big Choi guy!¡±

    Helen Mirren, also known as the Seductive Demon, was defeated by another demon who tempted her with the use of ruthless business methods for the first time.

 Chapter 141

    <h4>Chapter 141 </h4>

    After the deal was made, Helen Mirren immediately headed to the hospital with Jin Yu-Ri to treat Jin Do-Yoon. She returned less than an hourter because she hated procrastinating.

    "I kept my first promise."

    Yu-Seong looked at Jin Yu-Ri, who gave a subtle nod. The slight hint of excitement on her face and the redness in her cheeks clearly expressed how she was feeling.

    <i>''Impressive. As expected of the Miraculous Alchemist.''?</i>

    Helen Mirren''s skills were far more effective than Heal-type yers when it came to regeneration.

    ¡°It costs a lot to recover a lost foot. To heal him, I actually lost 50 of my personally crafted Homunculus.¡±

    Helen Mirren approached the creation of miracles in a somewhat alchemical way.

    <i>''Miracles from sacrificing artificial life forms and achieving equivalent exchanges...''?</i>

    Generally, an extremely talented alchemist could create around 1000 Homunculus in their lifetime. That was the average for creating low-grade artificial life forms that had no ego or self. In fact, a properly made Homunculus that appeared to be alive¡­ Not even the world''s most respected alchemist Helen Mirren could create more than ten in a lifetime.

    "Thank you," said Yu-Seong sincerely.

    He slowly stood up. Now that Jin Do-Yoon¡¯s problem was solved, it was time for him to head to Pyongyang together with Helen Mirren. Of course, he wanted to receive something else before starting the journey.

    "Can I ask for three Return Stones first?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Helen Mirren had her own n for infiltrating Pyongyang. However,ing back was a separate matter. It was wise toe up with a rough n for returning to Seoul first.

    Helen Mirren looked a bit dissatisfied, but she knew there was no point in arguing anymore. She handed over the three Return Stones to Yu-Seong.

    As Yu-Seong used mana and Chakra on the Return Stones, a message appeared alongside a burst of blue light. The return point had been set.

    <i>''Is this how the Return Stone works? It¡¯s pretty interesting.''?</i>

    In that short time, Helen Mirren also copied Yu-Seong and set the same return point. When Yu-Seong looked at her in surprise, she simply said, "What? Is there a reason I can''t return to this house too?"

    "Not really, but..."

    "Hmph." Helen snorted before looking around the room. She asked, "So, who will be joining us?"

    Before going to treat Jin Do-Yoon, Helen Mirren had specified that one more person should join them on their trip to Pyongyang. Even if Yu-Seong was a hunter in C-rank with overwhelming abilities, he needed a reliablepanion in hostile territory.

    There had been a smallmotion earlier on, but the decision was made now.

    "I''ll being along," said Kim Do-Jin with a slightly raised hand.

    Jin Yu-Ri furrowed her brows. ¡°You¡¯re the one joining them in the end?¡±

    Helen nodded as if she had expected this decision.

    <i>¡®Jenny has many responsibilities as the Hidden Team¡¯s leader, and she''s also making great progress in the retrieval of ancient relics. It would be a shame if she left with us.¡¯</i>

    As for Jin Yu-Ri, she managed the affairs of the house when Choi Yu-Seong wasn¡¯t around.

    <i>¡®She also should stay behind since Jin Do-Yoon will be returning soon too, and we have to take care of Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk as well.¡¯</i>

    From a report that Jenny had given, Chae Ye-Ryeong was supporting Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s growth in various ways, such as going on hunts together. Thanks to that, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was growing quickly, already entering the D-rank promotion examination.

    <i>¡®The Titanic Growth skill is giving him great help¡­ By the time I finish my work in Pyongyang, he may have entered the C-rank like me.¡¯</i>

    If his colleagues could match his level of power, Choi Yu-Seong only stood to benefit even more. However, for now, he believed it best that Yu-Ri remained at home.

    <i>¡®Since Jin Yu-Ri has the authority to operate my property.¡¯</i>

    Jenny could take over Yu-Ri¡¯s responsibilities, but that wouldn¡¯t be ideal at all. Yu-Ri could never be overlooked within the household.

    Most importantly, Kim Do-Jin had risen to B-rank. This meant that his power would be closer to the level of A-rank.

    <i>''Based on the fact that he also uses magic¡­¡¯</i>

    Evenpared to S-rank yers and hunters, who were known as superhuman, Do-Jin would have impressive abilities.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not a returnee for nothing.¡¯</i>

    Ultimately, as long as he did not change his mind, Kim Do-Jin was a reliable insurance for Choi Yu-Seong. That was why Yu-Seong had made the suggestion for Do-Jin toe along, and Do-Jin did agree after some thought.

    Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny also had some concerns, but they trusted Yu-Seong. They did not express any major dissatisfaction.

    ***

    Helen''s infiltration n for Pyongyang was somewhat simple.

    <i>¡®I didn''t even imagine directly contacting the President of Russia.¡¯</i>

    Currently, the only countries that shared a somewhat friendly rtionship with Pyongyang were China and Russia.

    <i>¡®But, unofficially, there are more countries involved with the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯</i>

    In any case, Russia and Pyongyang had a pretty alright rtionship.

    Helen had been active for a long time and had performed many miracles through alchemy. Not only was she called the Miraculous Alchemist, but she also had a connection with the President of Russia, Smirnova Valentina, who was also known as the Iron Blood Empress.

    <i>¡®The original novel didn¡¯t mention much about it, so I am not too sure¡­ But if she can directly contact the Iron Blood Empress, it''s not a casual rtionship, I suppose.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong, Do-Jin, and Helen took a ne and crossed to divostok. Then, with the Iron Blood Empress¡¯ help, they were able to be transported directly to Pyongyang.

    Upon safely arriving at Pyongyang, Choi Yu-Seong wiped the sweat from the mask that Helen Mirren had given him. He breathed a sigh of relief.

    <i>¡®Why are there so many monsters in the sky? I am tired to death.¡¯</i>

    This was not a joke. During the flight to Pyongyang, they had been attacked more than ten times. Fortunately, with Russia¡¯s special hunter squadposed of at least A-rank hunters guarding their transports, none of the attacks had resulted in casualties.

    However, whenever giant monsters appeared in the sky, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel his heart pounding and his body trembling.

    The trio had only managed to reach Pyongyang¡¯s only lodging, the Pyongyang Hotel, safely because of the protection of the Russian special forces.

    "Whoa..."

    Once he entered the room, Yu-Seong attempted to remove his skinsuit, the mask that was made of animal hide covering him. However, Helen Mirren stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

    Helen said, ¡°The skinsuit will look weird if you take it off now and attempt to wear it againter. It may be ufortable, but you must endure it. Given that both of you are well-known figures, this was an unavoidable decision.¡±

    Yu-Seong put his hand down. He wanted to cry.

    Meanwhile, Kim Do-Jin walked towards the hotel window with a rxed expression and gazed out at the city of Pyongyang.

    "The kid over there appears to be quite apprehensive, but you seem to be quiteposed,"mented Helen.

    Flying monsters constantly attacked from the sky. At the same time, there were hordes of ground monsters on the ckened ground. This area was certainly called a death ground.

    Since he had infiltrated the dangerous city of Pyongyang, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel tense.

    Kim Do-Jin looked back at Yu-Seong and Helen calmly. He said, "It¡¯s familiar to me.¡±

    "Oh... I thought you¡¯re just another rookie from South Korea, but it seems like you have quite a bit of outside experience. Were you originally a soldier or a mercenary?" asked Helen.

    Kim Do-Jin turned to give Helen Mirren a cold smile. "I''ve certainly done a lot of killing."

    "That''s what I thought. I can smell the blood on you, just as I can on myself. It''s very strong and pungent... Haha," Helenughed. She then slicked her hair back and looked at Yu-Seong again. She said, "Tomorrow, we need to go out and confirm the exact location at lunchtime. We can start prepping tonight. Make sure to rest and conserve your energy as much as possible today.¡±

    "...Thank you," replied Yu-Seong.

    .

    Normally, Helen''s impulsive nature would have prompted her to immediately start running an investigation with Yu-Seong. This meant that she was trying to be considerate by offering both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin a day of rest.

    "It''s nothing. I¡¯m giving you a break because I don¡¯t want you messing things up,¡± Helen said. With a snort, she left the room.

    The hotel room fell silent, with only Yu-Seong and Do-Jin still hanging around. Finally able to rx, Yu-Seongy down on the bed. He closed his eyes and was lost in thought.

    <i>¡®I''m really in Pyongyang.¡¯</i>

    Just three days ago, Yu-Seong had made the deal with Helen Mirren. Then, today, he was already in Pyongyang. In terms of distance alone, he could have arrived in just a day if he had traveled alone. However, as a South Korean, he couldn''t have imagined that reaching Pyongyang would be so easy.

    <i>¡®Whether in a past life or present life¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had thought that Pyongyang had no rtionship to him, but he found the ce familiar. He didn¡¯t think it was strange at all.

    <i>¡®In fact, I never even imagined I would end up in a novel.¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong slowly regted his breathing, Kim Do-Jin looked out the hotel window and said, "You sure seemfortable. Are you really nning on sleeping like that?¡±

    "Why? Is there a problem?" Yu-Seong asked as he opened his eyes. He was surprisingly at ease with the dangerous returnee nearby.

    "That woman is a dangerous person," said Do-Jin.

    "I know."

    "She has a strong smell of blood."

    "It''s the same as yours."

    "I had no choice in the matter."

    "Everyone has their reasons. You didn''te chasing after me for pointless talk, did you?" Yu-Seong asked. Feeling curious, he continued, ¡°Anyways, why did you say you were following me? And why did youe to my house?¡±

    Despite the fact that Kim Do-Jin''s assistance had greatly facilitated things for him, Yu-Seong was bound to have some questions.

    "Do I have to answer?" asked Do-Jin.

    "You''re just a brat," Yu-Seong said. He then closed his eyes.

    Kim Do-Jin sneered. He turned to look out of the window again, thinking that he only had one reason for going to Yu-Seong¡¯s house.

    <i>''Because I am now a B-rank hunter.''?</i>

    Do-Jin had also received a pretty good reward after passing the promotion examination. Thanks to that, he was now at a level where he wouldn¡¯t be afraid to battle a moderate S-rank hunter.

    <i>''Is the guy a returnee like me or...does he have another secret?''</i>

    Also, Do-Jin had to know what Yu-Seong was hiding. He thought that might be the reason why Yu-Seong was constantly on his mind and bothering him.

    Earlier on, Do-Jin had gone to Yu-Seong¡¯s house only to find out that some kind ofmotion was going on. He had spotted Helen Mirren, who spoke in a manner that he didn¡¯t like. The woman gave off a simrly dangerous vibe as himself, and that made him dislike her. And due to that sense of dislike, Do-Jin had decided to tag along on this trip.

    <i>¡®It doesn''t feel good in many ways.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin had Sixth Sense skill. It was almost like his intuition, but he couldn¡¯t just ignore it. The problem was, he couldn¡¯t tell who would be encountering this uing crisis.

    <i>¡®Me? Or Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    Truly, Do-Jin didn''t know why he felt that sending Yu-Seong alone to North Korea was a bad idea.

 Chapter 142

    <h4>Chapter 142 </h4>

    Kim Do-Jin was determined, so he refused to allow any potential variables to stand in his way.

    <i>¡®Yu-Seong already has a lot to hide.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin had to watch Yu-Seong as closely as possible.

    <i>¡®He seems to have been well rewarded for his promotion evaluation to C-rank¡­¡¯</i>

    While traveling to Pyongyang, Do-Jin had attempted to gauge Yu-Seong¡¯s strength. However, he still hadn¡¯t been able to uncover any of the man¡¯s secrets. It felt a little frustrating, but he didn¡¯t think it was strange.

    <i>¡®I already knew that Yu-Seong is a sly one.¡¯</i>

    This trip to Pyongyang was a tough one. Their surveince team alone had more than ten people, and that had only been for their ride to the hotel. Even now that they were in the hotel room, the surveince team still kept tabs on their every move. The team just wasn¡¯t approaching them.

    <i>''Would Choi Yu-Seong know about this?''?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin nced at Yu-Seong, whom he found difficult to evaluate. He thought it was possible that Yu-Seong''s current nervousness was merely an act.

    There was a long silence. Helen did not look for the two men, and the conversation between Yu-Seong and Do-Jin had died. The two of them also felt the watchful eyes on them slowly turning away.

    Only then did Do-Jin look away from the window. He turned to Yu-Seong and had an odd expression on his face.

    <i>''Is he really asleep?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was breathing deeply and calmly. He could be pretending, but Do-Jin felt that he was truly asleep.

    <i>¡®So, his nervousness was just a pretense.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin quickly took off his clothes and headed for the shower. As it was Pyongyang''s only hotel, the water warmed quickly when he turned on the tap. As the water washed over him and got rid of the sweat, he looked at his handsome face in the mirror.

    <i>¡®Maybe I felt anxious because I thought this was myst chance.¡¯</i>

    With only him and Yu-Seong on this journey¡ªexcluding Helen, who was a neutral party, Do-Jin saw this as a chance to gain rity on the enigmatic Yu-Seong, who was keeping secrets.

    Do-Jin was gued by the fear that if he missed this chance, he would remain at the mercy of Yu-Seong''s maniption.

    <i>¡®I am sure about this.¡¯</i>

    Believing that this was hisst chance, Kim Do-Jin made a firm resolution.

    <i>¡®During this journey, I will find out all of your secrets, Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    In the mirror, Kim Do-Jin''s eyes sparkled with confidence.

    ***

    In a spacious room with white stone walls, two people were ying chess in the center. The man looked irritated and dissatisfied with his clearly disadvantageous white horse. As for the woman, she was about to give the final blow with her ck queen and had a joyful smile on her face.

    "Checkmate. There''s no way out, Vincent. Hoho¡­" said the woman with augh.

    Vincent, a white man in his mid-30s with blonde hair and a fairplexion, had a crumpled expression on his face. "Dammit. Is this one win and 499 losses out of 500 matches?"

    "In fact, except when you first taught me chess, I''ve always beaten you, Vincent!"

    "Ha, Emilia. You''re such a wild kid. I yed it cool at first and lost on purpose, but imagine if I hadn''t. The oue would have been quite different, don''t you think?"

    "Who¡¯s that man, Vincent, looking at me with sweat on his face and gritted teeth?" said Emilia mockingly.

    Emilia, a white teenager with brown hair and a face full of freckles, yfully twisted a lock of hair.

    "Wait and see. Next time, I''ll win," said Vincent.

    "Please do, Vincent. Don''t just talk, show me~" said Emilia.

    Vincent snorted. With a slightly bitter smile, he rearranged the chess pieces on the board.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    "Vi-Vincent!"

    The tightly shut door suddenly flew open. A middle-aged Asian man with a potbelly rushed into the room. He called out for both Vincent and Emilia.

    "What? We were about to start the next game, why interrupt us?"

    "Th-That... Helen Mirren is in Pyongyang right now!"

    "What?! The Seductive Demon, that old witch, hase?" Vincent red at the Asian man¡ªKim Un-Jeong, the ruler of Pyongyang.

    Kim Un-Jeong froze. "Ah¡­ I didn¡¯t call her here. Vincent, you misunderstand."

    "Of course not. I don''t think you''re bold enough to call her here," said Vincent, clicking his tongue. He then looked over at Emilia.

    While Kim Un-Jeong was raging and mentioning Helen Mirren''s name, Emilia had a disinterested expression. Her blue eyes were fixed on the chess board, seemingly eager to see how the next game would unfold. Still, she wasn¡¯t ignoring the conversation entirely.

    "Has Helen noticed something about the Philosopher''s Stone?" Vincent cautiously asked Emilia.

    "I suppose that she has," Emilia replied.

    "But how?"

    "Maybe someone told her?"

    "It seems like there may be traitors among us,¡± Vincent said, then looked back at Kim Un-Jeong.

    Kim Un-Jeong mmed his thick jaw shut and shook his head fiercely from side to side. "I''m not a traitor. And among the people under me, only two know about the Philosopher''s Stone!"

    "There are two~" Emilya said mockingly.

    Vincent nodded.

    ¡°Those guys are definitely not traitors either. Do you know how much I''ve clipped their wings? Why would they risk their families'' lives by talking about the Philosopher''s Stone?¡± said Kim Un-Jeong.

    "You never know," said Vincent coldly.

    Kim Un-Jeong''s face turned red. He blurted out, "Things that I don''t know about can happen among the Demon King Worshipers too. Aren''t there more people who know about the Philosopher''s Stone there?!"

    "What? Kim Un-Jeong, you little brat. Are you suspecting the Godfather now?" Vincent rose from his seat, trying to intimidate Kim Un-Jeong.

    Emilia picked up a chess piece and said, "No, it does make sense. Quite a lot of people from the Demon King Worshipers know about the Philosopher''s Stone. Even if you exclude Godfather, the leaders of the Hexagram and the Twelve Dark Kings all know about it, right? This already makes twenty who are aware of the Philosopher''s Stone.¡±

    Emilia moved the chess piece forward by two spaces and looked up at Vincent. She saw his predatory gaze.

    Vincent was a skilled hunter, ranked in the top 100 among the Demon King Worshipers. His reputation as an S-rank hunter was also impressive. However, the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ situation was different from what was known in the world.

    Aside from Pride, linked with the Godfather, the leaders of the Hexagrams followed the Demon Kings of the Seven Deadly Sins. They were all highly skilled hunters of at least SS-rank. As for the Twelve Dark Kings following closely behind them, theycked separate powers like the Hexagram leaders, but they were still known to be formidable in their own unique way.

    <i>¡®Those groups have a significant number of individuals who are Irregr or non-human.¡¯</i>

    The Demon King Worshipers had been around for several decades now. Like any group that sought power, there had been internal changes in ranking, but the leaders of the Hexagrams and the Twelve ck Kings had never lost their positions.

    <i>¡®Well, I suppose there was one recent case.¡¯</i>

    Recently, it was said that the ck Stain King, the least powerful of the Twelve ck Kings, had lost to an opponent and had to cede his position.

    <i>¡®Who could it be? Who could defeat one of the Twelve ck Kings?¡¯</i>

    Vincent quickly thought up the names of people who could possibly achieve that, but he was also quick to dismiss them all. This was not the time for such pointless thoughts. The important thing was that the woman in front of him, Emilia, was said to be the ck Gauze King, ranked tenth among the Twelve ck Kings.

    Emilia was even more powerful than Vincent, who was not among the leaders of the Hexagrams or the Twelve ck Kings. She was a hunter of exceptional skill and talent, with her abilities estimated to be at least S-rank. However, her true strength was believed to surpass even that, reaching SS-rank or higher, and that made her an Irregr.

    Information about the Godfather, members of the Hexagrams, and the Twelve ck Kings was seen as confidential even among the Demon King Worshippers. This meant that Vincent could not know the exact facts either.

    Emilia, one of the Twelve ck Kings, was now looking at Vincent with a hint of suspicion. She often appeared as a yful, boisterous young woman, but when she disyed a look like this, Vincent was struck with fear.

    <i>¡®We''ve been together for 2 years, but I still can''t get used to it.¡¯</i>

    Vincent shook his head sharply, just like Kim Un-Jeong did a moment ago. He said, "Not me either. This is for sure, Emilia."

    "I know, Vincent. If you were a traitor, we couldn¡¯t y the next round of chess together," said Emilia. She smirked and twirled a strand of hair, then asked, "Is that grandma Mirren alone?"

    Vincent shivered and gestured towards Kim Un-Jeong, who quickly lowered his head. Un-Jeong said, "M-Ms. Emilia. It¡¯s an honor to speak to you. Um... I heard that two assistants are apanying Helen Mirren. They seem to be Oriental.¡±

    "Chinese?"

    "They came on a transport ne sent from Russia, and we were told they only spoke English during the trip¡­ We aren¡¯t sure of their identities. They also had no distinct ent," said Un-Jeong as he wiped the sweat from his face.

    Emilia lightly tapped the chess board, then looked at Vincent. She said, "Vincent, investigate those two bodyguards. It might be difficult to deal with Helen Mirren, but the assistants should be easy, right?"

    ¡°Me, personally?"

    Currently, there were many Demon King Worshipers in Pyongyang who were lower-ranked than Vincent. Quite a few of them were even Pyongyang hunters and military forces that followed Kim Un-Jeong. So, why did he have to do it himself?

    "Yeah. It''s better to be certain. Or...should I go?" asked Emilia.

    The ck Gauze King, Emilia, had a reputation of leaving a trail of corpses and a river of blood behind her when she personally took action. Although he had not yet seen it for himself, Vincent knew that he could be among the corpses if he wasn¡¯t careful too.

    Vincent shook his head again firmly and said with determination, "No, I''ll go. Kim Un-Jeong, Where are those guys now?"

    "They''re staying at the Pyongyang Koryo Hotel."

    "Let''s go right away."

    The two of them left as if running away from danger. Emilia, who was left alone in the room, fell deep into thought. She moved the chess pieces absentmindedly and said to herself, "Helen Mirren. How did that grandma get wind of this? There doesn''t seem to be any way for information to have leaked from our group. Is there really a traitor? But that can''t be. There can''t be any stupid guys in the organization who would ignore what the Godfather said. It''s strange."

    The phone with a cute cat face case on Emilia¡¯s desk started to vibrate.

    "Hmm? The new ck Stain King ising to Pyongyang to meet me?" Emilia had a slightly annoyed look on her face. She said, "All because of a fool who was caught by a human girl. How bothersome. I''ll just send the new ck Stain King back after discovering their identity."

    Emilia yawned and flipped over the chessboard with her toes. She muttered, "I''m already bored. I have to send a message to Vincent."

    - If youe toote, you''ll die. ^_^**

    Emilia sent the message with a cute emoticon, got up from her seat, and walked toward her bed.

    <i>¡®When I wake up from my nap, Vincent will have returned.¡¯</i>

    She gave no consideration to how Vincent might feel after receiving her message.

 Chapter 143

    <h4>Chapter 143 </h4>

    If he tarried too long, Vincent would risk sumbing to peril. Whatever Emilia''s intention was, Vincent now had no choice but to risk his life and try to handle things as quickly as possible.

    "Clear the road!"

    Vincent left his personal driver behind and quickly snatched Kim Un-Jeong''s cherished luxury sports car to head straight for the center of Pyongyang. He used all of his public authority to open up the road leading to the Pyongyang Goryeo Hotel.

    After pushing the car''s elerator to its limits, Vincent raced down the city streets with lightning speed. It went even faster than he himself could have traveled as a highly-skilled S-rank Psych hunter operating at peak performance.

    Vincent arrived at Goryeo Hotel in less than five minutes from where he had been staying. He then carelessly parked the car and handed over the keys to the valet staff.

    He immediately headed towards the conference room, where he confirmed the room numbers of the three people he was looking for: Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, as well as Helen Mirren.

    <i>''The two assistants are in room 3021, and Helen Mirren is in 3215.''?</i>

    The rooms were on the 30th and 32nd floors, but for an S-rank hunter like Vincent, the difference in floor numbers didn''t matter much.

    After a brief thought, Vincent picked up his phone and called Kim Un-Jeong. "Summon Helen Mirren. There is something to talk about."

    - What? What should I say?

    "Just say something. Offer to have a meal together."

    - Do you really think I can eat when they might be here for the Philosopher''s Stone?

    "It''s not a mere possibility that they''re here for the Philosopher''s Stone; it''s a confirmed fact. I''m requesting you to buy me some time," Vincent instructed.

    Through his earlier conversation with Emilia, Vincent also became convinced that Helen Mirren already knew about the location of the Philosopher''s Stone and hade over to find it.

    "But don''t admit it like a fool. You absolutely have to say you don''t know. Got it?"

    - Do you think I am stupid? But really, are you going to make me fight that witch alone? It''s scary¡­

    "Idiot, you just achieved an S-rank a while ago," said Vincent to Kim Un-Jeong.

    - But...that witch was able to survive even after battling the ck Mist King in the past. Doesn''t that signify her immense strength?

    The ck Mist King was ranked 8th among the Twelve Dark Kings, so the battle between Helen Mirren and the ck Mist King was bound to create quite a few rumors among the Demon King Worshipers. For example, there was a story that Helen Mirren had actually surpassed S-rank to reach SS-rank.

    <i>¡®Or anyway, rumors that she is no less a monster than the Twelve Dark Kings.¡¯</i>

    The most important thing was that the ck Mist King had no reaction to this rumor. Despite thatck of a reaction, those who had suffered from Helen''s dirty nature within the Demon King Worshipers became even more cautious of her.

    <i>¡®I, too, am of the same sentiment.¡¯</i>

    Vincent also had a history of conflicts with Helen. She was uncontroble even to him, who was also a member of Demon King Worshipers. Needless to say, there had been times when Vincent had bet on his strength that he would win, only to end up defeated.

    <i>''What a fierce witch.''?</i>

    It was beyond the capacity of Kim Un-Jeong, who ranked lower than Vincent himself, to control the situation that involved Helen Mirren.

    "It''ll be okay. She''s not as strong as you think," lied Vincent.

    As time psed, Kim Un-Jeong, being overly cautious, continued to make unneeded statements.

    - Huh? Have you ever fought that witch?

    "Sort of."

    - If you can, maybe I¡¯ll be fine too¡­

    At that moment, Vincent disregarded the sudden surge of annoyance he felt toward Kim Un-Jeong. He nodded and said, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    <i>¡®You are ranked 113th, and I am ranked 100th.¡¯</i>

    He tried hard to not spit out such thoughts.

    - Okay then. I''ll give it a try.

    After hanging up the phone, Vincent procured a low-brimmed hat from the hotel concierge and made his way to a nearby coffee shop. There, he chose a seat that was near the window to take in the view.

    About twenty minutester, a rather unfamiliar figure¡ªHelen Mirren wearing a ck robe¡ªgot into the sedan sent by Kim Un-Jeong and left the hotel.

    <i>''She¡¯s gone.''?</i>

    Vincent confirmed Helen¡¯s departure with his own eyes, took off his hat, and immediately entered the elevator.

    <i>''30th floor.''?</i>

    He pressed the button and held his breath. Being short on time, he couldn¡¯t take his own sweet time.

    <i>''As soon as I open the door and enter, I will throw my body forward, twist one of their wrists in the opposite direction, and subdue them in a single nce. And once their body stiffens, I will release the paralysis toxin. Hahaha¡­¡¯</i>

    Satisfied with his own n, Vincent walked down the hotel corridor and adjusted his clothes.

    <i>¡®Although those witches'' assistants may prove to be formidable opponents, I am an S-ranked hunter, after all.¡¯</i>

    Vincent, standing in front of Room 3021, thought that the opponents had bad luck. He knocked on the door.

    <i>Knock Knock.</i>

    Room 3021 was quiet inside. Since nobody responded to the knock, Vincent calmly knocked on the door again.

    <i>Knock Knock Knock.</i>

    Again, there was only silence. However, Vincent was a skilled hunter, and he could clearly sense the presence of someone within the room.

    <i>Hmph</i>.

    Vincent snorted impatiently. He took thirty seconds to slowly kill his own presence in front of the door.

    <i>¡®By the time you guys let your guard down¡­¡¯</i>

    A heavy silence was quickly weighing down on the entire hotel.

    <i>¡®...Thirty.¡¯</i>

    Vincent immediately kicked the door open without any hesitation and jumped into the room.

    <i>Kudang-</i>!

    With that loud m, dust clouds rose from the ground. Vincent immediately saw that a handsome man hidden near the bathroom wall was looking at him with a cold gaze.

    <i>¡®What? Not flustered? Another person who thinks I''m an easy touch, huh?¡¯</i>

    Vincent sent a punch flying forward in anger. He intended to tackle the first person he encountered by the neck, as per his n. However, his attackpletely missed the mark.

    <i>¡®He avoided it?''?</i>

    Momentarily bewildered by the situation, Vincent tilted his head.

    "Why are you so surprised?" his opponent asked.

    <i>¡®Because my n is going wrong from the start.¡¯</i>

    Vincent had no time to even try replying. He missed his first target, Kim Do-Jin, and could already feel the vtile energy gathering beside him.

    <i>¡®What is this? Is it at least an A-rank? Perhaps it''s even higher.¡¯</i>

    Feeling a fairly threatening presence, Vincent forgot his goal of suppressing the enemy and turned to look at the right. He widened his eyes in surprise.

    ¡°Lance Charging."

    With a small voice, a sh of light flew toward Vincent and hit him in the ribs.

    <i>Kwakwagwagwang-!?</i>

    Goryeo Hotel¡¯s walls shook from the loud roar. Turning skilfully and sticking close to the ceiling to avoid the blow, Vincent looked at the deep wound on his side andughed bitterly.

    <i>¡®Ha¡­ Fuck.¡¯</i>

    Having been caught off guard, Vincent nearly died. He spewed a mouthful of blood before swinging himself to different parts of the room a few times to dodge Kim Do-Jin''s sword. After a while, he barely managed to find a stable and wide ce to catch his breath.

    <i>¡®It''s fortunate that I rank around 100th.¡¯</i>

    If it weren''t for his rank, Vincent would have flown into the room suddenly, been prated by the first sh of light, and instantly died. With a furious expression, Vincent red at Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, both of whom surrounded him in the narrow room.

    "Who are you? Why did you attack us?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Are you asking who I am?" shouted Vincent angrily. He clenched his fist tightly, then continued, "That''s what I want to ask. I thought you guys were just assistants?"

    "So you dide after us,¡± Kim Do-Jin said as he twirled his sword.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯</i>

    Vincent felt the sweat running down his face.

    <i>''The injuries I¡¯ve sustained when I let my guard down are too deep.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were both equipped with a sword and a spear, and they seemed formidable and not to be underestimated. Contrary to the n, Vincent was the one who was overpowered in this situation.

    <i>¡®Calm down. By just observing their movements, I can tell they''re merely at the A-rank level... Wait, why do the assistants have the skill level of an A-rank?¡¯</i>

    Vincent cursed Yu-Seong inwardly. He watched Yu-Seong swing his spear and shuddered, thinking that the Spear Skills looked like the movements of a snake. After observing a few attacks, however, Vincent¡¯s eyes suddenly sparkled.

    <i>''Is this guy only at B-rank level? Maybe even just C-rank. Only the guy with a sword is threatening and too strong.¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, that thought onlysted for a mere moment. Upon realizing that the strike that had ripped open his side hade from Yu-Seong, he quickly became vignt.

    <i>''No, this guy also has hidden techniques. I shouldn''t let my guard down.''?</i>

    Fortunately, Kim Do-Jin was not joining in and was only watching the fight.

    <i>''Is this my chance?''?</i>

    Vincent''s eyes sparkled as he began to generate a green poison at his fingertips. t was a Poison Projection skill.

    <i>''I originally nned to use paralysis poison, but...''?</i>

    Now, Vincent realized that he needed to eliminate one of them.

    <i>''I''ll take out the weaker one first, just in case...''?</i>

    As Vincent attempted to spread the poison to incapacitate his opponent, Choi Yu-Seong quickly pulled back his spear and backed away to a safer distance. Then, Yu-Seong asked the observing Do-Jin, "Hey? Aren''t you going to help me?"

    "It seems like you''re doing well enough on your own," replied Do-Jin.

    "What...?"

    Kim Do-Jin smirked and slowly stepped forward. "But more importantly... I don''t enjoy executing joint attacks.¡±

    Only then did Do-Jin start attacking.

    In that short time, Vincent had created a stronger poison than expected, and poured the poison toward the end of Kim Do-Jin''s sword.

    <i>''Iron-rusting poison.''?</i>

    In fact, Vincent didn¡¯t care who his opponent was. The only thing that mattered to him was that one of them had to die.

    If the sword and Kim Do-Jin touched the poison that could even melt iron, Do-Jin would face certain death. However, strangely, the sword that touched the iron-rusting poison didn''t melt away and only vibrated for a little while.

    <i>''What on earth is that sword made of?''?</i>

    Moreover, Kim Do-Jin felt something in that moment and twisted his body to the side, escaping from the range of the iron-rusting poison. After that, he attacked quickly again.

    <i>''I''m ready now too! Do you think it''s over once you avoid my poison?''</i>

    Vincent clicked his tongue. He generated a full load of iron-rusting poison in his bare hands and tried to grab Do-Jin¡¯s sword.

    "Dancing Electric Doll."

    Something shot out of Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, hit Vincent in the back, and suddenly began to release thunder.

    For Vincent, who was an S-rank hunter, he only felt a mere sting. However, he became slightly paralyzed from that attack, and his mobility was momentarily reduced. Also, his vision was temporarily blurred, and his judgment was scattered for a short time.

    In that moment, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword moved in a graceful crescent shape and caught Vincent¡¯s wrist.

    "...!!"

    Blood sttered into the air.

    "Uaaak-!"

    Along with the screams that followed, Vincent¡¯s two eyes became red and swollen.

    "These damn kids! I¡¯ll kill you all!" shouted Vincent furiously.

    He then swung his severed arm, sending blood flying in all directions.

    The problem was that the objectsing into contact with the corrosive blood began to corrode and dissolve at a rapid pace. In fact, it was no different for Kim Do-Jin, whose hair was rotting at the tips and falling off. Even some of the skin mask on his face was melting and flowing down.

    <i>Chi-iik-!?</i>

    "Blood poison?" Surprised, Yu-Seong also quickly backed away from the blood that was flying toward him.

    Kim Do-Jin could no longer think of continuing the battle and retreated as well.

    With red eyes, Vincent reached for his wounded right side with his left hand.

    <i>Kwa-deung!?</i>

    "Kaaaa-!" Vincent screamed as the blood in his hand bubbled and boiled. "I''ll kill you, I''ll kill you!"

    Like a madman, Vincent''s face twisted like a demon as he ran toward the two men.

 Chapter 144

    <h4>Chapter 144 </h4>

    Vincent''s Blood Poison skill was the secret weapon that had elevated him to the distinguished title of S-ranked Demon King Worshiper. It helped him secure his ce as a Top 100 hunter.

    <i>¡®The only drawback is that its usage requires self-inflicted harm, and it has a limited duration.¡¯</i>

    Vincent boasted that even S rank hunters, who were at least one level above him in ability, could be turned into blood marrow if they were directly hit by his Blood Poison skill.

    Helen Mirren''s assistants, Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, quickly chose to dodge as soon as Vincent activated his Blood Poison Technique.

    <i>¡®Did they know about my skill or are they just quick-witted?¡¯</i>

    Vincent believed that it wouldn''t be challenging to eliminate either of them if he pursued with full force, so he didn''t concern himself with who would be the first to go. However, he soon faced a problem.

    <i>¡®My injury is getting too big.¡¯</i>

    In order to effectively activate the Blood Poison skill, Vincent had deepened the wound. He was starting to lose a bit of focus. He really wanted to make them both suffer horribly until they begged to die, but that now seemed impossible.

    <i>¡®How humiliating... They''re just mere A or B rank kids!¡¯</i>

    Vincent clenched his teeth.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s enough blood.¡¯</i>

    Vincent¡¯s wounds were now gushing out a torrent of blood. At this rate, he would sumb to excessive bleeding in just ten more minutes of fighting.

    <i>''I never thought I''d hit rock bottom in front of these kids, but...''</i>

    Left with no other choice, Vincent extended his blood-stained arms toward Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, both of whom were carefully avoiding the drops of blood in a confined space. He shouted, "Let''s see if you two can dodge this!"

    The blood droplets on Vincent¡¯s arms vibrated and twisted, changing into the shape of sharp needles. The number of needles rapidly increased. There were soon hundreds of them.

    With hundreds of needles at his disposal, Vincent scattered them all around himself. He swung his arms wildly in the air.

    <i>Woosh-!?</i>

    Powerful Blood Poison burned through the ceiling of the only five-star hotel in Pyongyang and prated the sky.

    Vincent looked at Choi Yu-Seong, who had a horrified expression, and Kim Do-Jin, whose expression had hardened. With a slight smile, he lowered his hand and shouted, "Blood Rain!"

    <i>Papabapak-!</i>

    <i>¡®Exactly one thousand shots!¡¯</i>

    The Blood Rain pouring down from the sky pierced through the entire Goryeo Hotel. In the rooms where innocent people were residing, echoes of screams and cries could be heard. Needless to say, dead bodies and blood were umting rapidly.

    <i>''These Demon King Worshipers are crazy bastards!''?</i>

    In the midst of the massive carnage, Yu-Seong ground his teeth. He was aware that the viins would sacrifice human lives for their goals and means, but the current massacre caused by Vincent''s Blood Rain exceeded his imagination. The issue was that he couldn¡¯t protect the innocent people from this attack.

    <i>''How¡­''?</i>

    With the Blood Rain pouring down on him, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t find a way to evade it himself. He looked over at Kim Do-Jin with a heavy heart, wondering what decision would the experienced returnee make in this predicament.

    However, Do-Jin, who had been running alongside Yu-Seong just a moment ago, was nowhere in sight.

    <i>''What''s going on?''?</i>

    In a moment of disorientation, Yu-Seong felt a firm grasp on his back. He tried pulling away, but couldn¡¯t resist the formidable strength in the end. Then, before he knew it, he was sent smashing through the ss window and hurtled through the air.

    As he plummeted from the 30th floor, Yu-Seong gazed at the person who was holding onto him. He knew that he couldn¡¯t survive the fall from such a height.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin?''?</i>

    With a cold, rigid expression, Do-Jin lifted Yu-Seong with one hand and attempted a freefall toward the ground.

    <i>''What is he nning?''</i>

    Yu-Seong widened his eyes as he rapidly approached the ground. He could feel the pull of gravity.

    Just before impact, Do-Jin raised his index finger and sliced through the air. He then muttered under his breath, "Fly."

    Once the magic was activated, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin started to fall at a much slower speed. They were less affected by thews of gravity.

    After escaping from that moment of danger, Kim Do-Jin tossed Yu-Seong towards the roadside, which was beyond the reach of the Blood Rain, and turned to look back at the sky. He swung his sword, and high mes began to erupt in the sky to evaporate the falling Blood Rain.

    In a mere moment, Kim Do-Jin had miraculously avoided the crisis.

    Do-Jin fell to the ground afterward.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    However, some droplets of Blood Rain remained in the air. They fell onto Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder and between his hair.

    "Keeeuuuu¡­!" Do-Jin screamed out in pain for the first time.

    A part of his shoulder and his scalp were burning, with his flesh scorched. The stench of burning flesh lingered in the air.

    Despite his injuries, Do-Jin managed to roll on the ground several times and rise to his feet again. Still with his sword in hand, he slowly turned to look at the copsing Goryeo Hotel.

    <i>¡®We''re still in the danger zone.¡¯</i>

    If the hotel were to copse, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin would be buried and face certain death.

    However, Do-Jin struggled to move as his vision spun, and he could no longer bnce himself well. He was dizzy.

    In fact, the Blood Poison that Vincent had spread through the Blood Rain was not just a simple poison. Once it seeped into a person¡¯s body, it would cause paralysis and magic depletion, as well as affect the nervous system through its poison and acid.

    <i>''I don¡¯t have enough resistance to B-rank poison.''?</i>

    Do-Jin needed to use detoxification magic, but his magic had been scattered by the Blood Poison.

    <i>''I need to find another way.''?</i>

    .

    Kim Do-Jin slowly raised his head and looked at the blue sky, which was now overwhelmed by ck shadows.

    <i>''I might die.''?</i>

    Do-Jin smiled weakly.

    Just then, Yu-Seong rushed over and steadied Do-Jin by holding onto his waist. He began to run while supporting the injured Do-Jin.

    "Dangerous¡­now that I am poisoned¡­¡±

    ¡°So don''t talk; just endure.¡±

    At that moment, the soldiers and police in Pyongyang began to shoot.

    ¡°Suspicious movement!¡±

    ¡°Fire!¡±

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    The sound of bullets firing echoed through the air, but that onlysted for a moment.

    <i>Banggg-!?</i>

    The magnificent and historic Goryeo Hotel suddenly copsed, casting a shroud of darkness over the downtown area.

    "Ahhhhh-!"

    Amidst the chaos of the copsing building and crumbling city, Do-Jin had no other choice but to lean against Yu-Seong¡¯s back as he was carried. He swallowed the blood that was filling up his mouth. If he spat out the blood in this state, he could potentially endanger Yu-Seong¡¯s life.

    <i>¡®...I never imagined I''d find myself in the position of owing someone my life.¡¯</i>

    Feeling a strange emotion in this unexpected situation, Kim Do-Jin struggled to cling to consciousness. Unfortunately, his vision continued to fade away.

    <i>¡®Damn...¡¯?</i>

    Eventually, Kim Do-Jinpletely lost consciousness. He bowed his head and was limp on Yu-Seong¡¯s back.

    At that moment, a beast-like shadow with wounds across his whole body stomped against the copsing Goryeo Hotel and fell in front of Choi Yu-Seong with a thud. He growled. ¡°Where¡­do you think you''re going?¡±

    It was Vincent, ring at Yu-Seong with his bloodshot eyes.

    "Are you sure you¡¯re okay? You don¡¯t look very well.."

    Vincent knew that his condition had reached its worst. However, that could also mean that the power of his Blood poison was at its best.

    <i>''Above all, if I can just aim for one of them¡­ I don¡¯t have to target them both.¡¯</i>

    In Vincent¡¯s eyes, Yu-Seong was a weakling rtive to the unconscious Do-Jin.

    ¡°Fear not. It is just you now, and I have the ability to dispatch you with ease.¡± Vincent grinned and flung himself forward. He scattered the boiling Blood Poison toward Yu-Seong.

    When the Blood Poison covered Yu-Seong at once, Vincent began expecting to hear screams and witness the terrible death in front of him. He wanted to see Yu-Seong''s corpse melting into the floor.

    Vincent quickly scanned his surroundings. Only then did he realize that Yu-Seong was fading away from right in front of his eyes.

    <i>¡®An illusion?! I thought he was a Physical type, but he is a Psychic type yer?¡¯</i>

    At that moment, Yu-Seong jumped into a three-story building by the roadside.

    "There''s no use running away," said Vincent.

    Yu-Seong was proving to be more nimble than Vincent had anticipated, but the building could hardly serve as his defense. Vincent forged ahead, melting through the walls in pursuit of his target.

    The building was entirely silent on the inside. Those within had either fled in terror, taken refuge, or held their breaths in fear of the sudden assault.

    At that moment, Vincent spotted Yu-Seong leaping up the stairs of the building.

    <i>¡®Rat bastard!¡¯</i>

    Vincent could have used Blood Rain again, but he didn¡¯t have enough energy left. Clenching his teeth, he chased Yu-Seong up the stairs.

    <i>¡®The injury¡­¡¯</i>

    Vincent grabbed his ankle. His pride had been hurt for a long time because of this one unexpected injury.

    Soon, Vincent was at the end of the building''s hallway. Only then did Yu-Seong emerge alone with a spear aimed at him.

    It appeared that Yu-Seong had left Kim Do-Jin in a safe location.

    <i>¡®Did he give up on running away?¡¯</i>

    Vincent considered this to be a blessing. He started to approach Yu-Seong with some leisure and ease, seizing the moment to recover his energy. He narrowed the distance, intent on finally capturing Yu-Seong with a single blow.

    "What bravery. What''s your name?" asked Vincent. When Yu-Seong didn''t answer the question, he asked another question. "Have you suddenly be mute?"

    "No. I don''t have a name to give to a viin like you," said Yu-Seong.

    "Cheeky bastard..."

    "Seriously, I just cannot forgive you,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    A change was suddenly urring within Yu-Seong. The first sign was the unexpected appearance of a Third Eye in the center of his forehead. Then, his neatly ttened hair started to rise up, and lightning red throughout his body.

    That wasn''t even the end of it. Wind began to blow into the hallway, even though the windows and doors were all closed.

    <i>¡®This bastard... Did he still have a hidden power?¡¯</i>

    Vincent, who had already suffered a great defeat due to his carelessness, felt a sudden jolt of caution in his brain.

    The wind continued to blow, rising from beneath Yu-Seong¡¯s feet and shining with a yellow light. At that moment, Yu-Seong pulled the spear backward.

    <i>¡®The same technique from before?¡¯</i>

    Vincent guessed that Yu-Seong was using Lance Charging once again.

    The attack had great power, but it required a long preparation time. It also did not strike very quickly. If one could predict the attack, then one had a chance of avoiding the attack altogether.

    <i>¡®But why do I feel anxious? No. After all, he¡¯s still a young hunter who hasn¡¯t made A-rank yet.¡¯</i>

    Vincent shook his head inwardly and opened his eyes wide.

    The moment Yu-Seong rushed towards him, Vincent swung himself to the side and used his Blood Poison skill. He thought that Yu-Seong should have hidden this ¡°special move¡± like the very first blow he had struck him with quietly.

    "Come on," said Vincent.

    Vincent was trying to speed up the battle¡¯s momentum. He was indeed an S-rank hunter who ranked 100th among the Demon King Worshipers. His pride kept him from stepping away from the lower rank hunter who did not back up.

    "To be honest, I am just curious," said Yu-Seong.

    "...?"

    "I am unsure about the technique¡¯s speed, so I want to give it a try.¡±

    "Don''t just talk,e at me. I need to hurry and get back."

    Time was running out for Vincent.

    "Wind Thunder Dragon God Art ¡ª Lance Charging,"manded Yu-Seong.

    Blue electric shocks and the yellow wind swirled around Yu-Seong. Then, he vanished with a blurred smile.

    <i>Kwagwagwang-!</i>

    The thunderous sound struck Vincent''s eardrum harshly.

    <i>¡®It''sing...!¡¯</i>

    If he concentrated, he could catch it. That was what Vincent thought as he turned his body¡­

    He became entirely wounded. He could see his own body scattering into dust right before his eyes. Upon the sight of the thunderbolt burning him up and shooting out mes, he struggled to understand what was going on.

    In the end, he could onlyugh out bitterly.

    <i>''Did it just...move at the speed of sound?''?</i>

    <i>¡®Mach¡¯</i> was amon term used to measure the speed of sound. Even among the S-rank hunters, who were known as supermen, only a few were capable of matching this level of speed. The skill to do so was indeed rare, even among this powerful group.

    <i>''An assistant¡­? From the beginning, he was not someone who I could beat. What a damn monster.''?</i>

    Upon realizing this, Vincent finally understood the dire situation he was in. He felt both despair and a sense of satisfaction. He felt relieved that he wasn''t defeated by someone of a lower rank and believed that this would spare him from being teased in the afterlife.

    With this misconception, Vincent''s life was suddenly cut short.

 Chapter 145

    <h4>Chapter 145 </h4>

    As his consciousness slowly returned, Yu-Seong realized he was lying on a stiff and hard bed. While he strained to lift his heavy lids, his nostrils were assaulted by the pungent odor of earth and briny water.

    "You''re awake, troublemaker," said Helen Mirren as she rubbed her eyes. She was sitting in a wooden chair beside Yu-Seong.

    "Where...are we?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "We''re in my own underground bunker around the Juseok Pce. Up above, there are soldiers armed with guns and hunters with bloodshot eyes," answered Helen. With a bitterugh, she pointed at the low ceiling with her index finger.

    Helen Mirren was an S-ranked hunter known as The Miraculous Alchemist. Her being able to create an underground bunker was unsurprising.

    "You had a quite remarkable incident while I was away. The two of you managed to defeat Vincent, an S-ranked hunter, in his weakened condition."

    As his consciousness slowly returned, Yu-Seong finally realized the situation that he was in. He eximed, "Vincent... Oh!"

    The unexpected attack by an outsider at Goryeo Hotel had made Yu-Seong angry at the western man, Vincent, who had been mercilessly ughtering innocent people.

    In a bold move, Yu-Seong had rescued the wounded Kim Do-Jin and had escaped. He had also seized that opportunity to unleash the full power of his Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, which had been his reward for reaching C-rank. Upon activating the technique, he had executed Lance Charging and had ultimately defeated his adversary.

    "Was that viin an...S-rank?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Yes, he was an S-rank. He wasn''t particrly skilled in basicbat, but if he fought with his life on the line¡­ His Blood Poison made him a formidable opponent even against someone two levels higher."

    "...Blood Poison would certainly be frightening if he were tomit suicide."

    Vincent¡¯s self-destruction could have certainly been frightening, but Yu-Seong would never have to experience it.

    Helen''s eyes crinkled with delight as she broke into a smile. She asked, "What on earth have you done, kiddo?"

    "That''s a business secret. A hunter who reveals their own foundation is only awaiting death. Where''s Kim Do-Jin? Ugh!" Yu-Seong yelped after trying to get up with a smile. Although he only applied some force to his arm, he felt a sharp pain shooting up his spine. It was as if all his bones were already broken.

    "Don''t even consider moving around. When I found you, I thought you''d already died. Your right shoulder and left calf bones are fractured, and your internal organs are slightly damaged. Furthermore, your mana ispletely out of control, which even I struggled to manage. To be honest, if it wasn''t for the treasure symbol on your shoulder, my healing abilities would not have been sufficient," Helen stated.

    "Ugh..." Yu-Seong moaned as he hurt all over.

    He bit his bottom lip and tightly shut his eyes.

    <i>¡®I must have survived thanks to the Insignia of Protection.¡¯</i>

    Helen was right. Without the wide-ranging protection of the Insignia of Protection that shielded him from both external and internal injuries, Yu-Seong might already be dead. In that kind of situation, without the protection against attacks and the resistance to pain, he would have perished from the agony.

    <i>¡®The skill, Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡­ I thought it was difficult to handle¡­but¡­¡¯</i>

    Although Yu-Seong had kept it a secret, Wind Thunder Dragon God Art was a reward he had acquired upon advancing to C-rank in the promotion evaluation.

    In the original novel, the skill was portrayed as highly dangerous. However, after witnessing its devastating consequences from a single use, Yu-Seong could truly grasp the skill¡¯s overwhelming power.

    <i>¡®From now on, I¡¯ll need to be careful when I use it.¡¯</i>

    Of course, if the situation arose again, Yu-Seong would certainly unleash the Lance Charging st with Wind Thunder Dragon God Art.

    <i>¡®If it weren''t for that skill, I would have died at the hands of that viin.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong had just found out, but his opponent had been an S-rank hunter, a monster who could have entered the territory of being a superhuman. He had never thought it possible for him to defeat such an opponent for a very long time. Just being able to survive against such an opponent made him feel incredibly lucky.

    <i>¡®If I had been alone, I would have absolutely died.¡¯?</i>

    Although he had acted somewhat uncooperative, Kim Do-Jin''s help did turn out to be invaluable in many ways.

    With that thought in mind, Yu-Seong suddenly widened his eyes and asked, "Kim Do-Jin, what happened to him?"

    Kim Do-Jin had been injured by a direct hit from the Blood Rain, so he had lost consciousness before Yu-Seong did. Due to the horrible poison, nobody could guarantee his survival.

    Furthermore, for some reason, Helen Mirren did not answer the questions about Kim Do-Jin''s whereabouts.

    "That guy..." Helen furrowed her brow.

    <i>¡®No way¡­ Is he dead? Can the original novel¡¯s protagonist actually die?¡¯</i>

    Without Kim Do-Jin, who could stop the Demon King Worshipers as an entire group? Above all, Do-Jin had gone out of his way to save Yu-Seong.

    When Vincent had unleashed the Blood Rain at the Goryeo Hotel, Yu-Seong would have fallen or died from the attack without Do-Jin¡¯s timely intervention. And by saving Yu-Seong, Do-Jin had gotten himself injured by the Blood Rain.

    <i>¡®He could avoid the attack by himself. He shouldn¡¯t have cared about me¡­!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was surprised by how Do-Jin had pushed him out of harm¡¯s way at thest moment and had shielded him from the Blood Rain. The man had ultimately sacrificed his own safety, so he had instinctively done the same in return.

    What if Kim Do-Jin, who had ultimately been poisoned, had failed to endure the poisonous effects and had died? That would be understandable since his poison resistance had only been at B-rank and was incapable of resisting an S-rank hunter¡¯s poison attack.

    <i>¡®Please¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong gazed at Helen''s face intently.

    "Why are you looking at me with such a serious expression? Do you think that he¡¯s dead?¡±

    "Isn''t he?"

    "Ha..." Helen sighed, then offered a bleak smile. ¡°Well, I¡¯d personally be better off if that unresponsive bastard is already dead¡­ Ist saw him alive a few days ago.¡±

    "A few days ago?"

    "He expelled the poison on his own just three days ago. Then, he left this ce upon waking up.¡±

    "Three days¡­ Wait, how much time has passed since I lost consciousness?"

    After confirming that Kim Do-Jin was alive, Yu-Seong started to focus on something else.

    "You¡¯ve been unconscious for exactly seven days,¡± answered Helen.

    "...Oh my."

    The aftereffect of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art had been longer than expected. This trip to Pyongyang had originally been nned tost for only three days, but it had now been prolonged by twice that length of time.

    <i>''Jin Yu-Ri and everyone will be very worried.''?</i>

    Whether she knew about Yu-Seong''s thoughts or not, Helen clicked her tongue and slowly rose from her seat. She said, "I am keeping you alive because you¡¯re the only one who knows the location of the Philosopher''s Stone, but things have gotten moreplicated."

    "It was an unavoidable situation."

    "I understand. And your opponent was Vincent, so you¡¯re lucky to have survived.¡±

    "Then, what about Kim Do-Jin¡­?"

    "I don''t know! As soon as I woke up, he checked on your condition, mumbled to himself, and ran away. Whether he¡¯s outside causing an incident or already dead..." Helen said with a cold smile. Without finishing her sentence, she slowly walked towards the closed door.

    Confused, Yu-Seong wondered what he should do about this situation.

    Helen, who was about to leave Yu-Seong alone, suddenly called out without turning back. "Hey, kiddo."

    "Yes?"

    "No matter how weak an S-rank hunter is, an S-rank hunter has never been killed by a C-rank hunter. I¡¯ve never heard of it happening it before.¡±

    "It was aplicated situation¡­"

    "How did it happen?¡±

    "...it would not have been possible alone."

    "Nonsense. When I discovered you two, Kim Do-Jin was already in a state where he couldn''t even move his fingers from the poison. You must have delivered the fatal blow to Vincent by yourself. Despite the fact that there were many unfavorable elements..."

    Finally, Helen turned to look at Yu-Seong with a curious look. She added, "Your shining talent and character are at a level that no one I know canpare to.¡±

    Yu-Seong widened his eyes and looked at Helen, whose face was not visible from her hood.

    "Yes, even if Kim Do-Jin has more power and talent than you, he is still different from you. He emits such a strong bloody odor at B-rank¡­ I''ve never seen anyone like that in my lifetime. So, it''s best to keep him as far away as possible. He is a type of demon that does not match your character.¡±

    Then, with a cold smile, Helen said, "It''s funny that I should say such a thing, especially since other people call me a demon.¡±

    Helen turned away and said, "Rest, you little Choi.¡±

    Yu-Seong could read between the lines. Understanding what Helen was trying to say, he replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I am someone who treasures his own life.¡±

    Helen thought that Yu-Seong would want to leave and find Kim Do-Jin immediately. Of course, that would be inadvisable with him being in his current state.

    "Hmph." Helen snorted, pushed open the door, and left the room.

    <i>''Hmm. If he had seen his own expression just now, could he have med me for thinking so?''?</i>

    With a chuckle, Helen walked through the narrow hallway and entered the room she had made next to Yu-Seong¡¯s. Once she sat at her desk, she took out paper and a pen and began writing.

    <i>¡®It may be nothing, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Surprisingly, the words Helen wrote on the paper began to float up and scatter away like dust in the wind. They were heading somewhere.

    Thinking that the strange sight was not a big deal, Helen continued to write.

    <i>¡®It can''t be bad to prepare for what-ifs.¡¯</i>

    The motion of her pen got faster and faster.

    ***

    It was a dark night with thick clouds, which prevented moonlight from shining down on a dark alley.

    The murderer, who was wielding a silver de, sttered red blood on the wall. They passed a dead body, then remarked, "...how weak."

    After mumbling a bit more, the murderer turned to leave.

    Only then did another person slowly emerge from the alley¡¯s entrance. He looked at the corpse who had its throat slit, and the murderer with a surprised expression. He murmured, "Comrade, Lee In-Hyeok?"

    Just as the murderer stomped on the floor, a silver sh swung toward the surprised man. However, he managed to escape from suffering any serious injuries.

    "This bastard! I dare you to say who...!"

    "A-rank, Lee Jeong-Cheol."

    The murderer, Kim Do-Jin, had his eyes burning with blue mes. He once again twirled his sword in the air.

    Lee Jeong-Cheol attempted to demonstrate his skills while evading Do-Jin, but he failed to react quickly to the sudden sh of Do-Jin¡¯s sword. His throat was slit and he could no longer breathe.

    The momentsted for less than a minute.

    Kim Do-Jin, having killed a hunter of a higher rank than himself, wiped the blood from his sword once more and bit his lower lip.

 Chapter 146

    <h4>Chapter 146 </h4>

    Kim Do-Jin felt deep cynicism and skepticism after his battle against Vincent.

    <i>¡®To be defeated by someone like that¡­¡¯</i>

    He had been distracted by Yu-Seong during the battle and had chosen to save the man, so he had been at a disadvantage against Vincent. He had almost died. In fact, if Yu-Seong had failed to defeat Vincent, Do-Jin would already be dead right now.

    Thinking about it, Do-Jin could not help but feel angry at himself. He was a proud man, and he had always felt great glory from being the number one in the world.

    Aside from revenge, Do-Jin didn¡¯t care about anything else or thought anything else could be a priority. He thought that wealth, honor, and strength would naturallye to him over time. Of course, that wasn''t a false belief.

    Do-Jin, as a warrior of another world, was pursuing growth through his current abilities. He was confident of bing an existence who would overshadow everyone else. However, he just had one problem.

    <i>¡®It''s only a legend if I can survive until then.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin had an incredible rate of growth, but there already were stronger individuals in the world who had surpassed him. This was not a fairy tale where the Demon King would help the hero to grow by selecting and sending suitable opponents to increase his experience points.

    <i>¡®So I have to go to the extreme.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin knew himself well. The faster he pushed himself beyond his limits, the stronger he would be.

    Most people improved their abilities by breaking through certain limits, but Do-Jin had much more potential than an average person. That was why he could ovee numerous obstacles and defeat even the Demon King. And now, in the present day, the skill he had acquired as a B-rank promotion reward was no different.

    ¡ºSpecial skill: Hero who returns from death.

    This skill does not have a rank.

    Death is a danger that always apanies the hero. And when they ovee that danger, they will grow explosively.

    Currently, yer Kim Do-Jin has experienced death once.

    Cause of death: Poison.

    He gained the characteristic of "Thousand Poisons Invulnerability."

    All physical abilities and mana have increased slightly.

    All skills have additional + rank effects applied.

    Skills be stronger every time he experiences the danger of death.¡»

    These benefits had already taken Kim Do-Jin''s own talent and skills into consideration. Of course, he could still die by misusing this particr skill. However, from the beginning, he already knew that he couldn¡¯t get stronger without any resolve or ample preparation.

    <i>''Even Choi Yu-Seong must have be stronger by risking his life.''?</i>

    Choi Yu-Seong, the rascal and the neglected son of the Choi family, had been useless aside from looking pretty. However, the previously worthless Yu-Seong had be an active hunter one day, and he had now single-handedly hunted down an S-rank hunter.

    Do-Jin knew something for a fact.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s stronger than I was during my C-rank days.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin¡¯s determination was reflected in his clenched jaw and zing eyes. He did not yet know if Choi Yu-Seong was also a returnee, but he was aware that it was not easy to grow so strong even if one was a returnee. He knew that for a fact because he himself was going down this very path.

    In other words, Choi Yu-Seong''s strength was the result of his tremendous effort, sweat, and blood.

    <i>¡®Never again¡­¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin was determined not to fall behind Yu-Seong again. From now on, Do-Jin would pour all his strength into growing stronger, even if it meant shedding his blood and sweat like rain.

    With this resolve in mind, Do-Jin leisurely walked around in search of a stronger opponent. At that moment, a small gust of wind sprang up from the rooftop of a five-story building behind him. He instinctively drew his sword and cautiously looked around with his eyes wide open.

    He could not see his opponent, but he felt a cold, heavy, and sharp weapon brushing past his face. He reflexively dodged that attack, then squinted at the weapon.

    <i>¡®A hand ax?¡¯</i>

    The hand ax that had just cut his cheek was returning to the darkness of the alleyway, barely missing Do-Jin¡¯s back. A pale hand reached out of the alleyway and caught the ax. Kim Do-Jin saw a pair of red eyes ring at him.

    "Wow, you dodged it. Not bad, you."

    "...who are you?" Kim Do-Jin asked as he crouched in a defensive stance.

    The opponent was emanating an extraordinary force. Looking at them, Do-Jin felt shivers running down his spine. He felt a sense of danger.

    With a head of zing red hair that fluttered like fire, a woman casually emerged from the darkness wearing a bright smile. She pointed at herself and said, "Me?"

    Do-Jin suddenly gasped and swung his sword to the side. He was pushed back as he deflected another hand ax that had appeared from the darkness. Smoke began rising up from the ground; he trembled and held onto his arm.

    "Who am I?"

    When the opponent disappeared once again, Do-Jin summoned a spell. He wanted to pursue the red-haired woman. A blue me shed in his eyes.

    <i>¡®me!¡¯</i>

    There was a sudden burst of mes from a pentagram upon Do-Jin¡¯smand. However, the woman simply rushed towards him without fear. She dove into the mes with a maniacal smile and said, "Try to hit me. If you do, I''ll spare your life, okay?"

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Kim Do-Jin blocked the iing attack with reinforced magic power from the spell he had cast. With a cold smile, he said, "If you can, sure."

    "Oh, you are confident."

    The conversation did not slow down the fast-moving hand ax, which continued to injure Do-Jin in quick attacks.

    Kim Do-Jin knew that he couldn¡¯t underestimate this strong opponent. It was urate to say that he had never encountered such a potent blood odor and intimidating aura before. This woman was truly a figure of evil. As someone who had directly fought against the Demon King, Do-Jin knew that better than anyone.

    <i>''This woman is more dangerous than anyone I know on this earth.''?</i>

    Do-Jin thought it would be easier for him to confront Choi Woo-Jae, who was a rational hunter. However, he found this situation to be favorable for him. He shook off the hand ax with all his might andughed even as he felt the hot sensation of his opponent''s sword slicing past his jaw.

    <i>''She¡¯s not weak.¡¯</i>

    This woman would be the stepping stone to the growth that Do-Jin had been seeking.

    ¡°Let''s dance.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha. Sure. I love to dance!¡±

    As Kim Do-Jin''s sword shed against Rachel¡¯s hand ax, a burst of fire ignited in the air.

    ***

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Wind Thunder Dragon God Art

    This skill does not have a rank.

    It is a power wielded by the Dragon God of Wind and Thunder.

    ¡ù Warning. This is a high-risk skill.¡»

    The Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill had a rather brief and simple description, so the true depth of this ability was difficult to grasp. Even Yu-Seong was at a loss after reading the description.

    <i>¡®There''s no rank and no exnation of exactly what kind of ability this is.¡¯?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong did know how to use the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill.

    <i>¡®It did appear in the original novel, after all.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could clearly recognize the method and the skill itself because of a shback scene that had showcased the legendarybination of his techniques with the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill.

    <i>¡®I just need to chant its name to activate it.¡¯</i>

    It was a disadvantage that Yu-Seong had to chant its name to activate the skill, but sessful activation would help him gain immense power and lightning speed in an instant. For skills rted to Wind or Thunderbolt, their power would also increase to an unbelievable extent.

    The skill¡¯s effects looked simple, but its power was almost immeasurable. Just look at what had happened to Vincent. However, the skill had a specific criteria to be activated. The user had to have at least one skill that was rted to Wind and Thunderbolt.

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong was able to satisfy the skill¡¯s essential conditions thanks to his skills Dancing Electric Doll and Wind Control.

    Also, there were a few penalties to take note of.

    <i>¡®From now on, I cannot use any attribute skills other than Wind and Thunderbolt.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, even though Yu-Seong was an All-Rounder, he would not be able to use any gained skill such as me or Freezing in the future.

    The usage of the skill also brought about a strong rebound effect, as Yu-Seong had personally experienced. The rebound effect would only lessen if he had a strong physical ability and trained the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill even further.

    <i>''However, that''s too far-fetched for me now.¡¯</i>

    The Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill was not ranked like other skills, but the original novel had described it to be simr to an EX rank. This was no exaggeration because it could increase the C-rank Yu-Seong''s speed to one that rivaled sound.

    <i>¡®No matter. Two attribute skills are enough for me anyway.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong could end up beingbeled as a misceneous yer if he trained haphazardly with no n in mind, despite being an All-Rounder.

    <i>¡®Spear, Thunderbolt, Wind.¡¯</i>

    Three skills were enough. It was important for Yu-Seong tomit to a choice, and he did not doubt his own judgment.

    Suddenly, Yu-Seong looked at the low stone ceiling.

    <i>¡®What was that just now?¡¯</i>

    For some reason, he felt a chill running up his spine and over his head. That feeling of unease suddenly made him think about Kim Do-Jin, whose face popped up in his mind. However, he was quick to shake his head from side to side.

    "...it will probably be nothing."

    ording to the original novel, Kim Do-Jin, the protagonist, would never die. No matter how much of a butterfly effect there was, someone like him wouldn¡¯t get easily killed off. And clearly, the earlier incident with Vincent had proved this for a fact.

    Vincent''s Blood Poison was a very dangerous and powerful skill, but even it had failed to kill Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®If there is such a thing as fate¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong believed that Kim Do-Jin''s death would never ur within that loop.

    He slowly closed his eyes. Even if Kim Do-Jin was in danger, he could only be of help once he was fully recovered. He could do nothing but wait. If Yu-Seong pursued Do-Jin now, he would only be good for dying by Do-Jin¡¯s side.

    <i>¡®Unlike that guy, I already have to face death as my destiny.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had to be as careful as possible since he wanted to meet his fate in the best condition possible.

    Three dayster, Yu-Seong finally recovered.

    As if she had known that Yu-Seong was fully recovered, Helen finally showed up. She had a sinister look on her face, but she appeared to be satisfied. She said, "Your body seems to be in pretty good shape, huh?"

    Yu-Seong nodded, stretching his body on the bed. Hemented, "It''s the best. I also feel stronger than before.¡±

    "Yes, iron gets stronger the more it gets hammered," Helen said.

    "I''m not iron; I''m a person," Yu-Seong said.

    "Sometimes, humans can be as strong as iron," Helen replied.

    Shocked, Yu-Seong shook his head. He said, ¡°If you continue showing me such hospitality¡­ I am not going to ept any of your kindness and immediately escape using the Return Stone.¡±

    "Ke ke..." Helen chuckled briefly and shook her head with an unreadable expression, then looked up at the ceiling.

 Chapter 147

    <h4>Chapter 147 </h4>

    "The external boundary is much weakerpared to just a few days ago. It''s possible that they may already be thinking that we have left Pyongyang," said Helen.

    Yu-Seong was surprised but soon shook his head and hardened his expression. He said, "It''s intentional. They would have a general idea of what your intentions are.¡±

    Since it was Helen Mirren who was searching for the Philosopher''s Stone, they would not assume that she would give up so easily since it had been her quest for such a long time.

    "It''s just a suspicion, not a certainty. Besides, they may believe that I''ve taken a step toward making a more bold move,¡± said Helen Mirren.

    "It is not suspicion but certainty. They would not have sent that viin, Vincent, to us if it were just simple suspicion. And if they were capable of thinking in such a way, it''s likely that they would also know about seonbae-nim¡¯s hasty nature," said Yu-Seong.

    Helen broke into a meaningful smile.

    <i>''Look at this kid. Even though he was tense when he first arrived in Pyongyang...''?</i>

    Despite facing significant danger, Yu-Seong was more calm and collected than anyone else.

    <i>''Definitely. This kid is the real deal.''?</i>

    Once again, Helen Mirren was confident that she had made the right choice.

    "Honestly, I have the same thought. They let down their guard simply because they are angrier now," said Helen.

    "What¡¯s certain is that the fearsome figure inside Juseok Pce is superior to the viin, Vincent,¡° said Yu-Seong.

    There was no way Vincent would have taken action if he was the leader. It was important to remember that there was a formidable enemy hiding inside Juseok Pce.

    ¡°I agree. After all, Vincent was an S-rank hunter. He was also known among the Demon King worshipers for his formidable reputation and ranked in the Top 100. If there were someone capable ofmanding him like ackey¡­¡± said Helen.

    "It would be the Twelve Dark Kings or the Hexagram Master," said Yu-Seong with a cynical smile.

    Regardless of who it may have been, Yu-Seong did not wish to meet them as an enemy.

    <i>¡®The Twelve Dark Kings and the Hexagram Master are indeed strong enough to bepared with the Demons.¡¯?</i>

    That went without saying. Rachel, who single-handedly killed a Demon King in the original novel, was introduced as one of the Twelve Dark Kings. She was, of course, a formidable presence among them.

    From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective, this was the problem.

    <i>¡®If someone who ranks between 1st to 3rd among the Twelve Dark Kings is inside Juseok Pce, this operation would be absolutely impossible from the outset.¡¯</i>

    The reason the Demon King Worshipers couldmit crimes with impunity around the world was their immense strength. In particr, the Godfather, boss of the Demon King Worshipers, two of the Hexagram Masters, and the top three ranks of the Twelve Dark Kings were already beyond human at this point.

    It would be impossible for Yu-Seong to escape from such an opponent with the Philosopher''s Stone in hand, even with Helen Mirren by his side.

    "Besides the Hexagram Master, there are only a few who know the existence of the Twelve Dark Kings¡­ I guess Choi told you," said Helen.

    "If those in the higher ranks are in Pyongyang, then you must give up on obtaining the Philosopher''s Stone immediately," Yu-Seong said.

    "You can probably do that, but that¡¯s impossible for me,¡± stated Helen.

    "Seonbae-nim."

    "So you must also take a risk and help me. If you are really scared of dying, you can run away. But by the time we reach that point¡­¡± Helen wrapped her robe around herself and clicked her tongue. She said, "Enough useless talk. There''s no reason not to take advantage of any weaknesses they have shown, even if they were intentional.¡±

    ¡°...the Philosopher''s Stone is beneath Juseok Pce,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "That''s what I expected. It is a precious treasure that has to be kept close. What¡¯s important is the exact location,¡± said Helen.

    Yu-Seong tried to recall the original novel¡¯s description as best he could about the Philosopher''s Stone and Helen Mirren.

    "In the underground bunker, inside the room with a hexagram drawn on the entrance..."

    "Is that all the information you have?" asked Helen.

    "Yes," replied Yu-Seong.

    "It''s surprisingly vague," said Helen. As she raised her hand to the ceiling, she added, "Even so, it shouldn''t be too difficult to find. You can follow me, right?"

    "Of course. But wasn''t my job originally to draw attention?"

    "Do you think you can manage it on your own?"

    "Honestly, I don''t think it is possible."

    If Kim Do-Jin was with Yu-Seong, they could handle even the appearance of another S-rank hunter in just a few hours. However, if Yu-Seong was alone, the task would be absolutely impossible. It seemed inevitable that they would have to use a Return Stone.

    "So there''s a change in ns. Your new task is to assist me. You can do that much, right?"

    "Understood."

    Even if he couldn¡¯t, Yu-Seong had to do it. Since he hade this far, he wanted to help Helen Mirren in any way he could.

    "Let''s go then," said Helen with a firm nod.

    A bright energy flowed out of Helen''s hand and rose to the ceiling like haze. It melted the ceiling before another form took shape below Helen¡¯s palm.

    Looking on, Yu-Seong found the sight rather familiar.

    <i>¡®A submachine gun?¡¯</i>

    It was a K2.

    Before having been possessed by the original novel, Yu-Seong had served in the military, so he was well aware of the rifles that weremonly used by the Korean army.

    In fact, there was more. Every time Helen Mirren moved her hands, new objects appeared.

    <i>¡®Magazines, bullets, grenades.¡¯</i>

    Weapons that could only be used in the military were appearing out of thin air. The secret space that had served as Yu-Seong¡¯s ce of rest was now bing an enormous arsenal.

    Despite all of this happening, Yu-Seong could sense no additional presence around him. As Helen had said, the enemies had chosen to be less vignt and morecent.

    Just then, Helen loosened her robe to release steam into the darkness. The steam clouds slowly took on the shape of a human.

    <i>¡®Homunculus!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong widened his eyes. This was his first time seeing artificial life forms being created by alchemy.

    As if they had a will of their own, the artificial life forms began to arm themselves. They had no eyes, nose, or mouth. All of their movements were under Helen¡¯s control.

    Helen skillfully controlled hundreds of Homunculus without a care in the world. Then, she put on her own protective gear and turned toward Yu-Seong. She asked, "Hey, do you know how to use a gun?"

    "I can handle a submachine gun..." replied Yu-Seong.

    "So it is true that almost all adult men in South Korea are required toplete military service, and so can handle guns. Get equipped, then," said Helen.

    In fact, Choi Yu-Seong had not yet gone to the military in this world. He should not have been able to handle a gun.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, since I became a hunter, I have always been exempted from military service.¡¯</i>

    Regardless of that, the original Yu-Seong had served in the military. Therefore, he knew how to handle basic weapons such as submachine guns and grenades.

    Yu-Seong picked up the submachine gun by its strap and loaded the magazine. Then, he equipped himself with hand grenades.

    <i>''Going into the Juseok Pce dressed like this...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong felt strange. Wasn¡¯t this simr to the North Korean gueri assassins he had heard of in the old days?

    Helen looked at Yu-Seong wearing the military uniform with a satisfied expression. She said, "The opponent is not a monster but a human, so it is much more efficient to use weapons and not abilities. It would be good to learn how to handle them properly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to learn this,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Good. Then, we should go. Don''t miss me. I don¡¯t go easy even on kids."

    Once Yu-Seong nodded at her, Helen vanished into the darkness. The Homunculus that surrounded her protectively also had great speed, following her closely.

    Yu-Seong was shocked. He tried to follow Helen by taking bigger steps, but the distance between them kept widening.

    There was a great difference between S-rank and C-rank. No matter how narrow the gaps between each rank were, the gaps themselves could never be eliminated. Moreover, Helen was known to be a skilled performer within the S-rank.

    In the end, Yu-Seong had no choice but to watch from a distance as Helen and her troops shed with the military of Pyongyang. Not once did Helen look back. She fully expected Yu-Seong to take care of himself.

    After activating the skill, Yu-Seong could instantly elerate his movement for nine steps.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t chase her as a D-rank.¡¯</i>

    In that short time, Yu-Seong invested 5000 Karma points that he had gathered from the battle with Vincent and immediately pulled up the Wind Control to C-rank.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Wind Control D ¡ú C.

    Fusion not possible.

    Inheritance not possible.

    At the end of 18 steps that flow like a wave, a dragon that catches the wind travels through the clouds. This is a skill that has beenpletely inherited. You can only use seven ¡ú nine out of eighteen steps due to the current low grade.

    It is easier to dodge opponent¡¯s attacks.

    You can kill some of your presence.

    For nine steps after skill activation, you can instantly elerate your movement.

    Immediately after skill activation, you can create a short illusion using all five steps.

    If you use an illusion 3 ¡ú 5 or more times in a row, a cooldown time of 20 minutes (30 ¡ú 20) will be needed for reuse.

    *New C-rank perk ¨C You can transform the stepping method ¡°Wind Control¡± to ¡°Wind Flow¡±.

    In this case, most of the functions of the Wind Control will be sealed.

    The restriction on walking will disappear.

    Mana will be continuously consumed.

    The movement speed will increase dramatically.

    In case of entering battle, it will automatically change to Wind Control.¡»

    Yu-Seong did not hesitate after checking the newly evolved skill.

    <i>¡®Transform to Wind Flow.¡¯</i>

    The wind immediately enveloped Yu-Seong from behind, carrying him away with a breeze. Yu-Seong felt like he was flying, passing by his surroundings at a speed several times quicker than before. He followed Helen, who was running ahead after copsing dozens of soldiers in Pyongyang alone.

    <i>¡®This is¡­¡¯</i>

    It was indeed a movement skill. Although its efficiency would decrease duringbat due to its predictable pattern, Yu-Seong could automatically switch it back to Wind Control. In other words, Wind Flow was most suitable for chasing and fleeing. In a way, it was a skill that Yu-Seong had been wishing for.

    <i>''From now on, I can use Wind Flow to escape whenever I¡¯m in danger!''</i>

    Most importantly, Yu-Seong no longer had to struggle to catch up to Helen.

    Helen noticed that Yu-Seong was following her. Her eyes twinkled and she revealed an enigmatic smile. "Amazing. I wanted to see your limits, but you actually managed to show up when I told you to. How many things are you hiding?"

    Yu-Seong was at a loss for words. In fact, he was unable to respond.

    <i>''This...''?</i>

    As he tried to speak while manipting the Wind Flow, Yu-Seong could feel a sense of burden. He struggled to move, much less speak. It seemed that the nature of his ability required him to bnce both his physical and mana abilities in respect to his speed.

    "Yeah, you wouldn''t want to admit that you deliberately kept it hidden, would you? You cunning kid. Now I understand why Choi treats you so nicely," Helen said.

    Once again, Yu-Seong was left speechless.

 Chapter 148

    <h4>Chapter 148 </h4>

    Racing recklessly, Helen Mirren and Choi Yu-Seong continued to fire their guns and throw the asional grenade as soon as the enemy appeared. Although there were only two of them, they were not outnumbered by the troops; Helen still had her Homunculus army.

    The situation stayed the same even as the battle raged on. The reason was simple.

    <i>¡®Theye back to life after getting shot and having their limbs blown off.¡¯</i>

    The Homunculus army was an unstoppable force, charging forward like an army of the undead and shrugging off bullets. They proved to be a reliable and unppable ally for Yu-Seong, cementing their reputation as the legendary immortal troop. They even had modern firearms this time.

    For the Pyongyang Army, this was a sick and horrific situation. They were being chased by an invincible enemy that they couldn''t defeat no matter how hard they tried. Despite bragging about having encountered various types of monsters while trapped in their isted hell, they were encountering the Homunculus army for the first time.

    "Shoot! Shoot, and take them down!"

    Upon thatmand, a shot was fired, and apanying screams could be heard. A grenade thrown by a Pyongyang soldier also detonated, causing the targeted Homunculus to momentarily crumple or drop bits of flesh before regaining its form, picking up its weapon, and rejoining the fight.

    The undead soldiers wereparable to Pyongyang¡¯s monster hunters, who focused on monster hunting butcked significant experience with firearms. The Homunculus created by Helen Mirren may be inferior to Helen in their movements, but they possessed individualbat strength that was equivalent to hers with firearms.

    Yu-Seong kept a close eye on the situation while running alongside Helen. When he had a sudden realization, he felt a chill running up his spine.

    <i>''Helen is actually controlling all these Homunculus.''</i>

    Helen was running leisurely with her arms by her side, but her fingertips had threads of ck energy connecting to the heads of the Homunculus. And when the Homunculus attacked or defended, she would rapidly move her fingers beneath her robe as if she was ying a piano.

    <i>¡®So that''s why she wears a robe!¡¯</i>

    If it wasn''t for the fact that Yu-Seong was able to watch Helen¡¯s movements for a long time from the side, he wouldn''t have noticed her concealed abilities.

    Helen turned to make eye contact with Yu-Seong and smiled. "You''re very quick-witted. But having that knowledge alone cannot stop me, kiddo."

    "..." Yu-Seong remained silent. He was about to nod in agreement when¡­

    Just ahead of where Helen was running, a blue energy spread across the ground like paint with a threatening aura.

    Yu-Seong naturally thought Helen would stop upon seeing that, but she continued to run straight ahead. It was as if she hadn¡¯t seen what was in front of her. In the end, Yu-Seong had to disengage his Wind Control skill.

    "Danger...!"

    Yu-Seong¡¯s urgent voice definitely reached Helen, but her footsteps reached the blue energy faster than his voice.

    At the same time, a sprang from the blue energy and captured Helen Mirren. Finally, the Pyongyang hunters who were hiding their presence revealed themselves from all sides.

    <i>''How many of them are there?''?</i>

    Quickly activating his Third Eye skill and looking around, Yu-Seong bit his lips as his expression hardened.

    <i>''Over ten... They''re at least A-rank, too.''?</i>

    Even an S-rank hunter appeared to be here. This was not strange since they could have been waiting to trap both Helen and Yu-Seong from the beginning.

    Helen was tied up in the blue. She was so still that it was strange¡­ Despite seeing the approaching aura, she calmly lowered her head and did not show a hint of movement.

    In an instant, Yu-Seong stepped on Wind Control, blocked Helen¡¯s path, and transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear. Then, he blocked the fireball that was shot by a hunter affiliated with the Pyongyang military with his spear. He also threw himself toward the iing barrage.

    "Wake up, seonbae-nim!¡± yelled Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong thought that Helen had suddenly fallen into a trap and was in some kind of shock. Otherwise, she would be taking action during such a critical situation.

    During the barrage, Yu-Seong suddenly heard a strange sound in his ear. This was after he deflected the strike of a sword.

    "Kekeke¡­¡±

    It was a loudughter that could not be contained.

    "Keughhh-!"

    Yu-Seong felt a sense of doubt when a loud scream echoed in the sky, but he had no time to focus on it. The enemies¡¯ attacks were already upon him. He couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate against opponents who were higher-ranked hunters than he was.

    ¡°Raging Snake!"

    After activating Cu Chinn''s Secret Spear Skills, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear swung like a whip to deflect the iing attacks from all sides.

    Yu-Seong was protecting Helen behind him, so he alone deflected the attacks of more than three A-rank hunters. He was drenched in sweat. His back and shoulders had thin wounds, but his overall defense was rtively satisfying.

    <i>¡®But will I be able to block it again next time?¡¯</i>

    In fact, it was not an impossibility. However, Yu-Seong would have to use all the skills that would reveal that he was ¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡¯. Fighting while hiding one''s identity was a different matter from using the Raging Snake, which was not easily noticeable. It was not easy.

    Yu-Seong gripped his spear as he gathered his thoughts.

    Just then, ck dots or lines attacked the A-rank hunters and disappeared from their throats and hearts.

    <i>¡®What was that?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wondered, witnessing the scene of nine or so A-rank hunters dying from their necks being cut and their hearts getting pierced. He widened his eyes in surprise.

    Behind the A-rank hunters stood the ck-robed Helen, who had a sword in one hand. Surprisingly, her other hand had the emblem of the S-rank hunter who wasmanding them.

    The scream from before had indeede from that S-rank hunter.

    "Seonbae?"

    Surprised, Yu-Seong looked back at the blue trap he had been guarding until now. The deep-pressed ck robe slowly raised its body to reveal a person who also had Helen¡¯s face, but¡­the face gradually fell apart and changed into another Homunculus.

    Yu-Seong just realized that Helen had never fallen for the trap from the start.

    <i>¡®She just pretended to fall for the trap and then switched with Homunculus.¡¯</i>

    Although the skill was difficult to determine exactly, Helen¡¯s skill had allowed her to easily catch the S-rank hunter by having them let their guard down.

    Yu-Seong thought about it some more, and then realized that this was a simple task. If Helen had really fallen for the shock, the Homunculus still fighting the approaching Pyongyang troops would have also stopped. However, the Homunculus had continued to move and fight against the Pyongyang troops this entire time.

    <i>¡®Ipletely fell for it.¡¯</i>

    Helen passed by the surprised Yu-Seong and patted his shoulder. She said, "Well done, decoy. It was a great role-ying performance.¡±

    "Is that so...?"

    Yu-Seong had a slightly angry expression, but Helen did not look at him. Instead, sheughed as she changed into a military uniform that could camouge her in the darkness. Then, she put on an Integrated Ballistic Helmet.

    "Keke... Well, I was touched by your sincerity. Ah, it was very impressive, kiddo."

    Helen took a rifle, made a long pole with it, and handed it over to Homunculus, who dressed just like her. At the end of the pole was the badge of an S-rank hunter belonging to the recently killed Pyongyang Army.

    "This guy was a decent yer, so he would be pretty recognizable in Pyongyang. He would be perfectly suitable for discouraging the rest."

    "Perfect for scamming as well."

    "Don''t make a fuss just because you got teased by an adult, kiddo. It''s always been like that in life. Keke. Well, let''s run again," said Helen.

    And with that, Helen raced forward, and Yu-Seong followed with his Wind Flow skill.

    ***

    In the dark room where a chessboard was in the center, a girl was sitting on a white bed sheet that had been stained dark red. She crossed her legs and said, "So you mean the guys who killed Vincent areing to Juseok Pce, and you haven''t captured them yet?"

    Kim Un-Jeong was shivering with his knees bent and head bowed. He gulped nervously, then replied loudly, "Yes, yes! But we''re currently doing our best with a siege operation, so I believe that we can capture everyone soon."

    "How ipetent~ You''re doing your best and still haven''t caught them? If you''re this ipetent, wouldn''t it be better to die?"

    The girl then turned to look at the man standing next to Kim Un-Jeong with bent knees. She asked, "Hey, old man, what¡¯s your name again?"

    Surprised by the question, the old man replied hastily, "Choi, I¡¯m Choi Ki-Nam, mam!"

    "Do you want to be the Pyongyang general? That pig seems too ipetent to me."

    "Th-That is..."

    The elderly man, Choi Ki-Nam, had unwittingly ended up in the restricted area with Kim Un-Jeong. He nced to the side and saw Kim Un-Jeong quivering, kneeling on the ground in fear.

    "Don''t want to? Then die," said Emilia.

    When Emilia¡¯s fingertips had a dark red energy forming into a pointed needle¡­

    "I will! I will work harder than this foolish pig and drag them all here in no time!"

    In truth, Choi Ki-Nam had no other choice.

    The red energy suddenly burrowed into Ki-Nam¡¯s wrinkled forehead, and veins started to bulge on his face. With wide eyes, he asked in surprise, "Why, why¡­?"

    Emilia smiled brightly. "Well~ I hate traitors the most.¡±

    The bulging veins on Choi Ki-Nam''s face burst open, covering the room with a spray of crimson blood.

    "Kaaak-!"

    Kim Un-Jeong cringed at Ki-Nam¡¯s dying scream. He could feel the warm blood staining his clothes.

    <i>¡®I can''t stop this crazy monster from going wild,¡¯?</i>Un-Jeong thought.

    The situation had been better when Vincent had been around. No matter how angry Emilia got, she would rarely kill more than one person when he was around. However, Vincent had been dead for about ten days now.

    At first, Emilia had been satisfied with killing only two or three people. Now, she was actually killing more than ten people a day. Even worse, the people getting killed were all members of the council, which could be considered the center of Pyongyang. This was because Emilia wanted to punish these ipetent pigs.

    Of course, Kim Un-Jeong couldn''t rece the dead with ordinary people.

    <i>¡®If I do that, I''ll certainly meet my demise.¡¯</i>

    Kim Un-Jeong held back his tears. He felt like he wanted to cry.

    <i>¡®What a foolish man, going out alone and getting killed...!¡¯</i>

    Surprisingly, Kim Un-Jeong found himself feeling a sense of loss for Vincent, who had no redeeming qualities as a person.

    Emilia gazed down at Kim Un-Jeong. Her cheeks had the sttered blood of Choi Ki-Nam. She exuded a chilly and haughty aura.

 Chapter 149

    <h4>Chapter 149 </h4>

    As Emilia''s intimidating presence filled the room, Kim Un-Jeong felt his breath being choked out of him.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    With a loud noise, the entire castle shook. Pieces of stone fell from the tall walls above.

    "Oh, did theye here on their own?"

    Emilia looked far away, her eyes bent into crescent moons. After that, her figure disappeared from the bed without a trace.

    "Uh, uhm... Emilia, wait!"

    Kim Un-Jeong quickly tried to grab Emilia, but it was already toote.

    The path to Juseok Pce and its interiors had all been made into a trap to capture Yu-Seong and Helen Mirren. As part of the trap, there were arge number of hunter forces that made up most of Pyongyang¡¯s entire force.

    The problem was that Emilia, who was angry, had no way of identifying the hunter forces. With Helen attacking from the front and Emilia striking from behind, no matter how strong the Pyongyang elites were, they would not be able to withstand the two hunters who were regarded as top-ranking monsters in the world.

    <i>¡®What¡­ What should I do?¡¯</i>

    Kim Un-Jeong paced back and forth in the room. His gaze was full of worry.

    <i>¡®With things as they are, I guess I have to abandon my ns for Pyongyang.¡¯</i>

    Even if it was just himself, Un-Jeong had to survive. It was unfortunate that the power he had enjoyed until now would disappear in an instant, but there was still some hope for him. Through gritted teeth, he muttered to himself, "The Philosopher''s Stone..."

    With that magnificent stone, Un-Jeong could rebuild a city like Pyongyang at any time.

    Kim Un-Jeong nced around the room that was full of a bloody odor, then he turned and ran out.

    Inside the spacious room that Un-Jeong had just left, one figure who had been concealed in the darkness slowly emerged.

    "The Philosopher''s Stone? I thought there might be something when I heard that one of the Twelve Dark Kings has been dispatched to this small city, but this is bigger than I thought!" Rachel licked her red lips.

    Rachel¡¯s eyes sparkled as she gazed at Kim Un-Jeong¡¯s disappearing figure. The sight of him fleeing further stimted her curiosity.

    <i>¡®This city has more fun things than I thought.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Rachel had just arrived in Pyongyang a few days ago. She initially had been meant to depart for another location after meeting the ck Gauze King, Emilia, and establishing a casual rtionship with her. This had been the Godfather¡¯s instructions. However, after coincidentally meeting Kim Do-Jin, Rachel had bepletely distracted and had forgotten everything else.

    <i>¡®It was an exciting hide-and-seek.¡¯</i>

    Tonight, the city of Pyongyang was filled with the smell of gunpowder and death, both of which Rachel relished. The odors were particrly strong this time, much more than any other instance before.

    Unable to hold back her curiosity, Rachel stopped ying hide-and-seek and headed for Juseok Pce, where the smell of death was strongest. She had heard Kim Un-Jeong mentioning ¡®the Philosopher''s Stone¡¯ through a simple coincidence, and there was no way she could just ignore it.

    <i>¡®I have a feeling that more exciting things are going to happen.¡¯</i>

    Rachel was the type of person whose instincts were usually urate. Trusting her instincts, she began to tremble with excitement. In fact, blood, death, and a ce overflowing with madness were the things that Rachel loved the most.

    However, the moments when she couldn''t fully control herself due to excitement and agitation were short.

    Rachel, with her gaze once again cold and aloof, sighed disappointingly as she smacked her lips. "Ah, if only we had my gold nugget here, that would be perfect. Hm, am I being too greedy? Whoo-hoo..."

    After that, Rachel started to follow the trail of Kim Un-Jeong who was getting further and further away into the darkness.

    ***

    As they roamed the streets of Pyongyang together, Yu-Seong realized once again how terrifying Helen was.

    <i>¡®As expected, not everyone at the S-rank is equal.¡¯</i>

    Some examples would be Choi Woo-Jae and Choi Mi-Na, and even Rachel. One could alsopare Kim Do-Jin and Yu-Seong¡¯s own experiences. It was clear that having the same rank did not guarantee simr abilities.

    Levels, one''s own skillposition, proficiency, everyday training, and even talent allbined to create actual ability. Also, even if someone¡¯s ability was great, they shouldn¡¯t let their guard down.

    <i>¡®And a third one bites the dust.¡¯</i>

    Helen had already imed the lives of three proud S-rank hunters of Pyongyang. In fact, two of them had been lured by her fake emblem and had fallen for her trap without putting up much of a fight.

    <i>¡®It all ends with one mistake.¡¯</i>

    Human life was indeed petty and fleeting, where everything coulde to an end in a split second. Without a prepared defense skill, most humans would simply die from a single bullet wound.

    <i>¡®The same applies to hunters.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt proud of himself, having experienced quite a few dangerous situations up to this point. In reality, his experiences were already beyond what normal yer individuals could experience. However, running and fighting alongside Helen in thisrge-scale war was on another level altogether. It was apletely new experience.

    <i>¡®And in this situation, we are outnumbered.¡¯</i>

    Helen, having ample battle experience, utilized her mobility to effortlessly ovee numerous traps. She had also asked for Yu-Seong¡¯s assistance, but there was not really much that he had to do. It felt as if she was intentionally keeping Yu-Seong close to educate him.

    Finding the path to the basement was not too difficult since the scattered hordes of Homunculus that Helen had spread around thoroughly searched theplex interior of Juseok Pce. Not even the mostplicated roads could be a problem.

    <i>¡®Really, I have nothing to do.¡¯</i>

    Just a moment ago, Yu-Seong had been afraid of losing his way, but now he could leisurely watch Helen''s battle tactics from up close.

    Just then, Yu-Seong froze. In the dark hallway, a glimmering red object was suddenly flying toward them at a frightening speed.

    "Duck!" yelled Helen.

    Yu-Seong instinctively threw himself to the side.

    The red object flew towards them with a loud explosion; then a massive crater could be seen right where Yu-Seong had been a second before. If Yu-Seong had reacted just a moment slower, he would have exploded into pieces or reduced to a grotesque corpse.

    Yu-Seong felt a chill running up his spine. Sweating profusely, he switched Wind Flow into Wind Control and looked into the darkness beyond.

    <i>Tap, tap.?</i>

    <i>¡®Footsteps?¡¯</i>

    Contrary to the swift flight of the red object, the footsteps sounded slow and leisurely. It went on for a considerable amount of time.

    ¡°It is still early, but it seems the end boss has already appeared,¡± Helenmented with a smirk.

    Before Yu-Seong could even spot the figure beyond the darkness, Helen already identified the enemy. She groaned as she looked at the Western girl who was no taller than 160 centimeters in high heels.

    The Western girl stopped in front of Helen and Yu-Seong, then greeted, "Hello, friends."

    In an instant, Helen stepped forward and blocked the dark red energy that shot out toward them.

    <i>Thump-!</i>

    With a loud boom, the ceiling crumbled and sent dust flying all over the ce. Only then did Yu-Seong regain his senses, drawing a deep breath. He had shown no reaction to the brief skirmish before.

    Emilia leaped over the debris of the fallen ceiling andughed. "Your skills are still the same, grandma. Good reaction. The boss here has set up a trap, but I know it¡¯s too easy to keep you away.¡±

    ¡°This is a trap? And¡­who are you calling grandma? You¡¯ve lived a hundred years longer than I have, old hag," said Helen with a snort.

    <i>¡®Lived a hundred years longer than Helen?¡¯</i>

    It was rumored that Helen had lived for over 70 years. If her opponent had lived for 100 years longer and still appeared to be a young girl, there could only be one exnation.

    <i>¡®Non-human races!¡¯</i>

    The strong odor of blood and her red-ck energy indicated that Emilia was likely a vampire.

    As if confirming Yu-Seong''s suspicion, a message appeared in the air.

    - The Red Fang of the Dark Night gazes at the yer Choi Yu-Seong through an incarnation with a cold smile.

    At that moment, Helen and Emilia no longer stared at each other. They simultaneously turned to look at Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Dang it¡­¡¯</i>

    Although he was using a skinsuit, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t fool the gods.

    Emilia gazed at Yu-Seong indifferently. Then, her pupils thinned like a snake¡¯s.

    <i>¡®Oh, you are the stubborn human who rejected my god''s offer. ¡¯</i>

    "You have done a very good deed."

    Helen immediately blocked Yu-Seong, who was now surrounded by Emilia¡¯s fierce red-ck energy.

    It was fortunate that Helen was here. However, if they stuck to their original mission, her being held up for this long was not ideal.

    <i>¡®We need to steal the Philosopher''s Stone as soon as possible and return to Seoul. But to do that, I may need to struggle and fight with the non-human race woman, who may be one of the Twelve Dark Kings¡­¡¯</i>

    Could Yu-Seong do that? The answer to the question came easily.

    As the moonlight vanished from beyond the copsed ceiling and darkness descended upon them, a sudden silver light cut through the darkness and fell upon Emilia''s head.

    <i>Craaack-!?</i>

    Something copsed before a faint red barrier appeared above Emilia. It had small mes dancing all over it.

    The situation proved to be difficult, but the sword did not move away. It stayed right where it was with its silver light.

    "Who the hell are you?"

    Taken aback by the sudden attack, Emilia shot a beam of light from her hand in a split second.

    The attacker, a man, raised both hands and unleashed a pentagram magic circle. He vanished. The sword that was about to fall to the ground also disappeared from the air, returning to the man¡¯s grasp.

    Both Helen and Emilia were unable to react in time. The man was now behind Emilia. He was inside the protective barrier that Emilia had activated.

    Emilia, realizing this, swung her arm in surprise. Before her attack couldnd, a silver curve cut through the darkness, and the sword pierced right through her chest.

    "Huh?"

    One of the Twelve Dark Kings, considered to be the strongest among the Demon King Worshipers, was falling to the ground in a pool of blood.

    Yu-Seong, while watching this scene in real-time, felt immense horror.

    <i>¡®Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh!¡¯</i>

    Only one person could wield such unparalleled technique, which was capable of transcending a segment of space to deliver a decisive blow straight to the opponent''s heart.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin!¡¯</i>

    If the novel¡¯s protagonist was incapable of handling the miraculous ability to jump through space, then who could possibly do it? No matter where he came from, how torn his clothes were, and how bad he looked, only one thing was for certain.

    <i>¡®Originally, he only uses that technique upon reaching S-rank!¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin had exceeded the bounds of the original novel.

    After feeling momentary shock, Yu-Seong snapped back to reality and began running toward Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®A vampire will not die even if its heart is pierced.¡¯</i>

    In other words, Emilia was still alive.

    "Watch out!"

    As always, being careless led to one''s demise.

 Chapter 150

    <h4>Chapter 150 </h4>

    A blood-red beam cut the tip of Kim Do-Jin''s nose.

    Upon hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s voice, Do-Jin instinctively flinched. He furrowed his brow, then addressed Yu-Seong who was running towards him. "Don''t make a fuss. I already knew that she wouldn''t die from this."

    This was a somewhat awkward situation. Yu-Seong stopped running. With an incredulous look on his face, he clicked his tongue and mumbled, "I was worried for nothing..."

    "Who was worried about whom?" Kim Do-Jinughed mockingly.

    "Ahaha-! What''s this? It¡¯s getting more fun!" Emilia, with a hole in her heart, floated in the sky andughed loudly.

    - The Red Fang of the Dark Night keeps an eye on the yers Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong through the incarnation. Laughs happily.

    "Wait, did that pervert try getting his fangs into you too?¡±

    "Just wasn¡¯t my type. I rejected him.¡±

    "Same here."

    As Do-Jin and Yu-Seong conversed briefly, Emilia suddenly stoppedughing. She said, "Do you know that I feel bad whenever you insult my god like that?¡±

    Emilia shot out even more red-ck energy, but her attack was blocked by the thick walls that Helen had erected.

    Helen, who was standing beside Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong, asked, "Do you think you guys can handle her?"

    "Are you going to be understanding if we say that we can¡¯t?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    Helen gave a cold smile. "I doubt it. I trust you both."

    "Go ahead. I''ll try my best. It''ll be difficult on my own, but..." Yu-Seong¡¯s voice trailed off as he looked at Do-Jin, who was watching them with a rxed expression.

    "Who said we¡¯re fighting together?" asked Do-Jin.

    Yu-Seong inwardly thought that Do-Jin¡¯s remark was unnecessary, but he still managed to show a smile. As he always said, he knew Kim Do-Jin very well.

    "Help me," Yu-Seong said.

    "What?"

    "I''ve helped you before, too."

    Kim Do-Jin had a strong sense of pride.

    "What do you mean¡­?"

    "If it weren''t for my help, you would have died just now."

    "I already knew the vampire wasn¡¯t going to die!"

    "Anyway, debts need to be paid."

    "Who owes who...?"

    For some reason, it seemed that Do-Jin liked Yu-Seong quite a bit.

    "Please, Kim Do-Jin. Right now, there''s no one else but you," Yu-Seong requested sincerely.

    Yu-Seong found this decision to be an easy one, since he couldn¡¯t possibly stand up against Emilia without Do-Jin¡¯s help.

    At that moment, the thick walls that Helen had erected began to crumble. The gaps between the fragments allowed three red beams of light toe through. Two beams of light were targeting both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin.

    Kim Do-Jin gave Yu-Seong no reply. He simply raised his sword, unleashing silver sword energy to slice the two red beams of light apart.

    <i>¡®Did he just deflect the red lights away?¡¯</i>

    Once again, Yu-Seong had to admit that Kim Do-Jin was a monster.

    Helen, who had blocked the remaining attack with her palm, frowned.

    <i>¡®With the use of sword energy, he could have blocked all three red beams of light.¡¯</i>

    But for some reason, Do-Jin¡¯s sword energy did not block the light beam that had been targeting Helen Mirren. The reason for that was rather obvious.

    <i>¡®His intentions are not to assist me, but rather to solely aid Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    It was ridiculous, but the situation wasn¡¯tpletely awful.

    "Well, then. I¡¯ll trust you, kiddos."

    And with that, Helen turned around and started running towards the basement. She did not even bother to look back.

    Despite their superior abilitiespared to their peers in the same rank, Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong had yet to reach the A-rank level. In other words, them trying to defeat Emilia was no different from wishing for a miracle.

    <i>¡®Helen has to get the Philosopher''s Stone as soon as possible ande back.¡¯</i>

    If she had the power of the Philosopher''s Stone, Emilia would no longer be a challenge for Helen.

    "Where are you running off to?!"

    Emilia saw Helen running ahead of her, so she spread her wings wide.

    At that moment, Yu-Seong swept past the end of Emilia¡¯s wings like a ray of light. Heughed while stretching out his spear.

    <i>¡®As expected, using it in midair greatly weakens its speed and power.¡¯</i>

    He had unleashed his Lance Charging, but it was slower and weaker than expected. He had nned topletely bend one wing, but his efforts had only allowed him to brush against Emilia¡¯s wing and pass by.

    Still, Yu-Seong¡¯s sneak attack was enough to unnerve Emilia. She missed her intended target, which was Helen¡¯s back, as her blood-red ray slightly veered off course and obliterated arge wall instead.

    Emilia said with a frown, "You''re faster than I thought.¡±

    She quickly tried to catch Yu-Seong by the neck, but Do-Jin had used magic to create a strong vacuum between them.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Along with the explosion, two people were pushed away from each other. The immediate impact was not strong, but it was still strong enough to get them out of the sky.

    Do-Jin caught the falling Yu-Seong with one arm. Then, he said, ¡°We have agreed to work together in this fight, so we shouldplement each other like bread and butter.¡±

    "What?"

    "She¡¯s not a woman that you can handle. And now, I owe you nothing."

    Do-Jin was being somewhat cheeky, but his intention was clear as day.

    <i>¡®Does that mean he¡¯s going to help me properly?¡¯</i>

    The battle with Vincent had been very different from this one. At that time, Kim Do-Jin had been somewhat uncooperative. To be fair, they had also been in great danger unexpectedly.

    <i>¡®Of course, it might be because I hid the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill.¡¯</i>

    This time, Yu-Seong had no such thoughts. This current situation and opponent were not easy to deal with, so he intended to do his very best.

    <i>¡®If the opportunity arises, I will immediately activate the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill.¡¯</i>

    Emilia looked at the two men with a strange gaze, then said with a surprised look, "Come to think of it, Helen¡¯s two assistants¡­"

    Vincent had died because he had gone to investigate Helen¡¯s two assistants. At that time, Helen had been in Juseok Pce.

    Aftering to a conclusion, Emilia had an incredulous expression on her face. She said, "Do you mean Vincent was caught by kids like you?"

    She burst outughing. "Oh my-! What a fool you were, Vincent! But still...¡±

    Soon, she began releasing a suffocating aura that made the air much heavier than before. It was like a storm was brewing¡­

    <i>¡®It¡¯s heavy.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong gripped his spear, which felt unusually heavy. Its weight became almost unbearable. He trembled and remembered Emilia¡¯s title of being <i>¡®one of the Twelve Dark Kings¡¯</i>. Then, while trying to steady his erratic heartbeat, he looked at Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Is that guy...fearless, or does he think he¡¯s invincible as the protagonist?¡¯?</i>

    Looking at Do-Jin¡¯s always nonchnt expression, Yu-Seong felt a sense of relief for some reason. He could not look at Emilia''s twisted face with a lighter heart.

    ¡°That guy was my onlypanion in this boring town, and you killed him. Do you know how angry that makes me?¡± Emilia said.

    ¡°I don''t care,¡± Kim Do-Jin answered briefly before flying forward. His silver sword energy seemingly tore Emilia apart, but she had already disappeared from that spot.

    Reappearing behind Yu-Seong, Emilia said with a cold voice, "It seems that you two are quite close, but I''ll make you feel the same way as I did!"

    Yu-Seong turned around and spread his arms as he invoked Wind Control. Suddenly, Emilia''s fingernail, which was as sharp and long as a beast¡¯s, tore into his illusion. Despite that close call, Yu-Seong stepped forward and extended his hand.

    "Dancing Electric Doll."

    Yu-Seong no longer needed to conceal his identity. He revealed the battle suit he had kept hidden beneath his clothes.

    At the same time, Kim Do-Jin''s sword collided with Emilia''s ws.

    When Do-Jin swayed slightly, Yu-Seong leapt forward to attack Emilia¡¯s head.

    <i>¡®The weakness of the vampire is not the heart, but the brain¡­</i> <i>Raging Snake!¡¯</i>

    When a sharp spear wrapped around her arm and reached for her neck, Emilia tried to avoid the attack by bending over in a 90-degree angle. However, her forehead was kicked by Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    Emilia spread her bloody red defense shield and blocked Do-Jin''s attack, then unsheathed her ws without hesitation.

    Do-Jin and Yu-Seong backed away, widening the distance between them and Emilia. At their original spot from mere seconds ago, there was now a bloody red line passing through.

    <i>¡®If we weren''t quick enough, both of us would have ended up as corpses in that very spot.¡¯</i>

    However, Emilia¡¯s attack was not over. She spread her wings wide and tried to cover them from behind.

    <i>¡®This is...?¡¯</i>

    If he got caught, his life woulde to a miserable end. Yu-Seong immediately unleashed all of his strength and sliced through the wings with hisnce. Then, he escaped alongside Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong and said, "That powerful technique is pretty useful."

    "Is that apliment?"

    Do-Jin nodded in response just as Emilia''s ws came close to swiping at them.

    Looking at Emilia¡¯s angry re, Yu-Seong quickly blocked her with his spear. However, he was sent flying up into the sky.

    <i>¡®What kind of strength is this¡­?!¡¯</i>

    Thankfully, Yu-Seong''s spear was an ancient relic. If it had not been created by Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, the spear would have been torn apart by Emilia¡¯s fingernails.

    The most surprising thing was that Kim Do-Jin was facing Emilia''s attack head-on.

    "It looks like the battle is getting more and more dangerous, but..." Yu-Seong¡¯s voice trailed off.

    It was his turn to attack. Once his feet touched the ground, Yu-Seong activated his Third Eye to the maximum and watched Emilia''s movements for a short time. Then, he realized one thing.

    <i>¡®The trajectory of her movement is almost fixed.¡¯?</i>

    Emilia had strong power and ability, but she had a fixed pattern of battling.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s not in the air, but on the ground. This is an opportunity.¡¯</i>

    Did Do-Jin read Yu-Seong¡¯s mind? Do-Jin nodded without even looking at Yu-Seong. He never stepped back from battling Emilia, even though he was getting increasingly wounded.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m going.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had read nearly all of Emilia''s movements, so he no longer had to hesitate. This time, with a clear goal in mind, he attacked.

    <i>¡®Lance Charging.¡¯</i>

    An extended light pierced through Emilia''s small body.

    ***

    Down in the underground bunker, there was a spacious room that had the pungent odor of blood. The atmosphere was humid and sticky. Blood dripped from the ceiling like rain.

    In the room were dozens of ck-robed figures who stood on a dark pentagram, which had been drawn on the floor. They were chanting ominously. It was as if they were praying.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Kim Un-Jeong entered through an iron gate. He frowned at the unexpectedly loud noise. "Ugh..."

    After a momentary wave of nausea, Un-Jeong turned to look at the green-lit box that was at the center of the pentagram. He could also feel the overflowing blood-colored energy that swept away the darkness of the night.

    The energy came from the blood dripping from the ceiling and the ck-robed figures¡¯ chanting.

    Kim Un-Jeong wanted to jump forward to seize the treasure, but he didn''t have the courage to ignore the blood-colored energying from the pentagram.

    <i>¡®I can''t be their living sacrifice¡­ If it is to protect the Philosopher''s Stone, then the Demon King Worshipers would also admit that this is an inevitable choice.¡¯</i>

    Kim Un-Jeong unhesitantly summoned his Homunculus and cut off the ck-robed figures, who became lifeless corpses instantly. The dark energy disappeared, and the blood stopped falling from the ceiling.

    After killing all the ck-robed figures, Kim Un-Jeong reached out toward the Philosopher''s Stone, which began to emit an eerie green light. He muttered deliriously, ¡°With this¡­ With this¡­¡±

    First, Un-Jeong would be able to survive. Then, he would be able to reim his wealth and power once again.

    Kim Un-Jeong''s eyes turned red as his hand reached for the stone.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    Suddenly, a hand ax buried itself into Un-Jeong¡¯s left shoulder from behind. He fell to the ground without a sound.

    A woman stepped out of the darkness with softughter. With a smile of madness, she said, ¡°Hm... The trap has been sessfully cleared.¡±

 Chapter 151

    <h4>Chapter 151 </h4>

    Rachel moved her hand slowly. She was reaching through the hexagram filled with corpses in an attempt to grasp the Philosopher''s Stone.

    <i>Zzzzt-!</i>

    A loud spark echoed through the area. Rachel''s once pristine hand was now ckened and charred from the intense spark.

    After lifting her hand from the Philosopher''s Stone, Rachel frowned. She smacked the head of the fallen Kim Un-Jeong, who was lying beside her, and asked, "Hey, pig. What¡¯s wrong with this? It was fine when you did it earlier."

    Of course, Kim Un-Jeong couldn''t answer. He was dazed and bleeding profusely.

    With a threatening gaze, Rachel lifted her hand ax without further dy. She demanded, "I''ll only count to one. If you don''t answer, I''ll just kill you right away. One."

    Kim Un-Jeong flinched and trembled, quickly turning his head to the side. He groaned. "Keugh¡­"

    "Even though you are in pain, you hold on quite well. What a good patient.¡±

    "Sa-Save me...¡±

    At those words, Rachel''s eyes sparkled. She asked, "Save you? Do you even know who I am?"

    Kim Un-Jeong managed to swallow down the curses that he wanted to say. He muttered, "The ughter¡­Queen."

    "Wrong. Normally, this would already earn you your death. However, I will give you one more chance today.¡± Rachel smiled slyly, slowly knelt down, and sat facing the bleeding Kim Un-Jeong.

    "What¡¯s wrong with that?"

    Looking at Rachel¡¯s red eyes of sheer madness, Kim Un-Jeong looked away. He said, "Blood..."

    "What?"

    "There should be blood."

    "There''s a lot of blood here, right?" Rachel said with her eyes sparkling. Then, with a sudden realization, she yelled, "Oh, your blood!"

    In the blink of an eye, Rachel cut off Kim Un-Jeong''s right wrist. She attacked without giving Un-Jeong a moment to express any sense of injustice.

    "Kyaaaa-!" Kim Un-Jeong screamed in pain. He rolled on the floor and spilled blood everywhere.

    Rachel smiled brightly as she raised Un-Jeong¡¯s bloodied hand. She attempted to touch the Philosopher''s Stone, but was once again surprised by the strong spark. She tilted her head in confusion.

    "Hey, pig. This isn''t working?"

    "Augh, augh!"

    "Shut up. Stop shouting and answer," said Rachel in annoyance.

    When Rachel impatiently kicked him in the mouth, Kim Un-Jeong''s teeth shattered and fell to the ground. His face felt even more painful than before. He looked up at Rachel with blood and tears pouring down his face. "Ugh¡­ Ugh..."

    "Why isn''t this working?"

    "Ugh..."

    "Oh, right. You can''t answer."

    Rachel quickly removed her feet from Un-Jeong¡¯s face.

    "Keheck!" Kim Un-Jeong coughed and threw up.

    Looking at the man with an insane gaze, Rachel slowly raised her hand and said one word, "One."

    "Not my blood... Your blood!"

    "Ah...? You should have said that earlier," Rachel said.

    Kim Un-Jeong was quick-witted, so he immediately replied with poor pronunciation. After listening to his reply, Rachel blinked, giggled, and brandished her hand ax.

    Kim Un-Jeong rolled on the floor with a frightened expression. After barely avoiding having his neck sliced open, he widened his eyes in horror and asked, ¡°Why, why¡­?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that you were noisy?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Rachel smiled brightly towards Kim Un-Jeong, who was surprised by the absurd reason. She said cheekily, ¡°You¡¯ve also killed many people just for your own desires.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Kim Un-Jeong replied, feeling flustered.

    Rachel¡¯s hand ax flew into the air again. However, she was no longer targeting Kim Un-Jeong.

    From beyond the hallway, a powerful roar echoed loudly. Only when the underground basement stopped vibrating did Rachel reach out her hand.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    When her hand ax did not return, Rachel tilted her head in confusion.

    Momentster, the hand ax returned and cut Rachel¡¯s red hair. Then, it ttered against the wall of the basement.

    "Wow?"

    Next, gunshots started to echo from beyond the hallway.

    "Oh, what the¡­!¡±

    "Wow-!"

    With a curse, Kim Un-Jeong continued to roll on the floor. Meanwhile, Rachel recovered her hand ax and stood still while shooting bullets wildly.

    The attack from beyond the hallway was not over. Then, something that looked like a baseball flew towards them.

    Upon seeing it, Kim Un-Jeong yelled in surprise, "Grenade! Did you forget?!"

    "Oh?"

    The explosion quickly spread a sea of fire in the basement, destroying everything.

    When the fire finally died down, Rachel could be seen crossing her arms and blocking the fire. With a blink, she then threw both hand axes that were at her waist simultaneously.

    <i>Whoosh-!?</i>

    Along with an explosion, their opponent stopped rushing forward.

    As if he were crazy, Kim Un-Jeong crawled behind Rachel. He barely survived even from having used her as a shield. He moaned inwardly.

    <i>¡®Monster! She¡¯s still standing even after taking a grenade head-on?¡¯</i>

    The ughter Queen was officially ranked 30th within the Demon King Worshiper, which was pretty remarkable. For her to take a grenade head-on in this narrow space, using only her body, this was an unexpected show of power that went beyond her ranking. She indeed was a monster even among S-ranks. She had power that could only be thought of in the realm of SS ranks, which hadpletely surpassed humanity.

    When thinking such thoughts, Kim Un-Jeong realized one thing.

    <i>¡®No way... Could this woman be the one who just defeated the ck Stain King to be the new Twelve Dark King¡­?¡¯</i>

    Now, Un-Jeong knew why his earlier answer of <i>¡®The ughter Queen</i>¡¯ was wrong.

    ¡°ck Stain King!¡±

    "You pig. You are more persistent than I thought," said Rachel with a smile. Then, she started firing off another barrage of bullets at their opponent with a shout. "Hey grandma! Keep shooting at me like this and I''ll smash this green rock to pieces!"

    The Philosopher''s Stone was not damaged in any way by the barrage of bullets or the grenades, but the oue might be different if Rachel chose to strike it with all her might.

    "Ah, no¡­No!" Kim Un-Jeong shook his head quickly, as if trying to appeal to Rachel.

    "I don''t like waiting for a long time. I''ll just count to one. One!" yelled Rachel.

    When the relentless hail of bullets suddenly came to a halt, Rachel raised her hand ax high with a smile. She asked, "Will you continue to hide?"

    "Of course not," said the opponent from the other side of the hallway.

    Rachel''s hand ax shot toward the ck shadow that flew over like an arrow.

    <i>Bam-!?</i>

    ck fragments scattered around like blood before regenerating once again. Then, the Homunculus that followed were like a herd of zombies.

    Rachel threw and retrieved her hand ax repeatedly, defeating the Homunculus with ease. As if she was not tired of defeating the continuously resuscitating Homunculus, she cackled loudly. "Ahahaha-!"

    Just when Rachel¡¯s hand ax swung abruptly to the left, Helen appeared with a loud explosion. Her robe fluttered and slid backwards as if she was slipping.

    Rachel saw the slightly pale Helen. With one hand wielding the hand ax and the other hand raised in greeting, she asked, "Long time no see. How have you been?"

    "You seem to have be even more of a monster," replied Helen.

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s apliment, right?¡±

    Helen smiled bitterly. She pursed her lips without saying a word.

    <i>¡®For the ughter Queen to be here, of all people?¡¯?</i>

    Although she was not as formidable as the ck Gauze King, who was 10th-ranked among the Twelve Dark Kings, Rachel was still a formidable opponent in Helen''s memory. Additionally, Rachel''s movements with her hand ax appeared to have improved.

    <i>¡®I may need to approach the ughter Queen as if I were battling the Twelve Dark Kings.¡¯</i>

    Helen furrowed her brow and tightened her fists.

    <i>¡®And I don''t know how much longer those two above can endure.¡¯</i>

    Despite their surpassing skills and cohesive teamwork, there was a high likelihood that Emilia would emerge victorious if the battle were to go on for too long. Helen was aware of this.

    Helen looked at the green Philosopher''s Stone behind Rachel.

    <i>¡®Kid, I get that you were not lying.¡¯</i>

    The goal was clear. Helen inhaled deeply and pulled up her mana to its maximum.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll deal with this job at once. Ultimate skill- Only one.¡¯</i>

    Once Helen activated her skill, the Homunculus rushing towards Rachel suddenly changed directions and surrounded Helen. They clung onto her like they were trying to swallow her, swarming her like a liquid monster. Then, they transformed into armor and a sword that looked rather medieval. Thanks to this, Helen¡¯s petite build could now rival that of a decent adult male. The huge sword swung around, seemingly capable of tearing air apart.

    Rachel widened her eyes and faced Helen directly. She flew high across the sky. With an awful cry, she spurted out blood upon being mmed into the wall.

    In pursuit, Helen transformed her sword into a fist and delivered a punch that struck Rachel.

    The impact sent Rachel flying out of the underground room and up to the ground level. From the cracked ceiling, a deluge of grotesque and horrifying corpses began to pour out.

    <i>¡®What the hell were these crazy guys doing here?¡¯</i>

    Helen was shocked by the sight, but she didn''t have time to think about anything else. Rachel was hanging on the wall from her thick fist.

    Smiling and bleeding, Rachel was still alive. She cooed, "Oh, this is really...too painful."

    At the same time, Rachel¡¯s aura disappeared.

    <i>¡®Illusion?¡¯</i>

    This appeared to be different from an illusion. It also felt a lot quicker than a mere illusion.

    <i>¡®But she would havecked the strength to get out of that.¡¯</i>

    Although Rachel boasted great physical power, she was also rtively strong as a Psychic yer. It should be impossible for her to bear the weight and power of Helen¡¯s full armor, which was intenselybined with the power of hundreds of Homunculus.

    In other words, Rachel must have activated some kind of skill.

    <i>¡®But where?¡¯</i>

    At the moment of her musing, Helen did not notice Rachel¡¯s hand ax materializing behind her. Her Homunculus armor soon had dozens of deep red gashes.

    <i>Kwagagagak-!</i>

    The Homunculus armor shattered, then started to regenerate. Helen swiftly turned around, attempting to counterattack, but Rachel hid herself and only revealed her red eyes.

    "Helen Mirren. I know your mana is quite a lot, but it¡¯s not unlimited, right?"

    "It''s enough tost until I catch you, young brat."

    Feeling her entire right arm of the Homunculus armor rip apart, Helen spun around and opened her eyes widely.

    <i>Kwagh-!?</i>

    With the massive movement of Helen¡¯s body, the basement interior crumbled at an even faster pace. The destruction began.

    "Ahaha-!"

    Helen frowned at the sound of Rachel¡¯sughter echoing from all around. Then, she suddenly saw Kim Un-Jeong touching the Philosopher''s Stone. She screamed, "You, what are you doing¡­?!"

    Rachel, who wasughing, looked at Kim Un-Jeong. She sent a hand ax flying through the air, plunging it deep into Un-Jeong''s left chest.

    Despite his heart stopping and his face stained with blood, Kim Un-Jeong still wore a cheerful smile as he passed away.

    <i>¡®Truly¡­You dog-like bastards¡­ Die, all of you.¡¯</i>

    When Kim Un-Jeong closed his eyes after thinking of his final will, countless corpses and blood-stained hexagrams spewed ck light to engulf the Philosopher''s Stone.

 Chapter 152

    <h4>Chapter 152 </h4>

    "Oh, dammit!" Helen cursed as she ran towards the ckened Philosopher''s Stone.

    Rachel chased after Helen, swinging her hand axes recklessly. However, Helen paid no attention to Rachel after seeing the ckened Philosopher''s Stone.

    "Huh?" Confused, Rachel stopped swinging her hand axes. Her steady hands stopped effortlessly wielding the axes and came to a sudden halt.

    Helen reached out her finger and left some blood on the ckened Philosopher''s Stone. Hugging it with both arms, she cried out earnestly, "Please, please¡­!"

    "Can someone exin what¡¯s going on?" asked Rachel, tilting her head in confusion.

    "The idiot that you didn¡¯t kill has caused the worst disaster!" Helen broke into a cold sweat. Her Homunculus armor began to fall apart.

    <i>¡®Does this mean her mana is being drained just from cradling the Philosopher¡¯s Stone?¡¯</i>

    In other words, Rachel could kill Helen right away if she wanted to. Her reason for not doing so was simple.

    <i>''There''s no way this grandma wouldn''t know about it, and she''s risking her life to stop something...''?</i>

    Rachel had shivers running down her spine, feeling a great sense of peril. She forced a cold grin and said, ¡°Do you think you can stop it if you try hard?¡±

    "Please shut up...! The situation is already tough enough," said Helen.

    "Grandma, isn''t this a situation where you should be begging me to stay patient?" Rachel asked, then sliced Helen¡¯s wrist with her hand ax.

    "...?!¡± Helen widened her eyes in shock as her hand fell from the Philosopher''s Stone and blood spurted. She screamed at Rachel, "You crazy...!"

    "Did you just find out that I''m crazy?"

    Just then, a ck hand burst forth from the Philosopher''s Stone. It grabbed Rachel''s sinisterly smiling face.

    <i>''Huh?''?</i>

    Before she could even react, Rachel lost consciousness, spilled blood, and flew into several walls. Then, shepletely disappeared from sight.

    "Oh, my, damn it!" yelled Helen.

    Looking at the trail of Rachel, who had vanished from the basement to go above ground, Helen expressed great despair in her eyes. She wasn¡¯t too concerned about her missing hand, since she could roughly mold a recement hand by using Homunculus. It wouldn''t be asfortable as her original hand, but she could bear the inconvenience. The real problem was that there was no way to prevent the immediate situation.

    The Philosopher''s Stone, after absorbing a bunch of ck aura, now had two ck arms covered in fur emerging from it. Soon, two legs would appear. Then, a creatureplete with a head and horns woulde into existence.

    Only one being on this earth had such an appearance.

    <i>¡®Demon!¡¯</i>

    Of course, not all demons were equally powerful. A rtively weak one might be able to be hunted by an S-rank hunter. Unfortunately, this demon could easily fling Rachel with a single arm, so it was not a weak entity at all.

    <i>¡®Given that the Philosopher''s Stone was used to summon it, and such arge amount of blood and flesh has been sacrificed, then¡­¡¯</i>

    The only glimmer of hope was that Helen had managed to slightly interrupt the flow of energy. Without her intervention, it was possible that the Demon King might have been summoned with the sacrifices that Pyongyang had made.

    The second problem was retrieving and collecting the Philosopher''s stone.

    <i>¡®At least a Catastrophe-grade demon will be unleashed.¡¯</i>

    ording to the World yer Association (WPA), a Catastrophe-grade demon could only be stopped if a nation within the top ten hunter powers deployed all of its resources. In other words, everyone here couldn''t stop the summoned demon even if they were to use all of their strength.

    <i>¡®Pyongyang is over.¡¯?</i>

    Maintaining even a semnce of a city-state was now over for Pyongyang.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to tell the kids about this!¡¯?</i>

    If they could manage to escape with a little bit of luck and quick thinking, that would be a great oue. However, if they were even slightly careless and tardy, they would be swept away by the demon''s invasion and ultimately die.

    <i>¡®Maybe... If there''s still a chance¡­¡¯</i>

    Helen looked at the Philosopher''s Stone, which was now the heart of the emerging demon. She shook her head.

    <i>¡®I''ll have to give up the Philosopher''s Stone that is right in front of me!¡¯</i>

    Although it would be challenging, the situation had alreadye to this point. The only way for Helen to retrieve the Philosopher''s Stone that was used in the summoning ceremony was to defeat the demon and remove its heart.

    .

    <i>¡®I''ll save the two kids, then escape.¡¯</i>

    Helen urgently headed above ground.

    ***

    Lance Charging, with precision and power, undoubtedly prated Emilia''s entire physical form.

    Emilia''s small body was torn apart and scattered in all directions. If she was a normal person, she would surely die. However, neither Choi Yu-Seong nor Kim Do-Jin considered Emilia to have died.

    <i>¡®I should¡¯ve broken her head!¡¯</i>

    A vampire¡¯s only weakness was their head. Although Lance Charging had been aimed at Emilia¡¯s head, it had missed its intended target due to one simple reason.

    <i>¡®The barrier twisted its direction.¡¯</i>

    The attack had been weakened by the sudden appearance of Emilia¡¯s blood-red barrier, so it ended up being a failed strike.

    "What was that just now? That was really dangerous! Great, I admit it. You two aren''t ordinary. From now on, I''ll attack with all my might. Haha!" Emiliaughed out loud.

    She floated in mid-air with her head spinning around. Then, another body emerged from below her neck. This time, it was not the same small body of a girl as before.

    <i>¡®That''s...a spider?"¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had heard that, among the vampires in this world, there were those who absorbed the blood of powerful monsters and used it on their own body.

    That was exactly what Emilia was doing. Her head was human in appearance, but her body was that of a strange monster. It resembled a spider as she now clung to the wall.

    Emilia opened her mouth and a giant spider web wrapped around the heads of Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Even Kim Do-Jin won¡¯t be able to cut through this.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong instinctively felt danger, so he transformed Wind Control into Wind Flow. He threw himself backward.

    When the red spider web fell to the ground, Do-Jin looked at it with a frown. He said, "This is dangerous.¡±

    Do-Jin had also sensed great danger earlier on and had escaped that one attack.

    Yu-Seong nodded in agreement.

    Unlike in normal cases, Emilia¡¯s red spider web continued to maintain its form and viscosity even after falling to the floor. It could now prevent their mobility when fighting against Emilia on the ground.

    <i>¡®ck Gauze King, Emilia.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, Emilia should have already been dead due to some kind of event. Therefore, there was no description of the battle, but seeing it firsthand, it was easy to understand why she had earned the nickname ¡®<i>ck Gauze King</i>.¡¯

    Emilia spewed her webs several times. Soon, a gigantic spider web was made, forming between the floor and the walls.

    "We can''t win in such a narrow space. Let''s run away," said Do-Jin unexpectedly.

    When Do-Jin started darting toward the outside, Yu-Seong widened his eyes and looked around. He followed Do-Jin using Wind Flow and chased after him.

    "Where are you running off to?!" Emilia screamed.

    Emilia¡¯s spider webs flew toward Yu-Seong''s ankles, trying to ensnare him. Fortunately, he had more agility and speed with each step.

    <i>''If it wasn¡¯t for Wind Flow, I would be dead.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong gradually disappeared from view, Emilia snorted and shot her spider webs toward the outside building. She pursued the two men through the darkness of the night.

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin turned to look at her massive form in surprise, but Emilia onlyughed mockingly and shouted from a wall of the outside building. "Did you think I would be slow in this form?"

    Emilia was going to attack again. She generated blood-red energy from her back and emitted spider webs from her mouth, relentlessly striking the two men.

    <i>Thump-!</i>

    With a loud explosion, screams and chaos filled the entire Pyongyang.

    "What the...!"

    At that moment, Yu-Seong stopped in surprise. A dark-red energy flew and hit his right cheek.

    To be honest, Yu-Seong¡¯s entire face would have been prated by the attack if Kim Do-Jin hadn¡¯te close to shing the energy strike with his sword.

    "Stupid! Get your senses together!" Do-Jin shouted at Yu-Seong.

    <i>''The city... The people...!''?</i>

    Yu-Seong swallowed the words that he wanted to say. He avoided the next attack, then stared at Emilia. He clenched his jaw. He had already experienced such emotional turmoil during his battle against Vincent. He was also aware that his insufficient power kept him from preventing such a disaster.

    <i>''Don''t get arrogant. I am too busy trying to survive now.¡¯</i>

    As the screams of innocent people echoed in the background, Yu-Seong forced himself to ignore the pain-filled cries. He could see Kim Do-Jin approaching Emilia with his sword.

    The flow of Emilia¡¯s bloody energy was so intense that Do-Jin could not make a proper approach.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin is right.¡¯</i>

    To minimize the damage here as much as possible, they had no choice but to stop Emilia together.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze became even more serious. He was no longer intent on just capturing Emilia''s attention and restraining her.

    <i>¡®How can we kill her?¡¯</i>

    The safest way was for them to survive until Helen arrived.

    Having experienced Emilia¡¯s attacks, Yu-Seong thought that he could distract Emilia for a longer time than before with Do-Jin¡¯s help. This was assuming that they only had to survive. Also, he had no clue just how many innocent lives would be sacrificed along the way. Even now, Yu-Seong could hear the cries of help all around him.

    Yu-Seong was aware that this was not his fault. Even if it wasn¡¯t the immediate battle, the citizens of Pyongyang would eventually face a terrible death from being used by Emilia and Kim Un-Jeong. However, Yu-Seong could not help but be angry at being too weak and having to ignore their deaths.

    Ever since his battle against Vincent, Yu-Seong¡¯s hatred for the viins grew increasingly. The reason why he wasn¡¯t overwhelmed by his emotions was the skill Cool-headed, which was transmitted to him through his grip on the spear.

    <i>¡®Let''s think of a possible hunting method before Helen arrives.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it wasn''t going to be easy. The opponent was one of the Twelve Dark Kings of the Demon King Worshiper. Under regr circumstances, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin had no way of beating Emilia even if they fought with all of their might.

    In a way, the answer was simple: they had to exploit their opponent¡¯s weakness and strike the head, a vampire¡¯s true weak spot, with a single blow.

    <i>¡®The problem is that the head is not even essible.¡¯</i>

    Emilia''s spider web was certainly dangerous. If Yu-Seong got caught up in it, he would surely die.

    That was why Do-Jin and Yu-Seong tried very hard to maintain a safe distance. However, even that was different. When he tried to run away to widen the distance, Emilia would chase him fiercely and not let him get away so easily.

    <i>¡®And even if I reach a safe distance, there''s still a problem.¡¯?</i>

    Emilia had a strange blood barrier surrounding her that easily defended against mediocre skills. Even if Yu-Seong could prate it, Emilia¡¯s head was much smallerpared to her body. That would make it almost impossible for him to strike it with precision.

    The more he thought about it, the more Yu-Seong realized the immense strength of his opponent.

    <i>¡®She is so much stronger than Vincent.¡¯</i>

    Emilia couldn¡¯t be defeated through a regr strategy or luck. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong still desired her death. He didn''t want the battle to end with him trying to buy some time.

    <i>¡®But how? There''s no way¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong, filled with anger, suddenly looked toward Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Maybe there is a way.¡¯</i>

    His eyes suddenly shed with light.

 Chapter 153

    <h4>Chapter 153 </h4>

    After he found a way, Yu-Seong approached Kim Do-Jin while avoiding Emilia¡¯s non-stop attacks.

    <i>¡®To avoid getting caught in the spider web, we''ve been forced to stay separate until now. But if I want to seed with this skill, I have no choice but toe together with him.¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin had been avoiding Yu-Seong this entire time, so he furrowed his brows when Yu-Seong started to approach him. He had a questioning gaze.

    <i>¡®Why?¡¯</i>

    In response to Do-Jin¡¯s questioning gaze, Yu-Seong gave a light nod. He thought that Do-Jin should be able to understand the meaning of his nod. However, Do-Jin continued to distance himself even after seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s gesture.

    <i>¡®No way, can¡¯t he read the meaning of my nod?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong read Kim Do-Jin''s gaze.

    <i>¡®It''s dangerous if you get too close. Keep your distance as much as possible.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was on the verge of exploding inside.

    <i>¡®No, that''s not what I meant¡­!¡¯</i>

    At that moment, a sh of red light swept by Yu-Seong and destroyed half of a three-story building in an instant. If it had been a direct hit, he would have been killed.

    Yu-Seong felt sweat running down his back. He tried to avoid the spider web while clicking his tongue in frustration.

    <i>¡®For how long can I keep running away?¡¯</i>

    Emilia looked rxed while in the offensive position. This was understandable since the two men had no way of approaching her or escaping from her attacks. The two men also had lower rankspared to her, so their physical strength would clearly be limited. As time went by, this fight was not in the men¡¯s interest at all.

    <i>¡®The original goal was just to drag out time and so it didn''t matter, but¡­¡¯</i>

    The situation was different now. Yu-Seong wanted to defeat Emilia. Even if he couldn''t kill her, he wanted to inflict serious damage that would at least temporarily disable her.

    After thinking about it, Yu-Seong realized why Kim Do-Jin was avoiding him.

    <i>¡®That brat¡­ He¡¯s just hoping to drag out the battle!¡¯</i>

    Would the sacrifice of countless people in the city matter to him? For Do-Jin, who had fought countless wars in the other world, the deaths of many people were amon experience. In other words, the novel¡¯s crazy main character was not even feeling sadness, let alone anger, in this situation.

    For Do-Jin, people dying in battle was just an expected oue. After all, he only had a few victories where sacrifice hadn¡¯t been necessary.

    In fact, Yu-Seong was aware of this fact when he had first been possessed by the novel. But he had forgotten all about it after meeting Kim Do-Jin a few times and having shared some emotional conversations with the man.

    <i>¡®Like a fool¡­¡¯</i>

    Kim Do-Jin hade from another world to defeat the Demon King, but his motivation was not that of a hero. The reason he wanted to kill the Demon King was simply to return to Earth and take revenge. Sadly, hecked a sense of justice and passion. Perhaps he only had such motivations when his journey to this world had just begun.

    <i>¡®Since the original novel did not describe the story of his ambition to defeat the Demon King in detail.¡¯</i>

    Only a simple description had been given to set up the premise that Kim Do-Jin would invade this world, defeat the Demon King, and then return to earth. The entire journey would not be an easy one, even though that was an easy assumption to make.

    Kim Do-Jin, a somewhat intelligent young man from South Korea, suddenly found himself living in apletely different world. It was a tough and savage ce where civilization was far behind modern times.

    <i>¡®I must have what I desire, no matter what.¡¯</i>

    The world was ready for Kim Do-Jin to be a hero.

    <i>''Dying is better than losing.''?</i>

    If he lost, Kim Do-Jin would lose everything. He couldn''t even return to his original world for revenge, and he would faceplete annihtion without even leaving his name behind. That was why Kim Do-Jin couldn''t afford to consider his own defeat even once.

    <i>''The death of others...wouldn''t matter as long as he could win.''?</i>

    Suddenly, this realization scorched the side of Yu-Seong''s heart. He had no idea why, but he immediately invoked Wind Flow and followed Kim Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin widened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at Yu-Seong, whose left thigh had been punctured and was bleeding profusely.

    Yu-Seong was greatly shocked by histest injury, but he didn¡¯t even care.

    "You..." said Do-Jin as he looked at Yu-Seong with burning eyes. He reached out to grab Yu-Seong by his cor.

    In a sh, Yu-Seong turned to dodge Do-Jin''s hand and the red beam that came from behind. Then, he pressed his lips against Kim Do-Jin¡¯s ear.

    While slicing through the red beams with his sword head-on, Do-Jin suddenly said, "I understand."

    "What?" Yu-Seong, assuming that Kim Do-Jin would dismiss any unnecessary emotions, blurted out in surprise.

    "But is there a way?"

    Fortunately, Kim Do-Jin understood Yu-Seong¡¯s intentions urately.

    If so, there was no need for a long-winded conversation. Yu-Seong no longer had any doubts. He simply said whatever popped up in his head. He said to Do-Jin, "Just open the path somehow. I''ll be right next to you."

    "And then?"

    "Use the spell Istion and Blink on me. Can you do that?"

    ¡°You¡­?¡± Do-Jin trailed off as his eyes twitched.

    The simultaneous use of Istion and Blink, which could be considered as close-range spatial movement, was almost impossible. In fact, if you only looked at the amount of mana needed, a B-rank hunter could easily do it, but the problem was the calction process for unleashing that magic.

    <i>¡®The arrangement of the Runic alphabet, the umtion of forms, and the release of that magic as a magic circle¡­¡¯</i>

    Regardless of the amount of magic, in reality, a hunter had to be an S-rank to use the magic. In the world of [Modern Master Returns], even the few magicians there had given the nickname of ''transcendent spells'' to the two spells. Although the two skills were possible to learn at B-rank, they were practically impossible to use. If both spells, Istion and Blink, failed, the target of the magic could go missing in space and never return.

    That was how dangerous the magic was, which exined why even S-rank magicians had to do their best to maintain theirposure in battle. Of course, the use of magic was incredibly taxing, and even the simultaneous casting of two spells was considered to be an immensely difficult task. However, Kim Do-Jin was able to do it.

    <i>''He did it after reaching S-rank in the [Modern Master Returns].''?</i>

    This alone made many magicians in the original novel tremble with fear. Casting two spells at the same time was considered impossible even for an S-rank magician. However, the current Kim Do-Jin had already shown the ultimate finishing move, including swordsmanship, by using both two skills in only B-rank.

    "How do you know the form for the Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh?"

    The answer couldn''t be heard because Emilia''s spider webs covered both of their heads. Yu-Seong and Do-Jin exchanged looks instead of words and moved away from each other in opposite directions.

    <i>''Right now.''?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin shook his head with a slight frown. "Impossible. Those two spells can only be cast on the caster himself¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong nodded without speaking.

    <i>¡®You can do it.¡¯</i>

    There was a way. Yu-Seong already knew the secret form of Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh, so he wouldn¡¯t have suggested it without thinking.

    <i>¡®I''ll definitely hear the answerter.¡¯</i>

    When Do-Jin snorted and started running forward, Emilia watched him from a high-up wall. Sheughed. "How foolish!"

    Emilia had difficulty catching Yu-Seong and Do-Jin because their movements were shy and chaotic. But now that Do-Jin was moving towards her from straight ahead¡­ She could focus all of the scattered red beams into a narrow range.

    <i>Thud-thud-thud-!</i>

    The red beam fell like a bomb over Do-Jin''s head as he ran straight ahead.

    Emilia also blocked the path ahead of Do-Jin by skillfully deploying spider webs to cover the surrounding area.

    <i>¡®I got caught!¡¯?</i>

    Kim Do-Jin, who was recklessly running ahead, no longer had an escape route. There were also too many red beams for him to deflect with his sword.

    Emilia thought that she was about to witness the defeat of Do-Jin, but¡­

    The blue energy emanating from Kim Do-Jin''s body surged uncontrobly and enveloped his silver de.

    When Emilia saw the pentagram magic circle soaring high up in the air, she was left with no choice but to look on with bated breath.

    <i>¡®Did he just draw that giant magic circle as a mere B-rank hunter?¡¯</i>

    The huge mes that burst out of Do-Jin¡¯s magic circlepletely engulfed Emilia''s red beams, spider webs, and even blocked her vision.

    Emilia jumped into the sky while clicking her tongue. She had predicted that the power above the magic circle would be enormous from its size alone, but the heat she felt throughout her body was beyond her imagination. In fact, even the tough spider webs were melting away from that power alone.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s possible to take it head-on if I need to, but... ¡®</i>

    There was no reason to get hurt so recklessly. After all, even the massive mes couldn''t block the bombardment of blood-red beams.

    <i>Thud-thud-thud-!</i>

    One explosion after another erupted from the spot where Kim Do-Jin had been standing just moments ago, and a thick cloud of dust rose up.

    Emilia, who was jumping into the air and trying to move to another building with her spiderweb, searched for Do-Jin through the cloud of dust. Then, she spotted a dark figure.

    <i>¡®That monster-like guy, he''s still alive.¡¯</i>

    Emilia''s heart felt a chill as if she had just realized something. She thought Do-Jin was just an average B-rank hunter. However, if he could cast the same massive magic consecutively, even Emilia herself would not be able to withstand the attacks. It wouldn¡¯t even matter that she was the ck Gauze King.

    <i>¡®Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡¯?</i>

    There had to be a recoil. Proving Emilia¡¯s point, Do-Jin looked as solid as a rock in the dirt and dust. He also did not move.

    <i>¡®This is my chance.¡¯</i>

    Using her mana, Emilia stopped her massive body in mid-air and generated ten blood-red beams. It was difficult for her to release more beams while floating, but she was determined to end the fight.

    <i>¡®This time, it''s truly the end!¡¯</i>

    As Emilia prepared to unleash her red beams, Yu-Seong suddenly rose into the sky and shone a beam of light at Emilia.

    "How dare you!" Emilia screamed. As her face twisted in annoyance, she fired a counterattack beam at Yu-Seong and poured all her remaining energy to directly attack Kim Do-Jin.

    At that moment, the two pentagonal magic circles generated in the sky trapped Yu-Seong and made him disappear.

    <i>¡®That guy is much more dangerous!¡¯</i>

    Emilia no longer paid attention to Yu-Seong, because she instinctively felt danger when Do-Jin momentarily emptied his energy. She shivered.

    Do-Jin tried to avoid the first red beam by stumbling and rolling on the ground.

    <i>¡®He can still manage to dodge that?¡¯</i>

    .

    Now, Emilia felt a chill crawling up her spine. She quickly tried to create another red beam.

    "Wait,¡± Emilia said. She realized that it wasn¡¯t just a sudden change in emotion that made her shiver.

    Upon the massive spider''s body, the pale Yu-Seong with his neck bitten was grabbing the spear with his right arm. He pulled it back before aiming for Emilia¡¯s head. He yelled, "Lance Charging!"

    It was truly a decisive blow, exploding at close range.

 Chapter 154

    <h4>Chapter 154 </h4>

    Kim Do-Jin''s magic special move, Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh, was particrly fearsome because it could instantly and precisely exploit an opponent''s weakness. Coupled with his impable swordsmanship, his opponents often failed to realize what had happened before they were lying on the ground or dying from a pierced heart.

    In a one-on-one situation, the Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh could surpass that of someone, who was two or even three times more skilled, as long as Do-Jin had a chance to strike. This was on the premise that the opponent was not some kind of monster who could survive even if their neck or heart had been severed.

    However, there was certainly a downside to Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh.

    <i>¡®The disorientation after spatial teleportation.¡¯</i>

    This downside made it difficult to perform the next technique, but Do-Jin had ovee it with his swordsmanship and beast-like Instinct.

    <i>¡®Regardless of the disorientation, he could will his body to move.¡¯</i>

    There was no need for many goals when there was only one opponent. All they had to do was use the skill to strike the opponent¡¯s heart or neck.

    The Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh skill required more than just the ability to recite a difficult incantation. It was an exclusive technique that only Kim Do-Jin was able to fully assimte right now.

    In this moment, however, Yu-Seong had clearly aimed for Emilia¡¯s head with Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh skill and had unleashed his special move, Lance Charging. He was feeling disoriented but had done so anyway.

    In terms of power and range, there was no way around it: Yu-Seong''s Lance Charging was several times greater than Do-Jin''s swordsmanship that was based on simple instincts.

    The reason why Yu-Seong could do such a thing was simple, but it shocked Do-Jin all the same.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill, The God¡¯s Chakra E

    Cannot be used for Fusion.

    The hidden potential in the skill was released by the remnants of a royal god.

    All the mana of the yer Choi Yu-Seong are reced with chakras.

    The skill is constantly working on the yer¡¯s body.

    This increases the absolute capacity of the chakra.

    This effect also applies when speaking or moving in an unconscious state.

    Daily growth rate + 1.

    Applying D-rank, the first chakra is released.

    D rank ¨C Mdhara Chakra.

    With Mdhara Chakra applied, the physical abilities of the yer Choi Yu-Seong will increase to the same level as those of the Physical-type yer.

    *new C-rank applied, the second chakra is released.

    C rank ¨C Svadhisthana Chakra.

    ¡î Special application of God''s Chakra.

    Svadhisthana Chakra enables yers to absorb and release abilities outside of rank. yer Choi Yu-Seong can absorb and activate any, up to two, Psychic abilities applied to himself.

    Cooldown Time ¨C 720 hours.

    Special ¡ï

    The application of God''s Chakra further enhances the effect of Mdhara Chakra.

    The application of God''s Chakra further enhances the enlightenment effect of the Svadhisthana Chakra.

    If the rank rises, the second chakra wakes up.

    You are the eighth person on earth to acquire chakra skills.¡»

    While resting at Helen¡¯s personal underground bunker, Yu-Seong had confirmed that an overwhelming number of gods had donated more than 15,000 karma points to him. He had pondered over which special skills¡¯ rank to raise first.

    As the first priority, he had chosen the divine God''s Chakra skill, which monopolized 10,000 karma points.

    <i>''I was originally going to save the remaining 5,000 points...''?</i>

    Unfortunately, he had no choice but to upgrade the Wind Control in order to pursue Helen.

    Before upgrading the God''s Chakra for the first time, Yu-Seong had deeply contemted it. After all, it required more than double the pointspared to other powerful skills. However, after directly witnessing the results of the upgrade, he couldn''t help but be satisfied.

    Yu-Seong didn''t know what abilities he would gain by enlightening his Svadhisthana Chakra, which was originally reserved for normal Chakra users. However, he was confident that he wouldn¡¯t be disappointed by the absorption and activation obtained from the special ability of the God¡¯s Chakra.

    <i>¡®Rankless. Regardless of what kind of ability it is, it can absorb up to two at a time and activate them.¡¯</i>

    The penalty of a 720-hour cooldown time, equivalent to a month-long waiting time for it to be reused, posed no problem for Yu-Seong.

    It was an ability to absorb and activate not just simple skills but all Psychic skills. This meant that the power of absorption and activation could be used not only by self-empowering yers like Kim Do-Jin but also by non-human races such as Emilia and even demons.

    Moreover, there was no rank for the two skills. In other words, even if the opponent was overwhelmingly stronger than Yu-Seong, the skill could serve as a counter punch at least once.

    Using this skill, Yu-Seong could simply absorb and activate spells like Istion and Blink, both of which were originally impossible to apply to others. There was no need for him to calcteplex forms like Kim Do-Jin and deploy mana in a difficult way to unfold the magic circle.

    <i>¡®Simply absorb and activate¡­ These two actions suffice. Despite my hope to conserve karma points, I depleted them more quickly than I thought¡­¡¯</i>

    Thanks to this, Yu-Seong had sessfully moved a short distance beyond the opponent''s defense wall with considerable mentalposure. He had been able to focus solely on Emilia''s head and urately execute his lethal move during that short window of opportunity.

    After Yu-Seong urately hit Emilia with his finishing blow, the headless giant spider plummeted to the ground.

    <i>Thud-!?</i>

    The ground shook and dust clouds rose. Meanwhile, Yu-Seong trembled in excitement.

    <i>¡®We have defeated one of the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ Twelve Dark Kings.¡¯</i>

    Despite being ranked 10th, which was considerably low among the twelve ranks, the notorious ck Gauze King had been defeated by B-rank Do-Jin and C-rank Yu-Seong. Of course, her long-umted Karma was nothing to be taken lightly.

    Consequently, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin found themselves confronted by an overwhelming number of messages from the gods. This surpassed anything they had ever encountered.

    ~

    -A Joke-loving Prankster couldn''t hide his smile while looking at the yer Cho Yu-Seong and sponsored 5000 karma points.

    - Cnn¡¯s Hound was amazed by yer Choi Yu-Seong''s achievement and donated 3500 karma points.

    - Oldest Hunter roared in support of the yer Choi Yu-Seong. He sponsored 4000 karma points!

    - The Green Spring of the East was greatly fond of yer Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s performance and pledged 10,000 karma points.

    - The Cold Wind of the West ims to be the sponsor god of yer Choi Yu-Seong and desires to pass on skills. Y/N

    - The Father of Magical Hymns smiles kindly at yer Choi Yu-Seong and desires to impart a very powerful skill. Y/N

    - The Red Fang of the Dark Night is filled with rage.

    ~

    Despite having been previously rejected by Yu-Seong, Odin, the Father of Magical Hymn, was reaching out his hand once again. The reason for this was simple.

    <i>''As expected, the previous Odin was just a fake that Loki yed.¡¯</i>

    This time, it was a proposal from the real Odin. Furthermore, the Cold Wind of the West and the Green Spring of the East hade together to strongly support Yu-Seong as well.

    In other words, there were six gods, including the existing three, who imed to be the supporters of Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Out of them, I can only choose a maximum of five.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had already chosen three, so there were only two spots left.

    This was not an urgent matter, so Yu-Seong decided to set this matter aside for now. He wanted to bask in the glory of having defeated Emilia.

    Despite limping from his severe thigh injury, Yu-Seong pushed through the thick dust clouds to reach Do-Jin, who was casually walking towards him from the other side. When he finally met Do-Jin, he looked into his eyes and smiled.

    "How on earth¡­?"

    "Thank you," said Yu-Seong.

    Kim Do-Jin hardened his expression before Yu-Seong could even finish his sentence.

    "Because of you, we were able to defeat her," said Yu-Seong.

    Of course, he could not have done this on his own. It would also have been impossible if hisrade had not been Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Who else could face off against the top-tier S-Rank ck Gauze King, who attacked us head-on, in B-rank?¡¯</i>

    They hadn¡¯t ended this battle with a single counterattack and one dodge. They had ended the battle with Do-Jin invoking two kinds of magic, using the magic through his Magic Swordsmanship technique, all while under great physical and mental strain.

    "It¡¯s all thanks to you. I also know that you have a lot of questions, but can we leave them for now? We can talk after returning to Seoul?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "I think I''ve already given enough."

    "Anyway, our job here is done." Yu-Seong smiled.

    Kim Do-Jin nodded with a short sigh.

    Come to think of it, the entire mission hade to an end. They had originally been appointed as bait to attract attention away from Helen as she went to obtain the Philosopher''s Stone. But instead of simply being a bait, they had knocked down ck Gauze King.

    <i>¡®Helen is a littlete¡­ But who''s going to stop Helen in a ce where there''s not even the ck Gauze King?¡¯</i>

    Helen would probably escape to Pyongyang with the Philosopher''s Stone on her own.

    <i>¡®I don''t need to worry about useless things.¡¯</i>

    Despite having defeated Emilia, Yu-Seong could feel a strange sense of difort that enveloped Pyongyang. However, he decided to not be burdened by unnecessary worries. In fact, he had kept his promise and he had done a good job.

    "When we arrive in Seoul, I won''t put it off any longer," said Do-JIn.

    "I don''t have any ns to put it off either. Gosh, I''m tired," replied Yu-Seong with a chuckle. He was just about to take out the Return Stone from his pocket when¡­

    <i>Crash-!?</i>

    With a loud explosion, a strange figure shot up from beneath the ground and rolled on the floor. Startled by the sudden turn of events, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin froze. They reluctantly looked at the figure who was just regaining their bnce.

    <i>¡®Red hair?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong tilted his head at the familiar silhouette and hair color.

    ¡°Of all people¡­¡± mumbled Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin was quick to realize who the figure was as he drew his sword.

    Yu-Seong, having figured out the figure¡¯s identity a momentter, also quickly grabbed his weapon. He muttered in disbelief, "Really...?"

    After regaining their bnce, the figure red at their surroundings with wild eyes and exploded with intense energy. Then, they smirked in a haughty and dangerous way.

    Yu-Seong did not hesitate andunched into action.

    <i>¡®This is too much. I am certainly pushing my very limits.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong grabbed the Return Stone he had prepared in one hand and gestured for Kim Do-Jin toe closer. He wanted to leave right now, and he knew that they had to run away.

    The figure was a bad opponent to encounter right now, especially since Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were both exhausted from their battle with Emilia.

    And so, in an instant, Yu-Seong activated the Return Stone. He also raised his Chakra.

    Just as he held onto the Return Stone, Yu-Seong felt a cold hand sping his wrist. He quickly turned to meet his opponent¡¯s red eyes. At that moment, he almost let out a startled scream. "...?!"

    "Who''s this?" Rachel, with a sudden change from her previously ominous vibe,ughed brightly and asked, "Our pretty gold nugget. Did youe all the way here to Pyongyang just because you missed me?"

    1. The raws have it written as Swadhistana but as Google tells us the spelling is Svadhisthana, that is what we went with

 Chapter 155

    <h4>Chapter 155 </h4>

    In the worst of ces, Yu-Seong had met the worst of opponents. He smiled bitterly as Rachel appeared with a radiant smile. It was as if she had been waiting for him.

    "Do I really look like that?"

    "Are you not?"

    Rachel smiled before ncing at Yu-Seong¡¯s neck with her red eyes. Then, she swung her hand ax to block Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword attack that hade closer.

    "If I say no, you just might break my neck¡­¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Seriously? Do you think I''ll kill my beloved gold nugget? Don''t worry. There are still debts to be paid between us," said Rachel.

    Do-Jin¡¯s attacks went on as Rachel spoke, but none of his attacksnded.

    Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. He could see Rachel easily blocking Do-Jin¡¯s sword attacks by swirling her hand ax around.

    <i>''Even if Kim Do-Jin is here, in such a state¡­ This is going to be difficult.¡¯</i>

    The speed and sharpness of Do-Jin¡¯s sword were clearly not as great as his usual performance.

    Yu-Seong was in no better position to attack too. His wrist had been caught by Rachel.

    <i>¡®Even if I use a Return Stone¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong would certainly be forced to travel with Rachel due to their close proximity. This was truly a difficult situation.

    Despite Yu-Seong''s contemtive look, Rachel turned to look at Kim Do-Jin. She said, "Are the two of you close? It makes me jealous."

    "Shut up," said Do-Jin.

    "Ahaha! You''ve consistentlycked manners since the very beginning, haven''t you?" replied Rachel.

    If Helen were here, she would have snorted at Rachel and told her how ironic thatment was.

    Rachel swung her hand ax to strike Kim Do-Jin''s sword.

    <i>ng-!?</i>

    With a loud noise, Kim Do-Jin was sent flying into the air with blood pouring from his mouth. He was weaker than before, clearly. He had used too much power to defeat Emilia.

    Observing the situation, Yu-Seong thought calmly.

    <i>¡®I shouldn''t judge withmon sense when ites to Rachel.¡¯</i>

    Rachel didn¡¯t take action for any certain purpose. Moreover, since Yu-Seong had already suffered a defeat from a previous battle against her, he knew that rash negotiation was unlikely to work.

    <i>¡®What can I say to disorient Rachel¡­?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong suddenly recalled a piece of information that had been constantly bugging him at the back of his mind.

    <i>''But if I¡¯m not careful, this might make Rachel even more frenzied.''?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong did not have much of a choice. Aside from that one piece of information, the original novel did not have any more information about Rachel left. Yu-Seong was aware that it was a double-edged sword, but he had to wield a sharp de when there was imminent danger to his life.

    <i>¡®Go big or go home.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong clenched his fists. Before he could say anything, however, there was a loud sound.

    <i>BOOM-!?</i>

    When the sound echoed from the basement, Rachel suddenly stopped wanting to throw her hand ax at the fallen Do-Jin. With a grin, she slid the hand ax back to the holder along her waist.

    "That''s it," Rachel said. Looking at the Return Stone that was still in Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, she asked, "What''s that stone?"

    Rachel didn''t know about the Return Stone, but she could tell that it was a valuable item. She could feel the mana that flowed from the stone and see how Yu-Seong was gripping it so tightly.

    "Well...?"

    Of course, there was no reason for Yu-Seong to exin the purpose of the Return Stone. Although he thought it was a dangerous gamble, based on the vibe so far, he thought that Rachel was being rather rxed with him.

    <i>''Is it because I am worth a lot of money? No way...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong decided to not overthink this part. For now, instead of finding out the reason, he had to think of a way to solve this situation.

    "Well, that can be discussedter," said Rachel with a smile.

    After releasing Yu-Seong¡¯s wrist obediently, she did notice that Kim Do-Jin was struggling to lift his body with a limp leg. However, she did not attack again.

    "Why?" asked Yu-Seong, surprised.

    Rachel looked down at the ground with red eyes, then said, ¡°Very soon, I am guessing that something amazing is about to happen. It¡¯s surely going to be fun, but some damn grandma was trying to stop it. So¡­I instinctively interfered with it.¡±

    "Grandma? Do you mean...Helen?"

    "What? Did youe with her?" After asking that question, Rachel grinned and nodded as if she finally understood the situation. She said cheekily, "It¡¯s an interestingbination. Anyway, the important thing is that I seem to have caused quite a big ident?"

    "What do you mean...?"

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    Once again, the ground shook. This time, Yu-Seong felt the unpleasant energy flowing through his entire body and widened his eyes in surprise.

    "This is...?"

    The unpleasant energy waspletely different from Rachel¡¯s aura and type of madness. The entire surroundings felt sticky and suffocating, like they were sinking into a swamp.

    Unlike Yu-Seong, who was flustered by the unpleasant feeling that he was experiencing for the first time, Do-Jin breathed heavily and red at Rachel in annoyance. He said, "It''s the mana of demons. You pest, what on earth did you do?"

    "Oh my gosh, was that the demon earlier? I wondered, since the power was so intense that it blew my whole body away!"

    "You must be insane."

    "Ahaha-!"

    Yu-Seong had to forcibly suppress his shock at the conversation between the blushing Rachel and Do-Jin. He thought to himself.

    <i>''Demons?¡¯</i>

    Even in the original novel, the demons eventually appeared in Pyongyang.

    <i>¡®The Marquess of the Demons,?</i><i>Aphelios</i><i>!¡¯</i>

    Aphelios, who had appeared from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone after the sacrifice of the citizens of Pyongyang, was a powerful existence that ranked highly among the Demons. Fortunately, in the original novel, the people who came to Pyongyang were Helen, Kim Do-Jin who held the SS-rank, and Bernard Yoo.

    <i>¡®After all, the two of them also came to find the Philosopher''s Stone.¡¯</i>

    Of course, the mighty Aphelios that had descended to Earth was killed by Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo. However, this was a story of the far future. The event was supposed to take ce at least three years after the present.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s too fast.¡¯</i>

    This event was happening three years in advance, so there was a higher probability that a lower-level demon had been summoned than the Marquess of the Demons, Aphelios. This was because there had not been enough time to gather sufficient sacrifices and mana. Even so, since the demon had enough power to easily blow Rachel away, it was likely at least a Count-level demon.

    Yu-Seong thought quickly about the tired Kim Do-Jin and himself, Rachel, Helen, the army of Pyongyang, and the yers who still survived. Despite having a strong potential of beating the demon, there was no hope for victory.

    Although Yu-Seong wanted to show courage in the face of the countless sacrifices that had been made by so many people, this was different from the battle with Emilia.

    "Choi Yu-Seong. I believe you know that courage and tenacity should be distinguished." Do-Jin interrupted Yu-Seong¡¯s private thoughts upon seeing his wavering gaze.

    "....yes I do know that."

    "What? Gold nugget, you don''t seriously think you can beat that, do you? It would be fun, but..."

    At that moment, Helen flew out from Juseok Pce like a bullet and punched Rachel.

    <i>Thud-!?</i>

    Was it because she had been caught off guard? Rachel failed to react in time and couldn¡¯t throw her hand ax.

    "Kim Do-Jin, Choi Yu-Seong! Hurry up and return to Seoul! Pyongyang is over now," Helen shouted as she blocked Rachel¡¯s attack with her Homunculus armor.

    "Helen, your hand..."

    Yu-Seong was surprised by Helen¡¯s trembling fist suddenly transforming back into a hand. He thought the form was odd, because it did not look like an unharmed hand being covered by Homunculus armor.

    "Is that important now, kiddo?" Helen asked as she pushed Rachel¡¯s attack away with a massive palm.

    She was absolutely right.

    "I trust that you wille back safely," said Yu-Seong.

    "Of course, kiddo. Do I really seem that weak to you?"

    Yu-Seong no longer hesitated.

    <i>¡®Now, I''ll think of the best I can do in this situation.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could only think about ying the hero once he had the necessary qualifications. There was no need for him to risk further sacrifices through unnecessary recklessness. Right now, his priority was to escape with Kim Do-Jin and return to Seoul to request support. This was the best that he could do right now.

    Being injured, Yu-Seong could not move too quickly. Of course, he thought that Rachel¡¯s interference would be a hindrance, but Rachel was actually focused on the battle with Helen. Because of this, Yu-Seong was able to get close to Kim Do-Jin quite easily.

    He wrapped his arm around Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder, then said, ¡°Both of us don¡¯t look very good.¡±

    Kim Do-Jin nodded silently at Yu-Seong. He was gazing at Rachel intently. In his eyes was a fierce determination, a burning hunger to beat Rachel the next time they met.

    Meanwhile, Yu-Seong held the Return Stone tightly in his hand before releasing Chakra.

    <i>Woooong-!</i>

    With a powerful noise that was low and continuous, the Return Stone erupted with a blue light. It enveloped Yu-Seong and Do-Jin.

    Rachel, who had been focused on her intense battle with Helen, nced over at Yu-Seong with disinterest. She suddenly said, "Don''t forget. You owe me again for today. Pay up, gold nugget. See you again soon.¡±

    As the blue light entirely consumed Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, they could see a towering pir of darkness right in front of them.

    ***

    Back in Seoul, Yu-Seong gazed at Do-Jin while receiving emergency treatment from a surprised Jin Yu-Ri. He had wanted Do-Jin to be treated since the man was also in bad shape.

    ¡°I can take care of myself,¡± Do-Jin said coldly before leaving the house.

    Yu-Seong could understand his feelings. By receiving treatment here, Do-Jin would be using the Choi family¡¯s money in a way. Yu-Seong thought that, with Do-Jin''s egomaniacal personality, he would be unwilling to ept treatment that was paid for by the very target of his revenge.

    <i>¡®What a stubborn guy.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong didn''t try to stop Do-Jin as he left. Instead, he called Choi Woo-Jae as he received treatment.

    In fact, among the people around Yu-Seong now, Woo-Jae was the most trustworthy person in such a big incident.

    - Hm, a demon in Pyongyang¡­ I see.

    Choi Woo-Jae ended the call after muttering that short phrase.

    <i>¡®He is certainly going to try to use this incident politically in any way.¡¯</i>

    The Comet group had already officially dered that they would soon be establishing a guild after the publication of Bernard Yoo¡¯s article. They were threatening the Cheon-Ji Group.

    At this point, no one else had received news that the devil had appeared in Pyongyang before Choi Woo-Jae had. Certainly, Woo-Jae would never give this information to others for free.

    <i>¡®At least he''ll have some kind of countermeasure.¡¯</i>

    Pyongyang and Seoul were too close. In order to prevent great unnecessary damage, it was necessary for them to respond quickly and efficiently. It was also obvious, from South Korea''s point of view, that the battlefield should be confined to Pyongyang.

    <i>¡®They would want to hunt the demon before creating an army by conquering North Koreannd.¡¯</i>

    In other words, at that moment, the problem of the demon in Pyongyang was out of Yu-Seong''s hands.

    <i>¡®At first, I thought it wouldn''t matter even if I became a yer. As time passed, however, I am longing for more power.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps if it had been impossible, he would have given uppletely. However, Yu-Seong knew that he had unprecedented growth in his power even within the original novel.

    <i>¡®I still don''t understand why such power has been given to a viinous character who was originally meant to die miserably.¡¯</i>

    If he could develop further, it was natural for him to try hard to be stronger and stronger.

    <i>¡®There are too many variables.¡¯</i>

    While thinking that perhaps the appearance of the tower mighte faster than expected, Yu-Seong noticed that his emergency treatment hade to an end.

    "How about seonbae-nim? Is she not back yet?"

    It was then that Yu-Seong realized that Helen had not yet returned from Pyongyang.

    If the Return Stone was used after roughly pushing Rachel away, Helen would have had enough time to return to Seoul.

    <i>''The dark light I sawst time¡­''?</i>

    Yu-Seong remembered the mana pir, which he had initially thought to be a simple ckout effect of the space transportation. He shook his head.

    <i>''No, even if that''s the case, those two wouldn''t easily fall.''?</i>

    Both Helen and Rachel would be safe. In fact, he would have preferred if thetter was in an unsafe position, but the possibility of that was low.

    <i>¡®If Rachel were to fall, then it¡¯s likely that Helen would also be in danger¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong chose to close his eyes and rest. He still believed that Helen would return. He had many thoughts, and he was struggling to keep his mind focused after that confrontation with Emilia in Pyongyang.

    <i>''By the time I open my eyes again, she must have returned. The demons of Pyongyang will also have been resolved by then.''?</i>

    And, without Helen''s return, six months went by like a sh of light.

 Chapter 156

    <h4>Chapter 156 </h4>

    Six months could feel either long or short, depending on one¡¯s perspective. For Yu-Seong, it was not a short period of time at all. After being possessed by the novel, he believed that he was working a lot harder than when he had been working overtime at the gamepany.

    There were many contributing reasons. Firstly, Helen was still missing even though she was expected to return soon. Additionally, the demon in Pyongyang was still alive despite being hunted by the punitive force.

    The demon was alive because of one simple reason. As Yu-Seong expected, it was a Count of the Demons belonging to the upper ss among demons who had been summoned in Pyongyang.

    The problem started with the fact that rius, a Count of the Demons, had different characteristics from other noble demons. rius was also known as the Megalith. This powerful demon boasted a size that covered half of Pyongyang city, and was well described in the original novel, [Modern Master Returns], with a simple title.

    <i>¡®A Guardian Demon.¡¯</i>

    Thebination of ¡®Demon¡¯ and ¡®Guardian¡¯ was truly incongruous, but there was no better way to describe the twin demons¡ªrius and rius. Generally, demons only thought about attacking. However, rius and rius were among the few demons dedicated to defending against the invasion of enemies.

    The original novel did mention that, after Kim Do-Jin had defeated the Demon King that invaded Earth, he prepared for an invasion of the Demon Realm.

    rius and rius had the characteristics of a Guardian Demon even though they were only Counts in rank. However, their actualbat capability was on par with that of a Marquis. Thus, they had strength that went above its noble rank. But of course, such great power also came with a penalty. This was why they had been given the nickname ¡®Megalith.¡¯

    In other words, rius couldn''t move until an enemy invaded its territory. Only then would it shed its stony exterior to be a living being. Otherwise, it was usually solid like a massive stone statue.

    Due to this characteristic, South Korea was cautious. rius was a demon that posed no major threat unless it was provoked first. If they unnecessarily stimted it, then the national power could be consumed.

    Before realizing this fact, South Korea had gathered hunters of A-rank or higher who could be mobilized. They had even dered that this was the country''s greatest emergency situation.

    However, rius had already taken over thend and turned the area around Pyongyang into a wastnd. It then transformed into its usual form of a statue, only moving once again when battle aircrafts were dispatched reconnaissance. Otherwise, it usually stayed silent. In this situation, was it necessary to consume national power against such a powerful evil?

    Of course, it was somewhat threatening to have a demon in the North that might be a threat at any time. However, South Korea had always been able to maintain the country despite simr threats all year-round. After all, even before this era of monsters appearing, South Korea had lived with the threat of North Korea''s nuclear weapons.

    Eventually, the South Korean government came to the conclusion that rius was a kind of immovable dungeon and ordered an intervention.

    From Yu-Seong¡¯s perspective, this was a disconcerting event especially since he did not know whether Helen was alive or dead.

    However, even Choi Woo-Jae positioned himself to take the government¡¯s opinion regarding this situation. If national power fell, business would inevitably be disrupted. Ultimately, for a corporation that had roots in South Korea, there was no reason to stir up unnecessary conflict.

    Of course, that didn''t mean Woo-Jae had given up the opportunity to profit from being the first to know about the demon¡¯s appearance in Pyongyang.

    For the past six months, the Comet Group had shaken the business of the Cheon-Ji Group, which had firmly maintained its position as the number one in South Korea. Also, the group had recorded a stock price ceiling and quickly achieved the highest amount in domestic corporate value evaluation. This rapid growth might seem excessive, considering that it had been achieved in six mere months. However, there was no sign of stopping the Comet Group¡¯s organized upward movement.

    Naturally, both domestic and foreign evaluation had gone on to announce that the Comet Group was now slightly ahead of the Cheon-Ji Group, but also admitted that the Comet Group¡¯s president had made significant preparations for the present.

    Aside from taking action to check if Helen, who had not yet returned, was safe or not, Yu-Seong had also be busier for another reason.

    The Comet Guild had been established, rapidly bing the top guild in the country. Of course, Choi Mi-Na was the guild master. The positions of vice-master and the board of directors were upied by hunters who were highly regarded S-rank hunters and above in South Korea. Among them were those who had originally been guild masters of the top 10 guilds but had failed to resist Choi Woo-Jae¡¯s persuasion to take up positions with the Comer Guild.

    In the early stages of the Comet Guild''s establishment, there had been many evaluations of it being unstable and uncertain. However, with Choi Mi-Na''s overwhelming charisma and Choi Woo-Jae''s mercenary skills, its future shone brightly. Before three months had gone by, all the guild members were already wholeheartedly devoting themselves to the name of Comet.

    Of course, Yu-Seong had been given a position of team leader for Hunting Team 8. Although he did not have as much authority as Mi-Na, he was upying a rather significant position.

    But in reality, only six people including Yu-Seong himself were a part of Hunting Team 8.

    <i>¡®The Jin siblings, Chae Ye-Ryeong, and Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯</i>

    Originally, Choi Woo-Jae had intended to bring in a few more characters, but Yu-Seong had not agreed to it. His decision was quite wise, since including someone who was not trustworthy could potentially cause problems in the team or harm the other members.

    Additionally, Choi Woo-Jae had also given Yu-Seog a challenge to raise the entire team to at least A-rank by the end of March next year.

    <i>¡®It would have been more difficult if there were randoms like Tom, Dick, and Harry.¡¯</i>

    However, with team members who he had personally selected and the assistance of Support Team 8, Yu-Seong thought the challenge would be quite manageable. In fact, if Hunting Team 8 had solely pursued growth, they would have all surpassed A-rank by now.

    But for now, aside from the Jin siblings who had already reached A-rank, Yu-Seong had held back his own growth, as well as that of Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk until now. This was due to a realization that he had after thinking about the case of himself and Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Just blindly raising the rank is not the answer.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had initially believed that ranking up was the only answer to bing more powerful. But after having experienced it for himself, he realized that he had thought wrong.

    <i>¡®B-rank can also disy the fighting power of S-rank.¡¯</i>

    This meant that, if Kim Do-Jin of B-rank could achieve S-rank, he could even overpower the hunters of SS-rank easily. The higher the rank, the slower the growth would be. And it was a fact that some people who failed to pass the promotion test would be frustrated and give up. However, what if the foundation of training and general enlightenment would be added through the umtion of basic training?

    <i>¡®This is the secret of the real strong people in this world.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was further convinced of this after looking at Emilia, who was non-human. When he thought about it even further, the majority of the admirers of the Demon King, including the Master of Hexagrams and the Twelve Dark Kings, were those who had lived for a very long time and had honed their own strength in various forms. Their powerful force easily surpassed those of the same rank. They might have been talented, but the merit of training should never be underestimated.

    In fact, there was no point in rushing the process of ranking up. Yu-Seong himself had slowed down his growth in rank due to various crises. That in turn had helped him stabilize his growth in rank even further through building a stronger foundation.

    Although luck and knowledge of future information had possibly yed a significant role, it was worth considering whether Yu-Seong could have defeated Emilia, a formidable S-rank yer, as a C-rank yer if he had only focused on raising his rank.

    <i>¡®Come to think about it, Kim Do-Jin is already a returnee, so his foundation is already solid from the very beginning.¡¯</i>

    That was the reason why Yu-Seong had ced some limitations on the growth rate of all four of them.

    With the remaining time he had, Yu-Seong focused on training. He hired a suitable master for each of their abilities. After all, there was nothing to lose by trying. Anyway, if their only intention was to increase their rank, then the only obstacle for the four of them was time.

    Starting at a high rank with the already strengthened abilities that have adapted to the higher rank would be easier than having to train from the basics all over again to rebuild a stronger foundation.

    The oue was remarkable: not only did the Jin siblings who had previously hit a wall in their ranking progress, emerge victorious over their former S-rank instructor, but Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk had also gone head-to-head for the first and second spots on the C-rankings board.

    How about Yu-Seong himself?

    <i>¡®I''ve gone up to B-rank.¡¯</i>

    Even though hunting was a slow and tedious process, all of the experience would umte. Yu-Seong had reached C-rank before naturally achieving B-rank not too long ago.

    This time, since there was no disturbance from Loki or the other gods, Yu-Seong could clear the extreme difficulty level with ease to pass the promotion exam. In fact, the reward was still rather satisfying too.

    ¡ºSpecial skill, Imagery Training B.

    Fusion not possible.

    With the activation of the skill, yer Choi Yu-Seong can set a virtual opponent as his target.

    Mock imagery battles are possible.

    During imagery training, the flow of time was slowed down to one-third of reality.

    The duration is three hours.

    Cooldown Time ¨C 24 hours. ¡»

    Among all forms of training, real-life experience was the most effective. However, real-life experience was not always easy toe by, especially in dangerous situations where one''s life was at risk. Such experiences were not necessarily ones that Yu-Seong enjoyed.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve already gone through many such experiences.¡¯</i>

    However, Imagery Training offered him a way to experience dangerous situations without the actual threat to his life. Although he couldn''t physically move his body, the mock battles that took ce within his mind were surprisingly realistic, providing him with a great sense of excitement and stimtion. The most helpful aspect of Imagery Training for Yu-Seong was the fact that the flow of time would be slowed down by three timespared to reality.

    <i>¡®Since I have a lot to train, the more time that I have the better.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong also needed to be familiar with handling Cu Chinn''s Secret Spear Skills, the gunfire technique that Jenny had started to teach him, as well as controlling the Chakra of Thunder and Wind.

    No matter how much time Yu-Seong could organize and prioritize, even if he devoted all of his time, he simply could notplete all of his training due to theck of time and physical energy.

    In this situation, the Imagery Training skill was a great help. Yu-Seong had risen to the B-rank through his training, so he had some level of confidence.

    <i>¡®If it were me now, I could havepeted with Kim Do-Jin back in Pyongyang.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had the potential to disy the same level of skill as the original novel''s strongest character, Kim Do-Jin. What if the results of Deep Training were added to his ability? His potential for future growth would only increase.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong couldn''t shake the feeling that something was missing. At a time when changes were already burdened by the butterfly effect, Emilia and Helen, who had a great impact in the original novel, had disappeared. Moreover, he was hearing absolutely no news regarding Rachel. And in such a situation, powerful demons had even appeared in Pyongyang.

    He was not aware of when some new variable would appear, so he should keep everything in check.

    Fortunately, not all the news was disturbing. In addition to his growth alongside his colleagues, the ancient relics that he had sought to obtain by supporting additional funds for the Hidden Team he had sent to various parts of the world were steadily entering South Korea. There were already eight of them now.

    Of course, they were all his property.

 Chapter 157

    <h4>Chapter 157 </h4>

    It was most certainly his own property, but Yu-Seong had no intention of using all the equipment alone.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m only going to use about three of the eight.¡¯</i>

    He had always intended the remaining five to be used by his supporters, since those were not equipment that he himself could use. He felt no regret about it at all.

    For example, the ancient relic¡ªSoul of the Sea King¡ªwas a highly rated ring that had a simple effect of amplifying all water-rted abilities. It was useless to Yu-Seong, who had to focus on developing his Thunder and Wind attributes. On the other hand, it would have the best use for Chae Ye-Ryeong, who could handle almost all water-rted abilities.

    The second ancient relic Yu-Seong had prepared was a book.

    <i>¡®Faust, the Magic Book.¡¯</i>

    In this world, Faust, the protagonist of Goethe¡¯s famous novel, was known as a real person. This magic book contained some of Faust¡¯s original concepts and had been elevated to the status of an ancient relic. It had the power to possess a strong force that could only be used by demons and demonic beasts. Of course, it was the ultimate treasure for Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was both a Barrier Master and Demonic Beast Tamer.

    As for an earring called Moonlight, Yu-Seong had given it to Jin Do-Yoon. It was a well-known fact in this world that werewolves had even greater power under the moonlight, their power naturally increasing as the full moon approached. When wearing Moonlight, werewolves could always use the same level of power as when they transformed under the full moon. In other words, Do-Yoon, wearing Moonlight, could always maintain his best condition.

    Had it been a full moon day, Do-Yoon might have avoided sustaining serious injuries during the incident with Choi Min-Seok.

    The earring was also a meaningless item for Yu-Seong.

    The fourth ancient relic, the Sphinx''s Wisdom, was for Jin Yu-Ri. This item, in the form of a ring, had the ability to elerate mana circuits. Yu-Seong could actually use this item, but he was convinced that Yu-Ri was the only suitable candidate for this ancient relic.

    <i>¡®The Phenomenal skill has a downside in that it necessitates a rather intricate mana system prior to activation, resulting in a dy in spellcasting.¡¯</i>

    Despite consistent mana eleration training, Jin Yu-Ri had to work hard to ovee the shorings of her somewhat wed ability. Even with her efforts, however, she still faced some limitations. Fortunately, Sphinx''s Wisdom proved to be a great help to her, allowing her to quickly deploy various skills through ovepping use.

    <i>¡®Maybe she can obtain a finishing move through the skill.¡¯</i>

    Since Yu-Seong had already experienced a finishing move¡¯s power through Lance Charging, he could believe that Yu-Ri¡¯s finishing move would be very powerful too.

    Thest ancient relic was for Jenny, and it was a Pharaoh¡¯s Impulse. From its name alone, one could assume that it was simr to Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, and its actual ability was truly simr to that.

    <i>¡®Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s just say that it''s a scaled-down version of Pharaoh''s Caprice.¡¯</i>

    If Pharaoh''s Caprice could transform anything into the desired form, Pharaoh''s Impulse would only allow the user to set and move between five predetermined forms. Jenny seemed quite happy with the ability to handle a variety of firearms, expressing that she felt lighter than before.

    In any case, for various reasons and with the hope that his supporters would be stronger, Yu-Seong didn''t have big ambitions for these five items. However, he did acquire three necessary ancient relics for himself.

    <i>¡®The fury of the Lightning Punisher, the breath of the Wind Watcher, and the vitality of the Giant Hunter.¡¯</i>

    Among them, the fury of the Lightning Punisher and the breath of the Wind Watcher were ancient relics that amplified the power of skills rted to their respective attributes with earrings and had set effects.

    <i>¡®Reduction of penalties for lightning-rted and wind-rted skills.¡¯</i>

    This set effect, which seemed somewhat meaningless, could serve as a foundation for enabling Yu-Seong to digest the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill, which he had not yet been able to properly handle.

    <i>¡®If I also use the vitality of the Giant Hunter here¡­¡¯</i>

    The vitality of the Giant Hunter had a somewhat negative effect of sealing 50% of the yer''s mana. However, Yu-Seong had acquired it for a simple reason.

    <i>¡®It strengthens my health as much as the absorbed mana.¡¯</i>

    Health, which referred to the strengthening effect of one¡¯s state, could typically be found in ancient relics or treasures of other worlds. It only had two effects.

    <i>¡®It means the increase of defensive and mana defenses.¡¯</i>

    Thanks to the power of these three treasures, even a scaled-down version of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Arts skill could be unleashed with rtive ease.

    In the past, Yu-Seong could sustain his mana strength by drinking mana stone extract daily. Also, the God''s Chakra was another source of his confidence. That was why he didn''t consider the penalty from the vitality of the Giant Hunter to be too severe.

    <i>''Even if I can''t maintain it constantly due to ack of mana, as long as I can use it in important moments, I¡¯ll be okay. And if things really go wrong, I can always remove the vitality of the Giant Hunter.''?</i>

    Most of the ancient relics were designed as essories, so removing them wasn''t a problem. In addition, by using his guildwork, Yu-Seong had managed to acquire the Eye of Replication and Fusion. That was why he had been so busy for the past six months.

    Now, a few days after arriving in Korea with the vitality of the Giant Hunter, Yu-Seong was ready for another growth spurt. The unfortunate thing was that it was still impossible for him to take down the Count of Demon who had appeared in Pyongyang.

    <i>''Helen, I''m sorry that I can''t go save you right away.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t forget the sight of Helen, who had stayed alone in Pyongyang to send them off.

    ***

    Recently, Choi Woo-Jae had been most concerned about the guild business. Although the Comet Guild had achieved the aplishment of being the top guild in South Korea in just six months, it was still far from being within the top 15 in the world rankings. The current achievement was impressive, but it was still a far cry from Woo-Jae¡¯s ultimate goal.

    <i>¡®We need to at least carve our name within the top 5 so we can proceed with the next n.¡¯</i>

    Of course, if roughly five more years went by with the guild performing so well, the Comet Guild would naturally be ready to enter the guilds within the global top 5. In fact, Choi Woo-Jae had paved the way for it. Buttely, he had been feeling like he didn¡¯t have much time left¡­

    It was a nagging feeling, but it felt ufortable enough for him to not ignore itpletely. As a result, he frequently had ambitious desires that were somewhat unrealistic, but he still wasn¡¯t weak enough to simply be swayed by such emotions.

    <i>¡®There are plenty of my children who can rece me even after I die.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae did not have the desire to have his name be prominently disyed, but he certainly wanted the name Comet to stand at the forefront of the world.

    <i>¡®Second, fifth, and the ninth.¡¯</i>

    Although she currently held the position of guild president, Choi Mi-Na was not involved in the business. The big picture had been drawn by Choi Woo-Jae himself, while Kim Pil-Doo and Kim Yong-Ho, the current vice president of Comet Guild and the former president of the Republic of Korea''s top guild Yong Sang respectively, worked together to handle the small tasks.

    Mi-Na had only been entrusted with the improvement of her own skills. In truth, Choi Woo-Jae had instructed her to do so.

    <i>¡®Because the talent of the second child is clearly surpassing me¡­¡¯</i>

    As there was a desire for growth, Mi-Na had to do many things for the Comet Group to prevent them from getting caught up in various storms.

    Then, there was also Choi In-Young.

    <i>¡®The fifth one is pretty good too. It''s not without its dark side, but...it wouldn''t be bad if it could be developed.¡¯</i>

    Unlike the maverick Choi Mi-Na, Choi In-Young was trying to assert her authority over other executives in the group by persuasion or coercion. Recently, it was reported that even Woo-Jae¡¯s egocentric third son had surrendered to Choi In-Young, whose influence within the household had grown ordingly.

    Lastly, there was Choi Yu-Seong. To be honest, from Woo-Jae''s perspective, watching Yu-Seong was the most fun.

    <i>¡®It''s ate start, and there''s still a lot of danger.¡¯</i>

    The two reasons for Choi In-Young''s rapid growth were Choi Mi-Na''s appointment to lead the guild''s business and Choi Yu-Seong''s surprisingly rapid rise to the top. Even if it wasn''t visible to the eye, there was a sense of momentum that could be felt. From Choi In-Young''s perspective, who was caught in the middle, that aspect would have resonated more deeply with her.

    "Yu-Seong''s not bad. He''s even better than I thought he''d be. The children around him are amazing too. Don''t you regret betting against me?" asked Choi Woo-Jae.

    In response to his question, Kim Pil-Doo shook his head with a bitter smile. In the past, he had made a bet with Choi Woo-Jae about whether or not Choi Yu-Seong would surpass Choi In-Young. At the time, he had felt quite confident about the oue. However, as he looked at the people surrounding Choi Yu-Seong, who were bing like solid fortress walls, a part of his heart was filled with anxiety.

    " ...We''ll have to wait and see. The fifthdy is also exerting a lot of effort."

    "Hoho... That''s not wrong," said Woo-Jae.

    However, for some inexplicable reason, even after Choi In-Young had been expanding her power, Choi Woo-Jae couldn¡¯t shake off one conviction. After all, he had been stealing records of Choi Yu-Seong''s growth for nearly six months.

    <i>¡®No matter how I look at it, it seems that the ninth will devour the fifth before long.¡¯</i>

    From this perspective, Choi Yu-Seong''s growth was even more interesting than the others.

    <i>¡®If he surpasses the fifth, there is no way he won''t be able to do as well as the second.¡¯</i>

    No, with the current rate of growth, if only one more year was given, even Choi Mi-Na''s position would be in danger. She herself might not care, but from Choi Woo-Jae''s perspective, he was bound to have a change of heart.

    Choi Woo-Jae''s original n was to have Choi Yu-Seong grow and support Choi Mi-Na.

    <i>¡®If the ninth guy does well... Changing the front row seat isn''t a bad idea either.¡¯</i>

    Just over a year ago, Choi Yu-Seong had suddenlye to say that he wanted to take over Choi Woo-Jae''s seat. At the time, it was surprising that someone like Choi Yu-Seong, a mere hoodlum, would say such a thing. Until then, Choi Woo-Jae''s stance had been to wait and see how far Choi Yu-Seong could go.

    However as time passed, his expectations for Choi Yu-Seong increased, and now Choi Woo-Jae deeply felt the words that had been told to him back then.

    <i>¡®The ninth guy didn''t just say those words to show off.¡¯?</i>

    Of course, it wouldn''t be easy for Yu-Seong to do so. Before reaching Mi-Na, Choi In-Young would step in and try to suppress him. Also, Mi-Na too was undoubtedly a monster of the family.

    That was why Choi Woo-Jae was trying to watch over the monsters within the Comet Group in a somewhat rxed manner.

    <i>¡®Even if I die, the future of Comet Group is bright¡­¡¯</i>

    He had no fear.

 Chapter 158

    <h4>Chapter 158 </h4>

    After finishing up a busy day as usual, Yu-Seong returned homete at night. He finally picked up his phone, which he hadn''t seen all day long.

    <i>¡®Outstagram messages would explode again today.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had turned off the notifications sound because of the messages flooding in, but whenever he opened the app to upload photos, he would inadvertently notice the number of unopened messages with his own eyes.

    He used to read and reply to those messages one by one. Only when he realized that doing that would take up a good one to two hours of his time that he began skimming through them and only paying attention to the important ones.

    While doing so, Yu-Seong suddenly scoffed at a long direct message that had caught his eye.

    <i>¡®Do they want me to be a shampoo model? Me, a guy?¡¯</i>

    Even though Yu-Seong was the wealthy son of a conglomerate family who didn''t need to do advertisements, him being a social media star brought about such proposals quite often.

    Of course, Yu-Seong, who believed that having more money was always a good thing, thought that it wouldn''t be a bad idea to do the advertisement shoot even if he didn''t have to. As his TV exposure increased, his Star Factor skill would steadily grow as well.

    <i>¡®But I shouldn¡¯t overdo it now.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s day was alreadypletely packed. And no matter how much stamina he had, there was definitely a limit to his time.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s true that time is more valuable than gold.¡¯?</i>

    As he became busier and wealthier, Yu-Seong came to deeply feel this fact. Most things, and even people, could be bought with money, but time was something that could not be acquired. Therefore, he reluctantly declined the advertising model offer.

    Then, he turned his attention to his own NewTube channel, which had been named after him. The channel had surpassed 7 million subscribers and had an average of 5 million video views in no time, making it one of Yu-Seong''s biggest revenue sources.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s see, the top NewTube channel has 50 million subscribers... It''s almost equivalent to the entire poption of Korea? That''s incredible.¡¯</i>

    Although still meagerpared to the top channels, no other channel had grown as much as his had in just one year. Above all, the dinosaur channel with 50 million subscribers was not a fairparison since it had been created for apany¡¯s promotional purposes. In addition, since the average views per subscriber on Yu-Seong''s channel were quite high, the revenue rate was good. He had no reason to be dissatisfied.

    Moreover, the two journalists in charge of his channel predicted that if it was revealed that Yu-Seong had achieved an S-rank, the number of subscribers and views would skyrocket due to the significant gap in public perception between S-rank and non-S-rank hunters.

    <i>¡®There''s no rush to get there, though.¡¯</i>

    After closing his NewTube channel tab, Yu-Seong checked his Coconut Talk messages. Since he did not reveal his numbers to the public, unlike his Outstagram ount, Yu-Seong did not receive many messages.

    However, he still maintained regr conversations with those who contacted him every day. For example, there was Kim Do-Jin.

    - I watched your videost night. It wasn''t bad, but personally, I think you should hide your skills more than you do now. I don''t know what you''re thinking when you shoot your videos, but in a real fight, this information can be a disadvantage...

    Was it because of the camaraderie between them during the Pyongyang incident? Compared to before, Kim Do-Jin had be more talkative. The two were exchanging messages more smoothly and consistently now.

    <i>¡®The downside is that most of the messages are nagging.¡¯</i>

    Or the majority were TMI (Too Much Information), which Yu-Seong wasn''t particrly interested in.

    - Don''t worry, I''ll do it on my own. After all, it''s TMT.

    - I''m not conveying excessive unnecessary information. From my experience¡­

    - I¡¯ll ignore you.

    Perhaps he was looking at his phone at that time, because Do-Jin immediately replied to Yu-Seong''s first reply. And after Yu-Seong replied with <i>''I''ll ignore you,</i>'' Do-Jin sent across more than ten other messages.

    "Ugh, this guy is really giving me a headache."

    Still, this was much better than six months ago when Do-Jin had been trying to heal his injury and had been prying into Yu-Seong''s secrets, including how Yu-Seong had known about the skill ''Heart Strike: Beyond the Space sh'' that Do-Jin himself had kept hidden.

    At the time, Yu-Seong had promised to tell Do-Jin everything when they returned to Seoul, so he had to make up some usible lies. To be precise, he had initially told the truth as he had made that promise.

    <i>¡®I have been possessed by the novel I was reading, and so I know many secrets. You are the protagonist in the novel.¡¯</i>

    However, Kim Do-Jin had ignored that exnation, snorted, and told Yu-Seong not to talk nonsense.

    Due to Do-Jin¡¯s demand for a reasonable story, Yu-Seong had no choice but to make up a life with an awkwardugh.

    <i>¡®He did believe me when I said I have Future Foresight and skill analysis abilities using the Third Eye¡­¡¯</i>

    Maybe it was because Kim Do-Jin himself had so many fraudulent skills¡­ He easily believed Yu-Seong''s lie that Yu-Seong could pry out his opponent''s skills with the Third Eye skill.

    <i>¡®Actually, I thought my lie, iming that I had to act like a rascal when I was young because I would have died if I didn¡¯t, wouldn''t work. But it did¡­ Or did he just pretend to believe it?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong suddenly remembered Kim Do-Jin¡¯s somewhat confused expression at the time. But he ultimately shrugged that thought off. By all means, it was already in the past. In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t even want to bother thinking about it, considering how tired he was at the time.

    <i>¡®For now, let''s ignore that guy until tomorrow¡­¡¯</i>

    Next was Bernard Yoo, who Yu-Seong contacted almost every day.

    - Hey, are you asleep?

    - Sleeping?

    - Asleep?

    - I''m bored.

    - Hey, Choi Yu-Seong.

    - (Photo)

    Since he was living in the United States, Bernard Yoo had sent five messages during the time difference alone. Most of the messages were uselessints.

    <i>¡®What the heck is (Photo)?¡¯</i>

    Bernard had written ¡®(Photo)¡¯ in words without even sending an actual picture file.

    <i>¡®This dude and that dude¡­ I wonder why the novel¡¯s main characters are all so weird?¡¯</i>

    Feeling pathetic, Yu-Seong shook his head and gave Bernard Yoo a brief reply.

    - Oh, I slept. I''ll probably sleep soon too.

    And perhaps Bernard Yoo would reply to that message when Yu-Seong was asleep.

    The next message that Yu-Seong received was from Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    - (Photo)

    Unlike Bernard Yoo''s trick, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had sent a real picture. In the picture, a small-bodied Jin-Hyuk was standing next to a beast that looked over ten timesrger than himself. The monster resembled a rhinoceros with a menacing gaze.

    - Hyung, hyung, I seeded in taming the Corridon today. With this guy, I can do everything from front-lining to tanking, so I think I¡¯ll hunt much easier than Chae Ye-Ryeong. It''s all thanks to the Book of Faust you gave me!

    Moreover, there was not just one photo.

    <i>¡®The next photo is from after he installed the barrier technique.¡¯</i>

    The content was not much different from the previous message.

    - Hyung, I made the barrier in six hours today. It''s a remarkable improvement, considering that it took me more than a week when I first started. I did my best, putting in more effort than Chae Ye-Ryeong! It''s all thanks to you, hyung.

    Reading the message, Yu-Seong couldn''t help butugh wryly.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s like a little puppy.¡¯</i>

    It would be a lie if Yu-Seong didn''t think Jin-Hyuk was cute in how he tried to get his praise somehow. Above all, he thought Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s growth was remarkably fastpared to the time that had passed.

    <i>¡®I suppose it''s because he trained diligently, just as I had asked him to do.¡¯</i>

    Although it was reasonable to expect him to climb the ranks slowly, Yoo Jin-Hyuk poured his effort into the training without any doubt and, despite being only a C-rank, he now possessed enough ability to outperform even an A-rank.

    <i>¡®Now, there shouldn''t be any major problems being trapped in the barrier like in the past. I did a good job of persuading him, even though it was difficult.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong also found it amusing to witness the argument between Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryeong, so he sent a sincere message to the boy. He sounded so different from the messages he had sent Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo.

    - You''re doing well. I''m proud of you and how you are working hard. So d.

    - Hyung. Have you finished work for today? You must be exhausted. Would you like me toe over and give you a massage or something?"

    The reply came back promptly. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who hade up to Seoul, was living near Yu-Seong''s house. Jin-Hyuk had said that it was because he wanted to respond to Yu-Seong¡¯s call at any time.

    - It''s okay. I have a strong body, so don''t worry. Thanks for caring.

    - You''re wee. But hyung, am I doing better than that vicious woman, Chae Ye-Ryeong?

    - ^^. Sleep well.

    - You have good dreams too, hyung!

    This marked the end of Yu-Seong¡¯s daily message checks with the people he regrly kept in touch with. The only thing left was checking the reporting emails from Jin Yu-Ri and Jenny.

    <i>¡®After checking these, I''ll read the original novel once again and go to bed right away.¡¯</i>

    There were always two ends to a busy day. And just as Yu-Seong was about to open an inte window to check his work email, someone he didn''t usually contact sent him a message.

    - Boss. Yoo Jin-Hyuk bragged childishly that you praised him and said he was better than me. Is this true?

    After seeing the message from Chae Ye-Ryeong, Yu-Seong suppressed the thought that they were both childish and cute, and captured part of the conversation with Yoo Jin-Hyuk to send back to Ye-Ryeong.

    - I knew he was lying. If I see him at the office tomorrow, he''s a dead man.

    - You two, that''s enough. Or else you guys would get attached eventually.

    - What?! Boss, you''re joking too much now! How can you put me and that brat on the same level...!

    - You never know.

    - Boss-! (Angry rabbit emoticon)

    Yu-Seongughed before closing Chae Ye-Ryeong¡¯s message. After checking his email for the report he had originally nned to read, he closed his eyes and read the novel slowly.

    <i>¡®After all the dangerous things are over¡­¡¯</i>

    He would be able to live his current happy life without worrying about the future. Until then, even if it was difficult, Yu-Seong was determined to persevere.

    ***

    After the deep dawn fell, Yu-Seong had a dream. In the dream, an intensely brilliant light that made it difficult to open his eyes slowly fell from the sky to the ground. At first nce, it seemed like the world was approaching its end, but luckily the ming light settled down on the ground quietly like dandelion fluff blowing in the wind.

    Then, Yu-Seong woke up to the entire house shaking. He quickly grabbed the ss he had left beside the bed. A massive earthquake was striking South Korea.

    <i>¡®No way, this is...obvious...¡¯</i>

    After the dream that all yers had¡ªa dream about a light settling on the ground¡ªa massive earthquake shook the entire world. There was only one scene in the original novel that described such an event.

    <i>¡®Finally... The Tower is appearing. It''s faster than the original, as expected!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong hurriedly ran towards the window and clenched his fist tightly while looking at the towering column of light that could be seen even from a distance.

 Chapter 159

    <h4>Chapter 159 </h4>

    The mysterious Tower of unknown height appeared in cities such as Seoul, Beijing, Mn, London, Amas, Washington, and Moscow. It was as if a cascade of light was pouring down.

    The Tower suddenly emerged from the earth, stretching upward with such force that it pierced through the clouds. The name of the Tower was delivered by messages from the gods, not by anyone else.

    - A Joke-loving Prankster gazes at the Tower of Heaven, hoping that yer Choi Yu-Seong will climb it.

    - Cnn''s Hound rmends that yer Choi Yu-Seong climb the Tower of Heaven.

    - The Oldest Hunter eagerly anticipates seeing yer Choi Yu-Seong ascend the Tower of Heaven.

    - The Green Spring of the East guides yer Choi Yu-Seong to the Tower of Heaven.

    - The Cold Wind of the West¡­

    The supportive messages from the gods were pouring down one after another.

    ¡°A prankster who enjoys ying tricks is heading towards the Tower in the sky."

    "Coolran''s fierce dog is heading towards the Tower in the sky."

    The news of the Tower''s appearance quickly spread across the world, and people from all walks of life were intrigued by it. They talked about it and wondered what it could mean. However, no one could have predicted what would happen next.

    That was not all.

    The received messages indicated that all the gods, including Loki, Cu Chinn, and Scathi, were headed to the Tower of Heaven. Only after that did the messages cease. In a way, the meaningless chatter that had been received every day disappearedpletely.

    This phenomenon was not unique to Yu-Seong. In fact, there was a description written in the original novel.

    <i>''After the appearance of the Tower of Heaven, all the gods disappeared into the Tower.''?</i>

    However, it remained unclear whether the gods had truly vanished.

    <i>¡®To be exact, they had entered somewhere in the Tower.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong remembered the scene where Kim Do-Jin met with one of the gods supporting him inside the Tower of Heaven. This meant that if Yu-Seong himself climbed that tower, he would eventually be able to face the gods directly someday.

    <i>¡®In fact, the Tower''s appearance is the most significant event for the gods.¡¯</i>

    It was a unique opportunity for the gods to personally witness the actions of those they sponsored rather than merely watching from afar.

    Then, would the karma points disappearpletely? Many yers were worried about this, but since Yu-Seong had read the original novel, he didn''t feel particrly anxious. He knew that the yers could now umte karma points by climbing the Tower andpleting various missions within.

    Although the gods'' sponsorship would be cut off for now, once they upied the lower part of the Tower, they would be able to transmit messages again within the Tower, albeit in a limited space. Thus, short-lived confusion would ensue, but there would be no actual problem at all.

    Yu-Seong''s task was to act faster than anyone else before such confusion went away.

    <i>¡®The rest of the preparations are done. I just need the vitality of the Giant Hunter.¡¯</i>

    Several more days passed by after that.

    ***

    Of course, the chaos following the appearance of the Tower of Heaven was still unresolved. What was this Tower that had suddenly appeared in major cities around the world? Some people had the courage to venture inside the Tower, following the messages of the gods, but no one had returned yet. This caused the tension to heighten to the extreme.

    <i>¡®It''s inevitable. Since they won''t be able to return to Earth until we conquer the first ten floors of the Tower.¡¯</i>

    It was a matter of time. ording to the original novel, it took three months before this fact was revealed.

    <i>¡®If they had the data, it wouldn''t even take a month¡­ But it''ll be difficult if they enter blindly without knowing anything.¡¯</i>

    Although he knew that spreading his knowledge would quickly resolve this situation, Yu-Seong decided to keep his mouth shut. He did not even share the information with Choi Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®These facts will be revealed within a few months anyways.¡¯</i>

    Not knowing much would not pose a threat to Earth. It was information that was beneficial only if known in advance. Thus, there was no reason to reveal this information to others.

    With this thought, Yu-Seong kept his mouth shut for a few days. He went about his daily life until he finally obtained the vitality of the Giant Hunter, the ancient relic bracelet he had been waiting for.

    Yu-Seong then gathered all eight members of his hunting team. As they sat in a circle, looking at each other with round eyes, Yu-Seong said calmly, "We''re heading to the Tower."

    There was a brief silence before Jin Yu-Ri asked, "When?"

    Yu-Ri seemed a little taken aback by Yu-Seong''s sudden deration, but she had a feeling that he had a reason for saying that.

    "Today."

    "Does the support team know about this?"

    "No. They don''t."

    "So it''s something they shouldn''t know."

    "..." Yu-Seong smiled lightly at Jin Yu-Ri''s words.

    Unlike Yu-Seong''s hunting team, the support team consisted of Choi Woo-Jae''s people. If his hunting team wanted to keep it a secret, they had to keep it from everyone.

    Aside from Yu-Ri, no one was opening their mouths to speak up. This situation made Yu-Seong feel uneasy.

    "Is there anything you guys are curious about or something?"

    The Tower, currently unknown to the public, was a highly dangerous area. As a result, the country and the yer Association had requested that people refrain from entering. Although their true intentions were topletely block ess, it was impossible for them to do so.

    <i>¡®Anyway, the message from the gods would be on their mind.¡¯</i>

    Not only the gods supporting Yu-Seong persuaded him to the Tower, but countless other gods also sent messages to their followers toe to the Tower. Needless to say, it was difficult for the country and the association to ignore this.

    Regardless, up until now, the gods had been quite benevolent towards the yers of Earth. Nheless, the Tower was still a dangerous ce, the unknown territory that the yers may not yet be able to return from.

    Currently, Yu-Seong was suggesting that his hunting team go to such a ce. He himself thought that there would be someone who would express their dissatisfaction or displeasure at his words, since he had raised the issue without any warning.

    <i>¡®But why is everyone so quiet?¡¯</i>

    Aside from Jin Yu-Ri, who had asked the first question, no one else was opening their mouths. It didn''t seem like they had any thoughts on the matter.

    "Jin Do-Yoon?" Yu-Seong turned toward Do-Yoon and asked.

    Do-Yoon nodded as if his answer was obvious. He said, "If the young master is going, I''m going to follow you anyway."

    At the same time, Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his hand and shouted, "Me too! Why do we need a reason when hyung is going?"

    "I''m grateful that both of your reasons are concise," said Yu-Seong with a smile and a nod.

    The words of the two could easily be interpreted as them trusting Yu-Seong. For some reason, just that fact alone made Yu-Seong feel more secure.

    "As for me..."

    Meanwhile, Chae Ye-Ryeong, who seemed to be deep in thought, spoke cautiously.

    "I''m worried about my younger siblings."

    In response to the reply of the young head of the household, Yu-Seong smiled and replied, "If you are worried about your siblings, it''s okay for them to stay at our house. I''ll make sure to tell the housekeeper aunts."

    "Oh¡­ Then I''m okay too."

    "There''s no need to pack anything," Yu-Seong said.

    Whatever they took from Earth, except for ancient relics or treasures from other worlds, would disappear. Therefore, food, bedding, and so on were all meaningless.

    <i>¡®I guess we are lucky to get to keep the clothes that we¡¯re wearing.¡¯</i>

    In fact, for this day, Yu-Seong had forced his team to undergo mandatory survival training.

    <i>¡®Since they¡¯ll have to fend for themselves in the Tower. That includes finding and fighting for food.¡¯</i>

    With that in mind, there was no need for any special preparations. Yu-Seong was about to suggest they leave immediately.

    "Are only the five of us going?" asked Yu-Ri as she raised her hand.

    Yu-Seong tilted his head in response. He asked, "Who else do we have to go besides us?"

    Jenny came to mind at first, but she had to take care of external affairs while both Yu-Seong and Yu-Ri were absent. In reality, someone had to stay outside of the Tower just in case.

    " Kim Do-Jin¡­" said Yu-Ri- carefully.

    Yu-Seong was taken aback by the unexpected name. He never thought that Jin Yu-Ri, who despised Kim Do-Jin more than anyone else, would be the first to mention him.

    "Anyway, he''s skilled enough to be trusted," Jin Yu-Ri said with a bitter smile.

    Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded. "That''s true. But we can''t go with him."

    "I see. Something must have happened..."

    ¡°Since Kim Do-Jin already entered the tower yesterday."

    "Ah..."

    "So, in that sense, we have to leave now. Does anyone have anything else to say?"

    This time, everyone shook their heads.

    ***

    The Tower of Heaven soared to a height that surpassed even the clouds. Seen from the outside, it was basically round in shape with a dynamic structure that widened in size as it rose to the upper floors. Therefore, some referred to it as the upside-down horn, but it was nothing short of a mystery that the Tower remained intact and standing. This was all thanks to the mystical power that was at y.

    The Tower of Heaven did not have an official entrance, but the way in was simple. Just like using ancient relics, all one had to do was ce their hand anywhere on the Tower and use mana. It was something that any yer could do. However, there was one thing to be cautious of.

    "Once we enter the Tower, we will be separated from each other."

    Although the Tower of Heaven appeared to have very thin roots, its interior was incredibly vast from the first floor onwards. Being scattered randomly in such a ce, it was practically impossible to explore the Tower withpanions.

    "What should we do then?"

    "You can find a door as you wander around. Do not enter unless it''s a red door. And when you pass through it, the next floor will take you to where the person who arrived earlier is waiting. You will be able to meet them on the second floor."

    Upon hearing this, Yoo Jin-Hyuk¡¯s face turned pale first. He quickly said, "So, I can''t be together with you hyung?"

    "Most likely. Unless you''re lucky enough tond nearby."

    "That''s inconvenient," said Jin Do-Yoon as he hardened his expression.

    The fact that he would not be able to protect Yu-Seong, who usually stayed by his side, did not sit well with him.

    "Don''t worry. You don''t need to be overly cautious on the Tower¡¯s first floor. If I had to say... Well, don''t step on the blue-lit area of the ground. And don''t follow anything strange. Only respond when you think you''re being attacked."

    "There are so many rules."

    "If you haven''t memorized them, should I say them again?" Yu-Seong said.

    Everyoneughed and shook their heads.

    "That''s enough."

    With that, Yu-Seong was the first to ce his hand on the Tower of Heaven. Then, he expressed his gratitude for everyone''s difficult decision. He said sincerely, ¡°Thank you all for making a difficult decision.¡±

    At least, for now, the dominant viewpoint was that once they entered the Tower, they might not be able to return. Nheless, they could not forget to show their appreciation for each other. They wereing along without any militarymand.

    "I think I''ll be able toe back, of course. Since you''re a prophet, Yu-Seong, you must know what''s inside in detail..."

    ¡°I decided to follow, thinking that I cane back. Yu-Seong oppa, you are the prophet. Do you know in detail what''s inside?"

    Yu-Ri put her hand on Yu-Seong''s shoulder and smiled, saying, "There''s no reason to doubt him."

    "Of course not, since you said it," Yu-Seong replied.

    "By the way, are you a prophet or something simr?" Yu-Ri asked.

    With that, mana spewed from Yu-Seong''s hand and flowed into the Tower of Heaven. When the rest of the group also infused their mana into the Tower, Yu-Seong said, "Well then, let''s meet on the second floor, everyone.¡±

    As he spoke, the light flowing from the Tower of Heaven engulfed the five people. It was pulling them in.

 Chapter 160

    <h4>Chapter 160 </h4>

    The Tower of Heaven¡¯s first floor was a maze filled with bush-covered high walls. However, as mentioned before, its scale was enormous. Even if one looked down from the peak of Everest, he would not see the entire maze. Still, if one were extremely lucky, someone from the group could fall into a simr area.

    ¡°It seems that luck wasn''t on my side this time.¡± Yu-Seong looked around with a smile. Then, he said, "No, maybe I was lucky.¡±

    The ground level of the Tower of Heaven, an unendingbyrinth, sprawled out in all directions. Its vastness was matched only by the abundance of exits. So, if one only had the intention of getting out, he could inevitably make it to the next floor within a week even if he wandered around for a while.

    In addition, there surprisingly were many trees that grew edible fruits and other nts. This made survival rtively easy.

    In fact, for Yu-Seong, who had some understanding of the Tower''s rules, he was confident that he could find the red exit that he and the group agreed to meet within three days if he intended to.

    However, Yu-Seong didn''t n on moving too hastily.

    <i>¡®People usually think the first floor is just an area for them to learn how to adapt to the Tower.¡¯</i>

    It was because of the special rules that applied to the Tower of Heaven.

    Yu-Seong opened his system window to check the situation with his own eyes.

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong

    Age: 21

    Series: All-Rounder

    Level: 1

    Retention History: 2

    Special Skills: Star Factor Quality, Fusion, Spear Practitioner

    ¡ù Special: Entered the Tower of Heaven.

    All skills except for Special Skills are inactive. By raising the level, sealed skills can be activated. As an initial entry bonus, two of the pre-existing skills could be activated. ¡»

    <i>¡®The Reset.¡¯</i>

    This part had been exined to all of the party on the way to the Tower of Heaven. It was a situation that confused most yers upon their first entry into the Tower, because it sealed off their ability to use all skills except the Special Skills.

    <i>¡®Also, in the original novel, the rankings have been removed.¡¯</i>

    The only remaining data was the level. There were three ways to raise the level: climbing the Tower, hunting monsters, or solving quests. However, the final way did not apply to the first floor. Overall, the progression of the Tower was not asplicated as they had thought.

    <i>¡®I can think of it like a real game.¡¯</i>

    The main objectives were to level up and acquire skills. As for the first notable difference, it was that they already possessed Special Skills.

    <i>¡®It''s rather like having a job in a video game, since Special Skills reflect each individual''s basic tendencies.¡¯</i>

    The second difference was the ability to increase the level of skills obtained outside of the Tower, and then unseal them again.

    As soon as they entered the Tower, everyone became level one. It seemed like they were all starting at the same point. However, in reality, this was slightly different.

    <i>¡®Since high-ranking hunters are likely to have a lot of good skills.¡¯</i>

    The power would certainly be adjusted to match their low level, but it was also important that the required amount of mana would decrease as well. Generally, good skills had strong effects even beyond direct power. In that sense, the Tower of Heaven was truly and of opportunity for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Because I have three Special Skills.¡¯</i>

    While others had a maximum of three starting skills, including two initial skills, Yu-Seong had three Special Skills. Although Fusion had the disadvantage of being difficult to use without Eye of Replication, Star Factor and Spear Practitioner were definitely helpful.

    Moreover, in this situation, most skills were sealed. Naturally, those who possessed ancient relics and had developed their abilities through hard work rather than relying solely on skills had a significant advantage.

    <i>¡®And that''s why I worked so hard for this day.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong grinned as he chose the first of the two skills he could activate. In fact, there was no need for him to think too deeply about it.

    <i>¡®Obviously, it has to be the God''s Chakra.¡¯</i>

    The God''s Chakra had the unique ability to convert mana into chakra and increase its overall amount each day, providing an unparalleled advantage in the Tower where abilities were best utilized when acquired early.

    <i>¡®Besides, the additional effects are also great.¡¯</i>

    As mentioned, real good skills were important not only for their basic strong power but also for their additional effects. In that sense, the skill of God''s Chakra, which could enhance physical abilities, absorb energy, and emit energy was an absolute top priority.

    <i>¡®And then...should I take a little more time to choose the next one depending on the situation?¡¯</i>

    As it was mentioned earlier, Yu-Seong intended to pass through the Tower¡¯s first floor as slowly as possible to adapt to the system. The reason was simple.

    <i>¡®There is a considerable amount of treasure hidden on the first floor.¡¯</i>

    The Tower of Heaven was sometimes called the Tower of Despair due to the initial Reset. Ironically, despite its name containing the word <i>''Heaven</i>,'' there were more fatalities inside the Tower than in dungeons. Even yers who were not affected by the Reset and were in an adapted state found it challenging to obtain key hidden rewards on the first floor due to its high difficulty level.

    There were, however, some major things that would be still suitable for use in the Tower¡¯s upper floors, provided that they could be obtained. In fact, Yu-Seong¡¯s goal was these precious hidden rewards.

    "Okay, let''s get started."

    It was a maze with all three sides closed, not just a path forward. Yu-Seong felt a strange sense of relief in the space where no one could see him. He immediately got down to the ground and lifted up his legs.

    <i>¡®PT number 8, the Hellish Full Body Twist.¡¯</i>

    Before he had been sucked into the novel, Yu-Seong¡¯s memories of the military came to mind. He didn¡¯t want to do it, but he couldn¡¯t think of a better way.

    As mentioned, skills could also be acquired within the Tower. If you took the skills outside, and it happened to be a duplicate, you would gain additional effects. And if it wasn''t, it would be registered in the skill window immediately. Therefore, it was always a good thing to acquire skills within the Tower.

    There were various ways to acquire skills, but the only immediate option was through repetitive training. In other words, Yu-Seong had no choice.

    <i>¡®I never thought that I would end up doing PT number 8.¡¯</i>

    And so, in a ce where no one could see Yu-Seong, the lonely full body twist began.

    ***

    Six hourster, Yu-Seong was still doing the full body twist.

    <i>¡®Is it really working? It does say so in the original novel, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Wouldn''t it be better to acquire skills in a different way? Yu-Seong was flipping his legs in the air and twisting his entire body. He was at the point of thinking about giving up when messages began to appear one after another.

    - Acquired skill, Physical Strength Reinforcement.

    - Acquired skill, Flexibility Reinforcement.

    - Acquired skill, Stamina Reinforcement.

    - Acquired skill, Pain Tolerance.

    Yu-Seong now had a wide smile on his flushed and sweaty face.

    <i>¡®Nice.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong chose PT number 8 because, unlike other exercises, this torture-like full body workout could only be trained in various ways. Therefore, if it had been another typical exercise, he would have acquired only one or two at best, but by doing PT number 8, he was able to obtain as many as four skills.

    <i>¡®The power of the skills follows my level, and that''s the Tower''sw.¡¯</i>

    In other words, all the skills Yu-Seong had acquired were at level one. Nevertheless, there was a significant difference between those who had the skills and those who didn''t. As a typical example, Yu-Seong was able to erase the word ¡®<i>give up</i>¡¯ that he had in mind by acquiring a Pain Tolerance skill.

    "But this is as far as I can go..."

    Yu-Seong remained on the ground with his arms and legs spread wide. He gasped for breath, then frowned at how all of his muscles were screaming at him.

    <i>¡®Wow... If I try to get up right now, I''ll die, won''t I?¡¯</i>

    Having developed a Pain Tolerance skill did not mean that hepletely felt the pain. No matter how enhanced his physical abilities as a yer were, he couldn''t avoid the muscle pain that followed after quietlypleting PT number 8 for six hours.

    "Ugh..." Yu-Seong moaned and slowly closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll feel better after a good nap.¡¯</i>

    Fortunately, this was still the starting area of the Tower''s first floor, so there was no need to worry about enemy attacks.

    After sleeping like a log for about six hours, Yu-Seong suddenly opened his eyes. He slowly raised his body up and noticed that he was feeling much better than before.

    <i>¡®As expected... I recover fast.¡¯</i>

    It was the kind of pain that a normal person might not recover from even after lying down for three days and nights, but he had recovered in just six hours thanks to his physical abilities at the level of a Physical type yer and the Stamina Reinforcement he had obtained through PT number 8 training.

    Undoubtedly, the process of acquiring new skills was challenging, but it was worth the challenge.

    <i>¡®To be honest, it is worth investing in the attainment of four skills in just six hours as it pays for itself.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly pushed the pain from PT number 8 exercises out of his mind and rose to his feet. His gaze was fixed straight ahead.

    As he ventured deeper into the maze, the darkness grew more intense, but he remained unafraid. Yu-Seong now possessed three Special Skills, four Tower Skills, and even the unique Special Skill - God¡¯s Chakra. As a matter of fact, he could be considered the strongest on the first floor of the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®I''m starving. Let¡¯s find something to eat first.¡¯</i>

    After walking around for about ten minutes, Yu-Seong felt a gaze following him.

    <i>¡®Finally, it¡¯s here.¡¯</i>

    It was really ufortable and irritating to be followed by a gaze that wouldn''t let up, especially since he had taken multiple turns at crossroads while wandering through the maze. However, as he had already advised the party, it was better to refrain from reacting hastily.

    Intending to follow his own advice, Yu-Seong ignored the difort and kept walking until he reached a tree bearing edible fruit that only grew in the Tower.

    <i>¡®Oh, it''s honey fruit.¡¯</i>

    The honey fruit was only found within the Tower. It was named after its reputedly intense sweetness. Upon tasting it, Yu-Seong discovered its texture was as soft as a perfectly ripe mango.

    <i>¡®Oh, this is pretty good.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, it was written that anyone who ate something inside the Tower would always be satisfied. Now, Yu-Seong could finally agree with that description. Then, he consumed the third honey fruit with a look of pure delight on his face.

    <i>Grrrrrrk-!</i>

    Suddenly, a strange and eerie sound filled the air and a ck liquid began to flow from beneath the thick walls of the maze. Very slowly, the form of a ferocious wolf-like creature was taking shape. It emanated a menacing aura directed towards Yu-Seong, and this was only the beginning.

    The ck liquid continued to flow from various parts of the maze, transforming into monsters that resembled beasts and humans. Yu-Seong found himselfpletely surrounded by them.

    Although it was a somewhat threatening situation, Yu-Seong remained calm. He even smiled as he converted Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear. He looked at the monsters emitting the threatening momentum and said, ¡°I''ve been waiting for this. Bring it on, my experience points.¡±

    It was time to level up.

 Chapter 161

    <h4>Chapter 161 </h4>

    On the Tower of Heaven¡¯s first floor, the monster called Shadow Slime didn''t have particrly highbat abilities. Although it appeared as a beast or monster with threateningly sharp teeth and ws, it was actually a liquid-like creature whose attacks felt more like a dull shock rather than getting painfully injured.

    <i>¡®Of course, it''s only the first floor.¡¯</i>

    The first floor was truly a space for adapting to the Tower. If powerful monsters were ced here, the number of casualties would rise exponentially. However, there was one thing not to be underestimated about this monster, Shadow Slime.

    <i>¡®They are cunning.¡¯</i>

    The Tower¡¯s first floor had a trap.

    <i>¡®The blue-lit floor.¡¯</i>

    This area, which Yu-Seong had warned the party, was the trap. When the Shadow Slimes thought they were being chased, they naturally led people to the trap while running away. Although people tended to be cautious when they saw floors with different colors, Shadow Slimes were aware of this fact and covered the blue light with their dark slimes to make it difficult for people to see the trap. In a way, this was one of the tutorials for adapting to the Tower.

    <i>¡®The trap is simply a typical example of the many dangers one can face in this Tower.¡¯</i>

    The most important thing was that traps were more dangerous than the Shadow Slime''s attacks.

    <i>¡®There have been cases in the original novel where people suffered injuries or broken bones on the first floor of the Tower and struggled for a long time¡­¡¯</i>

    Although rare, there had been cases of people losing their lives to Shadow Slimes. Therefore, it was why it was a bad idea to engage inbat with them by deliberately chasing them, especially since they knew all thendmarks of the maze.

    <i>¡®The strategy from the original novel was to always let them attack first.¡¯</i>

    There would only be one case where Shadow Slimes did not keep watch and attacked first.

    <i>''They probably thought it was worth a try since there were many cognitions following them, and I appeared slow-witted.''</i>

    In fact, this was why people said Shadow Slimes were cunning. However, it wasn''t necessarily true that they were intelligent.

    <i>¡®Considering that they are just brainless liquid-like monsters, I wonder how they can think so well, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Ultimately, their intelligence was greatly limited.

    Therefore, the group of Shadow Slimes, who had underestimated Yu-Seong''s abilities, had approached him fearlessly and threatened him. Eventually, they had alle to a regrettable end.

    <i>¡®You''ve be an excellent experience point.¡¯</i>

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong. Level: 1 -> 3 ¡»

    Yu-Seong checked the level section of the system window and smiled. He muttered to himself, ¡°I was worried since they were weak monsters, but I still went up two levels.¡±

    Above all, he hadn¡¯t even hunted half of the Shadow Slime group that had appeared.

    Perhaps being cunning also meant that they were cowards. Thus, when Yu-Seong had torn apart some of the Shadow Slime group in an instant, they had scattered in all directions in a frenzy.

    <i>¡®It wasn¡¯t even a proper battle in the first ce.¡¯</i>

    However, the result was a two-level increase by only killing the ones that had been hunted quickly and closely.

    After chasing the Shadow Slimes for a while, Yu-Seong realized that he might identally step on a trap. Only then did he decide to stop pursuing them.

    "I guess these Shadow Slimes won''te near me anymore. Hm, it''s kind of a shame."

    Yu-Seong licked his lips and continued walking through the maze. After all, there were two hidden rewards that he needed to find on the first floor of the Tower. Moreover, the exact location of the hidden rewards was not clearly described in the original novel, so Yu-Seong was in a situation where he had to wander through the maze for a while.

    <i>¡®If I wander around enough, those Shadow Slimes who don''t know me will probably attack me again.¡¯</i>

    There would be more opportunities to level up in the future. Ultimately, all he needed was time.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s take it easy.¡¯</i>

    With rather quick steps, he continued to wander through the maze.

    ***

    ¡ºName: Choi Yu-Seong. Level: 3 -> 6. ¡»

    After a day had passed, Yu-Seong¡¯s level had increased by three due to the attack of the sneaky but naive Shadow Slimes.

    <i>¡®I can definitely feel the difference now that I''m around level 6.¡¯</i>

    In fact, after the Reset, Yu-Seong¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t been as great as when he had been outside the Tower. It felt like he had been moving with a heavy sandbag strapped to his back. However, he began to feel lighter and lighter after gradually getting used to it and continuing to grow.

    <i>¡®At this level, I might be able to handle stepping on a trap to some extent.¡¯</i>

    As curiosity struck him, a blue-lit floor appeared in front of his eyes. He had seen the same floor several times before and had always either avoided it or turned back, but this time was different.

    <i>¡®Let me try¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong cautiously approached and stepped on the floor emitting the blue light. As he did, a trap was triggered, and something rapidly flew out from the left side. He quickly turned his body to avoid it, but the attack that barely grazed his arm still left a burning sensation on his flesh.

    Then, a <i>¡®thunk¡¯</i> sound came from the wall right next to him. Although he felt pain simr to having been stabbed, he had not directly been hit by the trap.

    Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead.

    <i>¡®I was a little too hasty.¡¯</i>

    He then looked at the wall where the trap had been lodged. Something round was embedded deep into the thick wall overgrown with bushes.

    <i>¡®Wow, if I had been directly hit by that, my bones would have shattered.¡¯</i>

    As expected, traps were iparably more dangerous than Shadow Slimes. With that thought in mind, Yu-Seong exerted strength in his legs and stood up to approach the object that had attacked him. It was a circr and white object with red stitches embroidered on it. He could easily identify what it was.

    "A baseball?" Yu-Seong said in shock.

    The item could be used on Earth, but it appeared to be out of ce in the Tower.

    However, he quickly became convinced of one thing.

    <i>¡®At least it''s only the first floor, so it wasn''t a steel ball that was hurled at me.¡¯</i>

    Of course, at this point, even a baseball could be perceived as a threat. Yu-Seong nodded in understanding before inserting his fingers into the baseball lodged in the wall.

    <i>¡®Maybe¡­ If I do it well, I could take it out.¡¯</i>

    It took a considerable amount of effort. After sweating profusely, he managed to pull the baseball out of the wall with a grunt.

    "Anyway, I got some loot."

    Although it seemed useless at the moment, one never knew what mighte in handy in the future. Yu-Seong put the baseball obtained through the trap in his pocket and continued to navigate through the maze.

    ***

    A few days in Earth''s time had passed. Despite reaching level 10, Yu-Seong was starting to feel increasingly disheartened by the Shadow Slimes.

    <i>¡®Yesterday, I was level 10. And today, I am still level 10.¡¯</i>

    Considering the number of Shadow Slimes he had hunted during the day, it seemed reasonable to conclude that the limit of level advancement through hunting Shadow Slimes had been reached. Despite this, every time he moved to a new area, the Shadow Slimes would fearlessly attack him. That certainly annoyed him.

    <i>¡®I also haven''t even found a single hidden reward yet.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong began to feel uneasy, thinking that he might fail to keep the promise he had made to meet his group within a week. Now, the Shadow Slimes that quietly wasted his time had be an unpleasant sight to behold.

    <i>¡®What if I pass the week-long deadline that we all agreed upon?¡¯</i>

    During a moment of strange anxiety, Yu-Seong spotted a narrow one-way path filled with blue light at a sudden intersection. His eyes immediately lit up.

    ¡°Oh, there are many traps today. How exceptional."

    If an ordinary person adapted to the Tower, there would be no reason to choose a path full of traps.

    <i>¡®Although there are some safe areas in between, generally speaking, it''s a situation where one has no choice but to step on traps.¡¯</i>

    Passing through such a ce would be fatal. It was a narrow one-way road that seemed perilous, but it was also the path that Yu-Seong had to take.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure this is the area with hidden rewards that the original novel mentioned.¡¯</i>

    It was a crossroad. There were three wide roads with no significant threat, and there was one road with exceptionally long traps. Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled with excitement as he had finally discovered the area with the hidden reward.

    <i>¡®There are two options: run very fast or jump precisely and alwaysnd in the safe area.¡¯</i>

    Then, Yu-Seong chose Wind Control as his second active skill with sparkling eyes.

    <i>¡®Wind Control is faster and more reliable than just jumping.¡¯</i>

    After taking a few deep breaths, he pounded the ground and then jumped into the narrow path full of traps. He yelled to himself, "Transition to Wind Flow!"

    The biggest advantage of activating a skill in the Tower was that special effects which had been learned from outside could be immediately applied. Yu-Seong had no reason not to use this advantage.

    <i>¡®It may not be that fast due to my low level, but...¡¯</i>

    Indeed, it was still much faster than just running.

    <i>¡®Here I go.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong leaped between the blue lights the moment he pulled himself together and jumped from the ground. He could feel strange items flying from all over the ce with the sound of trap buttons being pressed.

    Yu-Seong ran as if he were a crazy man. It would be great if he could get items like the baseball he had obtained earlier, though he was too afraid in this situation to even look back.

    Suddenly, one of the floor tiles he stepped on copsed and fell away.

    <i>¡®Danger...!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt a warning ringing in his head. He gave all his strength to his legs, jumping as high as he could into the air and moving forward.

    <i>Thuuuud-!?</i>

    With a crash and the sound of the floor crumbling, Yu-Seong couldn''t keep his bnce. He had no choice but to step on the trap.

    <i>¡®Oh my...!¡¯</i>

    At the same time, a dull piece of wood flew towards him and hit him hard on the back.

    "Ugh...!"

    Yu-Seong let out a scream of pain as he nearly lost his bnce and copsed, but he forced himself to keep moving forward. He knew that if he fell down here, he would surely die.

    <i>¡®I¡¯d die if I fell here!¡¯</i>

    It was only possible because of the most dangerous threat he had ever encountered. A few stepster, Yu-Seong reached the safety zone and stopped moving immediately. Or, in reality, he couldn''t move any further.

    Even though his Pain Tolerance skill and Insignia of Protection were both active, the pain was overwhelming and dizzying. Additionally, his insides twisted in an ufortable way.

    "Ugh...!"

    Yu-Seong copsed on the ground, sweating profusely and feeling like he was about to vomit. He had to concentrate as hard as possible to regain his consciousness, because passing out and falling down could lead him to step on the trap again. He had to at least maintain his consciousness.

    About ten minutes, or perhaps several hours, passed in this state.

    "Whoo¡­ Whoo..." Yu-Seong, covered in sweat and drool, gasped for breath and slowly raised his head.

    - The skill Strong Willpower has been created.

    "Damn, how grateful."

    Yu-Seong didn''t know when it had been created, but it was definitely helpful in regaining his consciousness.

 Chapter 162

    <h4>Chapter 162 </h4>

    Yu-Seong struggled to cling to his consciousness as he gazed at the countless blue floors still spread out in front of him.

    <i>¡®I can''t see the end.¡¯</i>

    Although it felt like he hade a long way, the reality was that there was still much farther to go than he had already traveled.

    <i>¡®Looks like my n to easily obtain hidden rewards has failed.¡¯</i>

    Even if he were to recover and start running again from here, he could still encounter unforeseen danger somewhere along the way. As it was mentioned before, in a very unlucky case, there had been people who had died in a trap.

    In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t want to be one of those unlucky people. That was why he turned his head and smiled bitterly as he looked back at the mess he had already gone through. He muttered in good humor, "All the misceneous things have flown by. Is that a tissue box? It would have been okay if I was hit by that one."

    Since it was the Tower of Heaven¡¯s first floor, it didn''t necessarily mean that only threatening items wereing at Yu-Seong through the traps. Of course, it would be great if he could recognize that in the situation of breaking through traps recklessly. However, to do that was practically impossible.

    <i>¡®At least for now.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had not yet reached the level of ability to obtain hidden rewards. Understanding this for himself very well, he looked back at the path he hade from.

    <i>¡®The traps haven''t been regenerated yet.¡¯</i>

    However, if a little more time passed, the floor would soon be filled with blue light once again. The important thing was that the regenerated traps would not change in form. That was, even if traps that caused the ground to copse were regenerated, the ground would still remain copsed.

    <i>¡®I can''t remember everything perfectly, but I can remember it to some extent. And¡­ Yes, yes, there is a reason to do something foolish like retracing my steps through the path I''ve already broken through.¡¯</i>

    The Reset was both a blessing and a curse. Regardless of how strong one was outside of the Tower, the starting point was still the same. In other words, if one could grow well within the Tower, they could also take down threatening opponents on Earth.

    <i>¡®For example, the Demon King Worshipers or my siblings who threaten me.¡¯</i>

    Naturally, there was no reason for Yu-Seong not to use this aspect of the Tower. And in order to do that, it was obvious that he had to be the strongest within the Tower. It was possible. He could walk the path of Adam Smith, the Demon King of the Tower who had been an equal match against Kim Do-Jin, the protagonist in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Adam Smith was a somewhat ordinary D-rank viin before entering the Tower.¡¯?</i>

    However, how many hidden rewards did he monopolize to gain the title of the Tower''s Demon King?

    <i>¡®I don''t have Adam Smith''s Special Skill, Secret Exploration, but... I have information from the original novel. I can do this.¡¯</i>

    Naturally, Yu-Seong would have to endure suffering. One of the statements attributed to Adam Smith, the Demon King of the Tower, was, "At times, I''ve contemted that it would be easier to die." But he eventually survived and became stronger. There was no reason why Yu-Seong couldn''t do what Adam Smith did.

    Yu-Seong steeled his heart, leaving behind his regrets. He quickly walked back to the entrance of the crossroads where the trap had started.

    <i>¡®My injuries are slowly recovering.¡¯</i>

    It was all thanks to his skill¡ªStamina Reinforcement. However, it was still not enough.

    <i>¡®In a way, the real hidden rewards that the first floor of the Tower has is that acquiring all the skills is several times faster than in other areas.¡¯</i>

    That was why Yu-Seong had advised hispanions even in the car heading towards the Tower of Heaven to train as much as possible on the first floor.

    <i>¡®I did tell them to avoid traps just in case, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In the situation where Yu-Seong had already made up his mind and entered the Tower, the outer road was full of traps. In fact, except for the reward at the end, the road itself could y the role of a hidden reward. It wasn''t just a passing thought that acquiring four different skills with only PT number 8 in six hours was a great deal.

    <i>¡®If not now, I won''t be able to acquire skills at this speed.¡¯</i>

    As he was thinking about this and that, the cluttered items in front of Yu-Seong suddenly lit up and turned into traps once again.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, I should have picked up some things that looked useful on the way here.¡¯</i>

    While looking at the disappearing traps in contemtion,Yu-Seong then shook his head.

    <i>¡®No, the more baggage I have, the heavier I be.¡¯</i>

    A baseball that he had carelessly stuffed in his pocket was enough for now.

    <i>¡®I have a feeling that this wille in handy someday.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong might be mistaken, but there was no reason to ignore his intuition.

    As the traps regenerated, Yu-Seong noticed that he had recovered about half of his physical condition.

    <i>¡®It''s better to wait a little longer for recovery than to immediately take on the challenge.¡¯</i>

    Although his slow recovery speed was irritating, he knew that moderate rest during training was also important.

    <i>¡®I''m not sure how much time is left, but it''s better to climb as slowly as possible to gain the most benefits.¡¯</i>

    In the beginning, Yu-Seong had some sense of time, but as time passed, even that began to fade away. Without a clock to reference or any knowledge of the outside environment, his sense gradually became dull. Such a situation was a little frustrating, but Yu-Seong decided to let go of his impatient mind.

    <i>¡®This is inside the Tower so there aren''t many immediate threats. I¡¯ll just have to move forward slowly and steadily. Oh,e to think of it¡­!¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, something came to Yu-Seong''s mind, and he immediately took a cross-legged posture.

    <i>¡®If I use the skill¡ªGod''s Chakra, my recovery speed may increase.¡¯</i>

    The effect of God''s Chakra also included strengthening Physical Reinforcement through the imposition. Instead of simply epting the skill, it seemed like a good idea to expect a recovery effect when performing deep breathing.

    <i>¡®I haven''t used the direct breathing method of God¡¯s Chakra much since its effects are already great, but in this case, it''s worth a try.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong immediately performed the direct breathing method using God¡¯s Chakra and felt his condition quickly improving. He stood up from his seat with his eyes wide open.

    <i>¡®My condition is at its best.¡¯</i>

    Heughed at his rapid recovery. Then, he looked over at the single path of the trap with a blue-covered floor.

    <i>¡®This time, I should focus on sensing my surroundings rather than blindly running ahead.¡¯</i>

    It wasn''t necessary to look at everything. In fact, relying on his senses might be more effective. To do this, Wind Control was more effective than Wind Flow.

    <i>¡®Now I know that it is impossible to break the boulder in one go with the Wind Flow.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong breathed deeply, took slow steps, and stepped on the first trap. He then took another step and examined the object that had flown towards him.

    <i>¡®A pencil?¡¯</i>

    It was an item that could cause fatal injuries if hit in an unfortunate ce at a high speed, despite its weak durability.

    The baseball that had attacked Yu-Seong earlier was the second thing that came at him. Dodging the baseball with the Wind Control and converting Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear, Yu-Seong parried the wooden fragment that flew at him from the next trap and continued to move forward without rest.

    <i>¡®I have about¡­500 meters left to reach the safe zone where I arrived earlier.¡¯</i>

    His first goal was to reach the ce where he had first arrived, recognizing and getting rid of each trap one by one. With that in mind, when he saw the round steel te flying towards his left shoulder, he quickly swung his spear.

    <i>¡®A frying pan?¡¯</i>

    As he had blocked the melee weapon that had absolute influence in many games, even deflecting bullets, the shock that was transmitted to his entire body through the spear was not light. The shock ringing in his mind almost made him copse, but thanks to his newly acquired skill¡ªStrong Willpower¡ª it was not difficult for Yu-Seong to regain hisposure and take a step forward.

    <i>¡®I did it!¡¯</i>

    Feeling excited, Yu-Seong let the flying tissue box hit him and confidently went forward.

    <i>¡®Check carefully, don''t miss anything¡­¡¯</i>

    It was important to capture as much as possible in his field of vision.

    <i>¡®A baseball from the left, a cushion from the right¡ªwhich I can ignore¡ªand wait, there is something else behind the cushion¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong confirmed three of the pencils flying towards his left chest after piercing the thick cushion with his spear. Thus, he had no choice but to rotate his spear to block the flying pencils. What he gained in return was the impact of a baseball hitting his back.

    "Argh-!" Yu-Seong let out a scream and managed to avoid falling t on his face. He quickly took a few steps back.

    <i>Thud.?</i>

    With a somewhat lumpy posture, a bitterugh escaped from his mouth as he rubbed his sore buttocks.

    <i>¡®I assume that there''s still about 300 meters left.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t even make it to the safe zone he had challenged with just the Wind Flow before. No, he hadn''t even yet encountered a trap where the ground copsed. Although he felt disappointed, he had reached his limit for now.

    While smacking his lips, Yu-Seong slowly got up and started heading back to the entrance of the trap-filled road.

    <i>¡®But if I keep trying, I''ll definitely get better results. Let''s try again after I recover.¡¯</i>

    His willpower was on fire.

    .

    ***

    Three more days had passed. Yu-Seong couldn''t keep track of time, but he remembered exactly how many times he had challenged the narrow road that was filled with traps.

    <i>¡®This is the 132nd trial.¡¯</i>

    His clothes were torn apart and his hair was a big mess, but Yu-Seong was brimming with confidence.

    <i>¡®I''m going all the way this time.¡¯</i>

    It wasn''t excessive confidence. In his previous 131st challenge, he had confirmed the far end of the trap-filled road filled with blue light from afar before returning to this spot.

    <i>¡®With my recovery ability now, I could have rested there for a bit and challenged it again to get the hidden reward, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong¡¯s goal was clear.

    <i>¡®I have to break through from the entrance in one go.¡¯?</i>

    With that in mind, he returned to the entrance with the summit in sight. This was when the blue light of the traps had not yet even regenerated.

    Catching his breath, Yu-Seong checked the skill window that had been enriched by his previous 131 challenges, and a smile of satisfaction spread across his lips.

    Skills: Stamina Reinforcement, Physical Strength Reinforcement, Flexibility Reinforcement, Pain Tolerance, Bleeding Resistance skill, Physical Strike Tolerance, Vision Reinforcement, Intuition Reinforcement, Resilience Reinforcement, Concentration Reinforcement, Leap, Bnce Reinforcement, Nimble Hand Movements, Quick Footwork, Basic Weapon Skills, Strong Willpower.

    The once-empty skill window was now full.

    <i>¡®In fact, it¡¯s safe to say that I¡¯ve acquired all the skills that can be obtained on the first floor.¡¯</i>

    If it weren''t for this situation, Yu-Seong wouldn''t have even considered attempting the path filled with traps in the first ce. Nevertheless, there was a reason for him to challenge it.

    <i>¡®Now I can obtain both hidden rewards.¡¯</i>

    When the blue light began to glow brightly in front of him, Yu-Seong began to run without any hesitation.

    <i>¡®From start to the end¡­¡¯</i>

    He had to run without hesitation. He deflected threatening objects flying towards him, and even took a few hits that his body could handle.

    He didn''t need to memorize everything as his Vision Reinforcement allowed him to read most of the threats. Even if he missed something, it didn''t matter. Thanks to his Intuition Reinforcement, his body reacted naturally, and he was able to deflect the threatening objects from the traps.

    If the ground copsed, he could use Leap skill to jump to a higher location. Although hisnding had been somewhat unsteady before, with the help of his Bnce Reinforcement skill and Concentration Reinforcement skill, it was no longer a problem for him.

    Unlike three days ago, Yu-Seong could easily navigate the traps now. He continued forward with a twinkle in his eye using Wind Control.

    <i>¡®Now I¡¯ve reached the trap upgrade zone.¡¯</i>

    After passing about half of the path, the difficulty of the traps rose significantly beyond what the Tower¡¯s first floor could offer. It was alsomon for ten pencils to fly at a time, or for the floor to rise where there was nothing.

    It was not an exaggeration to say that Yu-Seong had continued to challenge the traps 132 times as a result of the unexpected increase in difficulty.

    <i>¡®And thanks to that, I''ve gained a lot of skills.¡¯</i>

    The rising scaffoldings were used as pedals. Pencils, wood fragments, baseballs, and sometimes threatening daggers or basketballs flew at Yu-Seong, but he recognized and deflected or dodged them all.

    <i>¡®I''m almost there.¡¯</i>

    With natural movements, Yu-Seong had ovee an enormous number of traps. He blinked at the green floor that was visible only from a far distance. Previously, he had be too excited upon seeing the floor, which had led him to losing hisposure, making a mistake, and having to go back to the beginning. However, it was different now.

    <i>¡®100m!¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong carefully and surely avoided the traps and continued forward, a huge stone pir suddenly appeared in front of him.

    <i>¡®What the hell? I can''t jump over this with even Leap.¡¯</i>

    Surprised, Yu-Seong quickly looked at his surroundings.Then, he could see something red shing around the center of the tall stone wall.

    <i>¡®That is quite suspicious¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, there was no time to hesitate. Instinctively, Yu-Seong took out the baseball that he had put in his pocket and aimed it at the red light. The moment the red light was hit, the tall stone pir began to copse.

    <i>¡®That was the right answer as expected. Now all I have to do is avoid it¡­¡¯</i>

    No, he wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid all of it. The attacks from the other traps continued to pour out through the falling rocks too.

    At that moment, Yu-Seong made a clear choice. In fact, going back from here wouldn¡¯t guarantee him a better answer.

    <i>¡®Forced breakthrough!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and activated Wind Control skill while enduring the shock that pounded his whole body.

    <i>Thump-ump-!</i>

    The painful ache spread throughout his body once again. However, as a result, Yu-Seong could arrive at his destination, the green footboard. He couldn¡¯t help but smile brightly.

    - You have passed the trial''s single path for the first time! Rewards are being calcted.

    - From the entrance to the exit! You have achieved an amazing record. Additional rewards are being calcted.

    With the message, the injuries throughout his entire body began to recover at a much faster rate than before. It was thanks to the activation of the hidden reward.

 Chapter 163

    <h4>Chapter 163 </h4>

    On the Tower of Heaven''s second floor, Chae Ye-Ryeong and Jin Do-Yoon crossed through the red door that Choi Yu-Seong had pointed out. Their eyes widened at the sight of the spacious room that revealed itself before them.

    "The maze was impressive, but this is fascinating too," Ye-Ryeong remarked.

    "A square... We should call it a cube," Do-Yoon said as he instinctively scanned his surroundings.

    Upon noticing something, his eyes lit up.

    <i>¡®There are people here.¡¯</i>

    In therge cube-like room of over 100 pyong , there were ten unfamiliar faces gathered in a corner as if they were a group. When Jin Do-Yoon and Chae Ye-Ryeong suddenly appeared, the group quickly turned over to look. Their eyes shone. To be precise, they only took a mere nce at Do-Yoon.

    <i>¡®They''re looking at Ye-Ryeong.¡¯</i>

    There was only one woman among the ten gathered, and the rest were men. These guys were casting a sticky and ufortable gaze at Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    Just as Do-Yoon felt their gazes and tried to block Ye-Ryeong, the youngest man in the group said, "Stop. Let''s not do anything that will make us feel bad."

    Only then did the group slowly look away from Ye-Ryeong. Despite their disappointment, they refrained fromining and simply smacked their lips.

    <i>¡®He looks young. Is he the leader of that group?¡¯</i>

    Do-Yoon looked at the young man who appeared to be in his early twenties with a twinkle in his eyes.

    When their gazes met, the young guy smiled lightly at Do-Yoon. He said, "You don''t have to be too wary. We just met here too. We were considering whether to move forward or not.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Jin Do-Yoon silently nodded in response.

    "Hi, I''m Kim Woo-Gon. If you''re finding it hard to navigate this mysterious tower, why not join me? Whether it''s waiting for a rescue team or exploring other solutions, it''s going to take time...and it would be much less lonely to have more people around, wouldn''t it?"

    ¡°...¡± Do-Yoon nodded his head again without answering.

    <i>¡®Kim Woo-Gon. It''s a name I''ve never heard before.¡¯</i>

    The young man didn''t seem to be a famous yer, but Do-Yoon felt ufortable for some odd reason. He even thought that the young man could have been a viin from outside.

    "You seem to be the quiet type. That''s okay. Come find me whenever you need me.¡±

    Jin Do-Yoon ignored Kim Woo-Gon. He led Chae Ye-Ryeong to a corner of the room that was as far away from the group as possible.

    "They are suspicious, aren''t they?" Chae Ye-Ryeongmented.

    Do-Yoon nodded his head in agreement.

    While Jin Do-Yoon and Kim Woo-Gon faced off, Ye-Ryeong had been trying to gather information by sensing the vibe.

    "We''re surviving here, but how do we get food? There doesn''t seem to be any ce to relieve our physiological needs," Ye-Ryeong pointed out.

    Just as Do-Yoon was lost in thought, a bright white light shed around the area where Kim Woo-Gon''s group had gathered on the outer edge of the room. All of a sudden, a pile of honey fruits that could be found on the first floor appeared.

    "Huh...?" Chae Ye-Ryeong eximed with widened eyes. Having witnessed that from afar, she murmured, "Food appeared like magic?"

    ¡°Indeed¡­¡± Do-Yoon nodded, finally understanding the situation now.

    Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s crew was sat in strategic positions that could monopolize food. It was now understandable why Woo-Gon had been so arrogant a moment ago.

    "Would you like to have some?" Kim Woo-gon asked as he approached Jin Do-Yoon and Chae Ye-Ryeong with some of the honey fruits in both hands.

    <i>¡®What should I do?¡¯</i>

    Jin Do-Yoon was lost in thought for a moment.

    "We''re fine," Chae Ye-Ryeong said, boldly stepping forward.

    Kim Woo-Gon shed a strange smile. "That seems possible for now. Alright then. As I mentioned earlier, just let me know whenever you need something."

    "We appreciate it." Ye-Ryeong smiled brightly in response.

    With a casual shrug of his shoulders, Kim Woo-Gon returned to his group to share the honey fruits and started to eat.

    After another half an hour had gone by, Chae Ye-Ryeong found an answer to the second question that she had.

    One of the ten members who had been gathered by Woo-Gon suddenly stood up and disappeared beyond a stone gate in the direction they were heading.

    <i>¡®There are five doors.¡¯</i>

    Ye-Ryeong had no idea what role each door yed, but it seemed that the group was dealing with most of their physiological needs inside of them.

    Another interesting observation was that the location where the group had gathered food was quite close to the stone gate.

    In addition, shockingly, the one young woman in the group asionally went beyond the stone gate with the other eight men¡ªaside from Kim Woo-Gon. Unless one was a fool, anyone would know what was going on beyond the stone gate when that happened.

    <i>¡®No wonder they were giving me those ufortable looks.¡¯</i>

    Chae Ye-Ryeong frowned as she realized that fact.

    <i>¡®There''s plenty of food, the issue with physiological needs has been resolved...and now he''s ying king of the hill.¡¯</i>

    Clearly, Kim Woo-Gon was the one who had set this game. Among the gathered men, he was the only one who didn''ty a hand on the woman. However, in exchange, he seemed to have gained the upper hand over the group.

    In reality, it was a ratherical situation. The cube''s interior was indeedrge and enclosed, but there was still a way forward. The group hade up to the second floor from the first, so it was natural that there would be a way to the third floor.

    Thus, if the woman who was being manipted by Kim Woo-Gon and his group could muster the courage to move forward, she wouldn''t have to endure their insults. On the other hand, those whocked the courage to move forward would remain trapped and vulnerable as prey to Kim Woo-Gon''s group.

    Watching the two of them from afar, Kim Woo-Gon appeared to believe that Do-Yoon and Ye-Ryeong were thetter case.

    <i>¡®We''re simply waiting for other people, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Woo-Gon was probably unaware of that fact.

    Only a day had passed, but it felt slightly longer to Do-Yoon and Ye-Ryeong.

    Kim Woo-Gon, who was sitting in the corner, approached Ye-Ryeong and Do-Yoon again. He asked, "Aren''t you curious about what''s beyond that cliff?"

    "We are," Chae Ye-Ryeong replied.

    Kim Woo-Gon revealed a sly smile. He said, "I''ve explored all five doors with my group, but they are quite dangerous unlike the first floor. There weren''t any major issues up until the entrance, but beyond that, there were many corpses that looked like they had been ripped apart by beasts. There must be a rather threatening monster there... As you know, in our weakened state, it could be a significant threat to us.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    "I''m sharing this information because I''m concerned that your curiosity might cost you your lives. Of course, I cannot interfere with whatever decision you two make..." Kim Woo-Gon finished speaking, casually shrugged his shoulders, and turned around to return to his spot.

    <i>¡®He''s a really bad person.¡¯</i>

    Chae Ye-Ryeong now fully understood how Kim Woo-Gon had created this group.

    <i>¡®Even if I go, I still want to scold them badly¡­¡¯</i>

    As Ye-Ryeong pondered over various thoughts, light suddenly burst out from the center of the room. Everyone, including Kim Woo-Gon''s group, Jin Do-Yoon, and Chae Ye-Ryeong, naturally turned their attention towards the light.

    Looking at the person who had appeared through the light, Ye-Ryeong quickly raised her hand and shouted, "Hey, kiddo! Over here!"

    While scanning the surroundings to assess the situation, Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s gaze suddenlynded on Chae Ye-Ryeong. He yelled back, "I told you not to call me a kiddo!"

    "Forget it,e here quickly," Ye-Ryeong said.

    Was it due to the bad situation? Chae Ye-Ryeong felt much more relieved to see Yoo Jin-Hyuk than usual.

    Ye-Ryeong went over to Jin-Hyuk and put her arms around his shoulders, then whispered, "Don''t make eye contact with those guys. They''re really bad people. Kids shouldn¡¯t grow up seeing those things.¡±

    "Bad people?"

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had seen and lived through a lot of bad things since he was young, was inwardly scoffing.

    "You made it. Great job," said Do-Yoon.

    Jin Do-Yoon greeted Do-Yoon with a delighted face. Then, he said, "Yes, hyung. Is Yu-Seong hyung not yet¡­?"

    "The young master hasn''te yet."

    "Oh,e to think of it, there''s no noona either."

    "Yeah, we have to wait a bit more."

    Kim Woo-Gon''s gaze grew icy as he watched the trio huddled together and whispering in low tones.

    ***

    As time passed, Chae Ye-Ryeong realized she was getting quite hungry.

    Once more, light burst forth from the center of the room, revealing the arrival of yet another person. And to their surprise, it was none other than Jin Yu-Ri.

    "Unni!" Chae Ye-Ryeong greeted Yu-Ri with a bright expression as she jumped up from her spot.

    "Oh, Ye-Ryeong? Am I thest one... No, I guess I¡¯m not," Yu-Ri said while scanning the area out of habit and giving a suspicious nce towards Kim Woo-Gon and his group. She quickly approached her own group.

    "Did I appear like that too? It¡¯s quite cool," Yoo Jin-Hyuk asked Ye-Ryeong after adapting well to the situation inside the cube.

    "The vibe is odd. Who are these guys?" asked Yu-Ri in a hushed tone. She was still scanning the room with her sharp eyes.

    ¡°Those are the people who arrived first. They have a monopoly on food and¡­¡± Ye-Ryeong then exined everything she had found out to Jin Yu-Ri in a low voice.

    After hearing the whole story, Yu-Ri naturally furrowed her eyebrows. She said, "They''re really unbearable people. We should leave as soon as Yu-Seong oppa arrives.¡±

    "We can¡¯t punish them, right¡­?" Ye-Ryeong asked.

    "Well..." Yu-Ri looked over at Kim Woo-Gon, who was staring at her group.

    <i>¡®They''ll probably make their move soon though.¡¯</i>

    Despite the small number on her sidepared to the ten on Woo-Gon¡¯s side, Yu-Ri was unafraid.

    <i>¡®Thanks to the things Yu-Seong oppa has taught us, we''ve be a little stronger in various ways and havee here¡­¡¯</i>

    The problem was that the Kim Woo-Gon crew did not know this fact. Also, their crew was close to double the number of people in Yu-Ri¡¯s group. This meant that Yu-Ri¡¯s group could get hurt or be in danger if conflict arose.

    "For now, let''s pretend we don''t know anything," Jin Yu-Ri suggested.

    Chae Ye-Ryeong nodded in agreement.

    A littleter, about five more people appeared. Two of them felt uneasy about the atmosphere and went towards the next room, while three others decided to stay in the room due to Kim Woo-Gon''s persuasion and threats.

    With the arrival of three more people, Kim Woo-Gon''s previously uneasy expression due to Yu-Seong''s growing group size had transformed into a rxed smile.

    Then, in the midst of their situation, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had been watching Kim Woo-Gon''s group constantly monopolizing the food, frowned and asked, "Should we ask for some food?"

    Although they could use the entrance to the other room beyond the stone gate to resolve their physiological needs like those guys, hunger was different. This was especially true for Jin Do-Yoon and Chae Ye-Ryeong, who had arrived first; they were almost all skin and bones.

    "It won¡¯t be free," Yu-Rimented.

    "How annoying," said Jin-Hyuk while pursing his lips.

    Just then, light erupted from the center of the room once again. The person they had all been waiting for appeared.

    "Yu-Seong hyung!"

    "Young master!"

    "Boss!"

    "Oppa."

    Yu-Seong appeared somewhat embarrassed as his group approached him with a weing shout. Raising his hand lightly, he said, "Oh, everyone¡­ It looks like you all arrived first, but..."

    Yu-Seong was no fool. Despite his happy emotions, he could sense that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

    <i>¡®What''s going on? Food will be automatically supplied on the second floor, won''t it?¡¯</i>

    As he surveyed the group''s condition, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel concerned. It was clear that the group was in a bad state.

    Sensing a change, Kim Woo-Gon approached Yu-Seong, who was still scanning the area to assess the situation after the unexpected realization, and spoke to him.

    1. about 3558 square feet

 Chapter 164

    <h4>Chapter 164 </h4>

    "Nice to meet you. I''m Kim Woo-Gon. And you are...?"

    Before Yu-Seong could even respond, Kim Woo-Gon quickly recognized him and eximed, "Choi Yu-Seong? From the Comet Group?"

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise. He answered, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    His poprity, which had spread through social media and evennded him in newspaper articles, made it inevitable for him to be easily recognized.

    Then, he tried to recall where he had heard of Kim Woo-Gon before.

    <i>¡®Kim Woo-Gon, Kim Woo-Gon in the Tower of Heaven¡­ It¡¯s not unfamiliar¡­¡¯</i>

    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯te up with anything.

    As Yu-Seong pondered, Kim Woo-Gon suddenly bowed his head and greeted him again. "Oh my, it''s a pleasure! I''m a big fan of yours, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong. I had no idea we would meet here."

    Before Yu-Seong could respond, Chae Ye-Ryeong made a puzzled expression and said in a strange voice, ¡°What?¡±

    "Did something happen?" asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Oh, so¡­¡±

    "Are you part of the group? I''m sorry. I think I made a few mistakes along the way." Kim Woo-Gon, with a somewhat flustered expression, quickly bowed deeply to Chae Ye-Ryeong, Jin Do-Yoon, and the others.

    He went on to say, ¡°It¡¯s difficult to share food with unfamiliar people in such an enclosed space. I somehow ended up representing the group and making mistakes due to my cautiousness. I hope you can forgive me with an open mind.¡±

    Ye-Ryeong frowned and looked at Yu-Seong. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she hesitated to speak up. After all, Yu-Seong was standing right in front of her.

    "I¡¯ll ask my party about the situation. Could my party talk in private for a moment, Mr. Kim Woo-Gon?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Oh, of course, it''s an honor to see you again. Sincerely," Kim Woo-Gon said with a bright smile and moved away from the group.

    "Boss, that guy is really a bad guy. Don''t trust him!" Ye-Ryeong blurted out, finally giving voice to what she wanted to say.

    "Slow down, tell me what happened after you came here," Yu-Seong said.

    Chae Ye-Ryeong then tried her best to convey what she had seen, heard, and experienced as objectively as possible, despite her excitement. She used rather emotionalnguage at the beginning, but quickly focused on talking about Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s behavior towards the end.

    As Chae Ye-Ryeong''s story drew to a close, Yu-Seong suddenly remembered something.

    <i>¡®Oh, right. I remember now.¡¯</i>

    Unlike the Tower''s Demon King, Adam Smith, who had be famous after entering the Tower, Kim Woo-Gon was already a well-known figure outside of the Tower.

    <i>¡®Viin name: Trickster.¡¯</i>

    Kim Woo-Gon was an S-rank viin, one of the three Demon King Worshipers¡¯ leaders hiding within South Korea.

    <i>¡®So, at this point, this guy is acting as a king here.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, Kim Woo-Gon''s appearance came only after the Tower had been conquered halfway.

    He was known for his persuasiveness and ability to lead people astray, acting as a preacher who propagated new Demon King Worshipers inside the tower. Ultimately, he became a well-known supporting character in the original novel who would be exposed for his true nature and killed by Kim Do-Jin.

    Realizing this fact, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t help but snort.

    <i>¡®Did he say he¡¯s a fan of mine?¡¯?</i>

    That statement itself might not be entirely incorrect. By now, the Demon King Worshipers within the Tower might have started to pay attention to Choi Yu-Seong. This wouldn¡¯t be a strange thing at all.

    <i>¡®They would want to recruit me, but my father''s gaze would be too intimidating.¡¯</i>

    In other words, Kim Woo-Gon''s shift in attitude towards Yu-Seong''s group stemmed from their desire to exploit the current situation to their advantage. It was an opportunity for them as the Tower was a ce beyond Choi Woo-Jae''s gaze. How amazing would it be if they could recruit a talented and promising person from a great family as a Demon King Worshiper?

    <i>¡®For Demon King Worshipers, they would be able to easily shake the entire South Korea.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, there were quite a few people in the Demon King Worshipers who were at the center of wealth or power. However, in South Korea, there were few cases where such influential people were affiliated with the Demon King Worshipers. Considering the fact that about 30% of famous people in Europe, the United States, China, and other countries were somehow associated with the Demon King Worshipers, the situation in South Korea was surprisingly good.

    <i>¡®It''s probably because they thought there was nothing to gain from this small country¡­ Especially after already upying Pyongyang.¡¯</i>

    Now that Pyongyang had fallen, it was time for the Demon King Worshipers to reconsider South Korea, which they had somewhat disregarded in the past. Therefore, Yu-Seong had be an increasingly alluring prospect for them.

    After organizing his thoughts, Yu-Seong turned his gaze towards Kim Woo-Gon, who was leading a group of more than ten people.

    Kim Woo-Gon noticed Yu-Seong''s gaze and smiled widely. When he waved his hand, Yu-Seong responded with a smile and a wave of his own.

    "Boss?" Chae Ye-Ryeong asked Yu-Seong with a surprised expression.

    "I originally nned to leave directly for the third floor, but it seems like we have something to do. Please wait for a little longer, and trust me."

    The saying that a crisis was an opportunity rang true, and Kim Woo-Gon''s notion of seizing an opportunity certainly applied to Yu-Seong as well.

    ***

    ¡°Can we talk for a moment?¡±

    Since Yu-Seong approached him first, Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s face brightened up with an even wider smile.

    <i>¡®This kiddo has taken the bait.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders at the obvious ploy. Hemented, ¡°It¡¯s a little risky here¡­ It¡¯d be nice if we could be alone.¡±

    ¡°Come inside. It''s dangerous deeper in, but it''s fairly safe near the entrance.¡±

    Kim Woo-Gon stood up. As if he had been waiting, he was ready to lead the way.

    Yu-Seong noticed that Woo-Gon had signaled some of his men before getting up, but he pretended not to know. He thought to himself.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s definitely up to something.¡¯</i>

    Kim Woo-Gon entered the far left of the five stone doors, and Yu-Seong quietly followed him. It was a narrow hallway with walls on either side, not a maze. Aside from being dimly lit, an inexplicable sense of difort wrapped around Yu-Seong, and the stale air that smelled like a basement pricked his nose.

    ¡°You may or may not know, but most physiological needs are taken care of here. At first, I was a little concerned about the buildup, but... After a certain amount of time, anything done near the entrance disappears without a trace. It''s like a miracle. There''s got to be a reason the gods called us to the Tower.¡±

    Although Yu-Seong didn''t respond, Woo-Gon continued speaking to himself as he walked a little further away from the entrance. Suddenly, he stopped and turned around, facing Yu-Seong with a smile. His crescent-shaped eyes slowly came into focus in the darkness.

    ¡°This should be far enough. I actually wanted to say something to you too, Choi Yu-Seong. This is great timing.¡±

    ¡°You can go first.¡±

    ¡°Is it okay?¡±

    Once he saw Yu-Seong nodding lightly, Woo-Gon did not refuse it. He said, "Originally, it should be kept a secret, but truth be told, I have been entrusted with a certain secret mission. Ah, don''t worry, it''s not some suspicious organization with an unknown name."

    Yu-Seong almost burst outughing involuntarily.

    <i>¡®If you''re on a secret mission, how can your organization not be suspicious?¡¯</i>

    It was indeed a paradoxical remark. Even in the midst of it, Kim Woo-Gon was mixing in the truth strangely. After all, there were few people in the world who did not know the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ name.

    ¡°I see,¡± Yu-Seong replied shortly.

    As Yu-Seong patiently waited for his boration, Woo-Gon went on to say, "While our organization is not entirely without suspicion, we believe that this tower is undoubtedly an opportunity that the gods have given us to help humanity. It''s a joyful thing. And going a step further, we believe that humans'' greedy nature often causes them to miss opportunities and cause problems."

    "That¡¯s why you''re gathering people," said Yu-Seong, thinking that it wouldn''t hurt to chime in with his own thoughts.

    Yu-Seong had a vague and rough idea of Kim Woo-Gon''s and the Demon King Worshipers'' n, but he didn''t know the exact details.

    <i>¡®Many guys besides Kim Woo-Gon havee into the Tower to act as preachers for the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯</i>

    And they would continuously cause incidents and idents within the Tower. Some of those incidents would cause an incredible number of deaths, and if possible, Yu-Seong wanted to prevent those incidents from urring. The problem was that he didn''t know when they would start their activities.

    <i>¡®Because, in the original novel, the problems are often resolved after the incidents have urred.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong continued to wonder if there was a way to extract information from Kim Woo-Gon.

    ¡°Yes, that''s correct. We want peace, and we believe we need a security force to maintain it. In this situation, we think that with someone like you, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, who has a fairly well-known name outside, the job could be made easier. That''s why we''re sharing this secret and asking for your help,¡± exined Kim Woo-Gon.

    ¡°I see. I understand.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you''ve decided to help?¡±

    After Yu-Seong nodded, Kim Woo-Gon quickly followed up with persuasive words. He wanted to persuade Yu-Seong to be a Demon King Worshiper. For him, this first step had to be taken cautiously.

    ¡°Why wouldn''t I help you when you''re doing a good thing?¡± answered Yu-Seong carefully.

    ¡°It''s nice that the conversation is going better than I thought,¡± Woo-Gon said.

    By then, other people¡¯s presence could be felt from the other side of the hallway. As Yu-Seong looked across the darkness with a wary gaze, Kim Woo-Gon shook his head and said, ¡°No need to be too careful. They''re my people.¡±

    Sure enough, the men looked familiar.

    <i>¡®They are the guys who received eye contact from Kim Woo-Gon earlier on.¡¯</i>

    There were three of them.

    <i>¡®These guys are also Demon King Worshipers.¡¯</i>

    Either they had followed Kim Woo-Gon into this Tower from the beginning, or they had discovered each other''s identities and began to cooperate within the Tower.

    "But how did theye from the other side?"

    "As a matter of fact, the left and right doors are somewhat connected. We just found out recently."

    "I see. One more question¡­ Why are they¡­?"

    "Well, actually, there''s one more thing we want to ask of you, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong."

    "One more thing?"

    "As you know, the n is so confidential that it needs to be carried out secretly. Maintaining security is the most important thing,¡± said Woo-Gon.

    Yu-Seong sensed that the air around him was growing colder.

    <i>¡®No wonder, he seemed too docile for a Demon King Worshiper.¡¯</i>

    When Yu-Seong stepped back after thinking so, Kim Woo-Gon pulled out a small, ck, and round pill from his pocket. He exined, "No need to be afraid. It''s just a small token to ensure security.¡±

    ¡°What''s that?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "As I said, it¡¯s a small token to ensure security and to mark the promise between us. If you consume this, you''ll be able to keep secrets with no problems," said Woo-Gon.

    "Keep secrets with no problems?"

    From different directions, the three men were approaching Yu-Seong as if they were trying to catch him.

    "Yes, I''d appreciate it if you could think of it in the sense that¡­you''d be with us forever."

    When he heard those words, Yu-Seong had a twinkle in his eyes. Hemented, "So that¡¯s the famous Magic Total Pill."

    The four men''s eyes widened in surprise.

    The Magic Total Pill was only carried by the Demon King Worshipers. In other words, Yu-Seong was revealing the fact that he had figured out their true identity.

    "If you take the Magic Total Pill and fail to keep the promise you¡¯ve made, you will be killed without exception. It''s actually a highly sought-after item. I was wondering whether you brought it, and it looks like you did," Yu-Seong said.

    With such a drug, there was no need to use any trickery.

    Noticing Yu-Seong¡¯s change in attitude, Kim Woo-Gon and the other men had interesting shifts in their expressions. Their initially bewildered and clueless expressions soon became cold and sharp.

    "Choi Yu-Seong... It doesn''t matter how you¡¯ve figured out our true identity. What''s important is that this is a narrow passage where no onees...and there are four of us."

    Due to the Reset, all the yers had gone back to the same starting line. Adding the one-versus-four situation, anybody would have thought that Yu-Seong was at a serious disadvantage.

 Chapter 165

    <h4>Chapter 165 </h4>

    However, that was just on the surface. Yu-Seong''s current stats were not what a typical yer would have expected.

    <i>¡®One should be wary of... It could be inferred that, at most, they brought along some ancient relics as a precaution.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong took a slow step back, baiting Woo-Gon''s three men into approaching him.

    Thinking that Yu-Seong was retreating in fear, Woo-Gon let out a sinisterugh and shook his head. "Why didn¡¯t you pretend to be clueless until the end? Then we could at least have had a good rtionship..."

    Instead of answering, Yu-Seong checked the distance between him and the others.

    <i>¡®Swinging a spear that''s too long can be ufortable. Maybe if we move a little closer¡­¡¯</i>

    At that moment, the three men were only a few steps away from Yu-Seong.

    When Yu-Seong¡¯s Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice turned into a short spear, emitting light, Woo-Gon shouted in shock, "He has a weapon! Everyone, be careful...!"

    Before Woo-Gon could finish speaking, Yu-Seong twisted his hips. His spear arced sharply, shing beneath the heads of the three men before they could even react.

    <i>tter-!</i>

    In an instant, the three men turned lifeless. Their blood spewed out as they copsed to the ground.

    "...?!" Woo-Gon was shocked speechless. Then, he darted toward the opposite side of the corridor.

    Although Woo-Gon made a fairly quick decision and ran as fast as he could, Yu-Seong simply threw the short spear in his hand with a light snort.

    <i>Shwoosh-!</i>

    With a sharp sound tearing through the air, the spear¡¯s sharp de tore through Woo-Gon''s ear and pierced into the ground.

    "Agh-!" Woo-Gon screamed and jumped up.

    At the same time, Yu-Seong quickly ran and grabbed Woo-Gon¡¯s back. He said in a low voice, "If you don''t want to die, shut your mouth.¡±

    "Kill him!" Woo-Gon shouted. Refusing to give up, he twisted his whole body to try and get away.

    <i>¡®The ancient relics!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly released his grip and stepped to the side after confirming that a strange energy was gathering from the ne that Woo-Gon held in his hand.

    The ck energy flowed out of the ne, coiled around Woo-Gon''s hand, and wriggled like a venomous snake. Then, it shot towards Yu-Seong and pierced through his shoulder.

    "¡­?!"

    Seeing therge hole in Yu-Seong''s shoulder and the blood flowing out, Woo-Gon had a somewhat ecstatic expression on his face. He yelled, "You dumbass! Did you really think that only you could hide your abilities?"

    When Yu-Seong had swiftly cut the throats of his three colleagues, fear had been the first emotion to rise in Woo-Gon''s heart.

    <i>¡®I couldn''t even see him swing his spear.¡¯</i>

    Even though Woo-Gon was unaware of Yu-Seong''s chosen ability in the Tower, he had realized the danger of approaching him. With such a thought, he had chosen to run away immediately.

    When Yu-Seong grabbed his neck, Woo-Gon had quickly activated his ancient relic, the Insignia of ck Mana, and had simultaneously used his skill, the Snake''s Trap. Although he had been worried that his attack might miss, he finally rxed when he saw Yu-Seong unexpectedly get injured.

    "Now you don''t have a spear, and you''re injured. I don''t know how you can use such powerful abilities, but you shouldn''t let your guard down until the end," warned Woo-Gon.

    As Woo-Gon extended his hand, the ck energy flowing from his ne gradually drew closer to the injured Yu-Seong. He then said threateningly, "As long as you''re caught in the Snake''s Trap, you will be paralyzed. If you get hit once more, you''ll definitely die. What do you say? If you surrender now, I can give you a chance to save your life."

    "A chance?"

    Yu-Seong''s lips curved into a smile as he lowered his head. At the same time, he extended his right hand.

    "What...?" Woo-Gon took a step back in surprise, but just then, something hit him from behind. His eyes rolled back and he copsed on the floor, unconscious.

    In a swift motion, Yu-Seong retrieved the spear he had thrown earlier back into his hand.

    <i>¡®The hidden skill String of Union.¡¯</i>

    This skill had a simr effect to Rachel''s Thread of Destiny, which could pull designated objects or people within fifty meters. The only difference was that it could only target one thing, which was somewhat of a disadvantage, but it was useful for luring the opponent into a false sense of security. Above all, it had an advantage that made it even better than Rachel''s Thread of Destiny.

    <i>¡®As my level increases, the skill range will continue to expand, and there is no mana consumption at all.¡¯</i>

    Above all, nothing could possibly interfere with the skill effect. Once a person or object was designated, it would inevitably be pulled towards Yu-Seong as long as it was within range.

    <i>¡®For now¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong shifted his focus on the String of Union from Pharaoh''s Caprice to Woo-Gon. He then used his skill to grab Woo-Gon''s neck and take his ne.

    <i>¡®Hm, this is something I cannot use.¡¯</i>

    The ck mana provided immense power, but it came at the cost of destroying the user''s personality and character.

    Despite this, Yu-Seong took the ne away. He thought that Woo-Gon, who had regained consciousness, could pose a threat.

    <i>¡®Huh, my vision seems to be gradually getting blurry due to the paralysis effect.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong clicked his tongue. He extended his left hand, where green energy emerged and took on the form of a small cat.

    <i>¡®As expected, it''s cute.¡¯</i>

    It was the Green Wind Spirit Cat, the hidden treasure that Yu-Seong had been seeking since entering the Tower of Heaven.

    If obtaining the String of Union was considered a reward for passing the Path of Trial''s Trap, obtaining the Green Wind Spirit Cat was an additional achievement from breaking through the entrance and the exit in one go.

    In fact, the reason why Yu-Seong had continued to return to the entrance and retry, even though it had been overwhelming, was the desire to obtain the Green Wind Spirit Cat.

    <i>¡®I ask for treatment.¡¯</i>

    At his humble request, the Green Wind Spirit Cat, which was affectionately rubbing its cheek against Yu-Seong''s palm, gently leaped onto his injured shoulder. With both paws, it began to massage the hole-ridden shoulder in a peculiar manner.

    Gradually, the energy emanating from the Green Wind Spirit Cat¡¯s feet began to rapidly regenerate the holes on Yu-Seong''s shoulders.

    ***

    In the midst of the serene silence, Woo-Gon opened his eyes and was surprised to see Yu-Seong sitting against the wall in front of him. He asked, "How... How did you¡­?"

    There were too many parts that Woo-Gon couldn''t understand.

    He had definitely experienced the same Reset, but Yu-Seong¡¯s swift movements, the mysterious skill that had hit Woo-Gon from behind, and the sudden healing of Yu-Seong''s injured shoulder were all astonishing. These were effects that definitely could not be produced by just one Special Skill and two General Skills.

    "That''s not the point," Yu-Seong answered curtly and approached his opponent.

    Woo-Gon purposely made a surprised expression, even though he could still feel that his body was rxed.

    <i>¡®Looks like he didn''t tie me up. And he seems to have taken the Insignia of ck Mana¡­¡¯</i>

    It would be difficult to fight again without the ancient relics, but Woo-Gon was at least relieved that there was no physical restraint. In fact, he could make an attempt to escape.

    Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded when he saw Woo-Gon trying to stand up. As the man wobbled on his buttocks, he urged, "Try to run away."

    "...What?"

    "If you can, give it a try."

    In fact, Woo-Gon was grateful to be allowed to do that. He quickly got up and dashed forward. At that moment, he felt like someone grabbed his nape and pulled him, and his body simply flew backward in spite of his will.

    "Whoa!" Woo-Gon let out a startled scream.

    Yu-Seong tightened his grip on Woo-Gon''s neck and smiled. He said again, "Come on, try to run away."

    "Is it even possible¡­? Haven''t you been Reset?"

    Realizing that he had been hit with a skill, Woo-Gon felt his heart skip a beat.

    <i>¡®At least four or five skills... It''s unbelievable. Every single person who has appeared until now has been affected by the Reset phenomenon¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong didn''t bother to correct Woo-Gon''s misunderstanding.

    <i>¡®Rather, it''s better to be excessively tense than to rx.¡¯</i>

    With that in mind, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and kicked Woo-Gon in the back of the knee.

    "Argh-! My leg!" Woo-Gon wobbled before falling to the ground.

    "Don''t overreact. It''s not like your bone''s broken." Yu-Seong then sat in front of the fallen Woo-Gon and took out the Magic Total Pill, which he had been holding in his hand.

    "This, this is...?"

    "I found it when you passed out. You had three of them."

    "You''re going to make me eat that?!?!"

    Yu-Seong smiled. He said, "Seems like you¡¯re not the type to pledge your loyalty to the Demon King Worshipers by consuming the Magic Total Pill. That''s great."

    "You''re insane! Just kill me instead!" Woo-Gon shouted.

    Instead of answering, Yu-Seong pped him in the face.

    <i>p-!</i>

    A crisp sound echoed through the air, and blood trickled from the corner of Woo-Gon''s mouth.

    "You idiot, think before you speak. Do you honestly believe that I would listen to someone who just tried to kill me?"

    Yu-Seong grabbed Woo-Gon''s cheeks and forced his mouth open.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡­ What are you trying to do¡­?¡±

    "I didn''t want to be this ruthless, but after going through this kind of shit a few times, I realized that there''s no use showing mercy to demons like you."

    The memories of the Demon King Worshipers he had previously encountered suddenly flooded Yu-Seong¡¯s mind. In particr, the massive sacrifice in Pyongyang still made him shake with anger. This prompted Yu-Seong to push the Magic Total Pill into Woo-Gon''s mouth.

    Despite Woo-Gon''s frantic attempts to spit the pill out, Yu-Seong used his fingers to forcefully push the Magic Total Pill into the back of the man¡¯s throat.

    "If you don''t make the contract within five minutes of eating the Magic Total Pill, your entire body will feel like it''s being eaten alive by insects. And then you die. Right?¡± Yu-Seong said calmly.

    ¡°Uh, uhhh¡­uhhhhhh¡­!¡±

    "Why... Why are you doing this to me?!" cried Woo-Gon. With bloodshot eyes, he shook his head from side to side. Tears streamed down his face.

    "Huh? Why are you saying stuff like that? When others asked you this question, you did the exact same thing I''m doing now," Yu-Seong said.

    "Ughhh..."

    "You only need to make one simple promise, nothing much. Repeat after me: ''I, Kim Woo-Gon, will be Choi Yu-Seong''s ve for the rest of my life,''" Yu-Seong said, unfazed.

    "But¡­ But if the contract has excessive terms, it may lead to side effects!" Woo-Gon eximed.

    "Oh, you mean the slow process of mental breakdown? Well, still, isn¡¯t it better than dying in agony right now?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "You, you. How¡­ How do you know so much information? Is the Comet Group trying to take action against the Demon King Worshipers?" Woo-Gon asked.

    "Shhh, no morements. You can get other opportunities if you''re alive, but once you''re dead, it''s over. Make your choice. What are you going to do, Woo-Gon?" Yu-Seong asked with a sardonic smile on his face.

    Looking right at Yu-Seong, Woo-Gon could not say anything. He didn¡¯t even have the courage to refuse. In fact, he had already seen the pitiful state of those who had refused the contract of the Magic Total Pill and died. Having seen their fate firsthand, Woo-Gon did not want to die the same way.

    "Argh..."

    In the end, Woo-Gon dropped his head in defeat and repeated Yu-Seong''s words, swearing to be his lifelong ve.

 Chapter 166

    <h4>Chapter 166 </h4>

    When Yu-Seong and Kim Woo-Gon returned to the lounge on the Tower¡¯s second floor peacefully, Jin Yu-Ri quickly approached and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    "We just decided to be friendly," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Uh, what?"

    Yu-Ri was surprised by the unexpected answer, but Yu-Seong walked away to join the rest of the group. He then announced, "When the next meal arrives, we''ll fill our stomachs and head to the third floor.¡±

    "Did they agree to give us food?" asked Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

    "I made them an offer they couldn''t refuse," Yu-Seong said, quoting a famous line from the ssic movie ''<i>The Godfather.</i>''

    Yu-Ri rolled her eyes, but there was nothing else that Yu-Seong could say.

    <i>¡®Well, I suppose I could borate further if necessary.¡¯</i>

    There was no doubt that Yu-Seong would get an earful since it had been a dangerous situation in a way. However, he couldn''tpletely ignore hispanions'' nces.

    "I''ll tell youter when we have a chance."

    "You know that there are already so many things piled up to talk about, right? You have to keep your promise," Yu-Ri said with a strangely scary smile.

    Yu-Seong nodded with a smile.

    "Oh, three people from that group over there entered a different passage earlier. It seemed odd, but did you¡­?"

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see them. Maybe they just went up to the next floor.¡±

    Yu-Seong had already coordinated the story with Kim Woo-Gon on this matter since it would be easier to just say that the three missing individuals had gone on ahead.

    While there may be some doubts, there was little to gain from pressing the issue right now. As expected, everyone fell for Yu-Seong¡¯s rather shameless lie, and soon it was time for the next food distribution.

    Kim Woo-Gon quickly grabbed a lot of food and approached the group. While doing so, he exchanged nces with Yu-Seong.

    <i>''Well done. Don''t forget what you have to do and keep it going smoothly.''?</i>

    Kim Woo-Gon, who appeared to be grinding his teeth in frustration, forced a nod and returned to his ce.

    <i>¡®I suppose there''s not much else he can do, especially since death is the only way to avoid the pledge made by the Magic Total Pill.¡¯</i>

    In fact, viins were known for sparing nothing but their own lives, which they preserved remarkably well. Yu-Seong thought of Kim Woo-Gon as such a viin, and he was not mistaken.

    <i>¡®The moment I escape from the Magic Total Pill¡¯s curse, Choi Yu-Seong will die at my hand.¡¯</i>

    But how? Despite inwardly devising ns, Kim Woo-Gon couldn''t shake the feeling that his future was grim.

    Putting those thoughts aside, Woo-Gon saw Yu-Seong and hispanions rise from the table after a short mealtime.

    "Let''s head straight to the third floor," said Yu-Seong.

    Soon, the entire Tower of Heaven would be bustling with numerous yers. There was too much to be done before that.

    At Yu-Seong¡¯s call, the group moved. Soon, Kim Woo-Gon was left alone. He rolled his eyes while waiting in the lounge.

    Suddenly, light flowed into the center of the waiting room before the appearance of another figure.

    "Huh?"

    Startled by the sudden change in the situation, the figure reflexively smiled when he met Kim Woo-Gon¡¯s gaze.

    In fact, Kim Woo-Gon also weed the figure. He was looking at an A-rank viin, one of the executives of the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ local branch. Recognizing the man, he gave a smile.

    However, he was definitely cursing inwardly due to a promise he had made Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®...I was told to eliminate any Demon King Worshipers I know if I encounter them in the Tower of Heaven.¡¯</i>

    Indeed, Yu-Seong had no mercy for viins. Moreover, if Woo-Gon vited the order, the curse of the Magic Total Pill would devour him. Therefore, despite knowing that his actions would be shackles around his ankles, Kim Woo-Gon had no choice but to obey Yu-Seong''s orders.

    Soon, Woo-Gon left his group and approached his colleague from the Demon King Worshipers, Tae-Sik. He whispered into the man¡¯s ear, ¡°Mr. Park Tae-Sik, long time no see. Can we talk alone for a moment?"

    "You seem to have a n? Hoho. Since it¡¯s the Trickster asking, then I¡¯ll be sure to follow it.¡±

    Without knowing the situation, Park Tae-Sik followed Kim Woo-Gon into a dark passage. He was unaware that it would be his tomb.

    ***

    As he entered the passageway to the Tower''s second floor, Yu-Seong suddenly turned back with a strange feeling.

    <i>¡®Something feels pretty good...?¡¯</i>

    Kim Woo-Gon, who was left alone, seemed to have done something good. With that in mind, Yu-Seong quickly put aside his interest in the path behind him and walked ahead.

    "There are fewer monsters than I expected," Chae Ye-Ryeong said.

    Yu-Seong simply smiled.

    During their journey here, Yu-Seong had given them a brief exnation of the Tower of Heaven¡¯s second floor.

    <i>¡®The primary feature of the second floor is the breakthrough.¡¯</i>

    If the first floor was abination of traps, mazes, and battles for adapting to the Tower, then the second floor was rtively simple. It was about breaking through rtively narrow passages guarded by monsters. Therefore, for hunters who were used to battles, it would be a rtively easy process in a way. However, the distance was quite long.

    "It hasn''t even started yet. I bet you''ll soon get sick of the monsters,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "That many?"

    "Yeah, that''s why I decided for all five of us to go together as a group for the second floor."

    Of course, there was also a hidden reward here.

    <i>¡®We¡¯ll have to break through within three hours.¡¯?</i>

    Among the doors that could be chosen on the first floor, the most difficult and time-consuming path was the red door. Knowing this, Yu-Seong had everyone choose the red door. However, he didn''t mention the hidden reward that could be obtained by breaking through within three hours.

    <i>¡®Whether it works out or not, it''s all good.¡¯</i>

    If one chose the red door in the original novel, the average time to break through the second floor was eight hours. No matter how many people were grouped together, the narrow paths ultimately limited the number of people who could participate in battle. That made it difficult to reduce the time spent.

    Therefore, the ideal number of people to obtain a hidden reward in the Tower of Heaven''s second floor was determined to be a minimum of three and a maximum of eight.

    <i>¡®Our team consists of five members, including myself.¡¯</i>

    They were all reliablepanions who had trained since the first floor and had earned recognition for their abilities in the original novel. However, the world was full of uncertainties. It was wiser to ascend safely, without jeopardizing the team because of needless greed, even if it meant forfeiting the hidden reward. That was why Yu-Seong didn''t tell the team about it.

    <i>¡®Anyway, I¡¯ve already obtained the most important one, the Green Wind Spirit Cat.¡¯</i>

    Whether they knew about Yu-Seong''s thought or whether it was their desire to be stronger in the Tower, the team''s footsteps quickened little by little.

    "Oh¡­ Finally..." Chae Ye-Ryeong''s eyes twinkled as she saw the group of skeletons that soon appeared. "They¡¯re undead¡ªskeletons?"

    "As you know, they''re not that strong..."

    However, the number of skeletons was incrediblyrge. It also felt somewhat grotesque to see the road filled with white skeletons with ttering bones gazing at the party with empty eyes. Moreover, they held at least one weapon each that could cause fatal wounds. They were distinctly different from the Shadow Slimes, which only looked threatening on the outside.

    "Those can really kill you if they hit you. You know that, right?" Yu-Seong said.

    "I''ll take the vanguard, young master," said Do-Yoon.

    If judged solely by physical abilities, Jin Do-Yoon was the most outstanding among the group. There was no reason for Yu-Seong to oppose him taking the lead.

    "As I mentioned before, there are just too many of them. Trying to defeat them all will be pointless. That''s why our goal is just to get past them. However, we also need to allocate our stamina properly and..."

    "Right, we need to keep an eye on the others so that they don''t fall behind. You''ve already reminded us of that five times, Yu-Seong oppa," Yu-Ri said.

    "Am I that naggy?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "I used to be in charge of nagging, buttely, you¡¯ve been doing it more often," Jin Yu-Ri said with a giggle from his right. "Don''t worry too much and trust us. We''re all professionals.¡±

    Professionals¡­ Were there any other words that suited the hunters, who were more ustomed to battle than anyone else? This was especially true for Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon, both of whom had even participated in battles up to the A-rank that had exhausted their mental energy to the extreme.

    "That''s right. I said something unnecessary."

    ¡°Now, shall we start smashing these skull heads?¡±

    When Jin Yu-Ri reached her arm out with a serious expression on her face, the ck energy shapeshifted into the shape of a mace.

    "I''ll go first!" shouted Chae Ye-Ryeong. She conjured numerous thick water droplets that resembled a mace, simr to what Yu-Ri had formed earlier.

    The skeleton soldiers were observing Yu-Seong¡¯s party, but they did not make the first move. They were only meant to guard the passage. In this situation, Chae Ye-Ryeong''s long-distance attack would serve as a good start to the battle.

    Just as Yu-Seong thought that all preparations wereplete, Yoo Jin-Hyuk raised his hand carefully and stepped forward. He asked, "Um¡­ If you don¡¯t mind, may I take the vanguard position?"

    "Huh?"

    At that moment, Yu-Seong questioned Jin-Hyuk¡¯s request. He thought that a middle or rear position might be more suitable for Jin-Hyuk, who was a Demonic Beast Tamer.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk took out his grimoire, the Book of Faust, and chanted a short incantation to summon the demonic beast, which resembled a giant gori. The chosen beast let out a deafening roar as it appeared in front of the party.

    "Krrrr..."

    The gori-like demonic beast seemed annoyed as it bent its massive body to fit in the narrow passage. Itlooked straight ahead with a fierce gaze and let out a short cry but as soon as it made eye contact with Yoo Jin-Hyuk, it shed an awkward smile.

    Seeing the surprising sight, Yu-Seong stifled a hollowugh.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure that¡¯s a monster from a rank 5 dungeon¡­¡¯</i>

    Within the Tower of Heaven, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was only at level 10 at best, should not be capable of summoning such a strong demonic beast.

    "Rx, Kong. You can walk, right?"

    As Yoo Jin-Hyuk approached and gently stroked Kong''s thick hands, the overwhelming ferocity of the creature began to subside. Kong started to reveal a gentler side.

    Clearly, Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s mana waspletely controlling Kong.

    .

    <i>¡®Even though he¡¯s only level 10.¡¯</i>

    Thinking that Yoo Jin-Hyuk was indeed a genius Demonic Beast Tamer, Yu-Seong felt a chill run down his back. He was witnessing Jin-Hyuk''s potential firsthand.

    "What the..." Yu-Ri also gasped in amazement.

    "I guess there''s no need for me to step up," Jin Do-Yoon said as he willingly stepped back.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s demonic beast, Kong, had a thick hide and incredible strength.

    "Just running through this narrow passage would destroy all those skeletons in front of us, wouldn''t it?" said Yu-Ri.

    Indeed, her statement was indisputable.

    "And we''ll just have to follow behind," remarked Yu-Seong.

    With his eyes sparkling with renewed determination to obtain the hidden reward that he had nearly given up on, he then eximed, "Incredible, Jin-Hyuk. You''re truly amazing!"

    Jin-Hyuk merely shrugged in response. With a broad smile on his face, he replied humbly, "No need to thank me. I''m just d I could be of help, hyung!"

    As he spoke, Jin-Hyuk nced over at Chae Ye-Ryeong, whose expression was now somewhat angry. He thenmented casually, "I just operate on a different level than some short kid. Haha..."

    ¡°You¡¯ll see!¡± Ye-Ryeong responded with a vengeful re. She was now strongly determined to get revenge on Yoo Jin-Hyuk.

 Chapter 167

    <h4>Chapter 167 </h4>

    Although it was only the Tower of Heaven¡¯s second floor, the group charged forward with unparalleled vigor. Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s summoned demonic beast, Kong, was acting as a sturdy tank that cleared the path before them.

    <i>¡®This is like an ass wearing a lion''s skin.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong and hispanions ran out with such excitement that they felt like foxes riding on a lion''s back. It was so satisfying to watch the skeletons bounce off of Kong in all directions, like bowling pins struck by a perfect strike, that they didn''t even have time to feel the tedium of the journey.

    Of course, there were still obstacles to ovee. Midway through the path, three or four forks in the path appeared. Skeletons also appeared from all sides, adding to the confusion of the path. Moreover, there were instances where they had to engage in directbat.

    However, during such times, they didn''t ponder deeply about their path choice.

    "Straight ahead! Go straight ahead no matter what!"

    When uncertain, choosing to advance straight ahead was a decision that held true for both men and women alike. Following Yu-Seong''s lead, the group charged ahead to pursue Kong, the demonic beast that resembled a tank.

    As they progressed, the weakest link in their party became apparent as Yoo Jin-Hyuk gasped for breath due to hisck of stamina. But even this problem was quickly resolved with a simplemand.

    "Jin Do-Yoon, carry him!"

    "Yes, young master!" Do-Yoon replied.

    It was not a big problem, since there was certainly an individual within the group who had plenty of energy to spare.

    The group had little time to rest, taking only brief breaks at asional resting spots. They sprinted through the Tower of Heaven¡¯s second floor at breakneck speed, only to encounter another cube-shaped room that resembled the entrance.

    "We''ve arrived!" Yu-Seong shouted.

    The group halted in surprise upon hearing that shout. Even Kong, who was at the forefront, was bewildered by the sudden appearance of the spacious room.

    Shortly after, a sparkling message appeared before them.

    - You have sessfully passed the second floor''s trial, defeating the monsters in just one hour and thirty minutes. You have achieved the fastestpletion record! A hidden reward will now be calcted.

    Apart from Yu-Seong, everyone was astonished at the unexpected reward.

    "It must be a hidden quest," eximed Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who had a fondness for games.

    Soon after, the next message appeared.

    - Please select your method of reward distribution:

    1. Differential calction based on contribution.

    2. Even distribution.

    Naturally, everyone turned to look at Yu-Seong. If they were to select the differential calction based on contribution, Yoo Jin-Hyuk would undoubtedly take first ce. This would result in the other members of the group receiving no reward.

    "Let''s choose option 1," Yu-Seong calmly suggested, providing a solution to the situation at hand.

    Yu-Seong had read the original novel. He had expected this situation ever since the beginning when he had allowed Yoo Jin-Hyuk to take the lead.

    "What? I was definitely thinking of choosing option 2..." said Jin-Hyuk.

    "If it weren''t for you, we wouldn''t have achieved the record. None of us have anyints," Yu-Seong said as he turned to look at the group.

    "Yu-Seong oppa is right. To be honest, even if we only get a small reward through differential distribution, it would still feel like being served on a silver tter," Jin Yu-Rimented.

    "I also agree with the young master¡¯s opinion," Do-Yoon said.

    "But¡­it was possible because we all worked hard together to achieve this..." said Jin-Hyuk.

    "You would have been able to do it alone." Yu-Seong ced his hand on Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s head, he still seemed like a little boy. Yu-Seong continued, "Well done. Thanks to your hard training, you were able to summon a demonic beast like Kong in the Tower of Heaven. It''s the result of your efforts.¡±

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk, unable to withstand the emotion of the moment, slightly teared up. Then, he looked at Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    "Why are you looking at me? Of course, I thought you did¡­we-well, you kiddo," said Ye-Ryeong.

    "That''s why I''m looking at you. I want to brag," Jin-Hyuk teased.

    ¡°You-!¡±

    Jin-Hyuk stuck out his tongue and hid behind Yu-Seong with shining eyes. He quickly said, "Then let''s choose option 1.¡±

    The message appeared even before Yu-Seong could nod his head.

    - Differential calction based on contribution had been selected.

    The rankings are as follows:

    1. Yoo Jin-Hyuk, 2. Jin Do-Yoon, 3. Choi Yu-Seong, 4. Jin Yu-Ri, 5. Chae Ye-Ryeong.

    Aside from Yoo Jin-Hyuk being ranked first, the other rankings were also eptable.

    <i>''Jin Do-Yoon carried Yoo Jin-Hyuk on his back¡­and I was inmand.''?</i>

    As they nodded in satisfaction at the ranking table, an individualized message about rewards appeared in front of their eyes.

    - Third ce reward: An additional random skill.

    Yu-Seong could only look at the reward in front of him with a satisfied expression. He said, ¡°Third ce reward is good enough.¡±

    "Even fourth ce isn''t bad. It¡¯s a random piece of equipment," Jin Yu-Ri said.

    "Fifth ce is a honey fruit bundle. Haha.¡± Chae Ye-Ryeongughed emptily and held up the honey fruit bundle that had appeared in her hand.

    "How¡¯s the reward for second ce?"

    ¡°I can select an additional skill," said Do-Yoon.

    "Ah¡­ It''s definitely better than mine," said Yu-Seong.

    Clearly, the rewards for second and third ce were considerably better than those for fourth and fifth ce. Therefore, it was only natural to have high expectations for the top reward.

    Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who felt the weight of hispanions'' gazes, hesitated as he looked at the message that had appeared before him. He asked, ¡°It says ¡®evolution of a selected skill¡¯¡­ Is this a good thing?¡±

    Just then, the other members¡¯ expressions turned strange. Perhaps the additional skill awarded to the second and third ce seemed more appealing.

    However, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He grabbed Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s shoulders tightly and eximed, "Oh my god, you hit the jackpot."

    A conglomerate family¡¯s son talking about a jackpot seemed odd, but who cared?

    "What?"

    "It''s a huge deal. Really well done, Jin-Hyuk."

    The more Yu-Seong messed up the already messy clump of hair on the pretty bundle''s head, the more Yoo Jin-Hyuk blushed. He soon burst into a childish smile, expressing his joy.

    ***

    The evolution of a selected skill meant exactly that: upgrading a skill to a higher level. So why was this reward better than simply getting another skill? The reason was simple. This reward could upgrade any skill brought from outside the Tower. In other words, this included Special Skills.

    In Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s case, he possessed a summoner Special Skill, the Demonic Beast Tamer. Although it was a single Special Skill, its effects were tremendous, like Kim Do-jin''s Genius Skill. The Demonic Beast Tamer had additional effects, including enhancing affinity with all demonic beasts, strengthening control, increasing mana, understanding Barrier, creating Barrier, releasing Barrier, and improving cognition, among others. What if this already awe-inspiring Demonic Beast Tamer Skill was evolved?

    "Uh... My Special Skill changed to ¡®Magic Trainer.¡¯ Basic abilities have been enhanced, and it seems that I can use Curse-type magic as an additional ability?" Yoo Jin-Hyuk''s eyes twinkled as he looked at Yu-Seong. "It feels like I''ve be much stronger!"

    Although he acted like an innocent boy, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was quite cunning and intelligent. He probably knew better than anyone else just how much more he could do now that his Special Skill had changed.

    "That is really great," said Yu-Seong, nodding with a satisfied expression.

    Thus, within the Tower of Heaven, Yoo Jin-Hyuk had be the group¡¯s strongest member.

    <i>¡®No, he might be stronger than anyone else in the Tower of Heaven now. In this situation, Kim Do-Jin won''t be able topete with Yoo Jin-Hyuk.¡¯</i>

    At the moment, Yoo Jin-Hyuk was on another level. In spite of that, he still had his bright and kind personality.

    <i>¡®I feel like all the effort I put into trying to reform the future viins has paid off¡­¡¯</i>

    Feeling impressed by Jin-Hyuk, Yu-Seong then turned to Do-Yoon and asked, "What skill did you choose?"

    "I chose Mana Reinforcement. This skill is not something that can be easily obtained based on mybat style..."

    "Excellent choice."

    As expected, Jin Do-Yoon was not talkative but very intelligent. Skills such as Regeneration Reinforcement and Stamina Reinforcement would have been automatically acquired as Do-Jin continued to fight. On the other hand, skills such as Mana Reinforcement were difficult to acquire typically for someone like Jin Do-Yoon, who was a typical Physical-type yer.

    "I got this¡­ Too bad that I¡¯m not Jenny,¡± said Jin Yu-Ri, looking somewhat disappointed.

    When Yu-Ri showed the item that had appeared in her hand, Yu-Seong asked, "Huh? That''s...a gun?"

    "Yes. To me, it''s pretty much useless."

    If it hade with bullets, it could have served as a means of intimidation. However, in the current situation, it was basically a useless item.

    "Can I use it?" Yu-Seong asked, his eyes glittering.

    "What? You? I know that Jenny taught you how to shoot, but... Well, I assume you''re asking because you have a n," said Jin Yu-Ri, promptly handing the gun to Yu-Seong.

    "Great," replied Yu-Seong.

    "You do know that you have to pay me backter, right? Since I gave it to you for free."

    "Of course." Yu-Seong nodded. Then, after tucking the gun into his pockets, he looked at the group and said, "From here on out, we have to split up again."

    "What? Again?"

    "There''s no other way." Yu-Seong pointed to the only exit, then asked, "Do you see the number above the door?"

    The group turned to look at the closed solid stone door. An angry eagle''s face was carved above the door, with the Roman numeral II inscribed on its forehead.

    "Can we assume that the number indicates how many people can go in?"

    "Correct. And I''m sorry, but I can¡¯t provide any information about the inside. I don¡¯t know either."

    Starting from the third floor, the maps were assigned randomly.

    <i>¡®I might know the maps depicted in the original novel, but... For the rest, even I don''t know what''s going toe out.¡¯</i>

    It was rather dangerous to carelessly give out information in such a situation.

    Jin Yu-Ri shrugged and cast a sympathetic nce at Yu-Seong, who wore an apologetic expression. She said, "Do you think we are fools who are unable to do anything without information?"

    ¡°That¡¯s not true... I trust you, of course," Yu-Seong said with a smile. He nodded and pped once. "Let''s stop worrying about useless things. In any case, we have to split up. If more than two of us get close, that guy won''t open the door."

    "Then one person is going to be left?¡± Yoo Jin-Hyuk asked with his hand raised up high.

    "Yes. I''ll be the one staying behind."

    "You?" eximed Jin-Hyuk.

    "Then how will you get there, young master?" asked Do-Jin.

    "I have promised to meet with someone here," answered Yu-Seong. He was lying, but this was one way to get out of this situation.

    Although the group gave him suspicious looks, Yu-Seong had developed a thick skin and could brush it off. He said, "Just as I''m not worried, I hope you guys can trust me as well. And, I''ll be the one deciding the teams. Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon will be in one team, and the other two will be in another.¡±

    "Do I have to go with this shortie? I''d rather stay here with you, hyung!" eximed Jin-Hyuk in terror.

    "Hey, dummy, it says only two of us can go," Chae Ye-Ryeong responded with an absurd look.

    "Come on guys, I don¡¯t takeints. There''s no other way. Jin-Hyuk, you are the strongest for now, so you have to protect her until she levels up a bit more. You can do it, right?"

    "As expected... Hyung, I knew you had a deeper meaning behind it! I''ll do my best to protect this shortie even if it means sacrificing myself!"

    "Ugh¡­ You know you¡¯re so full of yourself, right?" said Ye-Ryeong.

    Yu-Seong pped his hands, lightening the mood once again. As he left the two who were quarreling behind, he said urgently, "Alright, now that it''s settled, let''s get into position and enter. Jin Yu-Ri''s team goes first. Hurry, hurry.¡±

    As he pushed the group forward and sent them up to the third floor, Yu-Seong quickly looked back.

    <i>¡®We''re almost there.¡¯</i>

    Although he had lied about having an appointment, in truth, he had predicted who would show up at this location.

    1. ???? is a Korean saying where someone is borrowing someone else¡¯s power to threaten others.

 Chapter 168

    <h4>Chapter 168 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong stood silently as he looked at the long corridor, which was engulfed in darkness, and a horde of skeleton monsters that had been resurrected.

    <i>¡®Finally.¡¯</i>

    The sword emitted a bright sh of light as it swiftly cleaved through a section of the corridor, causing the remaining skeleton horde to scatter in all directions. It was like a gust of wind blowing away fallen leaves.

    Amidst the chaos, a man in a somewhat long leather jacket walked towards Yu-Seong with his sword emitting a sharp silver light. He had ck hair and ck eyes that seemed to be swallowed by darkness. Those traits made his exceptionally fair skin stand out.

    <i>¡®He definitely is the main character¡­¡¯</i>

    Despite his reservations, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but acknowledge that Kim Do-Jin was handsome. It was probably because Do-Jin was the original protagonist of the novel, after all. Although feeling rather dissatisfied internally, he was still relieved to meet this friend of his.

    Yu-Seong raised his hand towards the neer and said, "Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    Yu-Seong had been worried that Do-Jin would bete. Fortunately, Do-Jin had arrived right on time.

    ¡°...Choi Yu-Seong?¡± Do-Jin said in surprise as he entered the Safe Zone.

    At the same time, a message popped up in front of him.

    - You cleared the 2nd floor trial, breaking through the monster horde in 1 hour and 45 minutes.

    "Why are you here?¡±

    "Well, because I also entered the Tower," replied Yu-Seong.

    "But I was the first one to enter¡­ Oh well, I did spend too much time on the 1st floor," said Do-Jin as he stroked his chin.

    He gave off a sense of calmness that was reminiscent of the outside world, appearing to be unfazed by the dangers that lurked within the Tower. In a way, his demeanor could be affected by more than that.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s a returnee, after all.¡¯</i>

    Within the Tower, all the capabilities acquired on Earth had been reset. However, what about skills honed through training and magic that had been imprinted on the soul?

    <i>¡®You can use them all.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it would take some time to embody those skills. Therefore, Do-Jin had spent as much time as possible on the 1st floor, which had no resemnce to the tutorial, to train himself. Needless to say, he had arrived here only after having recovered quite a bit of his previous strength as a returnee.

    <i>¡®It is fortunate that there is a level cap.¡¯</i>

    Nevertheless, even if both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin at level 13 like Yu-Seong, Do-Jin was at least three times stronger.

    <i>¡®Perhaps he might even be more than five times stronger than me.¡¯</i>

    It was evident from the speed at which Do-Jin had cleared the 2nd floor on his own.

    Currently, the only one capable of contending with Do-Jin within the Tower was Yoo Jin-Hyuk. That was why Yu-Seong had chosen to remain here.

    <i>¡®I''ll be able to handle a lot of things more easily if I work with this guy in the future.¡¯</i>

    .

    In his mind, Yu-Seong had several things to do with Do-Jin while inside the Tower.

    Looking at Yu-Seong, whose eyes were sparkling, Do-Jin asked with a strange expression, "Have you seen any members from Eclipse Guild¡­?"

    "I haven''t seen them. They probably went in before you did," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Well, I did tell them not to worry and to just proceed," said Do-Jin. He slightly tilted his head as he gazed at Yu-Seong with a somewhat doubtful expression.

    "I really am Choi Yu-Seong. I told you before, I have future foresight. Don''t you remember that I was the one who advised you to enter the Tower as soon as it opened before anyone else?"

    "...you are definitely Choi Yu-Seong." Do-Jin''s gaze softened as he loosened his grip on the hilt of his sword. Then, he asked, "By the way, why did you wait for me?"

    "I wasn''t waiting for you specifically. I was trying to move forward, but the door only allows exactly two people to enter and not one alone."

    Only then did Do-Jin shift his gaze towards the stone gate that led to the next floor. He then said, "I see¡­ Number 2. What about your teammates?"

    "They went ahead. The numbers didn''t add up."

    "As expected, you were waiting for me."

    "That¡¯s nonsense." Yu-Seong snorted lightly as he approached the stone gate. "Anyway, since there are two of us, let''s move on to the next floor. We don''t need to waste any more time here."

    Do-Jin, who had received his rewards from the second floor after a short time, nodded and followed Yu-Seong''s lead. Anyways, he seemed to have noints about journeying together.

    Before the two of them crossed the stone gate side by side, Yu-Seong nced back at the path they had just taken. A strange feeling came over him.

    <i>¡®Now, at least I blocked one of them.¡¯</i>

    ording to the original novel''s storyline, Do-Jin would have had to wait alone at this point, unable to cross the gate until he encountered the worst possible opponent and formed a temporary alliance.

    While that encounter would have benefited him in some way, Yu-Seong was sure it wouldn''t have been a pleasant experience for himself.

    <i>¡®I may have altered a significant future, but¡­¡¯</i>

    It would be best for him to stop thinking such thoughts, considering the dark events that Do-Jin would face.

    <i>¡®Still, it''s strange how I ended up worrying about the novel¡¯s protagonist.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong clicked his tongue inwardly.

    Do-Jin asked, "Aren''t you going?"

    "I''m going." Yu-Seong smirked, following Do-Jin towards the gate leading to the third floor.

    ***

    In the second floor¡¯s Safe Zone, Kim Woo-Gon rose from his seat. He was aware of the passage of time. As the leader of the group, everyone turned to look at him as he began to move.

    Woo-Gon briefly met everyone¡¯s gaze before shaking his head in disappointment and walking towards the gate. Everyone probably thought he was going to the bathroom to deal with his physical needs. However, he was actually thinking about how he would have a more challenging obstacle to ovee from now on.

    <i>¡®Freaking Choi Yu-Seong. Alright, I''ll do as you wish and chase after you until the end.¡¯</i>

    The framework of Yu-Seong''s orders to Kim Woo-Gon was straightforward:

    <li>Climb the Tower.</li><li>Make contact with the Demon King Worshipers, gather information, and assassinate them.</li>

    In fact, Woo-Gon was now in a very unfavorable situation. Unfortunately, he couldn''t go against the control of the Magic Total Pill without losing his life.

    <i>¡®Goodbye, my kingdom.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Gon turned away with a sense of regret and took a step towards the stairs leading to the next floor. Only when a new figure suddenly entered the room with the ceiling¡¯s light illuminating the area did he look back at the new guest.

    <i>¡®If he belongs to the Demon King Worshipers¡­¡¯?</i>

    It would mean that there were more tasks for him toplete.

    The new guest, however, was aplete stranger to Woo-Gon. He alsopletely captured Woo-Gon¡¯s attention because he was not even Korean.

    Perhaps because the Tower of Heaven was located in Seoul, all the people Woo-Gon had seen so far inside the Tower were Korean. Additionally, there was something peculiar about the man that made Woo-Gon feel strange.

    <i>¡®Is he a man...?¡¯</i>

    Judging from the shape of his chest and bones, the neer was certainly a man. Despite being a man himself and having no interest in the same sex, Woo-Gon couldn''t help but gulp unconsciously at the neer¡¯s strange allure. With his long ck hair, slender physique, and dark, decadent eyes, the man had a uniquely captivating charm that caught everyone''s attention.

    Nevertheless, the neer walked calmly and silently. He approached the door that Woo-Gon stood in front of. He seemingly paid no attention to everyone else.

    "What, what...?" Woo-Gon raised his voice sharply and tensed his body, possibly due to the man''s strange aura.

    "You''re blocking the door. Could you kindly step aside, if you don¡¯t mind?" said the foreigner in surprisingly fluent Korean.

    He also spoke quite politely, but his words carried a noticeable degree of pressure, dignity, and intimidation.

    Woo-Gon quietly stepped aside, obeying without much thought.

    "Thank you."

    The pale man offered Woo-Gon a smile. As he walked past, he lightly tapped Woo-Gon¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°...¡±

    Suddenly, the man came to a halt. He fixed his dark eyes on Woo-Gon before saying unexpectedly, "You...have consumed the Magic Total Pill.¡±

    Kim Woo-Gon was wide-eyed in shock.

    <i>''What did this person just say?''?</i>

    Such ament should never be said in a public ce with so many people around. Above all, how did the man know that Woo-Gon had consumed the Magic Total Pill?

    "I had advised not to use such drastic means, wanting people to try to talk things out¡­ But people who prefer easy solutions use it too boldly. I''m sorry. Let me apologize instead."

    "Ah..." Kim Woo-Gon blinked as he had just thought of something. He quickly asked, "Is there a way to get rid of this horrible thing inside me...?"

    "There is a way, but it''s impossible here. Even if it is me, my abilities are limited inside this ce and there¡¯s nothing I can do," the man replied.

    "Then, if you regain your powers¡­"

    "Oh dear, I¡¯m afraid I gave you useless hope. Hmm...but I still can¡¯t. I¡¯m sure you hold a grudge against the friend who imnted the Magic Total Pill in you, right? Since they are myrades, after all, I would have to prioritize them first..."

    Kim Woo-Gon wanted to speak up.

    <i>¡®No, I belong to the samerades, Demon King Worshipers. This is all because of Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Gon wanted to express his innermost thoughts, but he couldn''t.

    <i>¡®Darn envement contract...!¡¯</i>

    Woo-Gon was under the Magic Total Pill¡¯s curse, so any harmful words or expressions towards Yu-Seong would lead him to experience excruciating pain and possibly even death. In the end, he could only tremble and bow his head in submission.

    "Cheer up, I''m sorry I couldn''t be of any help," said the man.

    The man lightly patted Woo-Gon''s shoulder again. He shed a seductive smile before leaving.

    As he watched the man¡¯s back, Woo-Gon¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    <i>¡®Wait... He saidrades?¡¯?</i>

    "Perhaps you are¡­!" Woo-Gon eximed urgently towards the man.

    The man stopped in his tracks. As he turned back to look at Woo-Gon, he brought his index finger to his dry lips.

    <i>¡®Shh¡­¡¯</i>

    With that, the man disappeared behind the stone gate.

    As his legs turned to jelly, Woo-Gon copsed to the ground. His heart pounded in his chest as if it was going to burst. He took deep breaths to calm himself down. He realized that the man had refused to reveal his name to save everyone''s life in this ce.

    <i>¡®If he had revealed his identity, he would have had to kill everyone.¡¯</i>

    No one who had ever seen the man¡¯s face and knew his name lived to tell the tale. Only those who belonged to the Demon King Worshipers would survive in such scenarios.

    Woo-Gon lifted a trembling hand to cover his face. He thought of the man¡¯s title rather than his name.

    <i>¡®Godfather... Why is he in Korea?¡¯?</i>

    The question lingered in his mind for a moment before Woo-Gon remembered what he needed to do to survive from the Magic Total Pill¡¯s curse.

    <i>¡®If I don''t report this to him... I''ll die. Damn it!¡¯</i>

    Woo-Gon stood up with a new sense of urgency. He realized that he had to chase after Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 169

    <h4>Chapter 169 </h4>

    Choi Yu-Seong thought to himself.

    <i>¡®The Godfather must have reached the entrance of the second floor by now.¡¯</i>

    The Godfather was a man destined to climb the Tower of Heaven alongside Kim Do-Jin. He was also the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, and one of the oldest non-human races in this world known as the <i>¡®Ancient One¡¯</i>.

    In the original novel, he and Kim Do-Jin had climbed up the Tower of Heaven together, showing great camaraderie. However, as soon as they discovered each other''s true identity and realized they held irreconcble beliefs, they had chosen different paths.

    The problem was that, because of this, Kim Do-Jin had missed his chance to take the Godfather''s life during their fight in the Tower. As a result, three Demon Kings would descend upon this world at once.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin''s growth was certainly elerated during his climb with the Godfather.¡¯</i>

    In other words, their rtionship had been a catalyst for Do-Jin¡¯s growth, but their connection had also brought bad luck.

    This was why Yu-Seong had made such a clear choice in the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®I can serve as the catalyst for his growth myself.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong possessed just as many secrets and knowledge through the original novel as the Godfather did. However, it was also true that he didn''t know all of the Godfather¡¯s true secrets. Nevertheless, Yu-Seong certainly knew enough to be of help in Do-Jin''s growth.

    <i>¡®In the first ce, it was because of his desire topete against the Godfather that Kim Do-Jin was able to grow through him.¡¯</i>

    If that was the role he had to y, then Yu-Seong was confident that he could fulfill it. After all, Kim Do-Jin, the returnee and protagonist of the original novel, had the most potential to seed in climbing the Tower of Heaven. It would never be easy to walk shoulder to shoulder with Kim Do-Jin in a ce like this.

    <i>¡®No. I''ve already done things that I thought were impossible back in the outside world.¡¯?</i>

    In fact, recalling the fate of Choi Yu-Seong in the original novel, his current worries were rather insignificant. Above all, Yu-Seong was now convinced by one thing.

    <i>¡®For some reason, Kim Do-Jin is greatly fond of me.¡¯</i>

    This was not a lightheartedment to make. In fact, it was safe to say that Do-Jin had developed a deep friendship with Yu-Seong, enough to choose to be with him despite his preference for acting alone.

    Yu-Seong began thinking of using Do-Jin¡¯s fondness to his advantage.

    <i>¡®If possible...that can possibly erase all the grudges against the Choi family.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps getting Do-Jin to give up on revenge would be several times more difficult than keeping up with his growth. In the original novel, he was a character fueled by his deep anger toward the Choi family.

    However, this world was no longer a novel.

    <i>¡®Since so much has already changed, maybe it''s possible to achieve this.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, Yu-Seong did not believe that his current situation was entirely negative. Just like the rtionship between the Godfather and Do-Jin in the original novel, he and Do-Jin could be close friends who could kindle apetitive spirit between them.

    <i>¡®Although I feel a bit scared and anxious, I''m confident that I can handle this challenge. This is especially true when I consider the potential rewards.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong suddenly remembered Kim Woo-Gon, who he had left behind on the second floor of the Tower.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, the Godfather will definitely recognize the Magic Total Pill since it''s his own creation. Although, he wouldn¡¯t be able to know the details of the contract.¡¯</i>

    The Demon King Worshipers were a massive trans-dimensional organization. As the leader of this organization, would the Godfather recognize Kim Woo-Gon who was one of the executives of the Korean branch? If he did, he might investigate why Kim Woo-Gon was being cursed by the Magic Total Pill and may even end up killing him.

    Yu-Seong had no real need to concern himself with this matter.

    <i>¡®But if Kim Woo-Gon survives¡­¡¯?</i>

    Woo-Gon would relentlessly pursue the traces of the Godfather and the Demon King Worshipers, and follow Yu-Seong at all costs. This would be the most ideal situation for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®As Kim Woo-Gon bes more active, the scope of the Demon King Worshipers'' activities will narrow.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Gon''s abilities were quite formidable, especially with the return of his ancient relics. This was assuming that an absolute being like the Godfather, members of the Hexagram, or the Twelve Dark Kings would not appear. Anyways, he was one of the S-rank hunters in the outside world.

    <i>¡®I don''t need to worry too much about Kim Woo-Gon. If things go well, it''ll be a gain, and if not, I won''t lose anything.¡¯</i>

    "Are you sure we''re heading in the right direction?" Do-Jin asked as he led the way through a dense forest path with no sunlight.

    "Yes, I''m sure. Just trust me."

    Starting from the Tower of Heaven''s third floor, which could be considered the true beginning of the Tower, each person was assigned a task ording to their entry space and they had to solve it ordingly.

    For reference, the mission that Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were currently assigned to was as follows:

    <The 3rd floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    Purpose of the mission:

    1. Find the forest girl.

    2. Escort the forest girl to her hometown.

    Mission failure conditions:

    1. The death of the forest girl.

    If the mission is sessful, proceed to the next floor and receive rewards based on the oue.

    If the mission fails, all abilities will be reset, and you will be returned to the 1st floor.

    Its description was long, but the mission could be simplified into one sentence.

    <i>¡®The mission is to search for the girl and escort her, and failure will result in the entire Tower copsing.¡¯</i>

    Although the mission was in its early stages, it carried a high risk with a potentially substantial reward.

    Luckily, the first stage of the mission, finding the forest girl, was rtively straightforward. Additionally, Yu-Seong had been fortunate enough to receive a useful random skill reward from the second floor.

    <i>¡®The Pursuit Skill.¡¯?</i>

    As its name suggested, this skill had the ability to read the traces of the opponent left on the ground or on the object.

    Yu-Seong did not have a lot of information about the forest girl, but if he thought of her as a young girl, pursuing her with the Pursuit Skill would not be too difficult. Therefore, Yu-Seong was confident in taking charge of the first stage of the mission himself.

    <i>¡®As expected, I¡¯m lucky in drawing lots.¡¯</i>

    After all, Yu-Seong had obtained a useful skill from the random draw on the second floor that could be used on the third floor right away.

    Soon, in the dark forest, Yu-Seong was able to find a brown-haired girl lying unconscious in a clearing. Looking at the girl, who appeared to be around seven years old, he told Do-Jin, "See? I told you to trust me."

    As Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin proudly, a message appeared.

    Progress 1: Find the forest girl. Completed!

    "Hmm..."

    Oddly enough, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t tell whether Do-Jin was satisfied or not. After breathing out slowly, Do-Jin stopped walking towards the girl. Instead, his sword flew through the gap in the trees beside the clearing.

    <i>ng-!</i>

    Something stirred and leaped away, quickly disappearing into the dense forest darkness. Although the movement was too indistinct to identify, it resembled that of a wild animal.

    "I missed it," said Do-Jin.

    "Wow, you make mistakes too," said Yu-Seong.

    "It was just bad luck. It happens sometimes," snorted Do-Jin.

    Ignoring him, Yu-Seong approached the girl first. The brown-haired girl was dressed in ancient Western clothes. Despite her unkempt appearance and runny nose, her chubby cheeks and round nose made her look fairly cute.

    "She¡¯s not already hurt anywhere, is she?" Yu-Seong cautiously said as he took out the Green Wind Spirit Cat.

    Suddenly, the girl opened her emerald eyes to look directly at Yu-Seong. She eximed, "Dad¡­?!"

    "...What?" Yu-Seong was confused and taken aback by the girl¡¯s unexpected words.

    The girl slowly turned her gaze to Do-Jin, who had returned after retrieving the sword he had thrown between the trees. With a puzzled look, she said, ¡°...M¡­Mom?¡±

    "What nonsense. This mission has failed, Choi Yu-Seong," Do-Jinmented.

    ¡°Stop, you¡­ You crazy!"

    If it wasn''t for Yu-Seong''s quick intervention to prevent Do-Jin''s sword from falling on the girl''s neck, it would have been a dangerous moment for the mission.

    ***

    The girl''s name was Emma. It didn''t have any special meaning, and her memories were a bit hazy. Nevertheless, Emma seemed to recognize Yu-Seong as her father for some reason.

    <i>¡®It''s like how animals instantly imprint on the first being itys eyes on.¡¯</i>

    It was quite an interesting thing. After all, this space was a temporary zone created for the mission in the Tower. In other words, Emma, who existed here, was not a real living being.

    <i>¡®She''s rather like an NPC character in a game.¡¯?</i>

    Was it because the novel had be reality? Or was it because the Tower of Heaven was a space created by the power of the gods?

    Aside from recognizing Yu-Seong as her father at first sight, Emma was somewhat cute and yful like a little girl. At times, she would hold Yu-Seong''s hand as they walked towards her hometown. Other times, she would throw tantrums and demand to be carried.

    Meanwhile, she always made a somewhat peculiar expression towards Do-Jin. Whenever she saw him, Emma would purse her lips and look glum for some reason. Even when Yu-Seong carried her on his back, she would ask unexpected questions that left him at a loss for words.

    "Do I not have a mom?" Emma questioned.

    Do-Jin, who was walking next to them, said in a low voice, "Your mother is waiting for you at home."

    "So only dad came?"

    "Well, yes, that''s how it turned out. ¡°

    ¡°Then, what about mom?"

    "She''s preparing warm food and waiting for you at home, Emma. Don''t worry too much," said Yu-Seong.

    In fact, he quickly came up with some excuse after hearing Do-Jin¡¯s words.

    "Oh...!"

    Thanks to that, Emma''s emerald eyes sparkled and a bright smile appeared on her face.

    "Mom makes very delicious strawberry pie. Oh, I''m hungry. I''m hungry and sleepy."

    "Then take a nap. I''ll wake you up when we arrive."

    "Dad, do you know the way?"

    "You told me earlier."

    Although Yu-Seong didn''t fully understand Emma¡¯s childlike way of exining, it was not a big problem for him. He could asionally take a long time at a clearing that appeared if he was lost or got tired.

    "Then I''ll take a nap for a little while. Wake me upter¡­dad."

    After uttering those words, Emma fell asleep with a soft snore.

    Do-Jin swiftly moved his body and shed the neck of the monster hiding in the forest. The blue blood sttered onto the tree as he quickly sheathed his sword.

    Turning to Yu-Seong, Do-Jin said, "It''s been following us since earlier on. It must be the one we missed at the beginning."

    "And you managed to endure for such a long time?"

    "There''s no need to expose a young child to bloodshed," replied Do-Jin.

    When Yu-Seong looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, he said, "I hope you don''t perceive me as a callous individual devoid of emotions, incapable of shedding blood or tears.¡±

    In fact, Yu-Seong already knew that Do-Jin would bleed if he got hurt.

    <i>¡®But in the original novel, he never cried.¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong had initially thought that this person who had returned from another world might have had a damaged emotional state akin to that of a psychopath. That appeared to not be the case.

    Come to think of it, it wasn''t really strange.

    <i>¡®His fondness towards me is one example¡­¡¯</i>

    Although he was a bit crooked, if Do-Jin was really a psychopath with no emotions, it would be impossible for him to disy such emotions.

    <i>¡®Perhaps¡­ That might be the reason why his anger runs even deeper.¡¯</i>

    If he had truly been a cold-blooded individual without emotions, Do-Jin could have utilized reason to ovee any emotional impulses. However, Yu-Seong now realized that he might not have known as much about Kim Do-Jin as he previously thought.

 Chapter 170

    <h4>Chapter 170 </h4>

    <i>¡®I thought I knew more about Kim Do-Jin than anyone else.¡¯</i>

    Could one truly have imed to know almost everything about a person simply by having read the original novel and peeked into the character''s inner thoughts?

    <i>¡®I was arrogant.¡¯</i>

    As he watched Do-Jin walking beside him, Choi Yu-Seong saw Do-Jin''s appearance with fresh eyes.

    - Skill activated: Character Understanding

    Surprised, Yu-Seong checked the message that had suddenly appeared in the skill window.

    ¡ºCharacter Understanding.

    You can read the emotions and mental changes of the subject you are immersed in.¡»

    Once he checked the results, Yu-Seong focused more on the result itself rather than how to use the skill.

    <i>¡®Is it really possible for a skill to be created in such a manner?¡¯?</i>This was something that hadn''t been mentioned in the novel, but it wasn''tpletely inexplicable. A change in perception or thinking was, in a way, enlightenment. The fact that enlightenment was connected to one''s skills and abilities was already proven¡ªthat was how people became stronger by training.

    <i>¡®For now, I should feel content that my potential for growth within the Tower of Heaven has expanded.¡¯</i>

    Inwardly nodding to himself, Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin and attempted to delve deeper into his thoughts about Do-Jin. However, he couldn''t feel any emotional or mental changes through the skill of ¡®Character Understanding.''

    <i>¡®I wonder if the skill is now activated or not.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was somewhat perplexed as to whether Do-Jin was indifferent or if the skill had not been utilized, since it wasn''t through direct activation using mana like other skills.

    As they walked along, Do-Jin suddenly looked up at the sky. He said, "Looks like it''s going to rain. We should take a break around there.¡±

    Yu-Seong looked in the direction Do-Jin had indicated and appeared slightly surprised. Hemented, "Oh, that looks like the perfect ce to take shelter from the rain. You''re definitely sharp.¡±

    "It''s not a big deal," Do-Jin said nonchntly as he passed by Yu-Seong.

    "A bit sharp-tongued," Yu-Seong said with a smirk as he watched Do-Jin''s back.

    For some reason, a strange feeling welled up inside him.

    <i>¡®A mixture of slight embarrassment...and pride? Why am I suddenly feeling this way?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wondered, shaking his head in confusion at first. However, he soon nodded with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

    <i>¡®Character Understanding!¡¯</i>

    It seemed like the skill was working properly, after all.

    ***

    In fact, both of them had assumed that the thick foliage would provide enough cover from the rain. After all, it was difficult to even glimpse at the sky from beneath the foliage.

    <i>Stter-!</i>

    However, when they stood in front of the small cave entrance and were suddenly bombarded by the pouring rain, they changed their mindspletely.

    "What kind of rain can prate through such thick foliage?¡±

    Not only that, but the thick leaves were also falling to the ground along with the raindrops. The slightly frightening thing was that the raindrops were falling so hard that they made dents in the ground. The leaves simply remained on the ground.

    "It''s quite impressive. If it weren''t for your Pursuit Skill, it could have been slightly dangerous," said Do-Jin.

    Yu-Seong''s Pursuit Skill proved to be invaluable once again.

    Initially taking respite in a nearby clearing, Yu-Seong noticed the rain was intensifying and suggested a change of location. Sharing simr thoughts, Do-Jin nodded silently in agreement.

    With the Pursuit Skill, they deftly navigated their way to a nearby cave, which seemed to be a refuge for wild animals. And within just five minutes, a terrifying downpour began to fall.

    <i>¡®In fact, the situation wasn''t just intense; it was undeniably perilous.¡¯</i>

    The heavy rain was pouring down violently. It may have been difficult, but in truth, for Do-Jin and Yu-Seong who were both yers with exceptional stamina and skills, they could have managed to ovee the difficulty and reach their destination somehow.

    <i>¡®But we would have fainted from exhaustion after that¡­¡¯</i>

    However, what about Emma, the little girl who was sound asleep in one corner of the cave amidst the pouring rain? At the very least, she might have suffered from a slight fever, and in the worst-case scenario, she might have been in danger of dying.

    Concerned, Yu-Seong ced his hand on Emma''s forehead and was surprised to find that her fever was even higher than his own. He quickly summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat and ced it above Emma''s head.

    While glowing green, the Green Wind Spirit Cat vigorously tapped its two front paws on Emma''s forehead.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m d I got the Green Wind Spirit Cat.¡¯</i>

    The skill to summon this mystical cat not only had excellent healing effects on simple wounds and injuries, but it also had some usefulness in treating diseases and poisonings. It would probably be able to heal the fever that had afflicted the little girl.

    Perhaps reading Yu-Seong''s thoughts, Do-Jin looked at the Green Wind Spirit Cat with a glint in his eyes. He said, ¡°I thought it was a straightforward mission, but your abilities have been of great help.¡±

    Yu-Seong looked surprised. ¡°What?¡±

    .

    Do-Jin''s words came as a surprise to Yu-Seong, as they seemed out of character for someone with such strong pride.

    "That doesn''t mean I couldn''t have cleared it alone," Do-Jin added.

    With a smirk on his face, Do-Jin unleashed two magic spells by drawing two pentagrams. Then, surprisingly, a warm fire rose in the center of the chilly cave.

    And when the green aura of the spells from the pentagrams wrapped around the Green Wind Spirit Cat, its size doubled, and the movements of its paws became much faster. Along with that, Emma''splexion, which had been somewhat pale, started to return to its original color.

    "Magic is really convenient," eximed Yu-Seong.

    Even when reading the original novel, the real scary thing was that Do-Jin''s true strength seemed to lie in magic rather than swordsmanship. While swordsmanship excelled only in the realm of killing, his magic showed endless possibilities.

    "It only seems that way because I''m the one using it. Actually, it boasts a considerable level of difficulty."

    Yu-Seong nodded. ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s true.¡±

    Of course, it was true. Even in the world of the original novel, the maximum number of attributes that one could learn to master in magic was limited to two. And that was only for those who were truly talented in magic.

    However, Do-Jin had the ability to unleash all magic without any restriction. Considering that the attributes of magic were numerous andplex, it was astonishing.

    <i>¡®Thanks to that, he''s practically an All-Rounder.¡¯</i>

    There was a reason why the returnee main character had been called a fraud in the novel.

    While Yu-Seong was thinking that, Do-Jin raised his eyebrows and said, "You don¡¯t believe me."

    "I believe you," replied Yu-Seong.

    "You¡¯re lying."

    "Really."

    "Sure."

    Just as Yu-Seong was wondering if Do-Jin was really nodding his head in agreement, Do-Jin continued to speak. "You''ll know if you learn it yourself. From tomorrow, I''ll personally teach you magic."

    "Yeah¡­ What...?"

    Surprised, Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin with round eyes.

    "If you learn it yourself, you''ll realize howplex and difficult magic really is. You¡¯d better be prepared for it," Do-Jin said with a snort.

    Looking at Do-Jin, Yu-Seong''s expression was inevitablyplex.

    <i>¡®Am I supposed to like this idea of learning magic?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong knew that he had to journey with Do-Jin for a while longer anyway. Although it would be an unquestionable advantage to learn magic while on the journey, he still had a vague feeling of unease.

    "It seems like the rain will continue for a while. You should take a break too. From tomorrow on, the journey will be far from easy," said Do-Jin with a grunt as he leaned against the warm wall of the cave with his arms crossed.

    After looking at Do-Jin with aplex expression, Yu-Seong nodded. He also took a rest.

    <i>¡®Oh well, somehow it''ll work out.¡¯</i>

    Life, in fact, was inherently unpredictable.

    ***

    The next day, Do-Jin began to teach Yu-Seong magic as he had promised.

    "Magic is about using the flow of mana to harmonize with the flow of the world. Think of a magic circle as a message sent to the world, one that the world can understand. That''s why you need to understand the Runic alphabet that makes up the magic circle first. Haha..."

    Do-Jin chuckled insidiously as he wrote iprehensible characters with twigs on the muddy ground, which had be somewhat sticky due to the rain. Underneath, the meaning of the characters was written in Korean.

    It was not difficult for Yu-Seong to memorize them.

    <i>¡®I''ve been thinking about it since I can remember the contents of the original novel but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s original body had a rtively good memory. The problem was that memorizing such Runic alphabets did not necessarily mean that one could use magic.

    "If you write the two characters here, for light and desire, and draw Pentagram with mana¡­ Light magic will be released like this. Such simple magic can be expressed with simplenguage like this, but the more powerful the magic, the more exnation is needed to exin to the world why that power is needed. More and more necessary Runic alphabets will appear," Kim Do-Jin said while making a small ball of light in one hand.

    "Hmm¡­ Like this?"

    Yu-Seong tried to draw Pentagram using Chakra instead of mana as Do-Jin had don. He also tried to carve Runic alphabets on the edges, but the result was clearly different.

    "Nothing is showing up."

    "You should not just memorize the Runic alphabets. Didn''t I say you have to understand them? Also, Pentagram is like a contract that allows you to use magic in the world. Are you trying to make a contract with anotherpany so easily andfortably?" said Do-Jin.

    It was not easy to even externalize the mana and shape it into the form of the Pentagram in the first ce. However, Do-Jin was saying that it even required some effort and care while doing so.

    <i>''And I have to understand the Runic alphabets too?''?</i>

    It appeared that Yu-Seong needed to do more than just memorize the Runic alphabets, but he found Do-Jin¡¯s order to be vague and confusing.

    "It¡¯s difficult."

    As Yu-Seong candidly confessed, Do-Jin put on an air of superiority as he shed a grin. Yu-Seong¡¯s Character Understanding skill revealed that Do-Jin was currently feeling quite pleased.

    "Didn''t I say? It only looks easy because I''m the one doing it. If it''s too hard, you can give up now."

    "I can''t do that. After all, you''re teaching me for free." Yu-Seong smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

    Although it was certainly difficult to understand magic right away, it was only Yu-Seong¡¯s first day. There was a saying that you couldn''t expect to learn everything from the first try, and there was no need to give up right away.

    <i>''Besides, magic isn''t a skill.''</i>

    Perhaps magic could solve one of the fatal weaknesses of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art Skill, which had the inability to learn skills other than those rted to Thunder and Wind.

    <i>¡®In fact, I¡¯d still be happy even if I could only learn magic rted to Thunder and Wind.¡¯</i>

    With this thought in mind, Yu-Seong held Emma''s hand or held her in his arms as they continued to walk. During the walk, he put in effort to understand the Runic alphabets and draw the Pentagram with care.

    After another half day had passed, Yu-Seong finally seeded in performing the Light Magic that Do-Jin had shown him before. Feeling delighted by his achievement, he eximed, "I did it. Look, Kim Do-Jin. I did it!"

    Do-Jin, who had been watching Yu-Seong with a sidelong nce, slightly nodded his head. He said, ¡°You''re getting too excited over something trivial. You''ve just taken your first step in magic.¡±

    Despite Do-Jin''s nonchnt tone, Yu-Seong was surprised by the man¡¯s emotions conveyed through his Character Understanding skill.

 Chapter 171

    <h4>Chapter 171 </h4>

    Another day had passed.

    Emma, who had been holding onto Choi Yu-Seong''s hand as they walked, suddenly shouted, "Dad, over there! There!"

    Yu-Seong nodded before walking towards the vige that could be seen in the distance. The end of the journey was near. It hadn¡¯t been very long, but it had certainly been eventful.

    <i>¡®For some reason, it¡¯s a bit disappointing for it to end.¡¯</i>

    Emma was too lively to be considered an NPC made by the Tower. She was still a young girl, but she was bold and didn''t throw tantrums very often.

    <i>¡®It might be because I''ve been traveling with such a girl for a few days now¡­¡¯</i>

    No matter how hard he tried not to, Yu-Seong couldn''t help feeling attached to Emma.

    "Soon, we''ll be able to see Mom! Aren''t you happy, Dad?"

    Emma even thought of Yu-Seong as her dad. It wasn''t just a simple misunderstanding or joke that could be dismissed, as the emotions conveyed through the Character Understanding skill couldn''t be mistaken.

    <i>¡®Affection¡­¡¯</i>

    Through the Character Understanding skill, Yu-Seong could feel the emotions that Emma was conveying.

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but gently stroke Emma¡¯s head with a soft smile. "Of course, I am."

    Anyway, this journey woulde to an end as soon as they arrived in the vige. Yu-Seong pushed aside his regrets and continued walking towards the vige.

    It was rather unexpected that the young men standing at the entrance of the vige could spot the trio from a long distance away. Their eyes widened in surprise. Then, without even looking back, they sprinted into the vige as if running away.

    <i>¡®To be more precise¡­ Are they scared?¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong, Emma, and Kim Do-Jin attempted to enter the vige, there was anothermotion. Vigers armed with farming tools and other weapons appeared from all the houses in the medieval countryside vige. They were threatening the group, but their faces had the same scared expressions as the young men from before.

    <i>¡®What''s going on?¡¯</i>

    Something was strange. The trio had clearly reached the vige entrance, but their mission was not over yet, and the surrounding situation was pretty ominous.

    Yu-Seong looked around in confusion while Do-Jin became somewhat edgy in response to the tense atmosphere. Emma, who was holding Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, stood trembling behind him.

    <i>¡®Fear... Damn Character Understanding skill.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps the emotions felt particrly heavy because it was that of a child. Naturally, Yu-Seong¡¯s expression shifted from shock to unexinable anger.

    "Everyone, move aside."

    Four people, including the two young men who had fled before, appeared as they walked out from the crowd of vigers. Unlike the ordinary-looking young men, there were two people who stood out.

    <i>¡®An old man, and...one of them is wearing a robe. Is he a wizard?¡¯</i>

    The first person to speak among them was an old man with long white hair and beard.

    <i>¡®Judging by the way he''s dressed, he''s probably the vige chief.¡¯</i>

    "I am the vige chief of this vige, Max. Nice to meet you, foreigner."

    As Yu-Seong thought, the old man was indeed the chief.

    "My name is Choi Yu-Seong."

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong, you have a unique name,¡± Max, the vige chief,mented on Yu-Seong''s name.

    Unlike people from Western cultures who often found it difficult to pronounce Korean names, Max easily recognized and pronounced Yu-Seong''s name.

    "The current situation feels quite hostile, unlike your weing."

    ¡°I hope you understand. While the vige does not dislike strangers, the witch is a different story,¡± Max exined.

    ¡°Witch?¡± Do-Jin questioned the use of such an unexpected word.

    "Do you happen to know about witches, foreigner?" Max asked Do-Jin.

    "I don''t know much, but it seems like there are no witches among us," replied Do-Jin.

    "Why do you think that?" Max asked as his strange, pitying gaze shifted to Emma, who was holding tightly onto Yu-Seong''s hand.

    "Are you suggesting that this little girl is a witch, Chief?" asked Yu-Seong sharply.

    Max''s gaze shook slightly. His emotion conveyed through Yu-Seong¡¯s Character Understanding skill was <i>¡®confusion¡¯</i>. However, the emotion soon changed to <i>''conviction</i>.''

    "How long has it been since you met the child? Have there been any instances of fever in between?"

    "There was a fever, but it was within the range that young children could easily get."

    "That''s not just a simple fever. It''s the process of the demon¡¯s seed taking root,¡± answered the ck-robed man who stood next to the vige chief.

    "And who are you?"

    At Yu-Seong''s question, the vigers murmured loudly. Even the vige chief, Max, who had been talking with them, couldn''t hide his astonishment.

    "I''m a wizard."

    "Respect the wizard, foreigner, or you could fall under a curse."

    Ignoring Max''s warning, Yu-Seong gazed at the wizard as if to see through him. He asked in a dignified manner, "Who asked about that? Can''t you tell me your name or where you''re from?"

    Sensing Yu-Seong¡¯s air of dignity, the wizard¡¯s gaze beneath the robe became animated. He asked, "Foreigner, are you a noble?¡±

    In fact, Yu-Seong was a chaebol. He tried not to show off, but whenever he made up his mind and took action, even his slightest gestures and expressions were imbued with an old-fashioned elegance. However, he was certainly showing it off now.

    "Noble? Not apletely wrong word."

    "Your phrasing is pretty ambiguous."

    "You haven''t answered my question yet."

    Max had hinted at rules in this world that forbade treating wizards carelessly, but for Yu-Seong, it was a story that didn''t even elicit a snort.

    <i>''There''s even a crazy genius who can freely use that great magic by my side.''?</i>

    What was the fuss about a wizard who wore his robe inside out and posed like that?

    <i>''Did that guy ever catch a Demon King?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was not even afraid of any curses that the wizard might unleash. After all, Do-Jin would not just stand by and watch it all happen from beside him.

    "My name is Kalstein. I am a follower of the ruler of the Hexagram," said the wizard.

    Yu-Seong''s gaze flickered at those words.

    <i>''Ruler of the Hexagram? Is he talking about the Hexagram Master?''</i>

    In earthly terms, it would have meant that the wizard belonged to the Demon King Worshipers faction. However, Kalstein was an NPC created in the Tower of Heaven, which meant that his affiliation had a different meaning than that of the Demon King Worshipers.

    Naturally, thoughts of the original novel flooded Yu-Seong''s mind as he tried to make sense of the situation.

    "Foreigners, we know why you are passing through this road through the revtion of god. Abandon the witch and enter the vige. If you do, we will open the way for you," Vige Chief Max said urgently as he stepped forward.

    At the same time, a new message appeared in front of Yu-Seong and Do-Jin:

    <The 3rd floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    A mission selection crossroad has been encountered.

    1. Abandon the girl and enter the vige as instructed by the Vige Chief. Uponpleting the mission, you will be able to proceed to the next floor safely.

    2. Help the girl gain the approval of the vigers and return to her hometown. If you fail, the game will reset and you will return to the 1st floor.

    They were facing an easy road and a difficult road. The obvious choice made Yu-Seong furrow his brow.

    "This is..."

    Of course, choosing option 1 would be the easiest since they were simply NPC characters after all. Regardless of the choice made, the game would reset when the next person entered, so it was best to choose the option that would progress to the next floor with rewards.

    However, Yu-Seong was not inclined to take the easy way out. It might be because, in a short amount of time, he had developed some feelings for the brave and cute girl, Emma.

    <i>¡®This Tower¡¯s damn test.¡¯</i>

    It was time for Yu-Seong to make a decision that waspletely different from the original novel, inviting an unexpected turn of events.

    "The old man is just spouting nonsense," Do-Jin criticized in a calm, cold tone as he stepped forward. "Where''s the proof that this little girl is a witch?"

    "That''s what the wizard..."

    "Hey wizard, geezer, how much do you really know about magic?"

    "Uh, well..." Max looked embarrassed.

    If he said he knew a lot about magic, he could be cursed by the wizard, Kalstein. But if he said he didn''t know anything, he wouldpletely lose the argument to Do-Jin. Above all, he didn''t really know much about magic.

    "Magic is the path of the demons," said Do-Jin.

    ¡°What¡­?¡± Kalstein wanted to speak up angrily.

    "Even if it''s not a kind that borrows the power of demons, since magic createsws that can''t exist in this world, it can''t be said to bepletely righteous."

    "Who do you think you are, thoughtlessly bbering about magic like that?"

    "bbering about magic? Thoughtlessly?" Do-Jin grinned as two Pentagrams, one on each hand, appeared. One hand was engulfed in mes while the other was drenched in a stream of water.

    "Wizard!"

    ¡°Oh¡­my God!¡±

    The voices of the vige people, who had been quietly murmuring amongst themselves, suddenly rose in a loudmotion. At the same time, the eyes of Vige Chief Max and Kalstein widened in shock.

    "I can''t believe they''re making such a fuss over this kind of trivial magic. And you, aren¡¯t you the real witch here?" Do-Jin said with a sneer.

    "Do not insult the wizard." Kalstein emanated a cold aura that caused his robe to flutter.

    At that moment, a bright light shed through Yu-Seong''s mind.

    <i>¡®Ah...! The Ruler of the Hexagram!¡¯</i>

    Indeed, they were undoubtedly different from the Hexagram Masters. Rather, they were the true followers that were even higher in rank than the Hexagram Masters themselves. In other words, they followed the Demon King. And the term used to describe the wizards who followed the Demon King in this world was clear.

    "He¡¯s a dark wizard," Yu-Seong said.

    Then, a message appeared in front of him once again.

    <The 3rd floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    The first option at the crossroad has disappeared. You must help the girl gain the approval of the vigers and return to her hometown.

    If you fail, the game will reset and you will return to the 1st floor.

    Yu-Seong smiled contentedly, not even sparing a nce at the disappearing first option.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin, I was worried that you might choose to go simply out ofziness.¡¯</i>

    However, Do-Jin had chosen the same path that Yu-Seong had decided on internally. Also, there was no turning back now.

    "A dark wizard?" Max said in surprise as he turned to Kalstein.

    "I''ve been to ces with many people like you before, so I can see right through you. This girl has the qualities of both a wizard and a spiritualist, and quite exceptional ones at that."

    "So...?"

    "Dark wizards corrupt those with pure magical and spiritual abilities, absorbing their energy to reach higher levels of magic. Do you think I didn¡¯t know that you were trying to wreck this child¡¯s emotions and leave an irreparable wound in her heart?¡± Do-Jin said.

    As a flow of mana began to emanate around him, Kalstein muttered, "Of all people¡­ To meet a wizard like you here. How unlucky."

    Kalstein seemingly confessed to his crime.

    The frightened vige chief, Max, quickly distanced himself from Kalstein. Meanwhile, Kalstein began muttering to himself, paying no attention to Max. Perhaps he thought it would be easy to deal with an ordinary person like Max.

    "But what will you do about it? As you said, your magic is pure, and mine is demonic. If we unleash them together, your magic will undoubtedly be slower."

    "Who said we''re going to fight with magic?"

    "What?"

    With those words, a shing silver light shot out from Do-Jin''s waist and sliced through the neck of Kalstein, the middle-aged wizard hiding under his robes.

 Chapter 172

    <h4>Chapter 172 </h4>

    Before even the dark wizard finished the magic spell, Kim Do-Jin¡¯s sword had already sliced through his neck.

    Snorting, Do-Jin walked forward and coldly red down at Kalstein¡¯s beheaded body. Then, he pulled out his sword from the ground and returned it to its sheath.

    Max, the vige chief, heavily dropped down next to the corpse of Kalstein. He looked back and forth between the corpse and Do-Jin.

    The sight of the dark wizard and Do-Jin, who stood arrogantly in front of the vigers, caught the attention of Choi Yu-Seong, who had been observing from a distance. Yu-Seong nodded in admiration.

    <i>¡®Hepletely toyed with his opponent. I should learn from him.¡¯</i>

    After nting the idea that he was a wizard to the opponent, Kalstein, Do-Jin had quickly ended the wizard''s life with a swift strike of his sword. Although umon, there were wizards who carried swords as a backup weapon. Kalstein must have thought that Do-Jin was one of them, so he had failed to suspect anything until his death.

    <i>¡®But he was the only monster - boss monster on the 3rd floor, so it would have taken some time to deal with at our current level¡­¡¯</i>

    Thanks to Do-Jin, they were able to handle the situation easily.

    While holding Emma, who had instinctively covered her eyes when Do-Jin attacked the wizard, Yu-Seongforted her, "Hang in there a little longer. It''ll be over soon."

    "...Okay." Emma, with her small, trembling hands, grabbed Yu-Seong''s clothes tightly and nodded with her eyes tightly closed.

    As he gently stroked the girl''s hair, Yu-Seong slowly approached Max and asked, "Where are the child''s parents... I mean, where¡¯s her mother?"

    Originally, Yu-Seong was nning to ask about both of Emma¡¯s parents. After all, if Emma was born in this vige, her parents would be the people in the vige. However, remembering Emma''s behavior of calling him <i>¡®father¡¯</i> since the first time she had seen him, Yu-Seong decided to inquire only about the whereabouts of her mother. There was a strangely cold feeling that he couldn¡¯t shake off.

    "Ah, the child''s mother...? I-If you''re talking about Cami, she was punished and exiled for giving birth to a witch..."

    "Exiled?" asked Yu-Seong as he furrowed his brows.

    The vige chief, sensing the urgency of the situation, quickly said, "S-She''s locked up. Nothing has happened yet."

    "...that''s a relief,¡± Yu-Seong said with a sigh.

    <i>¡®It''s probably better to not ask about her father.¡¯</i>

    If Emma¡¯s father had been caught, he would have been imprisoned with Cami. However, Max, the vige chief, did not mention anything about Emma¡¯s father. Needless to say, it was highly possible that Emma didn''t have a father in the first ce.

    "The child is not a witch. There''s no reason to suspect her anymore, right?" said Do-Jin.

    Max quickly nodded, "Oh, of course. We¡¯ve fallen for the lies of the evil dark wizard! Please have mercy."

    "Mercy is a virtue that you all should ask from her from now on," Yu-Seong said with a wry smile on his face as he gently brushed Emma''s back.

    Meanwhile, magic flowed out of Do-Jin''s body and enveloped Emma.

    "This is a magic to calm her mind and put her to sleep. When she wakes up, she''ll feel a bit better," said Do-Jin.

    Looking at Do-Jin, Yu-Seong nodded. Then, he turned to Max and said, "Guide us to the child''s mother."

    "Yes, yes. Thank you for your mercy, foreigners!" Max hurriedly led the two into the vige with a look of relief that he had not lost his life.

    From then on, everything happened quickly. Yu-Seong, with the sleeping girl in his arms, and Do-Jin moved along with Max. They were enveloped in a dazzling disy of lights as they witnessed the tearful embrace of Emma and Cami, the middle-aged woman with fiery red hair.

    ¡°Thank you, two foreigners!¡±

    Thest thing Yu-Seong and Do-Jin saw was Camillia¡¯s fervent expression as she bowed with Emma in her arms. They didn¡¯t have the chance to respond as they were soon engulfed in a bright light. Instead of a mystical world full of vivid colors, the two returned to a square cube filled with drab ochre-colored bricks.

    "Uh..." Yu-Seong rubbed his eyes, still not quite adjusted to the sudden change.

    <i>¡®Right, that''s how it is.¡¯?</i>

    The unique experience they had just gone through was like<i>?</i>a<i>?</i>virtual reality created by the Tower. Therefore, they had to ept the sudden disappearance of everything.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s just like logging out in a game.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it wasn''t easy to just ept this fact. If it were that simple, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin wouldn''t have faced such a difficult decision at the crossroads on the Tower¡¯s third floor. In fact, Do-Jin probably had simr thoughts as Yu-Seong.

    "But you don''t regret it, do you?" Yu-Seong asked proudly as he looked at Do-Jin.

    Just when Do-Jin was about to reply¡­

    <The third floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    Congrattions. You have rescued the girl, Emma, who received the blessing of the forest, from corruption.

    On this journey, you have also executed the evil dark wizard, Kalstein. You have achieved great results by choosing the more difficult path! Additional points are included in the reward list.

    The contribution rankings are as follows:

    Choi Yu-Seong. Kim Do-Jin.

    When the message appeared in front of them, a subtle expression of anger appeared on Do-Jin''s handsome face. He said, "The contribution ranking is strange. I request a re-evaluation.¡±

    Yu-Seong also felt suspicious and tilted his head in confusion, but he didn''t expect a response from the system message.

    <i>¡®Since it was also quiet in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    However, as he was thinking that, the message disappeared.

    - Choi Yu-Seong''s contribution points history:

    Discovery of the forest girl: 3P

    Assisted the forest girl as a reliable ally: 15P

    Cured the forest girl of the deadly gue: 10P

    Sessfully led the forest girl to her parents: 10P

    Total: 38P

    - Kim Do-Jin''s contribution points history:

    Cured the forest girl of the deadly gue together: 10P

    Defeated the boss monster Kalstein: 25P

    Total: 35P

    After that, a new message appeared.

    As his face contorted in anger, Do-Jin erupted in anger and cried out, "So, defeating the boss monster is only worth 25 points? But delivering the child safely to her mother is worth 10 points? This damn system...! I demand a reassessment. The point distribution is unjust, isn''t it?"

    Do-Jin appeared quite upset from losing to Yu-Seong. He was stomping his feet and shouting, but there was no response from the system message.

    When a message appeared about the reward settlement system, simr to their experience on the second floor of the Tower, Yu-Seong simply asked, "How about an equal distribution...?"

    "No need. Do you think I''ll receive such sympathy?" Do-Jin snorted and turned his head with an annoyed expression.

    "Truthfully, I don¡¯t want to distribute equally. I was just asking."

    Come to think of it, since it was a mission to escort Emma and protect her until the end, it was obvious that the score for that task would be higher.

    <i>¡®Well, it¡¯s true that it was divided into smaller details.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Do-Jin had looked somewhat annoyed and had left Emma in Yu-Seong''s care, which made it inevitable that the scores would mostly be given to Yu-Seong. However, during the mission, neither of them had thought much about it.

    <i>¡®That''s why I thought that Kim Do-Jin, who defeated the boss monster, would receive more rewards than me just before the settlement.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin probably had the same thought. That was why, when the message about contribution rankings had appeared, he had naturally straightened his shoulders and looked so confident.

    <i>¡®Anyway, the important thing is that I can''t be sure when I''ll be able to beat Kim Do-Jin again.¡¯</i>

    Now that luck was on his side, Yu-Seong thought it was better to take advantage of the differential distribution and get good rewards. He said, ¡°I''ll choose the differential distribution.¡±

    "You seem very pleased."

    "Huh?"

    ¡°You are even humming now.¡±

    ¡°Am I?¡±

    Yu-Seong chuckled and checked the reward message that had just appeared before his eyes.

    - First ce reward: External skill activation, and an additional random skill. 1000 karma points.

    ¡°Wow..."

    There were a total of three rewards, and none of them were bad.

    <i>¡®No, the first one is amazingly good.¡¯</i>

    The external skill activation as a yer from Earth was only granted after clearing at least the 10th floor of the Tower. But what if Yu-Seong could already get rewards on the third floor?

    <i>¡®This is like rolling a snowball.¡¯</i>

    It wasmon knowledge that if he continued to progress through the Tower with someone, it would be advantageous to have more external skills. In addition, Yu-Seong had received another additional random skill.

    <i>¡®As always, I have good luck in the lottery.¡¯</i>

    Just as he had earned ten points with the Pursuit Skill, Yu-Seong could expect something simr on the next floor. And finally, he had also received karma points.

    <i>¡®As expected, I can earn karma points even within the Tower of Heaven.¡¯</i>

    The points were a result of the karma created by Yu-Seong and Do-Jin¡¯s choices.

    <i>¡®It''s only the third floor though, so it¡¯s not a huge number yet.¡¯</i>

    Although, in a way, it was a huge number that could be obtained from just the third floor. After all, karma points were not easy to earn even on Earth as they were only obtained through the sponsorship of the gods.

    "I earned a selected additional skill and karma point reward. How about you?" asked Do-Jin.

    "I got a random additional skill, karma points, and an external skill activation," replied Yu-Seong.

    "I shouldn¡¯t havee forward. I chose the difficult path for the additional rewards," said Do-Jin.

    "Was that really the only reason?" asked Yu-Seong teasingly.

    Do-Jin nodded and snorted. He said, ¡°Of course. By the way, you asked me if I regretted it earlier, right? Well, I''m regretting it a lot now.¡±

    "Don''t be so pessimistic. You might contribute more than me from the fourth floor onwards," Yu-Seong said.

    "Of course, I won''t lose to you," Do-Jin dered.

    Obviously, Yu-Seong''s thoughts had also changed a bit from before.

    <i>¡®I chose to open an external skill activation for my Third Eye Skill. And I''ll save the random additional skill forter¡­¡¯</i>

    With this, Yu-Seong was certainly ahead of Do-Jin. Perhaps he could continue to beat Do-Jin, the protagonist of this novel.

    <i>''Somehow, I don''t want to lose to this guy when I''m with him.''?</i>

    The two men stood in front of the fourth floor¡¯s entrance, igniting theirpetitive spirits. Once again, they had to enter as a team of two at the same time. They didn''t know what mission awaited them, but they were both confident.

    "Don''t cry if you lose, Choi Yu-Seong," provoked Do-Jin.

    "I just want to say that I won''t be giving you any sympathy just because you lost once, Kim Do-Jin," Yu-Seong replied with a snort as they stepped through the door together.

    ¡°Hmph!¡±

    Their snorts echoed as they entered the next level.

    ***

    Thepetition could be seen as absolutely ridiculous.

    <i>¡®After that, I didn¡¯t expect to lose on the 4th and 5th floors in a row.¡¯</i>

    Despite having one more powerful external skill, Yu-Seong had been defeated by Do-Jin for two consecutive times. Even considering the fact that both floors had monster extermination missions that favored Do-Jin, Yu-Seong still felt that it was unfair.

    <i>¡®Darn it, I should have chosen the Dancing Electric Doll!¡¯</i>

    Remembering that the contribution points were higher for the yer who defeated more monsters, Yu-Seong entered the sixth floor with a sense of regret and a strong desire to win.

    The mission on the sixth floor was to find the hidden treasure in the basement. Yu-Seong achieved an overwhelming victory by using his Pursuit Skill and Third Eye Skill to sessfullyplete the mission.

    "Let¡¯s go!" Yu-Seong eximed with clenched fists as he confirmed the results of their contribution points during the announcement.

    "Now it''s just a tie," Do-Jin muttered with a sour expression.

    The two men immediately headed to the seventh floor after checking their rewards.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, wasn''t the situation between Kim Do-Jin and the Godfather simr?¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, the Godfather and Do-Jin had respected and admired each other, ying catalytic roles in each other''s growth as they climbed the tower together. Compared to them, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin''s quarrel was somewhat childish and unimpressive.

    <i>¡®Oh well, it doesn''t matter. As long as we get to the goal in the end.¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought to himself.

    In fact, he was satisfied enough with achieving his first goal on this journey with Do-Jin.

 Chapter 173

    <h4>Chapter 173 </h4>

    On the Tower of Heaven¡¯s sixth floor, the mission objective was to defeat the Great Goblin King, a giant green-skinned monster. The boy shouted confidently in front of the Great Goblin King, "I''m going to win again. Let''s go, Kong! Body m¡­ No, that might infringe on copyright, so just m!"

    Despite his appearance as a young boy, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, who was actually a teenager,manded Kong, the powerful demonic beast that resembled a gori, to charge forward and take on the Great Goblin King''s attack head-on.

    <i>Roar-!</i>

    The Great Goblin King stumbled backward and instinctively swung its fist, hitting Kong''s chin and causing it to stagger. Seizing the opportunity, the Great Goblin King quickly grabbed the longsword that it had ced by its side and attempted to slit Kong''s throat in a single stroke.

    If it weren''t for the two water orbs that came flying through the air, striking the Great Goblin King at that moment, the situation could have be very dangerous.

    "You idiot! I told you to do a joint attack. Why did you rush in alone and cause danger?" scolded Chae Ye-Ryeong, who had thrown the water droplets.

    "Hmph, stupid. A real man doesn''t rely on cheap tactics like that!" argued Jin-Hyuk.

    "Are you always this macho¡­ Wait, did you just call me stupid? You want this noona to hit you?"

    "Go ahead, hit me if you can."

    In that moment, Ye-Ryeong¡¯s fist flew toward Jin-Hyuk''s stomach without hesitation.

    "Ugh...!"

    "Did you actually think I wouldn''t hit you? Call me stupid again, you little brat. Try it one more time," challenged Ye-Ryeong.

    "You¡­ You cheater! How could you actually hit me?"

    As the two bickered loudly, the Great Goblin King, which had flown far away after being hit by the water droplets, let out a scream and rushed back towards Kong to resume their fierce battle.

    Kong''s skin and muscles were thick and tough, but it was fighting bare-handed. Meanwhile, the giant Great Goblin King had a longsword and a shield that it had probably picked up somewhere. Naturally, Kong was being pushed back in the fight.

    "Oops... Ah-ah... Kong!" Jin-Hyuk panicked and quickly opened his grimoire. He then shouted a skill, "Kong, Berserk!"

    Engulfed in ck energy, Kong''s eyes turned red, and his attacks became even more ferocious. It blocked the sharp longsword with one shoulder and charged toward the Great Goblin King, ignoring his wounds. He instantly pushed down his enemy..

    The Great Goblin King tried to push Kong away with force, as it didn''t want to be defeated easily, but it couldn''t withstand two more huge water orbs that came flying toward it.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    In the end, the Great Goblin King couldn''t endure it anymore and fell down defeated. Kong climbed on top of it with red eyes and raised his fists.

    <i>¡ªKe... Kieeehk-?!</i>

    The Great Goblin King screamed in horror, but it was toote. The berserk Kong started pounding its face while ity helpless on the ground. Even its helmet was of no help.

    Although the Great Goblin King thrashed about, scratching and bruising Kong all over, Kong continued to wildly swing his fists as if he couldn¡¯t feel the pain.

    In the end, the Great Goblin King could no longer endure and sumbed to the onught.

    <The 6th floor of Tower of Heaven>

    1. Defeat the boss monster! Completed. Returning to the rest area.

    After confirming the mission¡¯s sess message, Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong were forcibly returned to the cubic room that led to the seventh floor.

    Jin-Hyuk ran to Kong, whose red eyes had returned to their original state, and began petting his fur while he opened the book of Faust. He said gently, "You did well, Kong. It must have been really painful, right?"

    Then, the ck energy flowing out of Jin-Hyuk slowly covered Kong to heal his injuries. Seeing Kong¡¯s fairly quick recovery speed, Ye-Ryeong expressed disappointment. "Why can''t you use that healing skill on people? It looks so nice."

    "I don''t know. But at least I can use it on demonic beasts," Jin-Hyuk roughly answered while focusing on the healing.

    As Ye-Ryeong sat down against the wall of the cube and let out a smallugh.

    <i>"¡¯Kong''s injuries will take some time to heal due to hisrge size.¡¯</i>

    Even so, Ye-Ryeong was impressed with Jin-Hyuk, who had been using his mana nonstop for a long time.

    <i>¡®How much mana does that guy have?¡¯</i>

    Despite being a genius herself, Ye-Ryeong couldn''t help but feel that Jin-Hyuk was on another level. In fact, after the Tower of Heaven¡¯s third floor, Jin-Hyuk had consistently ranked higher in contribution on all missions. However, Ye-Ryeong did not let this discourage her.

    Announcement of contribution ranking:

    1. Yoo Jin-Hyuk

    2. Chae Ye-Ryeong

    Even when the mission contribution rankings were announced and Jin-Hyuk was in first ce, Ye-Ryeong remained unfazed.

    <i>¡®Boss said I could do well too.¡¯</i>

    It was still early. Yu-Seong had often told Ye-Ryeong that her potential was just as great as Jin-Hyuk''s, and Ye-Ryeong never doubted his words.

    <i>¡®You¡¯ll see, kiddo.¡¯</i>

    Ye-Ryeong believed that someday she would surpass Jin-Hyuk and showcase the true dignity of a noona.

    ***

    Before they knew it, they had reached the Tower of Heaven¡¯s ninth floor. After clearing this floor, they would reach the tenth floor, the first checkpoint where they could return to Earth.

    <i>¡®We''ve climbed much faster than I thought.¡¯</i>

    They were progressing a lot quicker than Yu-Seong had expected due to the somewhat intensepetitiveness. Under normal circumstances, even passing through the fifth floor in this amount of time would have been difficult.

    <i>¡®I assume that Jin-Hyuk''s team might have reached the 6th floor by now.¡¯</i>

    Actually, reaching the ninth floor while Jin-Hyuk cleared the sixth floor was an impressive achievement, especially considering that Jin-Hyuk had Kong, the almighty demonic beast, with him. With that thought, Yu-Seong remembered another fact and felt a sense of disappointment.

    Perhaps thinking the same thing, Kim Do-Jin furrowed his brow as he said, "Eventually, we''vee this far in a tie."

    Thanks to each of them winning one victory on the seventh and eighth floors, their match was now tied 3:3. They were back at square one.

    Meanwhile, Do-Jin was unaware that the tenth floor was the checkpoint where they could return to Earth, but Yu-Seong knew this fact.

    <i>¡®In other words, the ninth floor is the final crossroads for our match.¡¯</i>

    So, Yu-Seong did not want to lose anymore.

    <i>¡®The problem is, what is the mission on the ninth floor?¡¯</i>

    Due to their skill set and experience inbat, Do-Jin would have the advantage if the mission was rted tobat. On the other hand, Yu-Seong was superior in tracking, exploration, and special missions. So far, the oue of their matches had depended on the nature of the mission. However, that didn''t mean theycked the desire to win even in disadvantageous positions.

    In fact, Yu-Seong was notcking inbat ability. Simrly, Do-Jin was skilled in magic, and could not be considered weak in special missions. Even though both of them had a slight advantage over the other in different missions, he thought he could win sufficiently even in the opposite situation.

    <i>''We are both level 23, so either side could win.''?</i>

    These were the thoughts in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind as he arrived at the ninth floor of the Tower of Heaven. As he looked at the scenery thaty before him, his eyes widened. He eximed, "What is this¡­!"

    It was a vast in, with two armies facing each other. One side held a blue g while the other held a red g. It was not difficult to recognize where they were right now.

    "It''s a battlefield," Do-Jin said in a subdued voice as he found the word ¡®battle¡¯ very familiar.

    <i>¡®That blurry thing over there... Is it a castle?¡¯</i>

    Even when he focused his vision far beyond the two opposing sides, Yu-Seong could not easily discern the hazy gray wall.

    <i>¡®It seems like the mission is a siege.¡¯</i>

    A siege required not only fighting skills, but also strategic and tactical expertise. In fact, they were on a battlefield where they could fullypare each other''s capabilities.

    "But which side should we join?"

    As Yu-Seong wondered, one knight on horseback from each army came running out at a fast pace. They didn''t seem to have any hostile intentions towards each other. The two knights raised their reins and positioned themselves so that Yu-Seong and Do-Jin were between them.

    The knights shouted out loud, ¡°Foreigners! Wee to the battlefield.¡±

    The NPCs in the Tower of Heaven were programmed to recognize individuals from Earth, like Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, as "foreigners". The term was, in fact, being used correctly.

    <i>¡®After all, from their perspective, we are from apletely different world.¡¯</i>

    However, the reason for the knights from opposing sides to run forward together remained unclear. Nheless, the answer to that question was easily dismissed when the knights announced their purpose.

    "The merciful Count Chris offers you the authority to fight together against the evil Count Monte''s crowd. Will you walk the path of justice and faith with us?" the first knight dered.

    "The strong and brave Count Monte desires to fight against the hypocritical and wicked Count Chris'' army. Will you join us to walk the path of courage and glory together?" the second knight proimed.

    At the same time, a message appeared in front of the two.

    <The ninth floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    Mission Objective Setting:

    1. Choose your side.

    2. You will win the match by either killing the enemy lord or receiving their surrender. You have the opportunity to choose your side.

    <i>¡®So, this is what it''s all about.¡¯</i>

    One nce was all it took to perceive the contrasting aura emanating from the two knights. The knight leading the blue banner for Count Chris exuded a noble demeanormonly associated with medieval nobility, while the knight on Count Monte''s side appeared more feral.

    <i>¡®Also, the knights under the red banner, Count Monte¡¯s men¡­ Their physique is much bigger.¡¯</i>

    Although, there was probably no significant difference in military strength between the two sides.

    <i>¡®They should be kind of bnced, since this is a mission.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, the chosen side was expected to have some advantage. Simr to the menacing dark wizard Kalstein, the two knights, despite their intimidating appearance, most likely had their skills adjusted ording to the floor of the tower they were on.

    <i>¡®I have a feeling that the battle for contribution points in this mission will be just as intense.¡¯</i>

    "Where should we go? It doesn''t matter to me which side we choose," Yu-Seong asked Do-Jin.

    "Same here. Hmm..." Do-Jin groaned before turning to Yu-Seong. "I''ll give you the opportunity to decide."

    "Well, it''s not that big of a deal. Okay then..." After ncing back and forth between the two sides, Yu-Seong said nonchntly, "I''ll choose Count Monte''s side.¡±

    As it was previously mentioned, both sides had clearly different vibes. In fact, they resembled the Appliance and Cord factions from a popr RPG game that Yu-Seong used to y. As for Yu-Seong, he had a history of choosing the Cord, even though they were not human. Thus, it was only natural for Yu-Seong to choose Count Monte¡¯s faction, which felt simr to the Cord.

    "Excellent choice, magnificent warrior!" said the knight of Count Monte, with a red g. He showed a broad smile at Yu-Seong''s choice and pounded his thick armor with pride.

    <i>¡®As expected, they look just like the orcs of the Cord.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong chuckled inwardly as he walked toward Count Monte''s knight, but he suddenly turned back to see that Do-Jin was standing still.

    "Why are you there? Oh, hey, wait a minute¡­"

    Yu-Seong realized something and looked at Do-Jin with wide eyes.

    "System, can the two of us choose different sides?" asked Do-Jin.

    "Are you crazy? What¡¯s up with you all of a sudden?!"

    Before Yu-Seong could finish his sentence, the system gave them a message.

    - The faction choice is up to the individual''s freedom.

    Yu-Seong quickly shook his head after reading the message. He said, "Hey, we don''t even know what the penalty for mission failure is. Do we have any reason to fight each other at this point?"

    In fact, Yu-Seong could clearly think of a reason why they would fight each other.

    <i>¡®It''s clear that we each have our own advantages, so it would be better for us to split and fight separately rather than ambiguously fighting on one side to determine the oue of the match.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was aware of that fact, but the risk was too great.

    "Hey, think carefully, Kim Do-Jin. You know we should consider the penalty for failing the mission, right?" said Yu-Seong anxiously.

    Do-Jin nodded in response, looking at Yu-Seong with a strange smile on his face.

 Chapter 174

    <h4>Chapter 174 </h4>

    "I choose to join the camp of Count Chris," said Do-Jin.

    "God''s grace will be with you, a person of good faith," replied the smiling knight who held a blue g.

    "You crazy..."

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you on the battlefield," said Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin didn''t even bother listening to Yu-Seong''s entire reply before following Count Chris'' knights.

    Yu-Seong found himself alone, watching as the knights of Count Monte moved on.

    "Your friend has chosen a different path. I suppose he made such a foolish decision since he knows nothing about how dishonorable those hypocrites are," said the knight of Count Monte, shaking his head from side to side. He soon continued, "We should hurry too. The Count is waiting for us.¡±

    After brief contemtion, Yu-Seong replied with a nod, "...Okay.¡±

    In fact, he could not go back on his decision. Even if he could, he had no intention of doing so.

    <i>¡®That''s how you''reing out, huh?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong recalled the protagonist of the original novel, Kim Do-Jin, the returnee from another world. Do-Jin was thest person Yu-Seong wanted to fight, but if it came down to it, Yu-Seong had his own way of doing things.

    As Do-Jin''s figure grew more distant, Yu-Seong turned to follow Count Monte¡¯s knights.

    ***

    Count Monte was not an ordinary person; he boasted a massive physique that could be mistaken for that of a giant.

    <i>¡®How can he look so tall even when sitting¡­? He appears to be over two meters at least?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong observed that the Count had broad shoulders, which were more than twice the size of an average adult man''s, and thick thighs that were even thicker than Yu-Seong''s waist.

    Sitting in a chair with his long and wild ck hair, as well as ck eyes full of savagery, Count Monte was an undoubtedly powerful figure, someone who would be called a warrior at first sight. He also had an overwhelming aura that dominated the surrounding area. It was to the point that the other knights standing around Count Monte were almost invisible as he overshadowed them all.

    Shortly after entering the barracks, the knight who was in charge of guiding Yu-Seong frowned. He said, "Show some respect, foreigner.¡±

    Yu-Seong pondered how to respond to the knight¡¯s words.

    "No worries. These foreigners have their ownws. There''s no need to hurt each other''s feelings over trivial matters," said Count Monte as he looked at Yu-Seong while mediating the knights.

    Indeed, his cheerful personality matched his appearance, and his piercing eyes shone even as he squinted them. He also gave off an odd sense of intimidation.

    <i>¡®It would be impossible to assassinate him.¡¯?</i>

    Currently, both Do-Jin and Yu-Seong were level 23 in the Tower of Heaven. However, Count Monte looked like he had surpassed at least level 50. Yu-Seong had thought about assassination as a way to win the war, but he decided to abandon the idea when he saw Count Monte.

    <i>¡®Count Monte wouldn''t be the only one who''s this strong ording to the setting.¡¯</i>

    Even if Count Chris had a different personality from Count Monte, their level of strength wouldn''t be much different. Surely, it was nearly impossible for Yu-Seong to defeat Count Monte and even the surrounding knights with his current power. This would also be impossible even for Do-Jin.

    With this realization, Yu-Seong lowered his head and said lightly, "Nice to meet you, Count Monte. I''m Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Foreigner Choi Yu-Seong, you don''t seem like an excellent warrior at first nce," said Count Monte, pronouncing Yu-Seong''s name with as much ease as the people Yu-Seong had met on the third floor.

    Count Monte¡¯s personality wasn''t just cheerful but also straightforward.

    "You don''t seem to have any weapons, and can you even fight properly with those skinny arms?"

    Although his words were blunt, Count Monte did not appear to be trying to insult Yu-Seong. He was stroking his rough beard with the hand that wasid on the armrest, and his gaze was filled with pure curiosity.

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong knew how to act in this situation.

    "I can just simply prove my skills. How about showing you here and now?" Yu-Seong said calmly.

    He was not intimidated by Count Monte¡¯s forceful demeanor. In fact, he had met even more formidable opponents than Count Monte before.

    "Well, good. I was curious about the skills of the foreigner chosen by the gods," Count Monte shouted loudly as he looked up. "Let¡¯s see, who will step forward to honor this foreigner on this stage?"

    As if they had been waiting for that shout, the knights raised their voices without hesitation.

    "If you give me a chance, I, Kyron, will..."

    ¡°I, Oor, will personally honor the stranger¡­¡±

    "Your Excellency, if you allow it, I, Zerus, will honor you!¡±

    The chaotic atmosphere continued until Count Monte, satisfied with the responses, burst into a loudugh. "Hahaha! There are so many knights who value honor, so how could I fear Count Chris¡¯ hypocritical group? However, there are too many eager ones. If I personally call someone, someone may be disappointed..."

    Turning to look at Yu-Seong again, Count Monte asked, "Foreigner, will you choose your opponent?"

    <The 9th floor of Tower of Heaven>

    The objective of the mission has changed.

    Sess the mission by proving your qualifications to the chosen Count.

    If you fail, you will return to the 5th floor of the Tower.

    And with that, a new mission message was delivered.

    "Understood." Yu-Seong nodded lightly as he looked around at his surroundings.

    There was no need to distinguish who had stepped forward and who hadn''t. In fact, all the knights present were burning with a desire to win, looking at Yu-Seong with apetitive glint in their eyes.

    <i>¡®If I choose someone who seems easy to defeat, winning will be easier, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Would that be really necessary? As he slowly turned his head, Yu-Seong met the gaze of a red-haired knight who was close to Count Monte.

    "I choose you," said Yu-Seong.

    Upon hearing those words, the surrounding knights immediately began to stir.

    "He chose Kyron¡­¡±

    ¡°He does have an eye for people¡­¡±

    "Kyron is one of my top three knights. Foreigner, are you sure about your choice?" Count Monte asked as heughed heartily.

    If he backed down now, Yu-Seong would likely receive a mission failure message right away.

    "Of course," Yu-Seong replied confidently.

    "Then, let¡¯s go out. This ce is unsuitable for an honorable battle," Count Monte replied.

    Yu-Seong smiled inwardly as he nodded with a calm look on his face.

    ***

    Outside the barracks, Count Monte''s knights and Yu-Seong created arge open space by splitting up the soldiers and mercenaries who had gathered around. It wasn''t particrly difficult to do so. Upon hearing that the knights were going to have a duel, the soldiers and mercenaries had quickly moved to create a space for them to fight.

    Yu-Seong stood in therge, circr area and looked at the expressions of the people around him.

    <i>¡®They all seem quite interested.¡¯</i>

    Not only Count Monte and his knights but also the mercenaries and soldiers, who would normally avoid eye contact with the knights, were showing interest and excitement in their expressions and eyes. Also, no one had imposed sanctions regarding the current situation.

    "Are you sure it''s okay not to wear armor?" asked Kyron, a knight wearing battle armor and an iron helmet, as he faced Yu-Seong.

    "I don''t have armor, but I have something simr," replied Yu-Seong with a nod.

    When Yu-Seong used the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, the familiar battle suit covered his whole body. Looking at him in surprise, Count Monte eximed, "You have an artifact!"

    The knights also expressed their admiration briefly. Artifacts were very valuable items in the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®Although, with the arrival of yers from Earth, artifacts are likely to be moremon¡­¡¯</i>

    Above all, ancient relics were also a type of artifact. Needless to say, Count Monte''s words held some truth.

    "If using artifacts is dishonorable, I won''t use it," said Yu-Seong.

    "No need to do so. Having an artifact is also a part of a knight''s ability," replied Kyron, who was standing in front of Yu-Seong.

    Kyron then quickly drew his sword from his waist and held it up. A strange bluish-green light shed on the edge of his shining silver sword before disappearing.

    "Is that...?"

    "Yes, it is also an artifact. It doesn''t have amazing abilities like yours, but it''s designed to receive mana better than a regr sword."

    "I see," said Yu-Seong with a nod.

    After exchanging a few more words with Kyron, Yu-Seong asked for a spear. After all, he couldn¡¯t fight barehanded.

    "I, knight Kyron, vow to fight with honor and without shame in a fair duel."

    "I, Choi Yu-Seong, will also fight honorably."

    With their preparationsplete, Yu-Seong and Kyron exchanged formal greetings and faced each other with their respective weapons. As a foreigner, Yu-Seong worried he might be ignored, but Kyron remained courteous throughout the encounter, earning Yu-Seong''s respect in return.

    And so, the duel began. Kyron made the first move. It appeared that he had decided to dig close into Yu-Seong, who was using a spear as his weapon.

    His movements, like that of a lithe leopard, were so swift that Yu-Seong missed a beat while concentrating on him for a moment. It was hard to believe, considering that Kyron had a ratherrge physique as a knight of Count Monte.

    <i>¡®Being a skilled knight was not just an empty boast. His judgment is good.¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong had a skill. Using his Third Eye, he read Kyron''s movements and easily deflected Kyron''s sword with his spear.

    <i>¡®He also has good strength!¡¯?</i>

    Even though his level of Physical Strength Reinforcement was quite high, Yu-Seong''s arm still trembled.

    Kyron, who had shed weapons with Yu-Seong, also looked surprised at his opponent''s strength.

    <i>¡®His skills are also worthy of a knight, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In Yu-Seong''s mind, the spear skill of Irnd''s prince, Cu Chinn, still remained. Cu Chinn''s spear skill was not just a good technique, but also an extraordinary one that could be called a Magic Spear even without the power of magic.

    <i>¡®If I were topare it to martial arts, it would be Divine Arts!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was confident. He knew that his Cu Chinn''s spear skill, which he trained relentlessly every single day, were superior to Kyron''s swordsmanship.

    He read the trajectory of Kyron''s sword with his Third Eye and quickly evaded all his attacks. Then, he began his counterattack, widening the gap between him and the bewildered Kyron.

    <i>¡®Raging Snake!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong relentlessly attacked without giving Kyron any breathing space. He left Kyron gasping for breath. And not missing his chance, he executed Cu Chinn''s second skill of the Secret Spear Skills.

    "Double-Headed Serpent!"

    Kyron, bewildered by the sight of the spear tip extending outwards as if splitting into two, instinctively blocked the attack on the left.

    <i>ng-!?</i>

    The heavy sound of impact echoed as Kyron''s bnce was disrupted. His eyes widened in shock. He thought that one of the spear tips was an illusion, but actually the spear that had flown in from the right was also real.

    <i>¡®I''ve lost!¡¯</i>

    Kyron felt his defeat, but he didn''t give up. He quickly raised his sword to defend himself. However, he couldn''t withstand another strong impact, and loosened his hand that was holding the sword.

    "Ugh-!"

    With a groan, Kyron dropped his sword. He almost fell to his knees, but Yu-Seong quickly caught the spear and stopped him.

    The sudden turn of events caused a brief silence between the onlookers.

    "If you kneel before someone who is not your lord, it''s not honorable, is it?" Yu-Seong remarked.

    Kyron¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, while Count Monte burst intoughter.

 Chapter 175

    <h4>Chapter 175 </h4>

    "Hahaha! I thought my eye for people was impable, but I suppose I was wrong. My eyes are no different than a rotten pollock''s eye!"

    Yu-Seong wasn''t quite sure if Count Monte was joking or not, but the knights, soldiers, and mercenaries around them burst into uproariousughter.

    "Thank you, sir. You saved me from falling down in shame,¡± said Kyron.

    Kyron gave Yu-Seong a light greeting while firmly standing on the ground with his own feet. It was only natural, since he was not broken or injured anywhere. He had only almost lost his bnce due to a strong shock.

    Afterwards, Count Monte approached Yu-Seong with quick steps. With a gleam in his eyes he asked, "Foreigner, where did youe from?"

    "Pardon?"

    "I mean the country or tribe. Or are you a nomad?"

    "Oh, no. I came from a country called the Republic of Korea."

    "The Republic of Korea! I may not know much about your people, but if someone like you was born there, I can say that it is and of courageous and honorable warriors who knowbat and honor. I¡¯ll never forget that. I¡¯ll always remember that!"

    Upon hearing Count Monte''s words, Yu-Seong made a contemting look for a moment.

    <i>¡®Truely, the Republic of Korea is probably worthy of being called a country of warriors¡ªkeyboard warriors.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong then recalled the battles of warriorsmonly seen in the online world.

    "Thank you for your kind words, Count Monte. However, not all citizens of our country possess the same sense of honor. Nheless, if you show kindness to our people, the majority of them will never forget and will be grateful for your generosity," Yu-Seong replied.

    "It''s only natural to show generosity and respect to the country that produces such decent warriors like yourself. By the way, do you have any interest in receiving an official knight title?"

    Along with Count Monte¡¯s unexpected words, a message suddenly popped up.

    <The 9th floor of Tower of Heaven>

    Count Fernando Monte wishes to grant you an official knight title.

    Receiving a knight title would elevate your status and reputation throughout the Continent of Pandemonium.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened as he asked, "You mean the title of¡­a knight?"

    "If it''s too burdensome, you can refuse. After all, to receive a knight title, you must also have some achievements. Think about it leisurely until this battle is over," replied Count Monte. Then, he lightly tapped Yu-Seong''s shoulder and raised Yu-Seong¡¯s right arm and shouted, "The duel is over! The winner is Choi Yu-Seong of the Republic of Korea!"

    "Choi Yu-Seong! Choi Yu-Seong!"

    "Choi Yu-Seong of the Republic of Korea!"

    "Spear Ghost Choi Yu-Seong!"

    "The Spear Ghost has won!"

    The cheers of the soldiers and knights echoed in all directions.

    "From now on, Spear Ghost Choi Yu-Seong will be at the forefront of the battlefield, crushing that hypocritical Chris. Aren''t you all excited to see that, brave warriors?!"

    "Yeaaahh-!"

    "Let''s defeat Count Chris-!"

    Count Monte''s words had fired up the soldiers, whose faces were red with excitement.

    ¡®<i>This yangban</i> <i>is quite different from his appearance. Should I y along?</i>¡¯

    Yu-Seong smiled inwardly as he watched Count Monte effortlessly boost the soldiers¡¯ morale. Then, he clenched his fist and looked around.

    "Yeaaahh-!"

    The sound of cheers grew louder and louder.

    ***

    After the short cheer ended, Count Monte walked ahead and asked Yu-Seong to follow him. As they headed towards a ce with fewer people around, he said, "You''re quick-witted and more skilled than I thought.¡±

    Yu-Seong briefly wondered if the leader of the army could walk alone like this, but seeing the man¡¯s sturdy back, he quickly shook that thought away.

    <i>''It feels like this yangban can handle anything on his own...''?</i>

    Count Monte continued to walk through the military camp before turning toward Yu-Seong all of a sudden. He asked, "Are you going to keep following behind me?"

    ¡°Oh, I thought you were guiding me¡­ Shall I walk by your side?¡± Yu-Seong shrugged and took light steps to stand by Count Monte''s side.

    The corner of Count Monte''s mouth lifted slightly as he looked at Yu-Seong''s natural stance. Hemented, "Your demeanor is so natural. Do you know what it means to stand by an unfamiliar nobleman?"

    "I''m not entirely sure, but I assume that if we''re not equals, then you wouldn''t have me standing here."

    Yu-Seong''s response caused Count Monte''s eyes to sparkle. The Count said with augh, "Hahaha! My, this foreigner who hase here is truly remarkable. You are right. But standing by someone who doesn''t share the same noble rank can also mean bing friends."

    Count Monte, who still had a smile on his face, looked at Yu-Seong with a strange glint in his eyes. He asked, "Do you think your friend who went to Count Chris is of a simr level to you?"

    Yu-Seong, who had momentarily forgotten about Do-Jin due to the excitement of the situation and the duel, remembered hispanion and revealed a bitter smile. He said honestly, "In my personal opinion, I believe he''s even more frightening than I am."

    "That''s a shame. If two foreigners like yourselves hade to our side, we wouldn''t be afraid of an all-out battle," Count Monte replied unexpectedly.

    Yu-Seong widened his eyes and asked, "You get afraid too?"

    "Why, do I appear as someone who has nothing to fear?" Count Monte inquired.

    "To be honest, you do give off that impression," Yu-Seong admitted.

    Count Monte burst intoughter once again. "So, it''s apliment that I seem brave. But I also have many fears. For example, a dishonorable death, a loss of courage, a useless sacrifice, and so on."

    Yu-Seong immediately grasped Count Monte''s intention. Hemented, "Count wishes to minimize the damage in this battle."

    "Of course."

    "What is the actual difference in military power between you and Count Chris?"

    ¡°It is difficult to distinguish between superiority and inferiority.¡±

    Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled at Count Monte''s clear response. Indeed, if the mission was given by the Tower of Heaven, it would have no choice but to treat both parties equally.

    "Then, even if my friend and I came here together, we would have to bear some losses in the battle."

    "You never know. I believe one excellent knight can do the job of a hundred soldiers," Count Monte said.

    As he continued his conversation with Count Monte, Yu-Seong could sense a feeling of ¡°expectation and curiosity" from the Count through his Character Understanding.

    <i>¡®Hmm, expectation and curiosity... This skill is more useful than I thought.¡¯</i>

    Why would Count Monte wanted to talk to Yu-Seong alone, apart from other knights? It wasn''t just about his confidence or consideration for Yu-Seong.

    "I understand, Count. Now, let''s get to the point," Yu-Seong said.

    Just then, Count Monte stopped walking and looked at Yu-Seong.

    The Character Understanding skill conveyed that the Count¡¯s emotion had shifted to excitement.

    "My apologies. I''ve been underestimating you all this time. I don''t like beating around the bush," said Count Monte.

    "Despite that, it seems like you''ve been avoiding the main topic for a reason," Yu-Seong replied.

    Count Monte smiled and nodded in agreement. "I''m telling you this story because you mentioned that you and your friend are separated. But wouldn''t it be better if you could find a way to resolve the situation without fighting?"

    This time, Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at the unexpected words.

    <i>¡®Does that mean I can pass the ninth floor without fighting Kim Do-Jin?¡¯</i>

    Instinctively feeling that this was a chance, Yu-Seong wanted more information from Count Monte.

    "Of course, it would be different if you want to fight bravely."

    "I''m more interested in hearing your story, Count," said Yu-Seong.

    "Hehe, you''re quite candid with me. To be frank, there''s a mine about 10 kilometers east of here, and it''s the reason why Chris and I are in conflict."

    "Is it a property dispute?"

    In fact, it was amon story. Yu-Seong nodded easily.

    "That''s the superficial reason."

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    "The precious treasure that both Chris and I seek is located in the deepest part of the mine."

    "So, I just need to find the treasure inside the mine?"

    This was a task that Yu-Seong was confident in.

    "That''s basically it, but there are still monsters inside the mine. We''ve sent five knights in secret, but none of them have returned."

    "I see..."

    "By the way, we didn''t send them one by one. We sent all five knights together. Among them were knights no less formidable than Kyron, who just fought you."

    ¡°Looks like it''s quite dangerous. Maybe even more than a war,¡± Yu-Seong said honestly.

    Count Monte nodded. ¡°What do you say? If you bring me the treasure from the mine, I''ll open the way for the foreigners. It''s a one-time opportunity, but it¡¯ll be done by the power that¡¯s like a blessing from God.¡±

    "There are a few things that need to be made clear before I ept the mission."

    "Tell me."

    "Am I going alone?"

    ¡°I''ll send a special operations team with you, which will include two knights.¡±

    In fact, Count Monte had already sent five knights who had seemingly failed the mission. But right now, he intended to send even fewer knights.

    Easily guessing the reason for that, Yu-Seongmented, "The treasure in the mine needs to be kept secret."

    "Right."

    Count Monte did not deny it. Otherwise, there would be no need for the two of them to go to this secret ce alone. Why did Count Monte bring up this secret mission? It was simple.

    <i>¡®Because I''m a foreigner, someone who is only passing by anyway.¡¯</i>

    For Count Monte, there would be no better person to keep the secret than Yu-Seong.

    "The second thing is, you need to tell me what kind of treasure it is."

    "Hmm..." Count Monte, who had been answering quickly and clearly so far, hesitated at this point.

    "If I don''t know, I can''t take on this mission. If I attempt to steal it without any knowledge, I will not be able toplete the mission sessfully. Moreover, if the treasure turns out to berger than anticipated, the mission may not be possible to aplish in the first ce...."

    Although, if it was that kind of treasure, Count Monte would not even have given the mission in the first ce.

    "Or do I have to kill all the knights and members of the special operations team after stealing the treasure?"

    A cold chill passed through Yu-Seong''s eyes. If Count Monte nodded, Yu-Seong knew his feelings would also change.

    "That''s ridiculous! How could I betray those who follow me with honor?"

    Fortunately, Count Monte avoided the worst-case scenario that Yu-Seong was thinking of.

    "I simply want to prevent unnecessary greed from causing harm."

    Count Monte shook his head vigorously and looked into Yu-Seong''s ck eyes. Did his calm gaze instill trust in him, even in such an unstable situation? Or perhaps he believed it was an inevitable decision.

    "Whew... Alright." Count Monte let out a deep sigh. With a quavering voice, he continued calmly, "The treasure in the mine... Don''t be surprised. It''s a dragon egg."

    "...What?" Yu-Seong couldn''t help but blurt out in shock.

    1. Basically ¡®yangban¡¯ refers to the status of the ruling ss during the Joseon Dynasty, but it is also used as a term to refer to a person who is decent and polite. It is also used as a term to refer to a manmonly or rudely.

 Chapter 176

    <h4>Chapter 176 </h4>

    As the darkness settledte in the night, Yu-Seong left the army camp with two knights assigned to him by Count Monte and a special operations team of 30 members.

    In order to move secretly, they did not ride horses and walked quickly without a single word of conversation. They also kept themselves far away from the open field where both sides of the army were watching.

    <The 9th floor of Tower of Heaven>

    The Hidden-piece Mission has changed.

    This special mission only opens when two people who have a simr contribution score in the Tower of Heaven and have a pre-existing friendship with each other on Earth choose different formations.

    Through the confession of Count Monte, it was revealed that a Dragon Egg was abandoned in the deepest part of the Renton Mine. You can obtain the Dragon Egg and deliver it to Count Monte.

    During the journey, Yu-Seong nced at the message once again. His expression became subtle.

    <i>¡®Hidden-piece, and a Dragon Egg...¡¯</i>

    The original novel had given no information about how to acquire this hidden-piece. The most interesting part was thest phrase in the mission message.

    <i>¡®You can deliver the Dragon Egg.¡¯?</i>

    Contrary to Count Monte''s intentions, the system message appeared to imply that delivering the Dragon Egg might not be necessary. With this in mind, Yu-Seong could recall someone who had made themselves known through this Hidden-piece in the original novel.

    <i>¡®The viin, the ck Dragon Emperor, must have gotten the Dragon Egg here.¡¯</i>

    He had appeared in Chicago, America, with a giant ck dragon, causing a disaster and ughtering people. After the incident, he had suddenly disappeared without a trace. In other words, there was not much mention of the ck Dragon Emperor in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Since he appeared after the Tower of Heaven scenario had progressed considerably, the timing seems right. I initially thought he might be a major character in the second part of the scenario, but...</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong had gotten possessed by the novel before getting to see the second part. It was safe to say that he would never know the story of the ck Dragon Emperor in the original novel.

    <i>¡®I may not know much, but if I can prevent the ck Dragon Emperor frommitting mass ughter, then the situation isn''t too bad.¡¯</i>

    Seeing how things turned out, Do-Jin''s choice had worked out quite well.

    <i>¡®It should be the luck of the protagonist that I¡¯ve only heard about.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong chuckled to himself, someone walking beside him cautiously said, "Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, it seems that we have moved away enough from the camp."

    It was Kyron, the knight who hadpeted against Yu-Seong. Although he had arge build, his long red hair and fair skin reminded Yu-Seong of the blonde protagonist from a ssicic book about the French Revolution that he had read a long time ago.

    <i>¡®He must be what they call a pretty boy.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong heard that, unlike other knights, Kyron had volunteered for this mission. Perhaps it was out of gratitude for Yu-Seong''s fair fight in their previous duel.

    <i>¡®Are we about 4 km away?¡¯</i>

    As they tried to walk without leaving a trace, they had taken two hours to cover a distance that an average person walking at a fast pace could have covered in just one hour. If Yu-Seong were alone, he could have been a little faster, but with the two knights and soldiers following him, it was an inevitably time-consuming process.

    "I think so too," Yu-Seong said.

    Yu-Seong thought that they could now have a conversation. With such a distance between them, their voices would barely reach the others, and they were in a dark, open field without even a single streetlight. Breaking through the four-kilometer distance and determining their location in this world, where moonlight was the only source of light, seemed almost impossible.

    <i>¡®There may be superhumans who can handle such things with ease, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Still, it was only on the 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven. It was too early for such beings to appear. Despite the short sighsing from all around, Yu-Seong, who had been somewhat tense while checking his messages, also showed a relieved smile.

    A momentter, Yu-Seong turned to hispanions. "We can''t let our guard down just yet."

    "Of course not. The night fields are dangerous.¡±

    "It''s not just about that. It''s highly likely that Count Chris has also dispatched a special operations team like ours," Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°Ah¡­?¡± Kyron, with a surprised look on his face, seemed to understand. He nodded.

    Yu-Seong thought again about the mission on the 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven through the message window he had checked earlier. In fact, treasure hunting and monster hunting was a familiar task. However, there was one aspect that he needed to keep in mind.

    <i>¡®Given the conditions of the Hidden-piece, I can assume that the person who received this mission is not just me alone.¡¯</i>

    As Count Monte had said, Count Chris also knew about the existence of the Dragon Egg. Yu-Seong thought that Do-Jin might have been offered a simr mission, though in a slightly different way.

    <i>¡®In this situation, Kim Do-Jin''s choice is obvious.¡¯</i>

    Just as Yu-Seong had done, Do-Jin must have taken Yu-Seong into consideration while listening to Count Chris'' words.

    <i>¡®He would have guessed that my choice would definitely lean toward this side.¡¯</i>

    It wouldn''t be particrly interesting for Do-Jin to receive Count Monte''s surrender simply by performing well on the battlefield. When Do-Jin had chosen to side with someone other than Yu-Seong, the emotions conveyed by the Character Understanding were intense feelings ofpetitiveness.

    <i>¡®He will definitelye after me.¡¯</i>

    Also, Do-Jin would probably have headed toward the mine around the same time as Yu-Seong. Do-Jin had two choices here. Would he simply take the treasure of the mine, the Dragon Egg, and dere the mission a sess, or would he obstruct Yu-Seong? This answer was somewhat clear as well.

    <i>¡®He will definitely choose thetter.¡¯</i>

    Based on previous experience, it was clear that Yu-Seong was more skilled than Do-Jin in searching, exploring, and hunting for treasure.

    <i>¡®It''s thanks to the skill ''Third Eye,'' which is one step ahead of Insight.¡¯?</i>

    Additionally, among the randomly rewarded skills that Yu-Seong had acquired, many of them resembled the abilities of a thief-type character in an RPG game. This included pursuit, perception, trap evasion, and lock picking.

    On the other hand, the random skills that Do-Jin had obtained included many types that were suitable for a warrior-type character, such as a charge, ground shock, and wall of protection. Furthermore, Do-Jin was boiling with intensepetitiveness. Therefore, he would definitely choose to fight Yu-Seong no matter what.

    However, Yu-Seong was also uncertain about where this battle would take ce.

    <i>¡®Inside the mine? Or somewhere in this in?¡¯</i>

    In fact, it was now the most cautious situation, as they were far away from both sides'' military bases.

    Yu-Seong exined the situation to the knights and special operations team, including Kyron, and asked them to move as discreetly as possible. As for himself, he headed toward the rear of the formation.

    In other words, Yu-Seong chose to move with the hunters in the special operations team or mercenaries with various experiences. He was going to erase their tracks as they moved.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin is an offensive type. He will definitely chase our tracks.¡¯</i>

    Naturally, Yu-Seong had no intention of merely defending. In the book ¡®<i>The Art of War</i>¡¯, there was a saying that the best strategy was to win without fighting.

    <i>¡®I''ll erase my tracks while tracking Kim Do-Jin''s trail. Then, I''ll utilize the boss monster in the mine to secure victory.¡¯</i>

    There were only two enemies: the monsters and the soldiers led by Count Chris. In this situation, there was no better way than to use the tactic of ¡®<i>y somebody off against somebody</i>.¡¯ Yu-Seong believed that his decision was notpletely wrong.

    ***

    Yu-Seong had traveled approximately 8 kilometers away from the Renton Mine where the Dragon Egg was located, and about 10 kilometers east of their base.

    <i>¡®What kind of bushes¡­? It looks like the Goblin Fortress.¡¯</i>

    The bushes that had suddenly appeared seemed to be getting longer and now stood tall enough to obstruct their view like tall reeds. Fortunately, the object was not sharp or pointed, so there was no need to worry about injury. However, they would leave a trace more easily and have a harder time understanding the surrounding situation in such a ce.

    <i>¡®If we meet here, it will be the worst-case scenario.¡¯</i>

    Thus, Yu-Seong made a simple choice.

    "Let''s split up here. You two intentionally leave excessive traces as you move, then return to the unit when the sun rises."

    "Yes sir."

    "Understood."

    When Yu-Seong chose the two young men who were former hunters, they nodded lightly and dispersed in different directions. After confirming that they were moving away, Yu-Seong intentionally made the tracesrger and gave instructions to move.

    How long had they been moving like this? Kyron, who was walking at the forefront and responsible for the side, gave his position to another knight and approached Yu-Seong. He said, "We should be arriving at the mine soon."

    Yu-Seong wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked around. Since entering the bushes, their pace had slowed down, and he felt that the surroundings were bing slightly brighter.

    ¡°Fortunately, there was no ambush. Perhaps, we have been moving faster than we realized?¡±

    "No, we might be almost caught up."

    ¡°You mentioned being friends with him, so it seems like you know quite a lot about him,¡° Kyron surmised, guessing the origin of Yu-Seong''s thoughts.

    "Yes, I''m pretty confident knowing him," replied Yu-Seong.

    In fact, if it was before, Yu-Seong would have imed to know almost everything about Do-Jin. However, the more Yu-Seong got to know Do-Jin, the harder it became for him to understand Do-Jin¡¯s thoughts.

    "Thanks to the knights and soldiers who followed my orders well, we should be able to reach the mine entrance rtively smoothly. Have you been to the mine before? It would be even better if we had someone who knows the way¡­" said Yu-Seong.

    When Kyron gave a strange smile in response to his question and shook his head, Yu-Seong, who had no high expectations to begin with, simply nodded calmly. Come to think of it, it made sense since the war had broken out over a mine that was located in an area where neither territory could enter easily.

    "Everyone is following your orders so well because they all respect you."

    "Ah...?"

    "Not just the knights, but even the soldiers dislike following themands of someone who is not brave or doesn''t understand honor.¡±

    ¡°I assume the first duel we had together, Kyron, was helpful."

    "I can''t deny that, but... More than that, it''s a gesture of respect toward your experience and skill. To be honest, none of us here have ever seen a skilled warrior like yourself sweating and doing menial tasks at the back like a regr soldier. I didn''t mean anything negative by myment, so I hope you don''t misunderstand," said Kyron as he quickly waved his hands, his face turning slightly red.

    "I won''t misunderstand, but after hearing your words, I can''t help but wonder... Wouldn''t it make you, as a knight, ufortable to see me doing so?"

    The world within the Tower of Heaven during the mission had a resemnce to the medieval era on Earth. In other words, although knights were not necessarily nobles, they were almost akin to that of nobility. Possibly from their perspective, Yu-Seong''s actions could be seen as undermining the honor of a knight.

    "I think that depends on the person. Maybe the knights of Count Chris might have been more ufortable, but I don''t think there would be anyone among the knights who follow Count Monte who would misunderstand your behavior. Rather, taking on a difficult task alone will increase their respect for you."

    Yu-Seong waved his hand at Kyron''s unexpected excessive praise. He said, "I am ttered, I just did what I could do."

    "Not everyone does what they can. Rather, most of them pretend not to know and do nothing. Maybe you will leave us after this mission, but..."

    "Shh. Everyone, crouch down." Yu-Seong interrupted Kyron''s words of admiration and lowered his body.

    The knights and soldiers who had been attentively listening to their conversation also followed suit, their expressions tense. The atmosphere around them shifted.

 Chapter 177

    <h4>Chapter 177 </h4>

    Yu-Seong''s instincts kicked in.

    <i>¡®We¡¯ve caught up. Do-Jin is close by.¡¯</i>

    Given the circumstances, a fight was unavoidable. Although it could be considered the worst-case scenario, Yu-Seong was not flustered. Instead, he focused more on what he could feel from his surroundings.

    <i>¡®If multiple people move, someone''s presence is likely to be detected.¡¯</i>

    In that case, the side lying in ambush would naturally have the advantage in the fight. It was the moment when Yu-Seong, the knights, and the soldiers held their breath¡­

    <i>Pashh-!?</i>

    Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the tall reeds to sway wildly. Beyond the bushes, a man¡ªDo-Jin, with a Pentagram drawn on his left hand and a sword in his right hand¡ªbriefly emerged before quickly disappearing.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s alone?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was surprised for a moment.

    "Keughhh-!"

    A scream erupted from the front.

    "The opponent is alone! Everyone, gather together and back each other up!" Yu-Seong quickly shouted as he pursued Do-Jin, who he could catch glimpses of through the bushes.

    <i>¡®Stupid...!¡¯?</i>

    Why hadn¡¯t he considered the possibility that Do-Jin would move alone?

    The reason was simple. Even if it were Do-Jin, it would be challenging to venture into the mine alone without any knowledge of the monsters inside, even more so if they assumed a boss monster was inside.

    <i>¡®He caught me off guard because I assumed. This crazy man must not even care whether the mission seeds or fails.¡¯</i>

    .

    From the beginning, Do-Jin had been seeking a fight with Yu-Seong, and this certainly forced him to fight.

    <i>¡®Right, because I won''t fight Kim Do-Jin without a reason¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was now certain that if he knew Do-Jin, then it was highly likely that Do-Jin also knew him.

    <i>¡®Huh, so you¡¯re also saying you know what I¡¯m thinking.¡¯?</i>

    Do-Jin had deduced Yu-Seong''s intentions and understood that he would not move alone but would proceed with caution and at a slower pace. It meant that Do-Jin had not been chasing after him from the start.

    <i>¡®He got here first and has been waiting for me. Damn it, he saw right through me.¡¯</i>

    After that, Do-Jin must have realized that no matter how strong he was, fighting against Yu-Seong, along with two knights and thirty pretty fast and skilled soldiers at the same time, would be virtually impossible. However, if the battlefield was an area like this dense reed zone or inside a mine, the situation would be different. Where would be the best ce for a battle? Yu-Seong could clearly sense Do-Jin¡¯s intention.

    <i>¡®There are unpredictable variables in the mine¡ªthe monsters.¡¯</i>

    However, there were no such variables in this dense reed zone. That was why Do-Jin had chosen this ce as the battlefield. And now, he was provoking Yu-Seong.

    "Keughhh-!"

    Another soldier screamed and writhed on the ground.

    Yu-Seong quickly went after Do-Jin, but he had already fled the scene. He was seemingly daring Yu-Seong to pursue him.

    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t fall for that.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong tried to stay calm and predict Do-Jin''s movements. If he waited to see Do-Jin before reacting, he would always be too slow. This was because, without using Wind Flow, their speeds were simr.

    <i>¡®If it were Kim Do-Jin¡­.¡¯</i>

    In fact, the answer was obvious. Amid the confusion, Yu-Seong noticed Kyron drawing his sword with a sense of tension. Yu-Seong moved quickly toward Kyron¡¯s side, and then he lowered his body and threw his spear toward Do-Jin''s sword.

    "Mr. Kyron!"

    <i>ng-!</i>

    Simultaneously with Yu-Seong''s shout, there was a metallic sh as Do-Jin¡¯s sword struck the spear. Do-Jin clicked his tongue as he tried to retreat. Kyron''s eyes shed as he advanced toward Do-Jin, swinging his sword.

    Do-Jin was momentarily thrown off by the unexpected speed of the knight''s reaction, but it didn''tst long. Still, it wasn¡¯t disappointing. Yu-Seong had already pulled his spear out of the ground and was chasing after Do-Jin,unching his attack.

    "Kim Do-Jin...!" Yu-Seong shouted.

    "Choi Yu-Seong," responded Do-Jin with a cold smile.

    "Sir, I''ll attack from the side!" Kyron shouted as he moved to Do-Jin¡¯s side.

    Whenever Do-Jin tried to obstruct Kyron¡¯s attack, Yu-Seong''s spear danced to block Do-Jin¡¯s movement. Yu-Seong could feel his fingertips buzzing with sensation. Though, even amidst the trembling feeling, Yu-Seong felt a strange exhration.

    <i>¡®I was expecting it, but really¡­ I can do this.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was fighting on a levelparable to Do-Jin, who was the protagonist of the novel. On top of that, Kyron, a rather agile knight, intervened, and the bewildered soldiers regained theirposure and began to surround him.

    Do-Jin''s eyebrows furrowed in frustration as he found himself on the defensive.

    <i>¡®If I can seize this opportunity, being alone would rather put you at a disadvantage!¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought gleefully.

    Here, Do-Jin¡¯s choice was obvious. He conjured an ice arrow with his magic and hurled it at Yu-Seong while simultaneously swinging his sword.

    Having been prepared for magic, Yu-Seong was able to evade both of Do-Jin''s attacks. However, Kyron was caught off guard when Do-Jin suddenly turned his body and was unable to withstand his attack.

    <i>Keugh-!</i>

    When Kyron groaned in pain and stepped back, Do-Jin slipped away through the soldiers forming the encirclement and vanished into the bushes.

    "He''s getting away!"

    "Catch him!"

    The soldiers desperately shot arrows and chased after Do-Jin.

    "Don¡¯t pursue him! We could possibly get ambushed!" Yu-Seong urgently shouted.

    Upon hearing Yu-Seong''s shout, the excited soldiers quickly regained their senses. Indeed it was true that if Do-Jinunched a counter-attack from within the bushes, the number of casualties would increase exponentially.

    After Do-Jin escaped, a nket of silence fell upon the bushes. Kyron slumped over helplessly, his fists pounding the ground. He yelled, expressing his intense anger, "Damn it¡­ It''s my fault...!"

    <i>''I was stupid¡­ I''vepletely lost this time.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong also shared simr feelings of disappointment with Kyron.

    ***

    After losing Do-Jin, Yu-Seong kept an eye on the special operations team¡¯s morale. He approached Kyron, who had calmed down quite fast, and asked, "Kyron, can we talk for a moment?"

    "I''m sorry, sir. It''s because of my weakness that we missed the attacker,¡± said Kyron.

    Perhaps misunderstanding the intention behind Yu-Seong''s words, Kyron''s face turned red from shame as he bowed deeply.

    "No, that''s not what I meant. In fact, if you hadn''t reacted, Mr. Kyron, there could have been even greater damage," Yu-Seong said.

    "But..."

    "Kyron, you did everything you could do," Yu-Seong said.

    While this might have been an obvious statement for Yu-Seong, it could have been a significant cultural shock to Kyron.

    Kyron looked at Yu-Seong with eyes full of gratitude. He said, "I don''t know much about foreigners, but I''ve heard a lot of stories. I¡¯ve heard that most of them are selfish and self-centered, but Mr. Yu-Seong, you are really different. You''re brave, merciful, and intelligent. If I were a free knight, I might have sworn to follow you.¡±

    "In the first ce, it¡¯s impossible since I¡¯m a foreigner," said Yu-Seong.

    "Still, you never know what might happen in this world, do you?"

    Kyron managed to smile somewhat, and Yu-Seong patted his shoulder in relief. Yu-Seong then said, "You''re right; you never know. Speaking of which, Kyron, could you lead the soldiers back to base?"

    "What? Is it because I¡¯m slowing you down¡­?"

    Yu-Seong shook his head slightly in response to Kyron''s wide-eyed question. "That''s not what I mean. I''m actually asking you for a favor."

    "A favor?" Kyron asked.

    Yu-Seong nodded. "I have an important message to deliver to Count Monte. The sooner, the better. So, from the middle point onwards, it would be best for Kyron to move alone."

    No matter how strong and enduring the soldiers may be, they would not be able to do better than Kyron, who could use magic even to a small extent.

    "I understand; you are asking me to take on the role of the messenger," said Kyron.

    Yu-Seong hesitated for a moment as he looked into Kyron''s eyes.

    <i>¡®Normally, it''s better to keep this kind of thing a secret, but¡­.¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong was confident that this was the best approach.

    "The message is..."

    As he listened to Yu-Seong''s story, Kyron nodded quietly at first, but soon, his eyes widened in surprise. And then, as if he were bing serious, he looked at Yu-Seong with a gaze full of trust. He said firmly, "Please trust me. I will definitely aplish it.¡±

    "I appreciate it."

    As soon as Yu-Seong finished speaking, Kyron started to lead and order the soldiers to retreat. As mentioned, the sooner, the better.

    <i>¡®Now it''s my turn.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was in a position where he had already been attacked by Do-Jin once. He prepared for a counterattack.

    ***

    Hiding in the bushes, Do-Jin watched as Kyron and the soldiers left.

    <i>¡®What''s your n, Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    He had a hunch. That was why Do-Jin initially considered attacking the knights and soldiers to block their escape route. However, a sh of light burst out of the nearby bushes and rapidly moved forward.

    <i>¡®Light magic?¡¯</i>

    As far as Do-Jin knew, it was the only magic that Yu-Seong, who had just started learning the basics of magic, could use. Yu-Seong was clearly showing off his movements, provoking Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®So, he''s indicating his presence there, which means there is likely a trap set up over there.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin''s eyes scanned the light back and forth. In fact, it was an obvious trap and a provocation. In fact, in this situation, Do-Jin''s choice was almost certain.

    "Choi Yu-Seong, I''ll y along with you."

    It didn''t matter what kind of trap Yu-Seong was nning to set up. From the start, what Do-Jin wanted was a match with Yu-Seong. And even more than that, Do-Jin wanted Yu-Seong¡¯s real secret.

    <i>¡®Did he say he¡¯s a prophet? Did he really think I¡¯d believe that?¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin was going to take this chance to expose Yu-Seong¡¯s underlying reality.

    ***

    It was obvious that Do-Jin would follow him. Yu-Seong was sure about this after he had sent Kyron and the soldiers away.

    <i>¡®In fact, the provocation would only make him more eager to catch up, considering his strong self-esteem.¡¯</i>

    Sometimes, the more visible the opponent was, the more it provoked. With one hand, Yu-Seong lifted the light magic while moving and continued to create the Pentagram magic circle.

    <i>¡®Please, just once¡­.¡¯</i>

    The principle of the magic that Do-Jin had taught Yu-Seong was simple. It was a matter of making a pact with this world through thenguage of the runic alphabet. In other words, it meant that, by expressingnguage, one could unfold a form of magic that did not originally exist in this world.

    <i>¡®Also, Kim Do-Jin showed me that several times before¡­.¡¯</i>

    Generally, the magics that weremonly used and unfolded were called Formal Magic by the magicians.

    Formal Magic had been created for a simple reason. Runic alphabets were different frommonnguages, and therefore, there were many words that were difficult to express through them. Formal Magic was officially designated as a way to convey intent through runic alphabets because it was easier to use. Therefore, beginners were educated to learn Formal Magic ording to their own level of magic expertise.

    However, what Yu-Seong wanted right now was not such Formal Magic.

 Chapter 178

    <h4>Chapter 178 </h4>

    <i>¡®Applied magic.¡¯</i>

    The basic requirement for using applied magic was to be at least a 3rd ss wizard who was capable of unravelingplex runic sentences. Do-Jin had previously remarked that Yu-Seong was just an entry-level magician who struggled even to unravel a simple sentence, indicating he was only a 1st ss novice magician.

    <i>¡®If mana was the only consideration, he said I could even perform 3rd ss magic.¡¯</i>

    However, since Do-Jin had never witnessed Yu-Seong''s full mana potential, it was possible that Yu-Seong could surpass even that level.

    <i>¡®Thenguagebination I want to use is¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly moved the clusters of light. In fact, just looking at hisbination of words, it was safe to say that it was not 2nd but 3rd ss magic.

    If Do-Jin had known what Yu-Seong was thinking, he would have snorted and said that he was being naive.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong continued to run and create the magic circle while earnestly carving his desired message with the Runic alphabet. It wasn''t just a matter of thinking, ''if it worked out, great, and if not, oh well''.

    <i>¡®The most effective way to persuade through the Runic alphabet is by demonstrating both a sincere heart and a sense of urgency.¡¯</i>

    After the realization of this fact when first learning Light magic, Yu-Seong had never inscribed a single Runic alphabet with a careless heart.

    Although he could feel it quickly, Yu-Seong cautiously and carefully released his mana as he focused on conveying his desired message to the world. As a result, the light clusters floating above his hand wriggled, trying to shoot forward at a rapid pace.

    Yu-Seong quickly canceled the spell before anyone could catch him. He couldn''t help but smile brightly. He had reached the 2nd ss level in magic.

    <i>¡®I did it!¡¯</i>

    If other magicians, including Do-Jin, had witnessed what Yu-Seong had just aplished, they might have screamed in shock.

    Yu-Seong, who had aplished it with such ease, clenched his fists tightly and suppressed the urge to cheer. The benefits of reaching this level were too numerous to count, but if he had to pick one, the biggest was that it was something that only Yu-Seong knew, and Do-Jin remained unaware of it.

    Now, they could see the entrance to the mine in front of them. Sensing Do-Jin''s pursuit, Yu-Seong dashed into the entrance with him close behind.

    ***

    Inside the mine wasplete darkness. There wasn¡¯t even a speck of light. When he first chased Yu-Seong into the mine, Do-Jin furrowed his eyebrows slightly at the realization.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t see¡­¡¯</i>

    Maybe it was because he had been chasing the light clusters for so long, but it took some time to adjust to the darkness.

    <i>¡®This is ufortable. If I had regained all my strength, I wouldn''t have to do something as useless as this.¡¯</i>

    He clicked his tongue inwardly, then immediately activated his Insight skill. Finally, he saw the footprints of Yu-Seong''s movements.

    <i>¡®He turned off the Light magic.¡¯</i>

    After all, attempting to use Light magic in such darkness would only attract monsters, making them easy targets. Do-Jin nodded in understanding and kept moving forward, but suddenly heard a shrill monster''s scream and quickly stopped in his tracks. When he arrived at the source of the noise, he recognized the sight of a monster lying on the ground.

    <i>¡®Orc. He¡¯s being chased.¡¯</i>

    The number of monsters also seemed to be quite high. Apart from Yu-Seong''s footsteps, there were many footprints of monsters ovepping each other.

    Do-Jin had one more thought upon observing that sight.

    <i>¡®Did he intend for this to happen, or...?¡¯</i>

    Lost in thought, Do-Jin stopped walking. From ahead, he saw Orcs slowly emerged from the darkness with low growls and a menacing aura. Despite being surrounded by the corpses of theirrades, they showed no fear.

    Do-Jin unintentionally snorted at the Orcs¡¯ appearance. It was because he suddenly realized that getting lost in thought itself could be a trap. In fact, it had been a while since he had found himself in such a situation. He couldn''t be sure what the other person was thinking. He thought he knew Yu-Seong quite well, but he realized that he needed to watch every move with caution.

    The reason for this cautiousness was simple.

    <i>¡®It''s because...I''m feeling afraid.¡¯</i>

    It was a precarious fight where one wrong step could lead to a thorny path. Could he keep winning after his initial victory? Do-Jin quickly slit the throat of an Orc swinging its ax and started running toward the monsters like a madman.

    <i>¡®Let''s not overthink it. I''ll just have to chase after him and win.¡¯</i>

    The most important rule in this fight was to follow the basic principle of ¡®<i>hide and seek.</i>¡¯ Do-Jin wanted to catch Yu-Seong, who clearly wanted to evade him.

    As time passed, Yu-Seong''s strategy of sending the soldiers back would ultimately serve to benefit Do-Jin. In this fight, there was no time for hesitation or second-guessing if he nned to win.

    In fact, such hesitation was a trap set by Yu-Seong in the first ce. In situations like this, it had always been his sixth sense, or instinctive intuition, that led him to victory. Certain of this, Do-Jin quickly followed the path and cut through the darkness and the monsters.

    <i>¡®The number of footprints is increasing.¡¯</i>

    The footprint sizes of humans and Orcs differed, so finding Yu-Seong shouldn''t be too difficult. However, there were so many footprints that even the traces of Yu-Seong had been buried.

    <i>¡®As expected, if I had fallen for his tricks, it would have been a disaster.¡¯</i>

    At a sudden crossroad, Do-Jin found himself bing more confident in his thoughts. If he had not followed quickly, there was a high chance he would have missed Yu-Seong at another fork.

    <i>¡®Left or right?¡¯</i>

    There were countless footprints leading to the left, while the right path was suspiciously clean.

    <i>¡®My instinct tells me it¡¯s the right path¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin quickly followed that path. There initially were no traces of footprints, but they began to appear from the middle point.

    <i>¡®I don''t know how he managed to drive and push the monsters, but¡­¡¯</i>

    The same method was used at the second and third forks. The traces of Yu-Seong, which had disappeared, reappeared in the middle of the path. There was no confusion.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    ording to his intuition, Do-Jin was sure that he was almost catching up to Yu-Seong. At that moment, he approached a crossroad, and saw three paths in front of him. The middle path was still chaotic with footprints scattered everywhere, while the left and right paths appeared to be quite neat.

    <i>¡®Which one of those three paths¡­?¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin wondered which path to take, feeling confused for the first time since he started following his intuition.

    <i>¡®What is this?¡¯</i>

    His intuition was spinning around in ce as if it had lost its direction. He couldn''t hide his bewilderment since he had never experienced such a thing before.

    <i>¡®What kind of trick did you pull, Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    Suddenly, a loud noise echoed from the central path, followed by the eerie voice of a monster. Do-Jin, who was grinding his teeth, ran toward the sound as he panted heavily.

    From the darkness, the silver de of a spear shot toward his waist. Although he reacted a bitte, his sword managed to block the tip of the de urately. Once again, it was Do-Jin''s intuition that saved him from the crisis at thest minute.

    However, Do-Jin couldn''t react in time to the bright light that suddenly exploded in front of him. The explosion urred just as he blocked the de of the spear.

    ¡°...?!¡±

    His eyes were momentarily blinded so that he couldn''t see anything in front of him.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong...!¡¯</i>

    It was natural for Do-Jin to rely on his other senses after that, but it was inevitably slower to ¡®see¡¯ movements using his other senses than directly using his eyes. And in a fight between two simrly skilled individuals, the slightest bit of slowness made a big difference.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    As the thick spear struck his knee with great force, Do-Jin wavered unsteadily before he crumpled to the ground.

    ***

    In fact, Do-Jin was right; thispetition was like a hide and seek. In this case, Do-Jin was the tagger, and Yu-Seong was in a position to run away from him. Furthermore, Do-Jin was resolute in his conviction, and Yu-Seong was sure that Do-Jin could never change his mindset on the matter.

    <i>¡®That is because he¡¯ll think that I won''t ever fight him.¡¯</i>

    Just as Yu-Seong had been overconfident in his understanding of Do-Jin, Do-Jin had made the same mistake. It was a foolish mistake that could happen when both individuals thought they knew each other well.

    In fact, Yu-Seong wanted to take advantage of this gap. However, he also had to consider the possibility that Do-Jin might be able to read his mind. Therefore, as soon as Yu-Seong encountered the first monster in the mine, he immediately conducted a few experiments.

    He led the group of monsters, the Orc horde, while using his newly invented Free Light magic to divert their attention whenever he encountered a fork in the road. Then, he moved as much as possible along the walls, without leaving any traces at the beginning, and used the opposite path.

    If Do-Jin perceived this to be aplete game of hide and seek, he would pursue Yu-Seong at a rapid pace. In the first ce, Yu-Seong didn''t expect to deceive Do-Jin with small tricks.

    As expected, Do-Jin was now chasing after him. Now, Yu-Seong had to make sure that this game was perceived as a hide and seek. Yu-Seong then repeated the same action several times before seeing the sudden appearance of three crossroads.

    <i>¡®This is where the showdown takes ce.¡¯</i>

    Although it wasn¡¯t as good as Do-Jin¡¯s yet, Yu-Seong also had a good instinct. He applied Dyed Explosion, a 2nd ss magic that was the same ss as Free Light magic, to one of the following monster¡¯s necks. This skill¡ªDyed Explosion¡ªhad a clear advantage and disadvantage.

    <i>¡®Although it¡¯s simr in power to a 3rd ss magic fireball, it didn''t explode immediately even when used.</i>

    <i>¡®It takes 3 to 5 minutes to be executed.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought that this disadvantage could be an advantage in the current situation. He cast Dyed Explosion on the body of the Orc rushing into him. Immediately after, he used the same Free Light Magic as before to lure the monsters.

    <i>¡®The duration that the light leaves my hand should be at least 10 seconds.¡¯</i>

    This short duration greatly helped to further deceive Do-Jin.

    All the skill¡¯s disadvantages were used as advantages, and Yu-Seong attached himself to the ceiling of the left path of the three crossroads, killed his breath, and waited for the opportunity. It was because he strongly felt that he had to gamble here, even though it was somewhat dangerous.

    Soon, he detected Do-Jin''s movement as the man passed by while he remained in hiding. When he felt the sound of the Dyed Explosion magic exploding, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t hesitate. He had no idea how Do-Jin would move, but he knew that if he hesitated here, he would surely miss the opportunity.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s swift action gave him a chance to take advantage of Do-Jin''s gap. Yu-Seong quickly extended his spear and used the Light magic, which he could easily and familiarly spread as much as he wanted, in front of Do-Jin''s eyes.

    Although it had no practical lethality, the Light magic could momentarily take away Do-Jin¡¯s vision. At that moment, Yu-Seong''s choice was to swing his spear and smash Do-Jin''s kneecap, and his strategy paid off brilliantly.

    "Huh¡­ Huh..."

    Yu-Seong took a deep breath and looked down at Do-Jin, who had copsed in vain. When their eyes met, Yu-Seong couldn''t help feeling strange.

    <i>¡®Did I really knock down the protagonist of the original novel?¡¯</i>

    Of course, he didn''t kill the man or strike him unconscious.

    However, Do-Jin¡¯s current condition could be expressed in one word¡ªincapacitated. Yu-Seong was sure that Do-Jin was unable to fight as he aimed the tip of his spear at Do-Jin''s chin.

    "I won."

    With a short deration, an exciting thrill rose within him.

 Chapter 179

    <h4>Chapter 179 </h4>

    The deration of victory against the protagonist of the original novel was something Yu-Seong had always wanted to do at least once. It felt so sweet that it gave him goosebumps all over his body, but Yu-Seong didn''t let that emotion take over him.

    "This¡­was quite a shot. You got me, Choi Yu-Seong."

    "So...you''re going to give up now?"

    "Do I look like a quitter to you?" Do-Jin asked calmly.

    In fact, the answer could be seen as somewhat obvious. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew in the quiet mine, pushing Yu-Seong back. In one of Do-Jin''s hands, arge Pentagram had been drawn.

    <i>''Of course, this isn¡¯t going to end easily like this!''?</i>

    Yu-Seong spun on the ground a few times before rushing toward Do-Jin, who tried to stand up and was using healing magic on his own injured leg.

    Do-Jin furrowed his brow and stood up, swinging his sword.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    As a loud sound shook the mine, Do-Jin stepped back.

    <i>''Healing magic is usually more effective on visible injuries.''</i>

    However, it was somewhat weaker for internal injuries such as fractures. Despite being a magic genius, Do-Jin wouldn''t be able to recover properly by using magic twice in such a desperate situation.

    <i>''But this is enough for my desired oue.''?</i>

    If both were in perfect condition, Do-Jin would have a higher chance of winning in a fight. But what if one leg was ufortable?

    <i>¡®Well, it''s worth a try.¡¯</i>

    It didn¡¯t matter whether Do-Jin¡¯s attention was distracted by healing or fighting in difort; Yu-Seong attacked unhesitantly as if he had no intention of wasting a single moment. He pushed away the thought that his opponent was Do-Jin.

    Once the battle had begun, nothing was more important than winning. Yu-Seong''s mind was filled with the word<i>?¡®victory,¡¯</i> and he swung his spear with great focus on the situation. Cu Chinn''s Secret Spear Skills, such as Raging Snake and Double-Headed Serpent, danced beautifully after they were executed, aiming for Kim Do-Jin''s whole body.

    Having made up his mind, Yu-Seong was determined not to get sidetracked and to see the battle through to the end. After all, he wasn''t facing an opponent he could easily defeat with such a mindset.

    Yu-Seong''s mouth was filled with a bitter taste, and his heart began to beat wildly. Sweat was trickling down his forehead, making him feel somewhat ufortable. Then, suddenly regaining hisposure, Yu-Seong could only feel a sense of astonishment as he looked at Do-Jin, whose face was equally drenched in sweat.

    <i>¡®He''s really insane¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin wasughing brightly. There were only two asions when heughed like this.

    <i>¡®He''s either really angry or really enjoying it.¡¯</i>

    What would Do-Jin''s current mood be? Even if Yu-Seong didn''t want to know, he couldn''t help but find out. His Character Understanding Skill clearly indicated that, despite being at a disadvantage due to his injury, the increasingly intense fight, and growing injuries, Do-Jin was enjoying the current battle.

    <i>¡®How could he feel enjoyment from this?¡¯</i>

    Actually, Yu-Seong didn''t want to understand. However, perhaps it was because their gazes met, Do-Jin spoke to him while they were exchanging blows.

    ¡°You look like you''re quite enjoying this.¡±

    "Who is..."

    Yu-Seong gave a short answer. He couldn''t help but feel confused.

    <i>¡®Was I alsoughing?¡¯</i>

    His eyes and mouth were twisted uncontrobly. His whole body was filled with even more excitement than when he had dered victory against Do-Jin earlier on. He was soaring. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, and he felt like a rocket rushing right up into the skies.

    <i>¡®Indeed, Kim Do-Jin must be insane to enjoy such battles. And perhaps, I am too.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could not deny that. At this moment of the intense battle with Do-Jin, which made his very blood seem to boil, Yu-Seong found it just too enjoyable to resist. Despite losing much of his strength, Do-Jin''s swordsmanship was like art, and his magic was constantly threatening Yu-Seong. In fact, this was an emotion Yu-Seong didn''t want to understand.

    Having originally been an ordinary employee of a gamepany in South Korea, Yu-Seong had never even imagined fighting for his life against someone.

    <i>¡®He is not even an enemy threatening me, nor a viin.¡¯</i>

    However, this time, Yu-Seong¡¯s opponent was a person whom he undoubtedly had a favorable impression of, even though it may have been due to the unavoidable influence of the original novel.

    The fight against Do-Jin was not like a duel with an agreement not to use more than a certain amount of force against each other. Yu-Seong was aware that he could either kill his opponent or be killed himself.

    Yu-Seong sessfully pierced Do-Jin''s thigh with his spear as the man was struggling to maintain his bnce due to the injury. And at that moment, Do-Jin, who braced himself for injury, thrust his sword into Yu-Seong''s shoulder.

    As the two men pulled out their weapons simultaneously, their faces twisted in pain, and their blood sprayed on each other''s faces, staining them red.

    "Haak...!"

    "Kryuk...!"

    The two men groaned and cried out, then exchanged nces. Although their expressions were distorted by pain, they still continued to smile.

    ¡°You weirdo,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Pot calling the kettle ck,¡± Do-Jin responded, licking the blood off his lips with his tongue as he raised his sword again. He then asked, "You can still continue, right?"

    "Of course. I''m not dead yet," Yu-Seong replied, his lips twitching. His eyes trailed down from Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder to the tip of his sword.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure he must have a hidden move.¡¯</i>

    They had fought fiercely for a long time, but there was something important missing. It was because Yu-Seong suspected that Do-Jin might have a hidden move.

    <i>¡®Because I also have one hiding.¡¯</i>

    If they shed again, one of them would have to reveal their hidden move first, and their opponent would counterattack as if they had been waiting for it.

    <i>¡®Who is going to reveal their move first?¡¯</i>

    The side that first revealed the hidden move was usually at a disadvantage. The two men, thinking the same thing, had their eyes fixed on each other as they prepared to make a move. Their gazes were intense.

    Suddenly, as if by some unspoken agreement, both of their movements came to a halt at the same time. They peered through the familiar darkness toward the long path ahead, listening to a cacophony of monster screams and urgent footsteps mixing in the air. Someone wasing.

    Naturally, the thoughts of the knight, Kyron, leaving the reed forest, along with the soldiers, shed through Do-Jin''s mind. Along with that, anger red up in his eyes. He barked, "You...!"

    In response to the intense shout, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and lowered the spear he was aiming at Do-Jin. He asked, "Then, did you really n to fight until we both died?"

    In fact, Yu-Seong also felt a sense of disappointment and frustration. As reason began to return to him, he first came up with an idea of self-restraint.

    "Let''s stop here. We''ll have another chance."

    "What if I don''t want to stop?" asked Do-Jin through gritted teeth.

    Yu-Seong pointed to the darkness beyond the light; the monsters'' screams could be heard. Hemented, "Are you sure? If we continue on, the only ones who¡¯d be excited will be them. And we''ll both die."

    Do-Jin¡¯s gaze momentarily trembled with contemtion at Yu-Seong¡¯s affirmation. Then, he finally sighed. In fact, Do-Jin had also known the answer all along.

    <i>¡®For him, it¡¯d just be hard to calm down.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could easily understand Do-Jin, since he also had difficulty controlling his emotions. This could be seen from his trembling fingertips.

    "...You¡¯d better not think about such pointless actions next time."

    In the end, Do-Jin finally put down his sword.

    ***

    Count Monte and Count Chris, the two lords with neighboring territories, had known each other since childhood but had never expressed any goodwill toward each other. However, they did not hold any malicious intentions toward each other either. Rather, the two were likepetitors who would need to step over each other to get ahead someday.

    It was an inevitable thing since their family values and behaviors were vastly different. However, for the first time, the two men had the same idea.

    "We need to obtain the Dragon Egg before the outsiders do."

    "We can''t let the Dragon Egg fall into their hands."

    Although these two lords were always in small battles with each other except during winter, this time, the scale of the battle was different.

    It involved the egg of a dragon that had not yet been born. Obviously, neither of them had directly encountered a dragon before. However, the legends said that Dragons were stronger, wise, and more beautiful than all the other creatures. Most importantly, what these two lords needed was the symbolic power that came with the Dragon. In all the legends, it was said that those chosen by Dragons became great beings.

    For these two lords who dreamed of stepping over each other and surpassing their limits, the Dragon Egg was a thing that could ignite their ambition. As a result, the two lords, under an agreement, waged a massive war that was unlike any other. It was a battle in an open field so that the civilians were not harmed. The winner would get the Dragon Egg.

    However, during this battle, the foreigners appeared. These foreigners, who imed to have received a revtion from a god and descended upon this world, possessed various abilities and strengths. Still, they all shared one peculiarity.

    <i>¡®Afterpleting their mission, they disappear.¡¯</i>

    Although the two lords wanted the Dragon Egg, they wanted to keep it secret externally. Thus, they weed the sudden appearance of the foreigners. The foreigners even chose different camps. So, the lords asked each other, and found out that their strength was evenly matched.

    Here, the two lords had the same idea. Even if two territories with simr strength fought a war and one of them won, it could take time for both to recover from the war. However, what if they fought a proxy war through the foreigners who were destined to disappear from this world?

    In fact, there would be no reason to shed blood. Count Monte believed that Count Chris would not choose differently from him. Although their values and behavior patterns were different, their goals were the same. They also knew that they shared many simrities in their judgment, which they had realized a long time ago. In other words, the side that obtained the Dragon Egg first through a proxy would be the winner, and the defeated had to follow the victor.

    Clearly, the two lords shared the same thought. However, the game that began under this unspoken rule was ruined by the report of Kyron, the knight of Monte Count.

    <i>¡®I had no idea that the foreigners couldplete the god''s mission without needing to bring the Dragon Egg to us!¡¯</i>

    As a consequence, many things were bound to change. The existence to be born from the Dragon Egg was crucial to the future of both lords. To have such a Dragon Egg stolen right in front of their eyes was an intolerable matter.

    Monte Count immediately prepared his equipment and left the camp without having time to lead his soldiers or knights. After all, he was the best knight in his camp. Above all, he was in a hurry. He didn''t know when the foreigners would run away with the Dragon Egg to another world.

    Count Chris, who had ced his spy in Monte Count''s camp, also had the same thought. Thus, the two lords faced each other on the wide field but did not draw their swords. They ran madly towards the Renton Mine without hesitation.

 Chapter 180

    <h4>Chapter 180 </h4>

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin ceased their battle and dashed towards the deepest part of the mine. Since both of them were injured, they moved somewhat slower than before, but eventually passed through a dark tunnel to reach a huge cave where bright light illuminated the space.

    Their gaze naturally turned to the Dragon Egg, which shone brightly on a polished stone at the center of the cave. The egg was seemingly sitting on a throne. However, they noticed one peculiarity.

    <i>¡®There''s¡­more than one Dragon Egg?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin observed two eggs of contrasting colors¡ªck and white¡ªthat were neatly arranged like twin brothers. They then exchanged looks.

    <i>¡®How interesting.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin¡¯s lips twisted into a smile upon noticing Yu-Seong¡¯s bewildered expression.

    In fact, there was nothing Yu-Seong could do about this situation.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, only one ck Dragon Egg was mentioned. But if there are actually two Dragon Eggs¡­¡¯</i>

    There were only two options in this case. First, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, who were both called ¡®foreigners,¡¯ could each take one Dragon Egg and proceed to the next floor. This was the very situation that Count Monte and Count Chris had feared the most.

    <i>¡®The second option is¡­¡¯</i>

    The n was to negotiate with the two Counts for one of the eggs while keeping the other one for himself. In fact, the Counts only needed the justification for them to be the ultimate ruler in the first ce. In order to obtain that oue, giving them one Dragon Egg was better than having two.

    Additionally, there was also the possibility that one of the Counts may not want to share the Dragon Egg. Of course, there were mountains to cross before making such a decision.

    Suddenly, the gray-eyed monster, frozen like a statue beneath the throne where the Dragon Eggs were ced, lit up its eyes with a red glow and spread its wings.

    "Gargoyle...!"

    The monsters, resembling bats, primarily attacked with powerful sonic waves as they flew through the air. However, they were also physically strong due to being made of stone. Furthermore, there wasn''t just one of them.

    <i>¡®There are at least ten of them...¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong realized why the knights who came before them had failed and returned. The Gargoyles were on a whole different level with the Orc crowd.

    Watching the monsters spread their wings, Yu-Seong turned to Do-Jin. Even if they were in their best condition, it wouldn''t be easy to pass through the crowd of Gargoyles.

    Meanwhile, the monsters'' screamsing from behind were getting closer and closer.

    Yu-Seong looked at the pping Gargoyles with his eyes wide open. They were quite threatening, but they didn''t seem to have any intention of attacking first as long as he didn''t get closer than a certain distance. After all, the Gargoyles were guard monsters. Their purpose would be to protect the Dragon Eggs.

    "Can you hold your breath for a while?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "If it''s in such a chaotic situation..." Do-Jin lightly nodded his head.

    Indeed, They were inside a spacious cave, but there was a way to get through.

    "Then, trust me and wait for a moment. I''ll take care of the rest."

    "You want me to trust you and wait?"

    When Yu-Seong nodded, Do-Jin had an incredulous look on his face.

    "Why? Is there something on my handsome face?"

    "Yes, it¡¯s covered in your blood."

    "Damn... No wonder it feels sticky."

    After exchanging a light joke, Yu-Seong stared at Do-Jin, whose eyes were full of suspicion. However, Do-Jin''s emotion conveyed through Yu-Seong¡¯s Character Understanding skill was <i>''confusion</i>.''

    In fact, Yu-Seong could understand why Do-Jin felt such a feeling.

    <i>¡®Since Kim Do-Jin always had to solve his own problems.¡¯</i>

    That was just the destiny of any protagonist of a fantasy novel. Difficult and challenging situations always had to be resolved by the protagonist himself. No matter how much the supporting characters yed significant roles, in the end, it was inevitable for the protagonist to muster up the strength to push forward. That was Do-Jin''s life, the life of the original novel¡¯s protagonist.

    However, the situation had arisen where Do-Jin could rely on someone else and take a step back. Although he had faced simr situations in the past, this was the first time he was fully conscious of stepping back and directly relying on someone else. Because of this, Do-Jin felt confused andplicated emotions.

    "But if I think I''m in danger, you have to save me. You know you can''t let your guard down, right? If I die, it''s your fault,¡± said Yu-Seong as he reassured Do-Jin.

    "I had that in mind from the beginning,¡± said Do-Jin.

    As if he finally understood the situation, Do-Jin''s expression rxed into a casual one. He stepped back while conjuring magic in both hands. Now, although Do-Jin was clearly right next to Yu-Seong, Yu-Seong couldn''t feel his presence at all.

    "Now, shall I get ready too?" Yu-Seong muttered to himself.

    In this strange situation, he used one hand to melt and wipe away the dried blood on his face. The acrid scent of blood filled his nostrils, prating deep into his lungs.

    ***

    The two Counts rushed through Renton Mine like madmen until they finally arrived at arge cavern, where they were met with a pouring light that almost blinded them. At the same time, the first thing that caught the attention of the two Counts was Yu-Seong, who stood in ce with numerous injuries.

    "Choi Yu-Seong!" Count Monte eximed as he recognized the injured man.

    Meanwhile, Count Chris scowled.

    <i>¡®I don''t see Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Naturally, the idea came down to a single one.

    "So, it seems that you have knocked down Count Chris'' mercenary," said Count Monte with a chuckle.

    As his pace rxed, he felt a sense of victory rising up within him. He thought about the alternate scenario where if things had gone differently, he would have been the winner.

    "But you don''t look too good yourself," Count Chris muttered as he halted his steps, then looked at Count Monte¡¯s rxed figure.

    "At least he¡¯s still alive," Count Monte replied while shrugging his shoulders as if he didn¡¯t care about anything else.

    Currently, two Counts confirmed the situation where one of your foreigners was gone while one was seriously injured.

    <i>¡®It seems we¡¯ve caused quite a fuss,¡¯?</i>thought Count Monte.

    Despite his serious injury, Count Monte knew that Yu-Seong was still quite useful. Moreover, in the cavern, there were only him, Count Chris, and Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It''s difficult to say who is superior or inferior between Count Chris and me.¡¯</i>

    Rather, it was highly likely that they would both knock each other out simultaneously. However, what if Yu-Seong supported him here?

    <i>¡®I could use him as a shield and take down Count Chris,¡¯?</i>thought Count Monte.

    The thought of using Yu-Seong to his advantage and easily solving the problem made Count Monte''s eyes glint with desire.

    "Count Monte, now is not the time for other thoughts," said Yu-Seong all of a sudden.

    For Count Monte, Yu-Seong¡¯s words were somewhat iprehensible. Feeling confused, he muttered, "Huh?"

    "Look over there."

    Yu-Seong didn''t say much, but instead pointed at the throne where the Dragon Eggs were located. The wings of the Gargoyles had obscured their view, making it difficult to see the Dragon Eggs clearly. Both Count Monte and Count Chris¡¯s eyes soon widened in surprise.

    "There is more than one Dragon Egg," said Count Chris.

    "There are two eggs..."

    Both Counts had the same reaction as when they saw Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin before. The knowledge that there were Dragon Eggs in Renton Mine had been received by the bishop¡¯s oracles of their respective churches at the same time. The god''s words in this world were beyond doubt.

    Of course, it had already been established that there would be a Dragon Egg, but no one knew that there would be two of them. Thinking back, even the oracle given to them by the bishops in their respective territories did not mention the number of eggs. Naturally, the two lords stared at each other.

    Under the iron helmet worn to protect his head, Count Monte with his red eyes contemted.

    <i>¡®The wisest decision here would be to kill this foreigner, and for Count Chris and me to each take one Dragon Egg.¡¯?</i>

    Was there a need to end the fight between the two here?

    <i>¡®It''s better to kill this foreigner¡­¡¯?</i>

    Through a pact with each other, the two Counts had already made a rtively certain decision on the path they would take. Naturally, a desire to kill Yu-Seong had surfaced in Count Monte''s eyes as he looked at Yu-Seong.

    Sensing the Count¡¯s gaze, Yu-Seong took a step back with a surprised expression. "Count Monte?"

    "...I''m sorry, but I''m not certain that you would be able to resist your greed once you have one of those eggs in your hands," said Count Monte.

    "The Dragon Egg is necessary for both of us," said Count Chris before he stepped forward with his sword drawn. Aiming the sword that dripped with the blue blood of a monster at Yu-Seong, he said, "Your death would be the most beautiful conclusion.¡±

    "Why would ite to that?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Because we would have to spill too much blood to face each other," replied Count Monte.

    Count Chris slowly approached Yu-Seong with his sword still pointed at the man.

    Now in this suffocating situation, Yu-Seong was not going to stand still and be killed. He pulled out his own weapon and asked, ¡°You mean, even if you guys eventually have to shed blood?¡¯"

    At that moment, Count Chris paused slightly.

    ¡°In my world, there is a saying: two suns cannot rise in the same sky. I assume you both understand the meaning behind this,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    Actually, Yu-Seong knew why the two Counts were hesitating and moving slowly even though they could have easily closed the distance to prevent Yu-Seong from speaking. He was clearly reading their emotions though Character Understanding.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled.

    <i>¡®Just as I expected. These selfish humans, their thoughts are crystal clear.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps because the two Counts were so alike, Yu-Seong was able to take control of the situation with ease while acting as if he were in a desperate situation. He then said, "Think carefully. The Dragon is known for its strength. Isn''t that symbolism what both of you need the most? What if it was divided in half?¡±

    "Shut up!" Count Chris shouted urgently, speeding up his steps.

    In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t take any more steps backward. He stood in ce and looked at Count Monte, who was hesitating. Then, he said calmly, "Attempting to achieve it alone, something that is difficult to aplish even for two people... There is a high probability of encountering an insurmountable obstacle."

    "You foreigner! If you don''t shut up right now...!" Count Chris raised his voice, ring at Yu-Seong.

    "Are you going to kill me? But if you do, both of your positions will go back to a stalemate.¡±

    At the same time, Yu-Seong moved forward towards Count Chris'' sword. This time, it was Count Chris who took a step back.

    "Ugh...!" Count Chris groaned, unable to hide his wavering gaze.

    Count Monte was no different.

    ¡°Think carefully, Count Monte. Why do you think I told you about the oracle''s specific details? I already knew from the beginning that there are two Dragon Eggs! And I thought that sharing one with Count Monte would be the most ideal resolution,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong''s lie once again caused a shift in the two Counts¡¯ expressions, since it was something that they had never considered before.

    <i>''He knew about the two Dragon Eggs from the beginning? Then... did Yu-Seong do this for me all along?''?</i>

    After collecting his thoughts, Count Monte quickly moved to stand by Yu-Seong''s side.

 Chapter 181

    <h4>Chapter 181 </h4>

    Count Chris was taken aback by the sudden change. Clenching his fists and swaying a little, he yelled, "Count Monte!"

    "Choi Yu-Seong, you''re right. Two suns rising in the same sky would only burn each other out," said Count Monte as he pointed his sword toward Count Chris. He added, "I was shortsighted. Will you ept my request for reconciliation now?"

    Hearing those words, Count Chris became anxious. He nervously bit his lower lip as his gaze shifted from the resolute Count Monte to Yu-Seong. He quickly said, "Foreigner, I mean, Choi Yu-Seong, right? I''m sorry for my mistake. My greed got the best of me, and I made an error in judgment. But think carefully. Count Monte has already turned his back on you once. Is there any reason to believe he won''t do it again?"

    "But, Count Chris, it wasn''t me but you who drew the sword,¡± said Count Monte.

    "If I really intended to kill you, would I have needed to prolong the time like this?" asked Count Christ.

    "Enough, Count Chris. The more you mock me, the more foolish you appear," said Count Monte.

    Listening to the Counts¡¯ conversation, Yu-Seong snorted and said, "You both are aware that, from my perspective, neither of you possess any trustworthy qualities, right?"

    "I swear on my honor..." started Count Chris.

    "I swear on my position and faith..." added Count Monte.

    "Alright, let''s settle it this way," suggested Yu-Seong. He interrupted the two Counts and gestured toward the Dragon Egg that was lodged between the rocks. He said, "I''ll side with whoever retrieves the Dragon Egg first."

    After listening to Yu-Seong''s suggestion, Count Monte and Count Chris immediately responded in their own way.

    "What...?" eximed Count Monte.

    "Are youmanding us now?" asked Count Chris.

    "As you both are aware, a Dragon can only choose one person as its owner. Moreover, it''s widely known that a Dragon Egg is indestructible. That means, if left unimed, a new owner might be born in an unforeseen location. So, who do you think can handle the remaining Dragon Egg the most cleanly?"

    Yu-Seong pointed to his own face with his index finger. "I think it''s just me, the foreigner, in this situation..."

    Then, Yu-Seong smiled and tilted his head slightly. "If you''re still confused about who has the right to choose..."

    Before Yu-Seong could even finish his sentence, Count Chris, who had made up his mind about something, ran out first. He said, "Promise to keep your word.¡±

    Count Monte, with an anxious expression on his face, ran after Count Chris toward the group of Gargoyles.

    As they were knight lords who personally went out to the battlefield, their swordsmanship was excellent. Moreover, they could swing their swords with mana, allowing them to end the fight against the stone-bodied Gargoyles quickly and with minimal physical exertion. This was as long as they were determined.

    <i>¡®As long as they work together.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled inwardly.

    When Count Chris, who had run ahead, tried to bisect a Gargoyle¡¯s head with his sword, Count Monte, who had desperately followed him, suddenly kicked him in the back.

    "Keugh!" Count Chris, caught off guard by the sudden attack, let out a groan of pain as he hit the ground.

    He quickly crouched down and prepared to defend himself against the approaching Gargoyles, but the dangerous situation he had anticipated did note to pass. Instead, all the Gargoyles charged towards Count Monte, who was running toward the Dragon Egg in his ce.

    Thanks to this, Count Monte was stuck in a bad situation. He swung his sword around in a panic while Count Chris, who had regained his senses, stood up and shouted with a red face, "You coward¡­!"

    As anger burned in his blue eyes, Count Chris swung his sword toward Count Monte.

    "Keugh-!"

    Surrounded by the pack of Gargoyles and unable to defend himself against Count Chris¡¯ surprise attack, Count Monte was hit in the chest. He fell backward with a loud thud, blood spurting through his helmet.

    Count Chris kicked Count Monte''s chin lightly and stopped for a moment before rushing toward the Dragon Egg.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s apetition that we ended up doing because of the foreigner, but¡­¡¯</i>

    The Gargoyles, who had the role to protect the Dragon Egg,pletely altered the course of the battle between the two knights of simr skill.

    <i>¡®If the Gargoyles hade to me when Monte first cowardly attacked me, the story would have been different.¡¯</i>

    Since the Gargoyles were dedicated to protecting the Dragon Egg, they had all selected Count Monte as their next target, indicating that Count Chris was at risk of ending up like Count Monte if he advanced any further.

    Therefore, Count Chris smiled as he stood in ce, watching half of the Gargoyles rush toward him. While it might be a bit challenging to fight with ten of them alone, he could easily handle five of them in an instant.

    <i>¡®Monte is seriously injured, so he is busy defending. I am confident that I will win this battle.¡¯</i>

    Count Chris ran toward the Gargoyles and smashed the heads of two of them.

    Suddenly, one of the Gargoyles attacking Count Monte was hit by Yu-Seong''s spear from behind and fell to the ground. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Count Monte stepped on the head of another Gargoyle attacking him and shattered it.

    Then, Yu-Seong quickly finished off another Gargoyle with his spear.

    Count Chris also managed to take down one more Gargoyle, but he couldn¡¯t help feeling that the situation was unfair. He eximed, "Why are you helping Count Monte, foreigner? Are you intending to stay with the side you originally chose...?"

    "Well, isn''t it boring when the battle is too one-sided?" replied Yu-Seong casually. Then, he teamed up with Count Monte to defeat another Gargoyle.

    Now, there were only three Gargoyles left, two of which were close to Count Chris.

    "Anyway, thanks," said Count Monte with a low growl as if gritting his teeth.

    He rushed toward Count Chris. Thest remaining Gargoyle fired a shockwave attack behind him, but Count Monte did not stop his movements despite the blood streaming down his ear. And soon enough, he charged toward Count Chris with a reckless rush and mmed into the man¡¯s chest.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    ¡°Kraaagh-!¡±

    With a loud, piercing scream that echoed throughout the battlefield, Count Chris rolled on the ground.

    When the other Count let out a deafening cry, Count Monte saw his chance. With bloodshot eyes, he seized the opportunity and rushed toward Count Chris again. He knocked the man down and stepped on his face.

    ¡°Chris, you bastard!¡±

    The pack of Gargoyles pursued the Counts, attacking with sonic waves and physical blows, but Count Monte, undeterred and covered in blood, raised his sword high.

    Count Chris saw the gleaming de approaching the gap in his armor and shook his head from side to side. He shouted desperately, ¡°Wait, wait a minute! Something''s wrong...!¡±

    Before Count Chris could finish his sentence, Count Monte''s sword pierced his throat.

    ¡°Krugkk...!¡±

    As Count Chris spewed out a mouthful of blood and his head twisted to the side, Count Monte swung his arm and grabbed one of the Gargoyles behind him, throwing it to the ground and crushing its head under his foot. Then, he hurled his sword into the air, and it pierced the chest of a Gargoyle firing a shockwave attack in the sky.

    Finally, Count Monte jumped high in the air andnded on the head of a Gargoyle that was crossing his path. He wrapped his thick arms around its neck.

    ¡°Kraaaa-!¡±

    With his face covered in blood, Count Monte let out a bloodcurdling scream that echoed along with the crunching of the stone.

    With that, it was over. Count Monte, who had taken down three Gargoyles in one breath, didn''t hesitate for a moment even as he fell to the ground with them. Once he got up on his knees, he yelled, "Foreigner, I won!"

    Watching from a distance, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but click his tongue inwardly.

    <i>¡®If I had faced him head-on, it would have been really difficult.¡¯</i>

    Despite being covered in blood and looking like he had no strength left, there was still a sense of determination shining in Count Monte''s eyes. Even at this point, it was clear that he could continue the battle.

    <i>¡®Heh, so Count Monte bes stronger the more he''s in danger.¡¯</i>

    After all, there were many types of strength. And it seemed that Count Monte''s power was even greater in dangerous situations. If Yu-Seong were to encounter Count Monte as a boss monster, Count Monte would undoubtedly be one of the worst opponents to face.

    "Hurry up and bring me the Dragon Egg. Give one to me and take one for yourself, whichever you choose..."

    Count Monte began to speak, but Yu-Seong urgently shouted, "Behind you, Count Monte!"

    "What...?" Count Monte eximed in surprise as he turned his head.

    At that moment, a blue-tinged mana surged forth from a sword and sliced through Count Monte¡¯s neck in an instant.

    With eyes wide open, Count Monte''s headless body sprayed blood and copsed to the ground. Standing behind Count Monte was seemingly dead Count Chris, who had be the knight of death.

    "Undead...!" eximed Yu-Seong, his eyes widening in surprise.

    - Monte... That arrogant bastard!

    Count Chris, standing in front of the corpse of the dead Count Monte, released a macabre voice from his twisted neck and burst out into loudughter.

    - Hahaha-!

    Then, slowly turning his head, Count Chris fixed his gaze on Yu-Seong.

    - Foreigner...!

    Count Chris¡¯ anger was not only directed toward Count Monte.

    <i>¡®Honestly, there''s no way I can handle this alone¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong pulled out his spear with a tense expression. He shouted, "Kim Do-Jin, help me!"

    Do-Jin appeared behind Count Chris, who was charging toward them, and said in a cold voice, "I''ve been waiting for this, Choi Yu-Seong."

    And the fierce battle began.

    ***

    The battlested for over an hour. Count Chris, who had turned into an undead, was powerful. Although Yu-Seong and Do-Jin managed to heal their injuries to some extent, their bodies were not in perfect condition, making the battle inevitably long.

    But in the end, with Yu-Seong''s spear piercing his chest and Do-Jin''s sword stabbing his head, Count Chris, unable to satisfy his grudge, became a pile of dust and disappeared from the worldpletely.

    ¡°Gasp¡­ Huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Gasp¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, who both fell to the ground at the same time, looked at each other.

    ¡°Damn the second phase,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Do-Jin smirked at Yu-Seong and replied, "You said to trust you, and your art of persuasion was quite impressive."

    "I actually thought it would be a <i>little</i> dangerous..."

    In any case, they had seeded. Yu-Seong let out a satisfied smile and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

    If they had to face both Count Monte and Count Chris at once, the situation would have been even more terrible, considering how difficult it was to handle just one of them. After all, the two Counts were not figures designed to be fought on the 9th floor of the Tower. However, Yu-Seong had managed to bend the rules, and the result was superb.

 Chapter 182

    <h4>Chapter 182 </h4>

    In the original novel, ck Dragon Emperor would have had to leave this world with only one Dragon Egg that the Count had chosen for him and abandon his friend. However, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin survived. They were even able to choose one Dragon Egg each.

    "I''ll take the ck one," said Do-Jin.

    "What...?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "I''ve always liked ck," added Do-Jin.

    "You have a dark taste," Yu-Seongmented.

    Yu-Seong chuckled and nodded. In truth, it didn''t matter to him which one he got.

    "Then, I''ll go first," Do-Jin said, asking for permission before quickly getting up from his seat and approaching the throne on which the Dragon Eggs were ced.

    <i>¡®Dude, he seems more excited than I thought.¡¯</i>

    It was small, but it was still a Dragon Egg¡ªa reward that was difficult to obtain even if they climbed up to the higher floors of the Tower.

    <i>¡®I mean, could we even just call it a reward?¡¯</i>

    In fact, when considering the existence of the Dragon race in the original novel, it wasn''t a kind that could be limited to just the word <i>''reward''</i> alone.

    <i>¡®Since a Dragon tribe that has grown to a certain extent almost certainly possesses the same power as the Demon King, or even surpasses it¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had thought that the best reward they could obtain from the Tower of Heaven was the Green Wind Spirit Cat, but the Dragon Egg easily surpassed that level.

    Just as Yu-Seong was happy, Do-Jin couldn''t help but be happy too. cing his hand on one of the Dragon Eggs on the throne, Do-Jin muttered to himself. However, all of a sudden, he looked displeased and red at Yu-Seong.

    "Why?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Do-Jin gave no answer. He turned his head before disappearing with the ck Dragon Egg into a burst of light.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him now?"

    Feeling baffled, Yu-Seong approached the throne and ced his hand on the remaining white Dragon Egg.

    <i>¡®Huh?¡¯</i>

    He had expected the Dragon Egg to feel cold, but was surprised to find that it was actually warm to the touch. It felt much like the temperature of a human body.

    As he marveled at the white Dragon Egg''s warmth, a message appeared in front of Yu-Seong.

    <The 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    Congrattions. You have defeated the wise lords by being more clever and achieved victory with your colleague through cunning methods. The contribution rank is as follows:

    <li>Choi Yu-Seong</li><li>Kim Do-Jin</li>

    Finally, Yu-Seong understood why Do-Jin had been displeased earlier on.

    <i>¡®He must have been angry because he thought he lost.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought with a wry smile.

    <The 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    This is a clearing method that was not included in the system. In addition to the basic reward of the Dragon Egg, there will be an additional reward for the 1st ranked contributor. A god wishes to directly deliver the additional reward. The god is about to arrive.

    "What...?" eximed Yu-Seong in astonishment as his eyes widened.

    <i>Thump-!</i>

    The entire cave shook heavily with a sound as if something heavy had fallen. Then, Yu-Seong''s consciousness sank into deep sleep.

    ***

    What on earth happened? When Yu-Seong regained consciousness, everything he could see had changed.

    The cave, which had been shining with light, had transformed into a room that reminded him of a ssical Western noble mansion. Moonlight shone in the room instead of warm sunlight. Yu-Seong himself was lying on the bed, covered with a luxurious embroidered nket.

    <i>¡®What is this...?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was still bewildered when a woman spoke to him from the windowsill of arge window. She asked, "So, how do you like the atmosphere?"

    Hearing the voice, Yu-Seong quickly turned toward the woman. The first impression that came to his mind upon seeing her was the color purple.

    Her long flowing hair,rge pupils, silk gloves, velvet Chelsea boots, and quite fancy dress attire were all in shades of purple. Even the indigo shadows seemed to envelop her.

    As the woman smiled at him, Yu-Seong asked cautiously, "And you are¡­?"

    Although she had a showy appearance, her face gave the impression of simplicity and youth, resembling that of a 20-year-old. However, she was undoubtedly a god; she had appeared along with the message that a god was arriving.

    It was impossible for Yu-Seong not to be nervous.

    "Try to guess. Can you guess who I am?" asked the woman whileughing yfully.

    Yu-Seong''s gaze suddenly shifted to the deep red liquid inside the transparent wine ss that was surrounded by purple gloves. He then asked, "Surely¡­ You''re not the Red Fang of the Dark Night, are you?"

    She was a god who seemed too dangerous to have simply descended for the purpose of giving him a reward, especially considering the extremely bad rtionship between Yu-Seong and d ?epe?.

    However, the woman''s face visibly wrinkled upon hearing what Yu-Seong had said. In fact, she didn¡¯t seem happy.

    "Do I seem like such a minor god like that to you?" asked the woman.

    "...I was just joking since the wine color resembled blood. I actually thought you were apletely different god. You are one from Northern Europe, right?"

    In response to Yu-Seong''s follow-up, the woman raised her chin, nodded in a haughty manner, and smiled. "You''re smart as always, Choi Yu-Seong. That''s right, I am¡­¡±

    "You are Scathi, the Oldest Hunter. Your beauty certainly matches up to the rumors.¡±

    Yu-Seong sat up on the bed with a warm smile, but as he did so, the woman''s expression turned sour once again. She red at him with her piercing purple eyes.

    "What...?¡±

    Once again, the woman red angrily at Yu-Seong with an offended look.

    ¡°...Am I wrong? Scathi?¡±

    "Scathi may not be considered a minor god, but don''t you know who I am, Choi Yu-Seong? Is our rtionship really this distant?" asked the woman.

    ¡°...¡± Yu-Seong''s gaze shook greatly for a moment as he remained silent.

    He had only thought of the woman in front of him as Scathi, also known as the goddess of witches, because she was a woman. However, as he listened to her story, something seemed odd.

    <i>¡®Cu Chinn is a prince of Irnd.¡¯</i>

    In other words, Cu Chinn could not possibly be a woman.

    Furthermore, the woman had imed to be one of the Nordic gods, and she appeared to be quite disappointed that Yu-Seong did not recognize her.

    Putting all the pieces together, Yu-Seong began to suspect the woman¡¯s true identity. Reluctantly, he shook his head as if he didn¡¯t want to believe it. He asked, "A Joke-loving Prankster¡­You mean you¡¯re Loki?"

    "Correct! You finally got it!"

    ¡°Just like your nickname¡­ You really do seem to love jokes," replied Yu-Seong, feeling like he wanted to faint once again.

    No matter how many times Yu-Seong blinked, the image of Loki leaning against the window frame remained unchanged.

    "You look quite displeased about something," said Loki.

    "Well¡­ I mean, I thought¡­of course that Loki would be a man¡­¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Gender is not important to a god, and you can talk to me casually. This is unlike you and it seems weird," said Loki.

    ¡°Well, then.¡±

    Yu-Seong seemed to find it easier to speak now; perhaps it was because he now knew that the woman was truly Loki. In fact, he also felt the want to speak morefortably.

    <i>¡®If I think about how much trouble I''ve gone through because of him¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong still couldn¡¯t help gritting his teeth.

    "But anyway, it seems like it doesn''t matter to mention the gods¡¯ real name in this space."

    "Of course, because it''s a secret space I created, and I''m using the excuse of a reward. If not, that annoying old man would not have stayed still," replied Loki.

    ¡°Annoying old man¡­ You are talking about Odin, I assume.¡±

    Loki smirked and nodded as she stroked her fair cheek. ¡°I''ll have to get rid of that damned old man someday, but it''s not that easy. By the way, I heard Thor has been showing interest in youtely. Just so you know, you should stay away from both of them. Odin, that old man is very wicked and evil, and Thor is ignorant and will surely lead you to destruction..."

    As Loki rambled on with her speech filled with anger and curses, any doubts Yu-Seong had about her true identity vanished. The person in front of him was undoubtedly Loki.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, it''s not a strange thing¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s assumption that Loki would be male was perhaps influenced by the cultural content that was widely known in modern times.

    However, when he thought about Norse mythology, Yu-Seong remembered that Loki had actually given birth to three children by herself.

    <i>¡®Hel, Jormungand, and Fenrir.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Loki¡¯s children were the monster gods that had led to Ragnarok¡ªthe downfall of Norse mythology, so it wasn''t strange for Loki to be a woman.

    Yu-Seong nodded, trying to convince himself. It wasn''t easy to break the image he had established in his mind.

    "Anyway, I can understand why you didn''t recognize me instantly. News about me being Thor''s brother and whatnot is known on Earth. You could have been mistaken. But still, I thought you, Choi Yu-Seong, would recognize me soon enough."

    Loki''s overall dissatisfaction with the Nordic gods, starting with Odin and Thor, turned into aint about Yu-Seong not recognizing her immediately.

    As Yu-Seong listened to her, he tilted his head and asked, "But aren''t you here to give out the reward?"

    "Yes, so I don''t have much time allowed."

    "But is it okay to keepining like this?"

    ¡°I have nothing else to say."

    "Well, that''s true, but..."

    Actually,e to think of it, there was a lot of information that could be obtained from a god. Yu-Seong just happened to be caught up in Loki''s prank.

    Suddenly realizing this fact, Yu-Seong looked at Loki in surprise. Only then did he see the deep smile on Loki''s face. In her dark purple eyes, there seemed to be a sly energy rippling.

    Yu-Seong finally realized that he had been tricked. He tried to scream at Loki, but his voice wouldn''te out. It was as if his throat was submerged in water.

    <i>¡®What the...?¡¯?</i>

    Everything around him suddenly felt distant and unreal, even though he was clearly still in the same ce. Neither space nor time had changed.

    "Choi Yu-Seong, anyway, there''s nothing I can tell you right now. Don''t be mad that you were tricked. And you know that there''s something more important,¡± said Loki.

    As she gestured, the pure white Dragon Egg that had been right beside Yu-Seong was pulled toward her by some force.

    <i>¡®Loki? What is she trying to do?¡¯</i>

    As she lifted the white Dragon Egg into the air, Loki looked quite satisfied and gently stroked it with one hand. "It''s warm. Yeah, this level of physical form should be sufficient."

    Then, as she muttered something iprehensible, a purple energy flowed from her hand and began to erode the Dragon Egg. The previously white Dragon Egg began to be dyed in the same purple color as Loki''s.

    Yu-Seong had no right to stop Loki or question her actions, and could only watch helplessly. Gradually, his consciousness began to fade away, just like when he first entered this ce. The scenery in front of him became increasingly distant.

    <i>¡®You¡­ What are you...up to again?¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong closed his eyes, leaving hisst question lingering in his mind, Loki chuckled and waved her hand. She said, "See you again, my friend."

 Chapter 183

    <h4>Chapter 183 </h4>

    When he regained consciousness, Yu-Seong found himself standing in the middle of a square with a high white fountain in the center. He was holding the Dragon Egg that had turned into a violet color in his arms.

    <i>¡®Where am I...?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong momentarily wondered before his senses, which had been somewhat scattered, quickly returned. He heard the mixed sounds of his surroundings.

    The clear water gushing out from the fountain hitting the stone pavement, the pping of birds flying over the square, and the hum of people''s conversations all blended together to create a peaceful soundscape that flowed clearly into Yu-Seong''s ears.

    "Is that guy a neer?"

    "An egg? It looks strange."

    "But wait, I think I have seen that guy before."

    The conversation wasn''t solely in Korean. The air was filled with a medley ofnguages, including English, Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and many more.

    Yu-Seong felt all his senses return and he let out a short breath. He quickly left the square, still holding the Dragon Egg tightly in his arms.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, the 10th floor is a rest area... It''s the first ce where everyone gathers, regardless of which country¡¯s Tower they have entered.¡¯</i>

    If people formed a party and started activities on this 10th floor, it would allow people from different countries to move up together to the 11th floor. It was indeed a square for a meeting. One puzzling thing was that there were more people than Yu-Seong had expected.

    <i>¡®Even if there are people from other countries... In Korea, I thought Kim Do-Jin and I were the fastest¡­¡¯</i>

    Something was strange. Yu-Seong thought to himself that perhaps his conversation with Loki wasn''t as short as it seemed. He quickly looked around.

    <i>¡®But it doesn''t seem like a lot of time has passed. At least the gate to return to Earth hasn''t opened yet¡­¡¯</i>

    Even as he hurriedly left the square, Yu-Seong was aware of the number of people and the situation around him. He quickly came to one conclusion.

    <i>¡®Opening the gate to return to Earth isn''t that difficult anyway, so I can take my time to solve that. What''s more important is finding someone who can tell me what happened... Should I look for Kim Do-Jin? No, if people havee up this far, maybe the Jin siblings or Yoo Jin-Hyuk are already here.¡¯</i>

    Then, at that moment, another question arose in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, has Kim Do-Jin been away from me for a long time?¡¯</i>

    Did Do-Jin wait for him or did he start acting alone? Typically, one would choose to wait for their colleague.

    <i>¡®But Kim Do-Jin is not your average guy.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Do-Jin was more likely to wander around alone, and from the start, he had gone along with Yu-Seong somewhat reluctantly. Perhaps Do-Jin would have likely continued on without waiting by the time he felt that Yu-Seong was running a bitte.

    <i>¡®Seeing that the gate to return to Earth is not open¡­ Maybe he went straight to the 11th floor.¡¯</i>

    While this could alter the future slightly, Yu-Seong wasn''t too worried. After all, they had ascended the Tower together to the 10th floor and he had experienced Do-Jin''s ways more than anyone else.

    <i>¡®He is not the kind of person who would fall into a dangerous situation.¡¯</i>

    On the contrary, Do-Jin might put someone else in danger. Yu-Seong thought calmly and left the square where people had gathered.

    ***

    The 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven was essentially referred to as the Rest Vige, with many buildings resembling the architecture of medieval Europe just like during the time of missions.

    <i>¡®In fact, even the NPCs here give off a medieval Western vibe.¡¯</i>

    The dress, behavior, and lifestyle had some differences, but many aspects resembled the Western culture of the past. However, there were distinct differences, including magic tech and alchemy.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s why the productive type yers from Earth are reaping so many benefits.¡¯</i>

    Since the Tower of Heaven had been activated, it wouldn''t be long before many artifact creators who learned technology from the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven would appear on Earth.

    Of course, there were also shops and lodging in this Rest Vige. Even strangers from Earth could buy a house using this world¡¯s currency. And there were two ways to earn the currency of this world.

    <i>¡®The first is toplete the missions or work inside the Rest Vige and earn money throughbor.¡¯</i>

    This was the usual andmon way, while the second method was somewhat twisted.

    <i>¡®After all, crime always exists in the world.¡¯</i>

    Everyone was still quietly watching each other, but it wouldn''t be long before there were also robberies and frauds happening within this ce. The reason why they didn''t act aggressively and only exchanged cautious nces was that there were security forces called guards also present in this vige.

    <i>¡®And that public authority is quite powerful.¡¯</i>

    Having gotten up to the 10th floor of the Tower, there might be some people who might try to confront the soldiers. However, the important thing was that, even among these soldiers, there were individuals with exceptional skills mixed in.

    <i>¡®Moreover, there are knights¡­¡¯</i>

    Up ahead, there were also elite troops and guards tasked with protecting the city, along with wizards and a market. With a significant number of NPC residents, the city''s public security was quite robust.

    <i>¡®Well, for now, I don''t know much about those upper echelons.¡¯</i>

    Actually, it wouldn''t have been difficult to create the current atmosphere just by showing a few soldiers being dispatched and taking their carelessly acting colleagues to prison.

    <i>¡®Of course, even in such situations, there are always some quick-witted individuals who can find their way around things.¡¯</i>

    With such thoughts in mind, Yu-Seong walked on with the purple Dragon Egg in his arms. Then, suddenly, he caught sight of three burly men standing in a dark alleyway with a figure between them.

    <i>¡®After all, the public authority can''t do much about things that happen out of sight. They would think it¡¯ll be even neater if they erase the evidence.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could easily read between the lines regarding this situation. He also noticed a small-bodied woman with long ck hair being surrounded by the men.

    <i>¡®It''s hard to pretend that I didn''t see it, I guess.¡¯</i>

    Clicking his tongue, Yu-Seong stepped into the dark alleyway. He had little interest in the dialogue of third-ss viins or the conversation of the men spewing nonsense.

    "Enough," he said shortly but firmly.

    The three men, who had been spitting while cornering someone, turned to look at Yu-Seong. Their faces turned red as they directed angry res at him and spoke in an unknownnguage.

    <i>¡®Based on my feelings, perhaps it''s some sort of Russiannguage?¡¯</i>

    In fact, it didn''t matter where they were from. Yu-Seong spoke in English, which could be easily understood by anyone.

    ¡°Get the hell out, jelly muscle.¡±

    Perhaps he had used a provocative phrase, the men''s faces turned red in anger. Approaching Yu-Seong with threatening gestures, they exhaled rough breaths.

    <i>¡®There are three of them, but it''s a narrow alley. The only thing I have that could be considered a burden is...the Dragon Egg.¡¯</i>

    Actually, Yu-Seong wouldn''t feel burdened even in a wide-open space, but a narrow space was a better situation to be in. And although the Dragon Egg was seemingly cumbersome, it could never be broken, so he considered it to be a very useful tool if he looked at it from a different perspective.

    <i>¡®Shall I try to do a strength test?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong easily dodged a punch from one of the charging men and swung therge Dragon Egg with one hand.

    <i>Crack-!?</i>

    Instead of the egg creaking, there was a sound of a person''s head breaking before the massive man fell back. He was bleeding.

    "What an amazing weapon."

    Yu-Seong examined the Dragon Egg just in case, but nodded with a satisfied expression. He couldn¡¯t find a single scratch on it.

    "...#&@!^&!...?!"

    The second big man was taken aback by the unexpected situation. He appeared angry as he repeatedly spat out what sounded like curses in Russian.

    Yu-Seong swung the Dragon Egg and hit him on the head. Finally, he showed the remaining man the red blood flowing on the surface of the purple Dragon Egg and asked, "Do you want more, or do you want to run away with your friends?"

    Even though Yu-Seong spoke in Korean, perhaps because of the gesture he made with his chin, the third man seemed to understand themon bodynguage used worldwide and carried his two colleagues on each of his shoulders. Then, he quickly disappeared from the alleyway.

    The man might be seeking revenge against Yu-Seong, but it wasn''t a major concern for Yu-Seong.

    "Hmm..."

    After confirming the men¡¯s backs, Yu-Seong naturally turned to the small figure who was previously surrounded by the men alone.

    <i>¡®Wait, it¡¯s not a woman?¡¯</i>

    At first nce, with the long flowing hair and slender figure, Yu-Seong had thought the person was a woman. However, upon closer inspection, it was clearly a man.

    Looking at the slightly seductive eyes and the debauched smile that exuded a certain decadence, Yu-Seong couldn''t shake off his feeling of doubt.

    <i>¡®In his eyes¡­¡¯</i>

    There was no feeling of tension or fear at all. Instead, the other man looked at Yu-Seong and the Dragon Egg in his hand with curiosity. It was as if nothing had happened just moments ago.

    <i>¡®This is somewhat¡­¡¯</i>

    When Yu-Seong felt a sense of unease, the man who had been leaning halfway against the wall slowly bowed at his waist. He said, "I am grateful for your kindness. If it''s not too much trouble, may I ask for your name?"

    The man had a western appearance, except for his dark hair and ck eyes. He also spoke Korean fluently.

    Perhaps it was because of thenguage, or maybe it was due to the seductive aura that the man exuded, Yu-Seong casually told him his name despite the strange tension.

    "¡­Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Choi Yu-Seong. Nice to meet you. My name is Eveheim Uriel. You can call me Eveheim for short."

    "Eveheim..."

    The name seemed familiar but also unfamiliar at the same time. Yu-Seong tried to search his memory for the character''s name in the original novel he had read, but he couldn¡¯t recall anyone.

    <i>¡®Could he not be from the novel?¡¯</i>

    Eveheim had an enigmatic and powerful aura, something that was hard to call it ordinary. To put it bluntly, he had a maic vibe that made it difficult to look away from him, and Yu-Seong found himself observing the man excessively.

    Realizing what he was doing, Yu-Seong felt embarrassed. He said, "Oh, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to stare at you like that."

    Eveheim merely smiled in response. "It''s alright. It''smon for me."

    "Well..." Yu-Seong nodded before groaning softly.

    To be honest, it was difficult not to be captivated by someone like Eveheim. His maic presence drew anyone toward him. Thus, Yu-Seong was easily convinced by the man¡¯s simplement.

    "Well then, I shall take my leave now. We shall meet again when fate permits, my life saver. I shall not forget your name, Choi Yu-Seong," said Eveheim with a smile.

    Then, he slowly walked away from Yu-Seong. It was at that moment when a sweet yet profound vani scent reached Yu-Seong''s nostrils.

    <i>¡®Sweet vani scent... I''m sure I''ve read that description before¡­¡¯</i>

    The problem was, that description could fit anyone or anything. As Yu-Seong contemted this, Eveheim disappeared from his sight.

    Left alone, Yu-Seong scratched his head and shook his head. "Ah, forget it. Maybe I''ll remember himter."

    It was possible that Eveheim wasn''t a character from the original novel, after all. He might simply be a different and unique person.

    "Let''s get back to what I was doing."

    With a shrug, Yu-Seong left the alley and began searching for his party.

 Chapter 184

    <h4>Chapter 184 </h4>

    Yu-Seong thought that most of hispanions, or perhaps all of them, had reached the Tower of Heaven¡¯s 10th floor before him. Thus, as he wandered around, he thought that he mighte across some familiar faces.

    In fact, he was not mistaken.

    "...Huh? Choi Yu-Seong?"

    At a bar that had the atmosphere of bing quite lively after sunset, a man was drinking on the terrace. He recognized Yu-Seong and his eyes widened in surprise.

    "Bernard Yoo?"

    In response, Bernard stood up from his seat with his distinctive bright smile, walked toward Yu-Seong, and hugged him with his arms outstretched. He said, "Wow, how long has it been since west met?"

    Yu-Seong nodded with a smile as Bernard patted his back quite roughly. He replied, "Yeah, it feels like it''s been a while."

    "It''s been almost six months. By the way, are you alone?"

    Next to Bernard was Meghan, who was rxing together with him. She greeted Yu-Seong with a nod and raised her beer ss.

    "What do you think? How about a drink before you go?"

    "I''m actually looking for mypanions right now but..."

    "But?" Bernard, who was sitting slightly apart from Yu-Seong, asked him, "Well, you don''t really have to keep wandering around, do you? You can easily see people passing by from this terrace seat.¡±

    In fact, Yu-Seong also needed a break. He knew that he would likely be busy again once he returned to Earth, so he decided to take the opportunity to enjoy this leisure time.

    ***

    ¡°You¡¯ve made a good choice,¡± said Benard Yoo.

    Yu-Seong ended up joining Bernard and Meghan. He sat on the terrace outside the bar and started to drink beer. Putting down his ss with a bright expression, he eximed, "Ah, it''s so refreshing!¡±

    He had been running non-stop since entering the Tower of Heaven, and this one ss of refreshing drink was something he had missed.

    "They say they preserve the temperature with magic, but I think it tastes even better than Earth beer," Bernard said.

    "I agree," Meghan chimed in.

    "Agreed, agreed. By the way, when did you two arrive on the 10th floor?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "It''s only been three days since we got here. At that time, there weren''t that many people, but there were suddenly so many more the next day,¡± said Bernard.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes twinkled from the unexpected information that Bernard had given.

    <i>''I guess that time didn''t seem to pass that much.''?</i>

    Beside Bernard, Meghan tilted her head at the Dragon Egg in Yu-Seong¡¯s hand. She asked, "May I ask what that is?"

    "Oh, this... Um..." After thinking for a moment, Yu-Seong nodded lightly and replied, "I believe it is a Dragon Egg."

    "Phew-!" Bernard''s eyes grew wide with surprise as he spewed beer into the air. "What? What did you say? A Dragon Egg? That winged creature?"

    "Yes. Actually, I''m pretty certain," Yu-Seong replied.

    "My goodness, where did you even get it?"

    "On the 9th floor. There was a bit of a story behind it."

    "There''s something like a Dragon Egging out of the 9th floor? Well, we have also experienced something simr to a hidden-piece a few times, but..." said Bernard.

    After hearing that, Bernard and Meghan couldn''t hide their surprised reactions. No other emotions but curiosity could be found in their gaze as they continued to look at the egg.

    <i>''If I had to say, it''s curiosity.''?</i>

    Despite knowing the truth, there was no sign of greed or any negative emotions. Yu-Seong couldn''t help but smile as he realized that Bernard and Meghan were also good people.

    <i>''...And that''s why I decided to stay with them.''?</i>

    In truth, carrying the Dragon Egg alone was burdensome for Yu-Seong. The egg was unusuallyrge, attracting unwanted attention. Therefore, it was difficult for him to protect it alone.

    <i>''It''s better to have trustworthy people around.''?</i>

    As Yu-Seong looked to the side with that thought in mind, Bernard asked with widened eyes and a disgusted face, "Why are you smiling at me suddenly?"

    "Just because. Do I need a reason?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    .

    ¡°Maybe it''s because he likes you, Bernard?" suggested Meghan.

    "Between men? Don''t make me shiver, Meghan."

    "Same-sex rtionships are possible too. It''s surprisinglymon. Bernard, you don¡¯t seem to know, but..."

    "Stop. I''m not part of that. Let''s just pretend I didn''t hear anything,¡± said Bernard.

    "I don''t dislike him, but I''m not interested in that either, Meghan," said Yu-Seong.

    At the intense denial of the two, a strange look of disappointment crossed Meghan''s gaze. She said, "It''s not as bad as you think.¡±

    "It doesn''t matter if people love each other, but don¡¯t get me involved," said Bernard.

    ¡°Hm¡­¡±

    After making a strange nasal sound and stroking her chin, Meghan turned to Yu-Seong as if she suddenly remembered something. She asked, "How about with Kim Do-Jin?¡±

    "Well, he''s still the same. We came up here together, but I arrived a littlete."

    "But didn''t he wait for you?" Bernard asked.

    "He''s never been the type to wait," Yu-Seong replied with a smirk as he tipped his beer ss.

    "Come to think of it, he has a pretty selfish personality," Bernardmented.

    "Yes, very mean. I still curse his name when I remember how much trouble he had caused us on the 9th floor," Yu-Seong said with a hint of anger in his voice.

    "Why do you keep hanging out with someone like him? Just cut him off," Bernard suggested.

    "I''m thinking about cutting him off already," Yu-Seong replied with a smirk.

    As they lightly clinked their beer sses, they suddenly felt a heavy presence behind them and heard a voice.

    "...look who''s enjoying themselves by bad mouthing someone behind their back."

    Turning around, Yu-Seong and Bernard spewed their beer into the air.

    ¡°Phew-!¡±

    ¡°Pheww-! Kim Do-Jin?"

    "Disgusting."

    Do-Jin sat down at an empty table nearby, crossed his legs, and stared outside as if he had no connection to the three of them.

    "How did you get here¡­?" Yu-Seong asked urgently.

    Without even ncing at Yu-Seong, Do-Jin called for the owner and ordered a beer.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go up to the 11th floor first?" asked Yu-Seong again.

    Do-Jin, however, still gave no response.

    Bernard watched Do-Jin and raised his eyebrows with his eyes narrowed. Then, he said, "Seems like he''s sulking.¡±

    "Sulking? Really?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "True, it''s not like he would sulk over something as small as talking about him," Bernard exined.

    "Wasn''t it not just talking abotu me, but also talking behind my back?" Do-Jin burst out as he red at Bernard, then he emptied the ss of beer at once.

    Yu-Seong noticed something strange in Do-Jin¡¯s behavior before his eyes widened in surprise. He asked, "Hey, what about your egg...?"

    "My egg hatched. I didn''t expect you to still be carrying the egg. And...the color has changed too," said Do-Jin, ncing at Yu-Seong''s purple egg. Tilting his head in curiosity, he asked, "What exactly happened?"

    "If I answer, you should also tell me why you are here," said Yu-Seong.

    "I¡¯ll think about it if you apologize first."

    "Sorry."

    "..."

    Yu-Seong''s calm apology filled Do-Jin''s eyes with a strange emotion. It was anger, ording to the Character Understanding skill.

    "Why? I apologized as you told me to.¡±

    "The sincerity... Never mind," said Do-Jin. He sighed deeply, rubbed his forehead, and lowered his head. He muttered, "Since when did I be so childish?"

    "You''ve always been childish," Bernard responded.

    "Shut up, Bernard."

    "See? Even a little teasing makes you sensitive."

    Yu-Seong quickly intervened and sat between the two who looked like they were about to explode at any moment. He warned, "If you two really start fighting here, the security guards will catch you. And considering you¡¯re here before me, shouldn''t you know that already?"

    "Hmph, who¡¯s fighting with who?" Do-Jin replied.

    "I never bother fighting with such a childish guy," added Bernard.

    While the two exchanged a few more light arguments as they red at each other, Yu-Seong suddenly thought that the scene was quite familiar to him.

    <i>¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryung.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps the phrase ¡®lovers'' quarrel¡¯ would be more fitting for them. Although, what exactly should he call these two in front of him?

    As Yu-Seong pondered, Meghan snapped him out of his thoughts. Shemented, "Wow, what a hot friendship.¡±

    "Quiet, Meghan!" scolded Bernard.

    "What a noisy woman," muttered Do-Jin.

    Meghan shrugged her shoulders at their intense gazes.

    ***

    It took more than thirty minutes for the two men to cool down. In the meantime, as Yu-Seong silently watched the people passing by on the terrace, other customers started toe into the bar. This was because there were many people who were interested in seeing the group drinking outside.

    "So, why did your egg turn out like that?" Do-Jin asked.

    ¡°Oh, this¡­¡± Yu-Seong pondered for a moment before exining calmly. "A god appeared and gave me some sort of blessing, so the color changed into this.¡±

    "A god appeared in front of you directly?" asked Do-Jin.

    "Yeah," responded Yu-Seong.

    Do-Jin smirked and shook his head side by side. "You''re lying again. Well, I''ll let it slide this time."

    "You never believe me whenever I tell you the truth.¡±

    ¡°I''d rather believe you if you said you made a contract with a demon," said Do-Jin.

    "Don''t demons suit you more than me?" said Yu-Seong.

    "Wait, can I ask a question?" Bernard, who had inserted himself between Yu-Seong and Kim, raised his hand.

    "Say it," said Do-Jin.

    "Did a real Dragon hatch from your egg?" asked Bernard.

    Do-Jin nodded slightly as he tilted his beer ss.

    ¡°Then, where is it?¡±

    "Here," Do-Jin replied briefly as he pointed to his own shoulder.

    "Can¡¯t see anything."

    In response, something ck and shiny about the size of a human head briefly appeared on Do-Jin''s shoulder. Then, it disappeared again.

    "J-Just now..."

    "Antareus, that''s what I named it. Since you guys don''t believe me, I thought I''d show you its appearance for a moment." Do-Jin smirked and scratched the air above his shoulder with his index finger.

    <i>Kiiuuuung-!</i>

    Then, a strange sound came from the empty air.

    "A-Are you saying it''s really a Dragon?" eximed Bernard.

    "It is indeed a Dragon, and it''s impressive that it can use magic despite being born recently,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Do-Jin raised his head with pride at the reactions of Bernard and Yu-Seong, clearly showing how proud he was of the dragon he had obtained.

    <i>¡®But, when will my Dragon be born?¡¯</i>

    Just as he looked at Do-Jin with an envious gaze and ced his hand on the purple Dragon Egg, Yu-Seong felt a sensation of something wriggling and moving from within the egg. The movements were transmitted to the surface.

 Chapter 185

    <h4>Chapter 185 </h4>

    ¡°Huh? I felt something moving inside just now.¡±

    "Really? Is it about to hatch?" Bernard asked with a surprised gaze as he put his hand on the purple Dragon Egg.

    Then, he looked at Yu-Seong with the same surprised expression. He asked, "Hey, I feel it too. Is it just breaking out of its shell right now?"

    "Kim Do-Jin, how was your egg?"

    Do-Jin smirked at Yu-Seong¡¯s urgent expression. Looking at the Dragon Egg, he said, "I also had that feeling, and it did hatch a few days after. But...not immediately. Just before hatching, the surface of the egg will start to crack.¡±

    "Right now, perhaps it''s just responding to our voices?"

    "Probably," Do-Jin lightly answered as he tilted his beer ss once again.

    Yu-Seong and Bernard looked disappointed, disying simr expressions.

    Meghan, who had been watching them with a strange gaze, suddenly asked Do-Jin, "By the way, Mr. Kim Do-Jin, why are you still here?"

    "Oh, that''s right. It¡¯s your turn to answer now."

    Yu-Seong remembered the question he had earlier, which he had forgotten about due to the Dragon Egg.

    When Yu-Seong asked the question, Do-Jin froze for a moment. Only after a short and natural silence did Do-Jin speak while looking out at the terrace and slowly cing his beer ss down on the table. "I had some unfinished business.¡±

    "I don¡¯t believe that," replied Yu-Seong.

    "It''s true. Even if you don¡¯t believe it, believe it. I trusted your lies earlier."

    "I never lied in the first ce." With a smirk, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and asked, "Wait, were you really waiting for me...?"

    "..."

    Silence once again filled the air. It was at that moment when Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin with narrowed eyes, amid the strange vibe. Naturally, his Character Understanding skill allowed him to sense Do-Jin¡¯s feelings.

    <i>¡®Bewilderment and¡­anger? Why would he be angry now?¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seng tilted his head in confusion, Bernard, who was watching from beside them, chuckled and tilted his beer ss. "You can tell at a nce that he was waiting for you, though I have no idea why.¡±

    "Even if I say I wasn¡¯t..." Do-Jin said with a deep sigh

    After ncing at Bernard, Do-Jin shook his head. He showed no interest in continuing the conversation.

    For Yu-Seong, it was better that way. He didn''t want to deal with any unnecessary arguments between the two.

    Speaking of which, why was Meghan sitting back and staying out of the situation? When Yu-Seong met her eyes for a moment, Meghan gave him a yful wink with a strange expression of joy on her face.

    <i>¡®...Why is she so excited?¡¯</i>

    Indeed, the world was full of inexplicable things.

    Entirely lost in thought, they all naturally fell into a deep silence. As they didn''t continue talking, each of them stared outside at the view from the terrace.

    Suddenly, Yu-Seong remembered Eveheim, whom he had encountered on the alley. At that time, he had given up trying to recall the man as his vague memories made it difficult to trace. However, Yu-Seong was sure that Eveheim was definitely not an ordinary person.

    <i>¡®He must be a character from the original novel, who would it be?¡¯</i>

    If he had such a unique aura, he would have been described vividly in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, even though he¡¯s a man, he is very pretty looking.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong remembered Eveheim¡¯s long hair and the decadent darkness he exuded. As he sorted through a few keywords, his gaze began to tremble rapidly.

    <i>¡®Wait, wait a minute. I think...I might know who he is.¡¯</i>

    There was a character, a character that had such a description, in the original novel nowing to his mind.

    <i>¡®The leader of the Demon King Worshipers¡­ Godfather.¡¯</i>

    As heughed bitterly, Yu-Seong unknowingly tilted his beer ss to take a big gulp.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, I looked past that situation too easily. However, he did leave quite a strong impression.¡¯</i>

    This was not like Yu-Seong, who had be more sensitive after going through several crises. The reason was simple.

    <i>¡®It was the Godfather¡¯s Perception Distortion skill.¡¯</i>

    Perception Distortion was one of the Godfather''s signature skills in the original novel, capable of scattering the target''s senses and mind to leave them vulnerable.

    <i>¡®It''s practically a fraud skill, fitting for the ultimate viin of this world.¡¯?</i>

    Depending on the skill level, the Perception Distortion skill could destroy the target in various ways. It could range from making them unrecognizable even when passing by, to clouding their judgment like with Yu-Seong earlier, and even disrupting their senses and mana flow.

    In fact, the Godfather was already considered to be one of the most powerful figures in the world.

    <i>¡®Even though he¡¯s a member of the Demon King Worshipers, the original novel depicted him as possibly being even stronger than the Demon King himself... ¡¯</i>

    With such a fraudulent skill, it was no exaggeration to say that the Godfather was a force to be reckoned with. He was beyond anyone except the main character, Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Also, the Godfather used Korea''s Tower of Heaven in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    There was only one reason for this¡ªhis interest in Kim Do-Jin. Perhaps there was some sort of connection between extremely powerful individuals who transcended normal boundaries.

    Despite not having fully regained his power as a returnee, Godfather''s interest in Do-Jin was enormous.

    <i>¡®ording to the original novel, they were supposed to climb the tower together, but it all fell apart because of me.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had twisted one n, but it seemed like there were no immediate effects to this.

    <i>¡®Perhaps the encounter between the Godfather and I might be one?¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, it was inconceivable for a third-ss viin like Yu-Seong to even have a chance meeting with the Godfather, the King of Evil. However, it was only a small butterfly effect, so it didn¡¯t seem that bad considering the significantly changed history.

    <i>¡®Of course, I should keep a close eye on those...¡¯</i>

    Despite everything that had happened, the Godfather had mentioned repaying Yu-Seong to some extent for his kindness. Needless to say, there was a possibility that it could lead to a positive oue.

    As Yu-Seong harbored such hopeful thoughts, a familiar and friendly face appeared outside the terrace. He called out urgently, "Yoo Jin-Hyuk, Chae Ye-Ryeong!"

    Hearing the urgent call, the two walking side by side turned their heads to look at Yu-Seong. They beamed with a bright smile.

    "Boss!"

    "Yu-Seong hyung!"

    It was a moment when Yu-Seong¡¯s colleagues naturally started to join him.

    ***

    Eveheim, the Godfather, could use his Perception Distortion skill to hide himself, making him nearly imperceptible to most people. However, he did not necessarily use the skill continuously while walking around. There were two reasons for this. Firstly, this ce was not on Earth, but inside the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®I guess it''s still a bit clumsy to operate the skill for now.¡¯</i>

    In order to continuously use powerful skills like Perception Distortion, the Godfather had to constantly consume his mental energy due to the reset phenomenon. The resulting fatigue and stress were not something to be taken lightly. After all, viewed from a broader perspective, if annoyance was the first reason, the second reason was confidence.

    <i>¡®Anyway, it doesn''t matter if they recognize me or not.¡¯</i>

    Eveheim¡¯s appearance definitely attracted attention. Moreover, his small stature and sensuous charm naturally drew people toward him. Therefore, he inevitably got into various situations, but in reality, he believed that he could handle the majority of them alone.

    Even if he had experienced the reset phenomenon, his power was at a level that could not bepared to that of ordinary yers. If they bothered him first just because they thought he was easy to handle, there was only one option¡­

    "Ugh... Just...kill me."

    It was just a few hours ago.

    After escaping with the help of Yu-Seong, one of the giant men had stumbled into an alley. He coughed up blood and begged for help as he was clutching onto the Godfather''s robe with reddened eyes. His lower half had disappeared, and he was soaked in blood as hey on the ground in agony.

    Grabbing onto the end of the Godfather¡¯s trousers, he pleaded, "Please... Just let me die..."

    "If you were lucky enough to survive, shouldn''t you have taken the opportunity to run away?" Eveheim said, casually brushing the man''s hand away.

    The reason behind their deaths was straightforward. Once Yu-Seong had left, those who remained had stumbled upon Eveheim alone, and in a fit of rage, they dragged him into the alley with the intent of resorting to violence.

    From Eveheim''s perspective, it was a legitimate act of self-defense. The unexpected factor was that Eveheim knew exactly how to make a person suffer before they died.

    Eveheim exited the dark alley, leaving behind the man who would have died if left alone. Although he paused for a moment when he heard curses, resentment, and anger-filled voices from behind, they soon faded away. Already, there was a greater weight of hatred on his shoulders.

    <i>¡®There''s nothing to be afraid of.¡¯</i>

    The Godfather smiled coldly as hepletely left the alley.

    Then, a massive man, even bigger than the group of men seen before, blocked Eveheim¡¯s path. His enormous body was possibly bigger than two normal menbined. He also had sharp features all around his face, exuding a stronger, more ominous aura than Eveheim. In fact, he attracted more attention than even Eveheim himself.

    Naturally, some of those who watched the situation smiled somewhat fiercely at Eveheim. Then, they couldn''t help but flinch.

    "How did it go? Were you sessful?" asked the man in a surprisingly cautious manner.

    "No. Unfortunately, things didn''t go as nned," replied Eveheim arrogantly.

    Eveheim, who looked way weaker than the man, walked along the street naturally. The man who had just joined Eveheim naturally followed beside him.

    "That would be a shame. You have gone all the way to Korea just for that guy, Kim Do-Jin..."

    "Well, I did gain something, Jackson.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­?¡±

    ¡°I met Choi Yu-Seong," Eveheim said, mentioning the name that caused Jackson''srge eyes to sparkle.

    "Is he the next candidate after Kim Do-Jin? He seems to have some useful talent," Jackson asked curiously.

    "We''ll have to watch him a little longer, but he seems rather intriguing," replied Eveheim.

    "Usually, when you call someone intriguing, it¡¯s meant as apliment," Jackson remarked.

    ¡°And you seem to have more wounds than before.¡±

    "Hahaha-! This reset phenomenon isn''t so bad. It feels like I''m really using my body again."

    As Jacksonughed heartily, Eveheim smiled wryly. Then, a blond woman leaning against a building on the other side of the vige caught Eveheim''s eye. She seemed somewhat provocative in her red dress, but when her gaze met Eveheim''s, she naturally approached them and greeted them with a raised hand.

    "Oh my, Godfather. We met sooner than I thought. Hello, Jackson," said the woman.

    "Talia."

    The two people were only the start; soon, others began to gather around them. Before they knew it, six people had formed a hexagonal shape around Eveheim as if they were escorting him.

    If anyone who knew their faces had seen them, they would have recoiled in horror. The six Hexagram Masters, the true rulers of the Demon King Worshipers, had entered the Tower of Heaven.

    As they all walked together, along with Eveheim, Talia, the second woman to join them, suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Godfather, I heard an interesting rumor. They say there''s a Dragon Egg on the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven.¡±

    Naturally, at the mention of such a keyword, everyone, including Eveheim and the other five Hexagram Masters, turned their heads to look at Talia. They were unable to hide their interest.

 Chapter 186

    <h4>Chapter 186 </h4>

    "Dragon Egg?"

    His eyes widening in surprise, Jackson, who had a massive build, raised his voice.

    "Shh, what if someone hears us¡­?" said a young man with a small stature and a frail body who quickly scanned his surroundings.

    "So what if they do hear us? Do you think they''llpete with me?" said Jackson, snorting arrogantly and looking around with pride.

    Sure enough, no one dared to meet Jackson¡¯s gaze. Even though they had all experienced the reset phenomenon and were limited in their abilities within the Tower, Jackson''s powerful aura remained unchanged.

    In fact, he seemed even more wild and untamed than he did outside the Tower. It was only natural that most people wouldn''t even dare to meet his gaze.

    "What should we do, Godfather? If you give the order, I''ll go and take it right away," Jackson asked.

    With a hint of hesitation on his face for a moment, Eveheim smiled and shook his head. "A Dragon Egg... I''m not saying that I''m not interested, but let''s give up on that for now.¡±

    All six Hexagram Masters had their eyes wide in surprise. They knew that their boss was someone who always had a strong desire to obtain anything he wanted. In the past, there was nothing that Eveheim had expressed a desire for and not been able to obtain. Therefore, the fact that he was willing to give up on something was highly unusual and unexpected.

    "I know who has the Dragon Egg, or at least I have an idea regarding that," said Eveheim.

    "Is it...Choi Yu-Seong?" Jackson asked.

    Eveheim smiled strangely and nodded to Jackson¡¯s question.

    "Do you mean Choi Yu-Seong has the Dragon Egg? Is he someone we should be wary of?" Talia asked in surprise.

    Jackson smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "He''s someone we need to be cautious of and someone we''re considering recruiting. Anyway, we need to start preparing for the next ck King soon¡­"

    "Is it already time to rece the ck King?¡±

    "There have been a lot of rumorstely."

    "Come to think of it, that woman, Rachel..."

    "That''s enough."

    All of a sudden, the six Hexagram Masters who had been causing the earliermotion fell silent with their mouths tightly shut. Despite everything, Eveheim was the absolute ruler within the Demon King Worshipers. Thus, no one wanted to deny Eveheim.

    "It''s not a topic that we need to keep secret, but perhaps we''ve already said too much. So, Godfather, are you really nning to give up on the Dragon Egg?"

    After all, the Dragon Egg was something beyond ordinary. Talia, who was quite disappointed that they were giving up, asked the question again. However, Eveheim never wavered from his decision.

    "Sometimes, it''s important to repay your debts to those who have helped you, and that requires knowing how to control your own desires," Eveheim said.

    Eveheim then turned his gaze toward a small tavern in the distance. People were gathered there. As he examined their faces, a smile formed on his lips.

    <i>¡®Hm, Korea¡­¡¯</i>

    It seemed like there were more and more reasons for him to stay and not leave Korea for a while.

    ***

    Yu-Seong''s group, including Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong, was soon joined by Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon within an hour. As more people gathered, Do-Jin, who had already seemed somewhat distant, got up from his seat with a cold expression and quickly disappeared.

    <i>¡®But perhaps he''ll still be nearby after all¡­¡¯</i>

    In any case, neither Yu-Seong nor anyone else bothered to catch Do-Jin since his face clearly showed his difort and unease.

    <i>¡®That''s the nature of individualism in a main character.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seongughed inwardly as he spent the night drinking with hispanions, Bernard and Meghan, before bustling around busily from early morning.

    <i>¡®We need to open the gate to return to Earth.¡¯</i>

    In the first ce, opening the Dimensional Gate to return from the 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven to Earth was not difficult. It was not opened simply because no one had tried. All they had to do was press a hidden button on the fountain in the center of the city.

    With such a simple act, Yu-Seong opened the huge blue Dimensional Gate. Hispanions watched him with twinkling eyes.

    "Wow..."

    "As expected, Yu-Seong hyung is amazing."

    Yu-Seong simply shrugged at the admiration from Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk.

    <The 10th floor of the Tower of Heaven>

    1. You are the first one to open the Dimensional Gate to return to Earth.

    2. Special reward is given: Emergency Return will now be avable to you immediately.

    A new hidden-piece that Yu-Seong was not aware of had been opened.

    <i>¡®Huh? Emergency Return?¡¯</i>

    In fact, the ability was simple.

    <i>¡®At any time, I can open a Dimensional Gate to return to Earth from anywhere. The reuse waiting time is one year¡­¡¯</i>

    It could be used only once a year, but he could return to Earth from any point, not just from a return point. This was clearly an unexpected benefit.

    <i>¡®This is indeed a surprising gain.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but smile as he looked at hispanions¡¯ happy faces.

    When he had told them that they could return to Earth from the 10th floor, they had all been excited. It was easy to understand why. Growing within the Tower of Heaven was mysteriously satisfying, but staying there without being able to go home could be tiring. It was like constantly staying inside a dungeon, but finally, the gate to return had opened.

    "Then, shall we go back home now?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Then, the group turned their heads toward him and then threw themselves toward the gate to return to Earth with Yu-Seong in the lead.

    <i>¡®This is just the beginning.¡¯?</i>

    Many people would return to Earth, and a lot would change. At this point, curiosity began to take hold of Yu-Seong¡¯s mind.

    <i>¡®How will my father deal with this?¡¯?</i>

    The original novel¡¯s Choi Woo-Jae did not get to experience this situation.

    <i>''Since he died before the Tower of Heaven opened.''?</i>

    The Tower of Heaven had opened earlier than originally nned, so it would indeed bring many changes. At this point, Yu-Seong had no choice but to make one decision.

    <i>¡®I would have thought it wasn''t the right time, but...I have to meet her.¡¯?</i>

    Making up his mind, Yu-Seong closed his eyes and opened them again to find himself in the middle of a street in Myeongdong, Seoul.

    ***

    The stories of the returnees from the Tower of Heaven to Earth had recently be the hottest issue. Many people felt curious about the sudden appearance of the Tower and the vanished gods, wondering what had happened inside and what could be gained or lost.

    At this point, most of the information had been given by Yu-Seong himself.

    <i>¡®The contents up to the 10th floor of the Tower will be revealed soon anyway.¡¯?</i>

    In addition, he had slowly uncovered some hidden-pieces that he considered to have little use. Naturally, the price of information increased significantly when it was rare. Therefore, unbeknownst to Choi Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong had earned a considerable amount of money.

    <i>¡®The more money, the better.¡¯?</i>

    The more money he had, the more he could do at once. For example, Yu-Seong had started investing more money in Yu-Ri''s Hidden Team to expand its scale.

    <i>¡®Simply gathering information and engaging in small-scalebat won''t be enough.¡¯</i>

    There might be bigger fights in the future. That was why Yu-Seong decided to invest a lot of money in the Hidden Team, who were working solely for him and not for Choi Woo-Jae. They definitely returned the money he poured in, and obviously the more money he put in, the higher the returns would be. Yu-Seong didn''t doubt it.

    In the meantime, he made an effort tobine the power he had gained in the Tower of Heaven with his abilities on Earth. Sometimes, he paid attention to the Dragon Egg, hoping that it would hatch soon. However, unlike Do-Jin''s prediction that it wouldn''t take long, the egg remained quiet and unresponsive.

    Also, at this point, Do-Jin''s guild, Eclipse, dered full-scale activity. Simr to Yu-Seong, it seemed that Do-Jin had also gathered quite a bit of funds.

    After about a week had passed, Woo-Jae called for Yu-Seong, as always, to the same quiet and dimly lit office. Although, Yu-Seong felt a different feeling from usual as he entered the office.

    <i>¡®It''s a space that remains associated with a really scary memory, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Somehow, he couldn''t help but feel cozy in this space.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, is it because Father isn''t here?¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae hadn''t arrived yet. Yu-Seong had permission toe in first, but the feeling of an office without Woo-Jae was quite awkward and strange.

    <i>¡®Also, surprisingly, the light is quite good here¡­¡¯</i>

    Sunlight poured into the room through the window, which had been partially blocked by Woo-Jae''s small yet broad back before. Was that the reason? Yu-Seong picked up books from the bookshelf in the office, reading them quite naturally.

    Soon, the office door opened and Woo-Jae walked in. Startled, Yu-Seong quickly put the books back on the shelf, and Woo-Jae asked with a smile, "What were you reading?"

    "Ah, the title of the book is... The Devil''s Deal..."

    "It''s a pretty good book. It''ll be helpful in running thepany. Take it."

    "What?"

    "I''ve memorized everything anyway, so I don''t need it."

    Woo-Jae sat in his usual spot, smiling wryly as he turned his back to the sun. At that moment, Yu-Seong felt a darkness settling into what had previously seemed quite bright.

    <i>¡®As expected¡­ Does this ce have its own unique vibe only when Father is here?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but smile slightly, but he also unconsciously tensed up and lowered his head shortly.

    "Thank you, I''ll read it well," Yu-Seong replied.

    "If you have any other books you want to read in the future, feel free to take them. I''ll allow you toe in here even when I''m not around."

    "...Pardon?"

    "Why, don''t you like my gift?"

    ¡°Of¡­Of course I like it.¡±

    Rather, Yu-Seong was very happy with the gift. It was because of what had been written in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Choi Woo-Jae hides some really important things in this office...''?</i>

    While there were some ordinary management books among the books on the bookshelf that Yu-Seong had picked up, there were many more extraordinary things, such as the bribery list of politicians, the scandals and secrets of entertainers, and even the weaknesses of thepany''s executives! It could be said that there were more precious things in this office than any other ancient relics.

    <i>¡®These are truly treasures that can be called the power of a Comet Group...¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s eyes brightened as he unknowingly looked around the office.

    Woo-Jae flipped through a report on his desk and asked casually with a smirk, "Still, you got quite a lot by going to the Tower of Heaven, didn''t you?"

    "Oh, yes. I think it was a pretty good experience."

    "It seems like it. Just looking at your momentum, it seems like you¡¯re at the same level as a decent A-rank hunter. You''re a B-rank hunter now, right?"

    "...yes."

    "It¡¯s interesting. Many studies have been conducted on how to break the limits of a yer, but there has never been an exact result. Although, it is quitemon in exceptional individuals known as Irregrs..." Woo-Jae quickly flipped the report he was looking at and smirked as he met Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze. "I''ve never seen anyone with your ability grow so quickly, Yu-Seong..."

    "You tter me," responded Yu-Seong.

    "Don''t try to be too humble. Your abilities continue to exceed my expectations¡­and the information you obtained from the Tower of Heaven has certainly earned you a lot of money," said Woo-Jae.

    Perhaps the report that Woo-Jae had been reading was rted to Yu-Seong.

    "Oh, yes. I thought that if information could be turned into money, it would be best to sell anything I didn''t need as soon as possible."

    Yu-Seong nodded slightly, as he knew that he couldn''t hide this piece of information from the beginning.

    "And that money is now flowing out to a ce where I can''t track it through a Swiss bank ount..."

    "...¡±

    Woo-Jae was talking about the funds going to the Hidden Team. In fact, it was a considerable amount of money moving around. There was no way to avoid getting caught at this point, no matter how careful Yu-Seong was.

    <i>''But I thought I could hold out a little longer...''?</i>

    Woo-Jae had found out faster than Yu-Seong expected. It was at this point that Yu-Seong was quietly worrying about Woo-Jae''s reaction to the unexpected situation.

    "Excellent. You truly are my son. The Choi family should at least be capable of this, shouldn''t they?" Woo-Jae looked at Yu-Seong with a pleased smile.

 Chapter 187

    <h4>Chapter 187 </h4>

    Yu-Seong''s expression momentarily froze at Woo-Jae''s unexpected reaction. He had only shown that expression for a mere moment, but he knew that Woo-Jae had caught his changed reaction.

    "Why? Did you think I would scold you or something?" Woo-Jae asked.

    "...no," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Well, I can tell just by looking at your expression. Even though you''re all different in your own ways, my children all have simr traits. Haha¡­¡±

    Would that be apliment or an insult? Yu-Seong couldn''t tell what Woo-Jae meant by his words.

    "Can you drink?" Woo-Jae suddenly asked.

    Yu-Seong was surprised by the sudden question.

    <i>¡®Drinking, all of a sudden?¡¯</i>

    One after another, Woo-Jae made unexpected offers that left Yu-Seong feeling astonished. However, Yu-Seong managed to keep his calm.

    "I''ve been living quietly these days, but I used to be the troublemaker of the family, no?"

    "So...?" Woo-Jae asked.

    "...I''ve had my fair share of days where I drank too much and ended up causing trouble," Yu-Seong admitted.

    Even if that memory wasn''t truly his own, Yu-Seong had undoubtedly participated in manypany dinners during his time as a gamepany employee. During those situations, excessive drinking of soju was the norm. Therefore, he had no reason to worry about being weak at drinking in any ce.

    "That was just a result of getting drunk. What I meant by my question was whether you know how to enjoy it," Woo-Jae asked again.

    "Oh¡­ Roughly I do," Yu-Seong said.

    "You should learn a little. You''ll need it in the future. Wine, whiskey, cognac¡­ It would be good to know about tea as well. You''ll have to meet a lot of people who enjoy these things when you be Vice President next year. You should start preparing for that now."

    "I understand," Yu-Seong said.

    Woo-Jae was already thinking that Yu-Seong would achieve the goal he had set for him by next year.

    Yu-Seong tensed up at the realization. He knew that he couldn''t afford to make a mistake while Woo-Jae trusted him so much.

    "You are the third child who seeded by earning money behind my back without being caught. I know that you are all using it for your own secret organizations or to increase your funds. And I''ve never scolded any of the others. I''ve only praised them, but remember this," Woo-Jae said, leaning forward with a sly smile. "Make sure you never get caught. Even if it''s my child''s, I have a habit of getting greedy for delicious food¡­¡±

    "...I''ll remember that," Yu-Seong replied with a quavering voice.

    Woo-Jae smirked and shed a subtle smile, then said, "That aside, there''s something you need to do.¡±

    "Something I need to do?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Take this first," Woo-Jae said as he handed Yu-Seong a document.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise as he read the title. ¡°Dungeon special ess pass¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong''s restrictions on entering dungeons, which were imposed on all yers in Korea except for Kim Do-Jin, had been lifted.

    "Unlike the temporary pass you received before, this is permanent. You can also include two more colleagues. It''s what you''ve been hoping for," Woo-Jae said.

    "Thank you!" Yu-Seong immediately bowed his head in gratitude.

    Although the ess pass could be immediately taken away if Yu-Seong caused an ident in a low-grade dungeon, it was a type that could be used permanently. With this, Yu-Seong''s range of activities had expanded.

    As Yu-Seong''s face was filled with excitement, Woo-Jae let out a sinister chuckle. He said, "Recently, two new dungeons have appeared in Incheon Songdo and Busan Port. Both are ranked 6th and 7th, respectively.¡±

    Yu-Seong''s gaze instinctively shifted toward Woo-Jae''s face, unable to discern his intentions. However, one thing was clear:

    ¡°So, clearing one of those dungeons would significantly boost the Comet Guild¡¯s reputation, given that I am a B-rank member,¡± stated Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Yes, that essentially means aplishing the mission I had tasked you toplete by next year,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    Woo-Jae''s task for Yu-Seong was to achieve A-rank by next year. Officially, the 6th grade dungeon was practically impossible to clear unless one was an A-rank hunter, so it was not wrong to state such a im.

    Yu-Seong thought for a moment. There were two ways to approach this.

    <i>¡®The 6th ranked dungeon could be cleared rtively easily, even with only Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong thought it would be quite straightforward. It was because he believed that the power of the three people who had juste out of the Tower of Heaven was on a much higher level than an average A-rank hunter.

    Ultimately, there was only one way to leave a strong impression in a Rank 6 dungeon.

    <i>¡®To clear it solo, alone.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong would have to solo clear the dungeon like the dungeon racing event. It would also be at a new dungeon with no information avable, so a solo clear would attract even more attention.

    <i>¡®It''s a dungeon that appeared in Pyeongtaek and Busan. At this point... I''ll have to go in and see, but I can roughly predict it.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong was quite confident in clearing the Rank 6 dungeon by himself. However, the important thing here was that clearing the Rank 7 dungeon with three people would attract more attention.

    <i>¡®Since the difficulty level increases significantly every three ranks of the dungeons.¡¯</i>

    In other words, up to the Rank 6, skilled A-rank hunters could clear the dungeons somehow. However, the Rank 7 dungeon waspletely different.

    Based on the criteria of a new dungeon that had no information, it was considered necessary to have at least two S-rank hunters in order to clear it reliably. Moreover, even if they managed to clear it cleanly, any casualties in this circumstance would be a loss for the nation. Ultimately, Woo-Jae was bringing this up as a test.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a choice between the easy path or the difficult path.¡¯</i>

    With those choices given, Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae looked directly at each other.

    "The second child will take the path that you do not choose," said Woo-Jae.

    If it were Mi-Na, she could easily clear even a Rank 7 dungeon. After all, she ranked at the very top among S-rank hunters. Ultimately, the most stable choice was for Yu-Seong to choose the Rank 6 dungeon, and for Mi-Na to enter the Rank 7 dungeon.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong made a choice.

    "I''ll choose the Rank 7 dungeon."

    "Why?"

    "Because Ick confidence," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Huh...?"

    Woo-Jae was taken aback by Yu-Seong''s response, which echoed a statement that he had read in an interview during Yu-Seong''s early yer''s examination.

    "Ick confidence in failing either choice, so I have decided to challenge the Rank 7 dungeon to make an even greater impact."

    "What? Hahaha-!"

    "Isn''t this better for you too, Father? Rather than a powerful S-rank hunter showing overwhelming strength, it''s more exciting for the B-ranked rascal to turn the tables in a magnificent way. It will be a hot topic."

    "Of course!" Woo-Jae shouted loudly as he looked at Yu-Seong with glittering eyes. "Now, I''m starting to look forward to how far you can go, my son."

    For Yu-Seong, it was the first time he had heard the words ¡®<i>my son</i>¡¯ from Woo-Jae.

    ***

    After Yu-Seong left the office, Pil-Doo strolled out slowly from the tightly packed bookshelves. Looking at the man who just appeared, Woo-Jae asked, ¡°What do you think? He seems to be making me prouder and prouder, doesn''t he?¡±

    In front of Yu-Seong, Woo-Jae would try toe across as strict, serious, and intimidating¡ªa typical grown-up. However, when Pil-Doo appeared in the room, Woo-Jae dropped his facade and revealed his true colors.

    While Pil-Doo watched him, Woo-Jae tried hard to be careful not to speak thoughtlessly.

    <i>¡®The Chairman''s character is clearly not consistent with this behavior.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae had always been a strict and imposing figure, even when his children were performing well. However, he seemed to treat Yu-Seong with a slightly softer approach.

    Of course, Pil-Doo could easily guess the reason. Yu-Seong''s mother had died, and Yu-Seong was in a more difficult situation than his other siblings. However, he was still achieving great things while growing rapidly. In fact, even Pil-Doo found it difficult to deny Yu-Seong¡¯s true potential.

    "...It''s not good to focus too much on one side," said Pil-Doo.

    He offered this advice with difficulty, causing Woo-Jae to stare at him with surprise.

    ¡°Secretary Kim, you''re also considering Yu-Seong as the potential next Chairman, aren''t you?" asked Woo-Jae.

    Initially, Pil-Doo had regarded Yu-Seong as just a child, and even though he had tried to change his perception recently, the gap between Yu-Seong and his older siblings was already too significant. How could he possibly wake up and continue down the same path, just like a dragon who was once lying down and hiding its strength before?

    <i>¡®During his early years, Zhuge Liang was just learning to spread his wings and take flight in the world.¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong was different. He had shown too many mistakes to be considered a hiding dragon, and he had lost too much from his mistakes. Pil-Doo believed that, no matter how things turned out good, Yu-Seong would only be exhausting himself by attempting to imitate those who were superior to him.

    But the more Pil-Doo watched Yu-Seong, the more he seemed to be doing quite well, and now he was slowly soaring toward the sky. In other words, Yu-Seong had begun to enter the line of the next Chairman candidate, as perceived by Woo-Jae. And even Pil-Doo was finding it hard to deny this fact.

    "That''s why I''m worried. It seems like I¡¯ve already lost in the bet with you," said Pil-Doo.

    How should he say this? As he pondered, Woo-Jae mmed his desk again and burst outughing. He said, "You''re not admitting defeat so easily, are you? Looks like there''s no way out this time?"

    ¡°...¡± Pil-Doo sighed without saying a word.

    At first, he couldn''t have imagined that simply betting with Woo-Jae on whether or not he would follow Yu-Seong would lead to this oue.

    However, before long, Pil-Doo would find himself assisting both Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae. It was like giving new wings to a tiger that had already started to fly. Perhaps then even Mi-Na would be threatened by Yu-Seong.

    Actually, to be exact, Mi-Na would surely be surpassed by him. The reason was simple:

    <i>¡®Since the Second Miss has no interest in taking over the Chairman position.¡¯</i>

    Yet, despite this, Mi-Na''s involvement inpany affairs was driven by abination of Woo-Jae''s stubbornness and the fault of In-Young, to some extent. Strangely, Mi-Na was opposed to even considering In-Young for the Chairman position. However, it was different if it was Yu-Seong. Therefore, the ultimate opponent that Yu-Seong had to ovee would be In-Young.

    In-Young''s strength was different from Mi-Na''s. Despite seeming like she was fighting alone, she actually had ess to powerful support from her maternal side of the family, which was not widely known. Additionally, she possessed a strong and tenacious personality. Even Pil-Doo felt distinctly fearful of fighting against In-Young.

    "Don''t think I''m too biased. Unlike his siblings, Yu-Seong doesn''t have any maternal rtives," said Woo-Jae.

    ¡°But you said his innate ability is the best among all," said Pil-Doo.

    "That is what''s interesting. Hehe..." Woo-Jae stroked his short beard and looked out the window.

    "I always wondered when that ability would bloom, but it seems like it''s finally starting to bloom properly now. Yes, other children have secretly embezzled money from me before, but that was only possible because they relied on the power of their maternal rtives. But Choi Yu-Seong did it all by himself,¡± said Woo-Jae.

    "It must be thanks to the capable people who helped him," said Pil-Doo.

    "But isn''t it important who gathered those capable individuals?"

    "You''re right."

    Pil-Doo no longer denied Yu-Seong. He had worried before, but if Yu-Seong were to be the Chairman in such a situation, wouldn''t that also be fate?

    <i>¡®It also means it''s time for me to give up my ambitions.¡¯</i>

    As Pil-Doo''s gaze turned to Woo-Jae with a sense of shame, he suddenly looked out the window, mirroring Woo-Jae''s gaze. Then, he looked at Woo-Jae with a surprised expression.

    In front of Yu-Seong, who had just opened the front door, stood In-Young. It was as if fate had brought them together.

    "Did you call her?" asked Pil-Doo.

    Woo-Jae nodded calmly. "Haven''t they not seen each other''s faces in a long time? As they are rivals who mustpete for this position in the future, it''s time to recognize each other."

    As Woo-Jae smirked, a cold chill shed across his eyes. Although he cared for Yu-Seong deeply, he was not willing to relinquish his position as the representative of the Comet Group easily.

    <i>¡®Father Woo-Jae and the Chairman of the Comet Group are entirely different individuals.¡¯</i>

    Pil-Doo thought to himself as he watched the scene unfold, feeling a mixture of fresh emotions.

    1. Zhuge Liang was a famous figure in Chinese history who lived during the Three Kingdoms period. He was a renowned military strategist, statesman, and inventor known for his intelligence, wisdom, and resourcefulness. People often use his name as a reference orparison to describe someone who has simr traits or aplishments.

 Chapter 188

    <h4>Chapter 188 </h4>

    After leaving Woo-Jae''s office, Yu-Seong descended the stairs and was shocked by the woman he saw in front of him.

    <i>¡®Choi In-Young?¡¯</i>

    He initially wondered what the woman¡¯s intentions were. Given In-Young''s notorious and malevolent personality in the original novel, Yu-Seong felt tense for a moment just from remembering it.

    <i>¡®But...I don''t think she expected to meet me here either.¡¯</i>

    In-Young''s gaze was equally guarded and suspicious as she looked at Yu-Seong. If she had no ulterior motives for showing up here, it was clear why the situation had arisen.

    <i>¡®Father must have nned this.¡¯</i>

    The two exchanged a cautious nce, taking in each other''s presence amidst the palpable tension.

    In-Young slowly ascended the stairs. She was smiling as she extended her hand toward Yu-Seong, who was standing in front of her. "It''s been a while, Yu-Seong.¡±

    "Yes, I haven''t seen you in a long time, In-Young noo-nim," Yu-Seong replied as he shook her hand lightly.

    In-Young¡¯s smile seemingly reached her eyes. "It seems like you''ve grown a lot since then. You used to look up to me, but now you seem taller than me."

    "Really? I always thought I was taller than you..." said Yu-Seong with a slight smile, his gaze trailing down to In-Young''s high heels. He then joked, "Maybe it''s because you often wear high heels that you made that mistake.¡±

    "Oh, is that so?" In-Young replied indifferently as her eyes shed with a red energy.

    When In-Young let go of his hand, Yu-Seong suddenly felt a slight dizziness. He quickly shook his head to dispel the strange difort he was feeling. When he looked back up, In-Young had already walked past him and was waving her hand casually as if nothing had happened.

    "Take care, let''s have a meal next time. After all, we''re still family."

    As the woman opened therge door and disappeared further into the house, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel a sense of wariness toward her. Looking at her walking away, he nodded lightly and replied, "Good, let''s schedule a time soon."

    He had no intention of backing down.

    ***

    As In-Young walked into the house, leaving Yu-Seong behind, one of the household staff, Park Na-Rae, immediately followed her. Na-Rae was the only one supporting In-Young in Woo-Jae¡¯s house.

    "The Chairman is in his study. Should I contact him right away?" Na-Rae asked.

    "It''s fine. He probably already knows. By the way, when did he call Yu-Seong?" said In-Young.

    "It was just over an hour ago."

    "So they talked the whole time?"

    "No, ma''am. The Chairman had some business to attend to and left the study for a while, so Young Master Yu-Seong was alone there for about thirty minutes."

    "Yu-Seong was alone in the study? Did Father just leave him there?"

    Na-Rae flinched at In-Young''s sharp gaze and lowered her head. She said softly, "I apologize. It was hard to get ess to all the information¡­ But I didn''t hear anymotion from inside."

    "If that''s the case, then it must have been intentional. And also, the timing of this meeting¡­¡± In-Young slowed her pace deliberately as she walked further into the house, her expression bing more stern. She muttered, "Yu-Seong is climbing up faster than expected... It is to the point where I''m starting to worry about him more than Mi-Na unni...?"

    Yu-Seong''s sudden rise in power and confidence was surprising, as it was very different from before. However, it was also understandable. He had undergone significant changes recently and was even receiving the full attention and favor of Chairman Choi Woo-Jae.

    It was like witnessing the unstoppable momentum of a person, and the timing couldn''t have been more perfect. However, there was one thing that bothered In-Young.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure I applied my Charm skill to him.¡¯</i>

    Her Charm skill was one of her representative abilities, with infinite uses ranging from seduction to obedience. It could even cause someone to lose their senses. She had wanted Yu-Seong to be obedient, which was why he had almost lost his bnce on the stairs.

    <i>¡®But he didn''t kneel in the end.¡¯</i>

    In-Young had expected to snort at the sight of Yu-Seong copsing on the stairs as she left. However, he had only staggered a bit before quickly regaining hisposure and calmly meeting her gaze. It was as if he knew that the Charm skill had been applied to him.

    "If you''re worried, it''s best to do whatever it takes to get rid of him..." said Na-Rae.

    "It''s easier said than done. He''s under too much scrutiny right now. Father and Mi-Na unni are constantly watching him. Whatever we do now will not end well. But we still have to get things done. After I enter Father¡¯s study, call this number and find out in detail what Yu-Seong obtained in the Tower of Heaven.¡±

    In-Young thought that the reason her Charm skill had been discovered was because Yu-Seong had gained some kind of special ability from the Tower of Heaven.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am."

    "Oh, and one more thing. I''m nning to enter the Tower of Heaven too. Clear a good day for me," In-Young said.

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll make that happen,¡± responded Na-Rae.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said In-Young, smiling mischievously and use her Charm skill on Na-Rae.

    Na-Rae trembled and blushed as soon as In-Young''s eyes shed red. She unconsciously twisted her body, unsure of which way to turn.

    Meanwhile, In-Young turned her head toward Na-Rae. She looked at her with a cold gaze, just like a venomous snake.

    <i>¡®As expected, there''s no problem with my skill. That means it must have been Yu-Seong who did something. It''s ridiculous. I thought he was just a small fish, but he''s a shark, after all.¡¯?</i>

    The image of Woo-Jae, the terrifying master of the household, came to In-Young''s mind, but she forced herself to smile and hide her true emotions.

    <i>¡®I''ll be the one to sit in that seat, Father.¡¯</i>

    She had no intention of backing down, for she had already passed the point of no return.

    ***

    The morning after visiting Woo-Jae''s house, Yu-Seong finished his morning training and looked at Yu-Ri, who was always waiting for him in front of his house. He said, "You don''t have toe out here to wait for me every time. It''s not necessary.¡±

    "I enjoy it,¡± replied Yu-Ri as she handed him a towel.

    Yu-Seong chuckled as he used the towel to wipe away his sweat.

    "By the way, regarding what you asked me to find out yesterday,¡± she said.

    ¡°About In-Young noo-nim?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    "Have you found something already?¡±

    "No, they couldn''t find anything. There¡¯s no trace of the Fifth Young Miss'' blood anywhere, not even in the dungeon. It''s said that not a single drop of blood was spilled."

    "...I see." Yu-Seong frowned briefly and sighed.

    When he met In-Young the day before, he had smelled a familiar odor of blood from her. Feeling suspicious, he had then immediately contacted Yu-Ri to investigate it.

    <i>¡®This smell of blood. I think I previously smelled it in Pyongyang.¡¯</i>

    The smell had reminded him of Emilia, one of the Twelve Dark Kings who had turned out to be a vampire, one of the non-human races.

    But why did he smell a scent simr to Emilia''s blood on In-Young? It could have been a simple mistake, but there were too many suspicious points to overlook, so he had requested an investigation. However, the result stated that there was no trace of blood at all.

    For upper-level vampires, it was easiest to distinguish their bloodline by analyzing their DNA.

    <i>¡®But lower-level vampires can''t hide when they are exposed to sunlight¡­¡¯</i>

    On the contrary, upper-level vampires were not afraid of sunlight or religion. Thus, the easiest way to distinguish them from humans was through their blood structure.

    <i>¡®It''s a shame that the original novel only covered Choi In-Young''s story briefly.¡¯</i>

    The original novel mainly focused on Do-Jin''s story. As a reader, Yu-Seong hadn''t really cared about the stories of other supporting characters. However, now that he was inside the novel, he found it very inconvenient. There weren''t many stories in the novel that were directly rted to the Choi family, except for Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae. That was why there wasn''t much interest in In-Young''s true identity from Do-Jin''s perspective.

    <i>¡®Furthermore, Choi In-Young was killed by Choi Mi-Na in the middle of the story.¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, In-Young had been a character who didn''t y a big role. However, the fact that In-Young was on the same level as Mi-Na and almost became the head of thepany was something that needed to be taken into consideration.

    "Okay, let''s put that aside for now... By the way, could you please bring me some water and my phone?" Yu-Seong asked Yu-Ri.

    "Here you go," said Yu-Ri, handing him the items.

    Yu-Seong drank the water before sending a message to Mi-Na, asking her to contact him when she had time.

    <i>¡®If In-Young is really a vampire...then I can¡¯t resolve the situation alone.¡¯</i>

    It could turn into an incident that could overturn the country''s fate, considering the fact that a vampire, a blood-sucking race, was living at the center of a powerful conglomerate that yed a certain role in the country''s rise and fall.

    <i>¡®I wonder if Father knows about this... If she is really a vampire.¡¯</i>

    With a small doubt in his mind, Yu-Seong left a message for Ji-Ho, his eldest brother. Then, he went into the shower room without expecting a reply as it was early in the morning.

    <i>¡®And I better start looking for a way to save Ji-Ho hyung-nim.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Ji-Ho was too valuable a character to simply let him die in vain. In many ways, there was nothingcking in his talent, ability, or character.

    Originally, Yu-Seong thought there was no way to save Ji-Ho¡¯s life. However, with the opening of the Tower of Heaven, the situation had changed slightly.

    <i>¡®I can get that Elixir on the 20th floor of the Tower of Heaven.¡¯</i>

    The Elixir was a legendary potion that could cure any incurable disease, something that would only appear in fantasy novels. However, it had also appeared in the original novel, [Modern Master Returns].

    <i>¡®Originally, it was used to save Baek Ah-Rin, a colleague who was dying from overuse of energy by Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, there was no need to use a whole bottle of Elixir to treat injuries. The original novel had even described Kim Do-Jin using it excessively.

    <i>¡®We can share it.¡¯</i>

    It would be okay even if Ji-Ho didn''t fully recover. If he could prolong his predetermined lifespan, that alone was satisfactory.

    <i>¡®And Helen in Pyongyang¡­¡¯</i>

    By next year, Yu-Seong would be able to reach A-rank like Woo-Jae had said. He was already stronger than most A-rank hunters. Thus, if he actually became an A-rank yer, he would have powerparable to S-rank.

    <i>¡®But to be stable, I¡¯ll still have to be S-rank.¡¯</i>

    He had to go and rescue Helen. After all, she had sacrificed herself in thend of death to save Yu-Seong and Do-Jin. How could he forget that?

    <i>¡®I have a lot of homework to do¡­¡¯</i>

    As he washed and tidied up, Yu-Seong realized that there was so much to do in this world that he had thought was just a novel. It was clear evidence that he was gradually bing more and more integrated into this world.

 Chapter 189

    <h4>Chapter 189 </h4>

    After finishing his shower, Yu-Seong''s first task was to check on the Dragon Egg that he had carefully ced in a corner of his room.

    <i>¡®I never thought I would meet Loki in the Tower of Heaven.¡¯</i>

    If the egg hadn''t been right in front of him, Yu-Seong might have thought it had all been a dream. However, when he looked at the mysterious purple Dragon Egg, he could feel that this dream-like event had been very real.

    "It''s so quiet even though Do-Jin said it¡¯s about to hatch,¡± Yu-Seong mumbled to himself as he stroked the somewhat feisty Dragon Egg. "I heard that Kim Do-Jin is going to do some sort of joint training with the Dragon... He''s probably going to make something great."

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel a little envious of Do-Jin. However, he did not express his jealousy when they exchanged messages.

    <i>¡®Anyway, I also have a Dragon Egg, so¡­¡¯</i>

    However, not seeing the egg hatch quickly made him anxious.

    "Could it be that Loki, that damn god, cursed it with some sort of strange magic? It''s certainly usible, given that she is notorious for having a terrible temper."

    As Yu-Seong''s suspicion turned to anger, the Dragon Egg suddenly began to vibrate loudly.

    "Huh...?"

    Surprised, Yu-Seong leaned closer to the egg and tried to focus his mind. However, he was only greeted by a deafening silence.

    "It definitely responded just now. What was that? Could it be about to hatch?"

    If possible, Yu-Seong hoped that the Dragon Egg would hatch before he entered the Rank 7 dungeon.

    "And of course, I hope it¡¯s born healthy," Yu-Seong said as he stroked the Dragon Egg with affection and longing onest time.

    After that, he checked his schedule on his phone before leaving for work and saw a message he had written the night before. He pped his hands in excitement.

    "Right, I can''t forget about this!"

    He ran to the living room and grabbed a bag of candy before returning to his room. There was still plenty of time before he had to leave for work.

    ¡°Summon Dimensional Merchant.¡±

    When Yu-Seong would call, a pink door that brightens up the room would appear and Ping Pong of the Lion Bear n would walk out of it with his usual dignified appearance. At least, that was the <i>usual</i> process.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    However, even though the pink door was opened, Ping Pong did note out immediately. This had never happened before, which confused Yu-Seong.

    Then, Ping Pong suddenly appeared. He was dressed in what seemed like a battle suit with a wig on top of his head, walking with the same swagger as usual. He was also holding a book, which could have been a novel or aic, in his hand.

    <i>''Mr. Ping Pong...?''</i>

    Feeling thoroughly confused, Yu-Seong called out to Ping Pong and questioned him.

    Ping Pong simply handed Yu-Seong the book in his hand.

    <i>¡®War Deity Who Levels Up?¡¯</i>

    With a slight smile, Ping Pong looked at Yu-Seong, who had received the book with a somewhat familiar title, and said, "I''m sorry. I attempted to aggro when showing you this. The fighting skills between the ministers are so cool! I can¡¯t believe that the main character, who was like a loser, has changed so much. [War Deity Who Levels Up] is a real legend¡­"

    "Oh my, Mr. Ping Pong, what did you see this time?"

    Ping Pong, standing in the same spot, nced at Yu-Seong who held the book he had just received. He said, "This is the trend among the Dimensional Merchants these days. By the way, how does this battle suit look? I made it to look like the one on that book cover."

    "It''s very cute."

    "Isn''t it cool?"

    "It''s so cute."

    "Hmm... Yu-Seong, it seems you''recking in aesthetic sense."

    Regardless of how shiny and stylish his attire was, the Lion Bear n member with short arms and legs had limitations in how he coulde across in appearance. Above all, not many people could say that Ping Pong was cool while he was swinging his short, fluffy tail left and right very proudly. His tail looked just like cotton candy, after all.

    "Anyway, it''s been a while. What brings you... Ohhh!"

    Before he could finish his sentence, Ping Pong received a lollipop from Yu-Seong. He quickly took off his ufortable cosy costume and returned to his original form. He also began quickly licking the lollipop with his pink tongue.

    <i>¡®I can''t help but think he¡¯s cute.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong watched Ping Pong''s adorable expression with a content look before saying, "Listen as you eat. You may know this, but the Tower of Heaven has appeared on Earth.¡±

    "I''ve heard the news. Thanks to its appearance, the supply of karma points from the gods is not as smooth as it used to be," said Ping Pong.

    "However, karma points are not only umted by receiving the gods¡¯ support, right?"

    When Yu-Seong asked his question, Ping Pong stiffened. Even his tongue, which had been flicking across the candy before, froze.

    "I know that karma originally means the consequence of one''s behavior, and undoubtedly, the value I''ve umted exists. There would be karma points umting even without the gods¡¯ sponsorship, right? Currently, I can''t see them in the system messages, but as a Dimensional Merchant, you should be aware of that."

    "You know quite a lot of detail. It has fascinated me since I first heard it. It should be information that isn''t known on Earth yet..." said Ping Pong.

    "Oh, that''s a simple reason. This world is just like the novel I was reading. And I happened to possess the character from that world. There are a lot of difficult things about it, but this particr aspect is advantageous," said Yu-Seong.

    "That''s a pretty usible plot. That kind of scenario should bemon in genre novels. Hmm, I should read something like that for my next book."

    Yu-Seong grinned at Ping Pong''s calm reaction. As Ping Pong clearly epted the exnation as truth, he then asked, "Anyway, can you convert my karma points?"

    "In the first ce, that information isn''t a secret, so it''s not difficult to do so. However, if you consume too many of your karma points at this point, it might not be good for your future growth. Are you sure about this? Keep in mind that it could have a negative impact instead."

    The reason why the gods gave karma points and support was to raise their own godly status. In other words, they could gain more karma points through their sponsee¡¯s achievements. Therefore, Yu-Seong was confident with his choice.

    "Generally, it wouldn''t be a good idea to recklessly consume your karma points at this point, right?" Yu-Seong asked confidently.

    However, would it be the same for Yu-Seong?

    "I''ve already done a lot of things that were difficult or impossible in this world," he added.

    Assuming that this world was really just a novel, and that the character Yu-Seong had achieved impossible feats, Ping Pong''s concerns about using up his karma points would be meaningless. After all, Yu-Seong''s karma points would have umted to a level where using the points wouldn''t be a problem.

    "If that''s your will, I''ll grant it. But use it carefully," said Ping Pong.

    Yu-Seong nodded.

    Ping Pong finished his lollipop before spreading his hands wide open. Then, a pink energy wave in the shape of an ellipse spread out from his pink jelly soles and touched Yu-Seong. He then said, "I''m sure that you, Choi Yu-Seong, would have umted a decent amount of karma points. However..."

    After confirming the numbers hovering over Yu-Seong''s head, Ping Pong blinked his small, ck, round eyes. He questioned, "Are my eyes ying tricks on me?"

    "What''s wrong?" asked Yu-Seong.

    He couldn''t see the karma points. In the first ce, karma points were only visible to the Dimensional Merchants of their contracted partners.

    "...eight hundred thousand."

    "What?"

    "Your current karma points are eight hundred thousand, Choi Yu-Seong. Amazing! You truly are my contracted partner! Wooo hooo!"

    In the end, Ping Pong let out a cheer of joy.

    ***

    ording to the original novel, an ordinary person could umte an average of around one thousand karma points by the end of their life. However, individuals with notable achievements, exceptional skills, or those who were famous figures or notorious criminals, could umte an average of around ten thousand karma points.

    <i>¡®Of course, there are people who far exceed these levels, but¡­¡¯</i>

    For instance, legends like Einstein had umted more than several hundred thousand karma points during his lifetime. This was because he had such a significant impact on Earth through his discovery of atomic energy, and those were his umted karma points across the span of his entire life.

    .

    Yu-Seong was only 21 years old.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll soon be 22, but¡­¡¯</i>

    He was just in his early twenties, but his karma points had already reached an astonishing eight hundred thousand. It was a level that did not make any sense in this world.

    <i>¡®When the original novel¡¯s protagonist, Kim Do-Jin, was an S-rank hunter, I think he had approximately one million karma points.¡¯</i>

    However, despite being only a B-rank hunter, Yu-Seong had already umted nearly the same amount. This was likely due to the many changes he had made in this world.

    <i>¡®So there are things that I¡¯ve gained as much as I¡¯ve lost due to the butterfly effect.¡¯</i>

    Since he had been worried about the oue, Yu-Seong found himself sighing in relief as the result was exactly as he had hoped.

    He had been holding back from using his karma points as he needed to save them for his future growth. However, the fact that his karma points had umted to this level meant that he could afford to buy the necessary items without worrying about his karma points running out.

    Regardless of Yu-Seong''s change of mood, Ping Pong had an ecstatic expression on his face as he jumped up and down in ce. Raising his voice, he eximed, "And most of your karma points are leaning toward the light rather than darkness! Evil karma will make you increasingly sick. I''m really proud of you, Choi Yu-Seong. I''m lucky that you''re my first contracted partner. I''m really happy!"

    "Are you really that excited about it?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Of course, why wouldn''t I be excited? I don''t want to umte any evil karma points, no matter howrge the amount may be. That''s how I sincerely feel. Evil karma can truly harm one''s existence, and even Dimensional Merchants can''t be free from that fate either. With this many karma points, you wouldn''t need to worry too much about the future, even if you consume some at this point. In fact, you might even be able to increase the investment value."

    "You seem to have the desire to be a good Dimensional Merchant, Mr. Ping Pong."

    "Of course. As the one who will lead the Lion Bear n, I will be a great... Well, I said something unnecessary," said Ping Pong sheepishly.

    "Lion Bear n leader? What? Are you a prince or something...?"

    "Oh-huh, pretend you didn''t hear that!"

    As he stretched out his cute paw, Ping Pong interrupted Yu-Seong and asked with a shaky gaze, "Anyway, tell me what you want to do with your karma points. I will try my best to help you.¡±

    Yu-Seong grinned as he watched Ping Pong try to avoid answering his question. He got down to business, saying, "First, I want to convert one hundred thousand karma points into system points so that I can use them directly."

    "Do you really need that much?"

    Indeed, Yu-Seong needed that many karma points as he nned to upgrade all of his special skills to B-rank.

    <i>¡®Anyway, one hundred thousand karma points could be easily recovered just by clearing a 7th-rank raid dungeon.¡¯?</i>

    By aplishing what was considered difficult as a B-rank hunter, one would have a great opportunity to umte karma points. And what if the person who aplished that was Yu-Seong, who was originally the viin in the novel?

    <i>¡®Maybe I can reap even more benefits.¡¯</i>

    In other words, this entire process was an investment.

    With Ping Pong''s help, Yu-Seong used the one hundred thousand karma points, which had been exchanged through the system interface, to upgrade all of his skills. He could feel a significant increase in his power just by doing so.

    <i>¡®I already thought I was close to the top tier of A-rank, but¡­ ¡®</i>

    Now, he might not have a problem going head-to-head with the topmost tier of A-rank or even the lower tier of S-rank.

    <i>¡®Just defeating an S-rank would be enough to umte a considerable amount of karma points.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong became stronger, the ways to umte karma points naturally had be endless. Knowing this, he was quite satisfied with this situation.

 Chapter 190

    <h4>Chapter 190 </h4>

    Karma referred to the consequences of one''s past actions, and it umted more strongly when those actions or aplishments were difficult for ordinary people to achieve.

    <i>¡®And most importantly, the skill with the highest number of points is Green Wind Spirit Cat¡­ So I can say that I''ve achieved even more stability now.¡¯?</i>

    The Green Wind Spirit Cat skill, which Yu-Seong had obtained from the Tower, was considered as an F-rank special skill when he returned to Earth. However, he was able to bring it up to B-rank in one fell swoop. It was a natural choice.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s difficult to persist after sustaining an injury, no matter how strong you are.¡¯</i>

    With the healing ability of the Green Wind Spirit Cat skill, Yu-Seong could keep fighting as he constantly recovered from injuries. If he managed to get the Green Wind Spirit Cat to S-rank, it would grant him regeneration simr to that of trolls even midbat. Moreover, he could share the benefits of the skill with his party members.

    Therefore, in terms of versatility, the Green Wind Spirit Cat skill could be considered as strong as Yu-Seong''s current strongest skill, the God''s Chakra.

    <i>¡®Also, this will be a great help in clearing the dungeon this time.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong happily hummed inwardly and told Ping Pong his second request: upgrading the dimension bundle.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s already level 3 now.¡¯?</i>

    From level 3, dimension bundles started to include quite rare treasures from other worlds. Yu-Seong wanted to purchase the tool he needed the most, so he asked, ¡°Can you show me the engraving item ¡®Rune of the Subspace¡¯?¡±

    "Hmm... That''s one of the most expensive treasures in the level 3 dimension bundles. It is worth about three hundred thousand karma points."

    Yu-Seong froze at the high price. He said, ¡°It¡¯s more expensive than I thought.¡±

    "Magical items capable of handling subspace are typically priced quite high. And considering this item''s value as an engraving, isn''t the price even more reasonable?¡± exined Ping Pong.

    "But it''s still a subspace pouch in the level 3 dimension bundle. It must have a very small size, right?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Of course, if we''re using Earth standards, it would be limited to about one pyeong, but¡­it''s still subspace," said Ping Pong.

    In short, subspace was always expensive, no matter what.

    <i>¡®To upgrade all my skills, I need one hundred thousand points. Then, upgrading the dimension shop requires fifty thousand points. And if I buy the Rune of the Subspace for three hundred thousand points¡­¡¯</i>

    More than half of the eight hundred thousand karma points that Yu-Seong had would be gone.

    Yu-Seong started to waver since he wanted to leave at least five hundred thousand points untouched.

    <i>¡®Do I have to give up the subspace pouch?¡¯</i>

    He was disappointed that he couldn''t obtain the item, which he considered a must-have. He wanted to use it to carry the Dragon Egg with him all the time. However, there was nothing he could do about it. No matter how much he tried to think of the investment, three hundred thousand points right now was still a considerable amount.

    While thinking about it, Yu-Seong''s eyes suddenly twinkled. He asked, "By any chance... Can I receive a discount coupon instead of a lottery ticket as a reward for leveling up the dimension bundle?"

    The level-up reward for the dimension bundle was usually a random item lottery ticket. While it was possible to draw the Rune of the Subspace through this lottery, it was purely a matter of luck.

    <i>¡®Hmm¡­ I¡¯d call it absolute luck if I could hit that.¡¯</i>

    With this in mind, Yu-Seong found it easy to make a definite choice this time.

    "Changing to the discount coupon... Actually, I was going to rmend that method too."

    Ping Pong, who had a smile in his ck eyes, took out what looked like a calctor from his pocket and started tapping on it rapidly. "Let''s see... With the discount coupon from the level-up reward of the dimension bundle, the special discount for the first subspace purchase, and Ping Pong''s special discount, it amounts to..."

    Ping Pong''s eyes sparkled as he handed over the pink calctor that looked like a child''s toy to Yu-Seong. He eximed, "It''s about a 30% discount! You can buy it for one hundred thousand points!"

    ¡°Oh wow! It¡¯s a must-buy!" Yu-Seong shouted as he covered his mouth.

    As soon as Yu-Seong paid the karma points, Ping Pong smiled and handed him a small ss bottle filled with blue liquid from the dimension bundle. He said, "If you drink this, the Rune of the Subspace will be engraved into your body. Congrattions, Choi Yu-Seong. You now have your first subspace.¡±

    In fact, the fact that subspace was being sold in the dimensional store was a secret. Most people didn''t know about it, and Dimensional Merchants didn''t bother to tell them. Also, the price of three hundred thousand points was actually too lowpared to the value of subspace, so it was more profitable for Dimensional Merchants to keep it hidden and wait for the right buyer who was willing to pay the right price.

    <i>¡®However, when selling to humans from Earth, they must follow a fixed pricing system. This may make them hesitant to deal with Earth people.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, that was why Yu-Seong had chosen the Lion Bear n as his Dimensional Merchant, as they were kind-hearted and generous.

    Originally, the discount coupon received as a bonus for upgrading the dimension bundle was known to be around 5%. However, there seemed to be a pretty significant amount of price reduction on top of that. After all, the reason for the discounted price would be thebination of the first-purchase discount for subspace and Ping Pong''s special discount, which he had mentioned jokingly.

    Yu-Seong quickly drank the blue liquid. After confirming the Rune of the Subspace had been engraved on his hand like a tattoo, he looked at Ping Pong and said sincerely, "Thank you so much. I was about to give up buying it, but I was able to get it thanks to you.¡±

    "If you know that, then you should prepare lollipops every day for this great Ping Pong!" Ping Pong eximed.

    ¡°I shall follow yourmand, my lord,¡± Yu-Seong replied.

    "Oh no! Those words are prohibited! If my father finds out that my identity has been revealed, I''ll be in trouble!" Ping Pong warned.

    "I shall be careful, my lord," Yu-Seong teased.

    ¡°Yo¡­You! Choi Yu-Seong!¡± Ping Pong, who was originally reddish in color anyway, turned even redder from anger as he stomped his feet.

    After a moment of enjoying the cute sight, Yu-Seong handed Ping Pong five lollipops and brought about a dramatic reconciliation.

    "Don¡¯t think I forgave you just because you gave me these lollipops, Choi Yu-Seong. The next time you summon me, prepare 10 more,¡± Ping Pong said.

    Watching Ping Pong talk while licking the lollipops in his hands, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel like most problems could be solved with lollipops.

    <i>¡®With this, I''vepleted leveling up all of my skills and acquired the subspace as well.¡¯</i>

    He took the first step in preparing for the Rank 7 dungeon attack.

    <i>¡®All that¡¯s left now is to gather people for the raid.¡¯</i>

    It seemed like he would be busy for a while.

    ***

    While Yu-Seong had been in the Tower of the Heaven, reporters Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young had enjoyed leisurely days until they were finally summoned.

    "Wow, congrattions. It seems that the Comet Guild has recently achieved the top spot in the Korean guild ranking," congratted Jin-Hwan.

    "And the overall evaluation of the Comet Group has also skyrocketed to the top spot. Congrattions, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong," said Jin-Young.

    Yu-Seong scratched his cheek awkwardly at their praise. He replied, "It''s not really mine, it''s apany my father and his employees created.¡±

    "Wow, you are even humble. It''s already widely known that your help has yed a significant role in thepany''s rapid growth. Awesome! We respect you," Jin-Young said as he apuded.

    Yu-Seong smiled and looked at Jin-Hwan. The man had somewhat cold and rigid looks when they had first met, but he now looked quite chubby.

    "I gained a lot, right? I think I''ve gained some weight since I''ve been doing a lot of desk worktely," said Jin-Hwan in embarrassment.

    Yu-Seong shook his head. "No, you look rather good now. Before, you were too thin.¡±

    .

    "It may be because there were many times when I had to be disciplined and sharp before¡­ In any case, things have changed in many ways thanks to you, Yu-Seong¡ªwell, I should probably call you ¡®boss.¡¯ My daughter likes you a lot because I''ve been able to stay at home more often than before," Jin-Hwan said.

    "Huh? Reporter Park, are you married?" Yu-Seong asked in surprise.

    It was Jin-Young who replied to the question.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t have an actual wedding, but it''s been a while since he got married. His daughter is already six years old, haha."

    "...it is like that sometimes with unnned pregnancies," Jin-Hwan said.

    "What about you, Mr. Kim?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "I''m totally single. Please introduce me to a good woman if you know one," he replied.

    After breaking the ice with some small talk and learning new facts about their personal lives, Yu-Seong got to the point. He said, "The reason I called you both here today is that our next big project is about to be announced.¡±

    "How big is it this time?" asked Jin-Hwan as his eyes sparkled sharply at Yu-Seong¡¯s words.

    He had a feeling that the project was significant in scale. Perhaps it was the sense of a seasoned reporter.

    "My Hunting Team 8 and I will raid the Rank 7 dungeon," Yu-Seong announced.

    "I see," Jin-Hwan replied pretty calmly, nodding a few times before his eyes widened. He asked, "Pardon? What did you just say?"

    ¡°You heard it right. I¡¯m nning to announce that I¡¯m going to clear the Rank 7 dungeon,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Sorry. If you don''t mind my asking, what rank are you, boss?¡± Jin-Hwan asked calmly while Jin-Young looked flustered.

    ¡°B-rank,¡± replied Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Oh my goodness... Boss, you are aware that the Rank 7 dungeon is ssified as a raid dungeon, right?¡± asked Jin-Young.

    There was quite the leap in difficulty between Rank 6 and Rank 7 dungeons. Moreover, Rank 7 dungeons were ssified as raid dungeons that required a minimum number of people, basically a decent attack team.

    ¡°Of course, we won''t be raiding the Rank 7 dungeon with just Hunting Team 8. I''ll be the raid leader, and the team members will y the pivotal role,¡± exined Yu-Seong.

    ¡°As far as I know, except for Jin Yu-Ri and Jin Do-Yoon, there are no members in Hunting Team 8 with ranks high enough to do well in the Rank 7 dungeon...¡± said Jin-Hwan.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk are both C-rank. I am B-rank,¡± replied Yu-Seong calmly.

    ¡°Boss, let me be frank. The Rank 7 dungeon is on a different level. I don''t know who you''re going to gather, but...¡±

    "We will not be relying heavily on S-rank members. Maybe one person if necessary?"

    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡± eximed Jin-Young, pressing his hand to his forehead with a shocked gaze.

    ¡°I know. We know you''ve aplished great things so far, boss, but this is a different scale altogether. You have to assume that the raid boss monster is at least a lower-level demon,¡± said Jin-Hwan.

    ¡°That''s why we''re doing it. We need to aplish something on a different level to make a stronger impression,¡± replied Yu-Seong.

    After a brief silence, Jin-Hwan said with shining eyes, ¡°Boss. You''re going to do it anyway, aren''t you?¡±

    Yu-Seong chuckled in response to Jin-Hwan''s question. He simply replied, "If I didn¡¯t do stuff like this, wouldn''t you two also be bored by now?"

    "The priority should be your life, not preventing our boredom. Especially if it''s you that we''re talking about!" shouted Jin-Young.

    Jin-Hwan raised his hand to interrupt Jin-Young''s exmation and leaned forward. "You''re confident, right?"

    "I said this to my father, but... To be honest, I don''t have much confidence," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Huh¡­?"

    "To be more precise, I don''t have much confidence in failing," said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong''s confidence left both Jin-Hwan, who was trying to act calm, and Jin-Young, who was getting excited, somewhat bewildered.

    "I¡¯m thinking of a team of eight to ten members at most," said Yu-Seong.

    "So there will be three to five additional members aside from Hunting Team 8, right?" asked Jin-Hwan.

    "Yes. I think that¡¯s how we¡¯re going to do it," said Yu-Seong.

    He handed a document to the two reporters, and Jin-Young''s eyes widened as he looked at it.

    "Huh¡­? Boss, this name here¡­"

    "I haven¡¯t decided on every single member yet, but if I convince them, they¡¯ll probably be in," exined Yu-Seong.

    "Wouldn''t the Chairman be a little ufortable with this?" asked Jin-Hwan.

    If it were in the past or if it were any of his other siblings in the Choi family, they might have backed up or answered the question cautiously. However, Yu-Seong shrugged and gave a casual reply.

    "If he entrusted the work to me, that means he also gave me the authority to decide. The important thing is to seed, isn''t it?" he said.

    In fact, Yu-Seong knew exactly what Woo-Jae wanted. In turn, Jin-Hwan realized that Yu-Seong was very confident, unlike the other members of the Choi family. He took a deep breath.

    <i>¡®I thought there wouldn''t be any more surprises, but¡­¡¯</i>

    The two reporters'' eyes lit up with expectation as they looked at the confident Yu-Seong.

    1. 1 pyeong is roughly equivalent to 3.3 square meters or 35.6 square feet

 Chapter 191

    <h4>Chapter 191 </h4>

    Jin-Hwan slowly scanned through the list again before saying, "If we can consistently keep these 10 people on the team, we can safely say that a new attack team has been formed in Korea."

    As mentioned before, an attack team was distinctly different from a guild. If a guild''s primary objective was profit, then an attack team was a non-profit organization that prioritized protecting the world in case of emergencies. As a result, attack teams received more praise and respect than guilds. In fact, such attack teams were usually formed without regard for status, nationality, or affiliations.

    ¡°Yes, on the premise that all members agree,¡± said Yu-Seong with a smirk.

    The two reporters'' eyes sparkled as they looked at him.

    ¡°So¡­you have the intention to form an attack team.¡±

    ¡°Well, there''s no reason not to. Even though the members on here are still rookies¡­¡±

    Yu-Seong was sure that the majority of them would soon be hunters representing the world.

    The two reporters smiled, sharing simr thoughts as Yu-Seong himself.

    "Even if it¡¯s not certain, can we feature a provocative headline for this piece of news?¡± asked Jin-Young.

    ¡°That would be good for garnering attention,¡± said Yu-Seong with a slight nod.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    They went on to have a brief meeting. The two reporters mostly had great opinions and suggestions for Yu-Seong, which would be good for his Star Factor¡¯s development. Most importantly, they discussed the filming n for the attack on the Rank 7 raid dungeon.

    Despite Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young being experts in using specialized magic tech drones for filming dungeon raids, they would still face a shortage of staff for this uing shoot. After all, at least ten journalists with expertise in operating specialized magic tech drones would generally be required to film in a Rank 7 raid dungeon of that level. In this case, personnel allocation was necessary.

    "To be honest, I don¡¯t have much knowledge regarding that area. If you need more people, just hire them. After all, the attack team will have more frequent activities in the future,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    "Wa-Wait a minute, sir. Are you saying that we can choose whoever we want?" asked Jin-Young in surprise.

    Yu-Seong nodded. "The selection of experts should be left to those who are experts themselves. The boss can¡¯t necessarily do or know everything well just because they hand out the sry, right? By the way, we can create business cards that designate you as team leaders¡­¡±

    After hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s words, both reporters¡¯ smiles widened as they looked at each other.

    They were recognized within thepany, but their young age currently prevented their promotions to high-ranking positions. As a result, there were many aspects of thepany''s system that they found frustrating.

    However, since having been hired by Yu-Seong, they had been able to execute their ns in various ways. For example, they had been quite satisfied with executing ideas through the NewTube videos especially since the content had been sessful.

    The only thing that they had found unsatisfactory was theck of manpower. Just like they couldn''t cover the heavens with one hand, there were limitations with just the two of them working. But now, they could supplement their team with other members, and even be team leaders themselves.

    "Then, about the employment pay¡­" Jin-Hwan cautiously asked.

    "Please pay 10% more than the industry''s highest rate. That way, you guys will also be morefortable in hiring others," said Yu-Seong.

    "Is, is that okay?" Jin-Young asked.

    Only when she saw Yu-Seong¡¯s smile did she nod.

    For a moment, they had forgotten that the person in front of them was a chaebol whose family owned thergest conglomerate in Korea, and that recently, they had been exerting the greatest influence within thepany.

    "I understand." Coming to a conclusion, Jin-Hwan announced, "I¡¯ve decided to quit Min-Guk Newspaper."

    "Isn''t that where you are working full-time?¡± Yu-Seong asked in surprise as he looked at Jin-Hwan.

    "Now, Yu-Seong Tube is my workce," replied Jin-Hwan firmly with a determined look in his eyes.

    He had made this choice partly because Yu-Seong¡¯s earlier decisions had moved him. But of course, there was another even more important reason.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong is a true giant.¡¯</i>

    While Min-Guk Newspaper was a well-known broadcastpany in Korea, its scale was different from that of the Comet Group. Jin-Hwan also believed that, even if he didn''t consider the Comet Group, Yu-Seong himself was someone who could create something that far surpassed Min-Guk Newspaper.

    It wasn''t even a gamble.

    <i>¡®This is the winning move.¡¯</i>

    From now on, Jin-Hwan would go all-in with Yu-Seong. He had no doubts regarding this choice of his.

    "I''ll also resign from the Dae-Guk Newspaper," Jin-Young said shortly after.

    "You too, Jin-Young?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "You trust and support us in such a big way, so I don''t want to be wishy-washy anymore. Even though I am sometimes called a trash reporter, I''m Kim Jin-Young, and I''ve never learned to waver, boss," Jin-Young said with a thump on her chest.

    Jin-Hwan nodded with a proud look on his face.

    "Thank you. I am grateful for your decision. Although I cannot say it is a reward, I would like to offer you a bonus equal to what you received at your previouspany¡­"

    Before Yu-Seong could finish speaking, Jin-Hwan interrupted him to say, ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. The revenue share from Yu-Seong Tube alone is more than my sry from the previouspany. From now on, we will make our own ie with our own hands.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Jin-Young added.

    Did he have a reason to stubbornly reject their proposition when they spoke to him so earnestly? Yu-Seong felt like he understood their feelings well, as he had also once been an office worker of apany.

    Finally, Yu-Seong smiled happily and reached out his hand. ¡°Well then, I look forward to working with you two, Team Leader Park and Kim.¡±

    "I''ll look forward to working with you for the rest of my life, boss."

    "Don''t worry, boss. Just leave it to us."

    This was the moment when Yu-Seong hadpletely won over their hearts.

    ***

    Bernard, who had recently returned from the Tower of Heaven, was taking a break. He was sipping his favorite whiskey at a bar in Los Angeles, USA, when he received a call.

    Seeing Bernard tilt his head in surprise, Meghan, who was drinking next to him, asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    "It¡¯s Choi Yu-Seong. I wonder why he''s calling me?"

    ¡°You guys are friends, so why wouldn¡¯t he call you?¡± Meghan replied.

    "I usually message him. Let me take this call for a moment," Bernard said with a wry smile before answering the phone in fluent Korean.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me.¡±

    - Bernard, is this a good time to talk?

    "Unusually courteous of you. Do you have something important to ask me?"

    The call had just started, but Bernard already found himself to be in a good mood. Perhaps it was due to the alcohol he had already consumed, but chatting with Yu-Seong was always enjoyable. Even meaningless small talk felt fun.

    Bernard had a lot of connections and many people who liked him, but Meghan never used the term ¡®friend¡¯ for any of them. Bernard never had a clue as to why until now.

    <i>''I''ve never had so much fun with them.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, Yu-Seong''s voice alone made him happy. For Bernard, it was the feeling of finally realizing that this was what it meant to have a friend.

    - It''s a very important request. Can youe to Korea if you have time?

    "To Korea? My goodness, friend. That''s quite a request."

    - Is it a difficult one?

    "No, it''s definitely possible. I can take a private ne and arrive tomorrow night, your time. Just wait."

    Bernard got ready to leave the bar once he paid the bill with his card. This was because he thought there must be a reason for Yu-Seong to call him so suddenly.

    - It''s not that urgent. I just need you to return within this week. I''ll let you know some details beforehand, and you can make your decision and depart.

    "Whatever it is, it''s okay for me. It shouldn''t be a problem."

    Shrugging his shoulders, Bernard smiled wryly and grabbed his coat from the bar''s coat hanger.

    - That''s not something to be said so lightly. A new Rank 7 raid dungeon has appeared in Korea.

    "Oh, I heard about that. Didn''t it appear in Busan?" asked Bernard.

    - That''s right. I n to conquer it with the lead attack team.

    "So you n to form an attack team,¡± said Bernard as he quickly understood Yu-Seong''s intention. Then, he suddenly remembered something and expressed his doubts. "If it¡¯s a Rank 7 dungeon... There must be restrictions on entry. Can I even go?"

    - With the authority I have, I can authorize entries for at least two people. And if I ask my father, I could probably add two or three more.

    "Confident as always, the ace of the Comet Group," said Bernard.

    - I''m not joking. I want to invite you and Meghan to the team. By the way, among the members, only Meghan is an S-rank.

    "Don''t they rmend at least three S-ranks for the first clear of a Rank 7 dungeon?"

    - Yes.

    However, Yu-Seong was saying that he nned to bring only one S-rank yer. Meghan had pretty good skills, but this was still a very dangerous task. That was also why the rewards were considerable if they seeded.

    Bernard easily understood the situation. His eyes twinkled while he licked his lips. The taste of sweet and rich whiskey suddenly rose deep in his throat.

    "That sounds like fun. If I only I had the ability, then I¡¯d be the one asking you."

    - Does that mean you are in?

    "I''m okay with it. And Meghan is..." Bernard turned to look at Meghan, who wouldn¡¯t have missed the conversation they just had as an S-rank hunter.

    "That sounds interesting. Please let me participate too," Meghan said.

    With Meghan''s agreement, Bernard nodded with a broad smile. He said, "I''m okay too, but is it really okay? If the name ''Cheon-Ji'' is included in this Comet Group''s n, your father might not be happy."

    - That''s why he''ll actually be pleased, since I''m the leader of the attack team.

    "Oh, well... I think I understand your father¡¯s intention," said Bernard.

    A child of the Cheon-Ji Group participating in an attack team under the Comet Group''s name would lead to useless rumors and articles based on that fact alone.

    "Rather, I might be the one who gets scolded by my grandfather."

    Even though he was saying that, Bernard didn''t seem to care much about it. In fact, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed right away without even thinking about that in the first ce.

    <i>''If it''s in the format of an attack team, then it¡¯s easy to justify.''?</i>

    As the attack team was a non-profit organization, Yu-Seong''s choice of the term ''attack team'' made sense to Bernard. An attack team was a win-win strategy for both parties.

    "As expected of a smart guy. Anyway, I''m going to hang up so I can head out immediately."

    - Thanks.

    After ending the call, Bernard looked at Meghan. Their eyes seemed to be burning with a simr passion, perhaps due to the teacher-student rtionship between them. In fact, they were excited for the uing raid.

    "As soon as we get to Korea, we need to enter the local dungeon for adaptation training. We should do that as soon as we get over the jetg," said Meghan.

    "I suppose so," replied Bernard.

    "But I''m not sure if I can protect you if a Rank 7 raid monster appears."

    "That''s also obvious."

    In fact, that was why their rtionship was so favorable for Bernard. Ever since he first met Meghan, he had hoped to fight alongside her someday. And now, that day had finallye.

    "Are you having fun?"

    What else could he say?

    "Too much."

    After giving a casual answer, Bernard suddenly thought of something.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin... Will he participate too?¡¯</i>

    Despite his unpleasant personality, Do-Jin''s skills were undeniably good. Bernard knew that the uing raid was sure to be an exciting one in many ways.

    1. "???" is a Korean ng term used to insult reporters, typically those who are seen as unprofessional or hical. It can be tranted as "jerk journalist," or "trash reporter."

 Chapter 192

    <h4>Chapter 192 </h4>

    After the call with Bernard was finished and his work was done, Yu-Seong grabbed his phone once again in the evening.

    <i>¡®Since Kim Do-Jin is in the dungeon for most of the time during the day¡­¡¯</i>

    It was difficult to reach him by phone, but Do-Jin would typically emerge from the dungeon around 9 pm at night. After all, if he didn''t take a break, he would be exhausted for the next day''s dungeon run.

    <i>¡®In the end, even that steel-like Kim Do-Jin has his limits.¡¯</i>

    The problem was that Do-Jin, the protagonist of the original novel, easily overcame those limits in most battles and dangerous situations. And now, to some extent, he and Yu-Seong shared some kind of rtionship.

    <i>¡®It kinda¡­feels like we''re friends now.¡¯</i>

    This was not a joke but a sincere thought. When he had first been sucked into the novel, Yu-Seong never thought that this would have happened.

    Yu-Seong lightly pped himself.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t be certain yet. First of all, he''s trying to kill my father¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong started to hope more and more that Woo-Jae wouldn''t die. But could Do-Jin give up on that goal? The rtionship between Do-Jin and himself would most likely be considered a separate issue from the one between Woo-Jae and Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®He''s a guy with clear principles.¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong was lost in thought for a moment, Do-Jin answered the phone.

    - It''s rare for you to call me first.

    "Do-Jin," said Yu-Seong calmly as he responded to Do-Jin¡¯s somewhat bitter tone.

    He immediately exined the main point of the call.

    After listening to everything, Do-Jin''s conclusion was simple.

    - An attack team for a Rank 7 dungeon... Not bad.

    "I knew you would say that."

    - It''s a great chance to promote Eclipse Guild''s name since we''ll be doing a joint attack.

    In fact, the current Eclipse Guild had a high potential to be a Top 10 guild in one to two years. This was as long as its members continued to grow steadily.

    <i>¡®If I had to point out a w, it would be theck of reputation...¡¯</i>

    Of course, Do-Jin and Ah-Rin were both rising stars in South Korea, and they were impressive rookies. However, they needed to be more than mere rookies to propel their guild to the Top 10.

    "It''s time to drop the ''rookie'' nickname."

    Do-Jin was in B-rank and on his way to A-rank soon.

    <i>¡®In fact, if he really wanted to, he could take the promotion test and move up immediately.¡¯</i>

    However, Do-Jin had stopped at A-rank for a simr reason to Yu-Seong''s.

    <i>¡®He hasn''t grown to the maximum potential within B-rank yet.¡¯</i>

    This situation was slightly different from the original novel¡¯s events. It was highly likely that Do-Jin had also realized something during his trip to Pyongyang with Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Still, the rank itself is progressing faster than the original novel¡­¡¯</i>

    There seemed to be no problem. In fact, as mentioned before, regarding the timeline itself, Do-Jin was stronger now than in the original novel. Having been to the Tower of Heaven, he now had the ability to use the special move he couldn''t at that time, and he could do so without any restrictions.

    - Okay, there''s no reason to miss out on this opportunity. And of course¡­

    "I''ll be the attack team leader," said Yu-Seong. When there was a brief silence over the phone, he added, "As you said, this is truly an opportunity for the Eclipse guild. It''s not a loss for Comet Guild."

    - But from the Comet Guild''s perspective, it''s also a chance to properly promote your name.

    "Kim Do-Jin."

    - I''ve never given up the position of leader to anyone.

    This was expected.

    In fact, the reason why Do-Jin had be the guild leader and surpassed Ah-Rin, who had proposed the idea of creating the guild in the original novel in the first ce, was due to Do-Jin''s own pride. It might seem childish and stupid, but the foundation was his own firm sense of confidence.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s confidence that he can do better than anyone else.¡¯?</i>

    It was also due to the betrayal and frustration Do-Jin had experienced after trusting someone else in the otherworld he had traveled to.

    In reality, Do-Jin, who had a lot of war experience, could possibly show better skills than Yu-Seong if he became the attack team leader.

    <i>''Of course, that¡¯s only if he formed a team with the members he chose.''?</i>

    However, when it came to the currentposition of the attack team, Yu-Seong was confident that he could do better than anyone else.

    "You won''t be disappointed. Trust me."

    - If that''s what you''re saying, there''s no need to hear more. Negotiation is impossible.

    "Kim Do-Jin."

    - I¡¯m hanging upl.

    Yu-Seong looked at his phone with a slightly annoyed smile. He muttered, "This stupid guy¡­ Does he really have to be like this?"

    Yu-Seong knew that Do-Jin would be stubborn, but he thought there would be some room for negotiation.

    <i>''In the original novel, I¡¯m sure he had a somewhat flexible personality...''?</i>

    But why was he reacting so sensitively to Yu-Seong''s proposal? It felt like there was no mutual respect even though they had reached simr levels in their skills.

    ¡°Answer the phone, Kim Do-Jin, answer it."

    Furious, Yu-Seong made several calls, but he received no response.

    - The customer is not answering the call¡­

    Finally, he received a concise text message on his phone.

    - If you want to negotiate, give up your position as the leader.

    After checking the text message, Yu-Seong sat on the bed and held his forehead. "...That¡¯s something I can¡¯t give in to."

    In fact, it was not just a matter of pride for Yu-Seong.

    "Actually, now that it''s gotten to this point, there are a lot of things that make me feel bad too¡­¡±

    However, there was only one thing that mattered most.

    <i>¡®If I don''t be the leader of the attack team, Father won''t allow it.¡¯</i>

    Fundamentally, this attack should be led by the Comet Guild.

    Having Bernard, the grandson of the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s Chairman, as a supporter or even having the Eclipse Guild join the team wouldn''t be a big problem. As Jin-Hwan had said, while this might make Woo-Jae a little ufortable, it could be offset by showing him how Yu-Seong embraced them all.

    It would put the Comet Guild in quite a favorable position, which would please Woo-Jae.

    But what if Do-Jin became the lead of the attack team and took control?

    <i>¡®This will make Comet Guild a sidekick¡­ He will never allow it.¡¯</i>

    Thus, Yu-Seong would have to persuade Do-Jin somehow.

    <i>¡®Anyway, to conquer the Rank 7 raid dungeon in this situation, Kim Do-Jin''s help is essential.¡¯</i>

    Of course, if Do-Jin continued to avoid calls until the date of the dungeon raid, it would be difficult. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to meet in person either.

    "If you¡¯re going to be this stubborn, there is a way to persuade you," muttered Yu-Seong with an evil smile.

    ***

    The next morning, before heading to the dungeon as usual, Do-Jin received a call from the Vice President, Baek Ah-Rin, asking him toe to thepany¡¯s office.

    "I heard it¡¯s something important..."

    As soon as he saw Yu-Seong and Do-Yoon sitting next to each other in the conference room, Do-Jin''s gaze hardened.

    "Since the Comet Guild has asked for cooperation¡­ We should at least listen to what they have to say from our guild¡¯s perspective, right?" said Ah-Rin calmy.

    After ring at Ah-Rin, Do-Jin let out a short sigh.

    "Are you not going to sit?" Yu-Seong asked from his seat and raised his hand in greeting with a smile on his face.

    "Annoying guy."

    Do-Jin eventually took a seat without leaving the conference room. No matter how much he asserted his pride, he wasn''t a fool.

    Yu-Seong hade here not as an individual but on behalf of the Comet Guild. Considering that the Eclipse Guild was already in a difficult position due to the pressure from the Top 10 guilds, they should wee Yu-Seong¡¯s visit with open arms.

    "I heard a bit about it before you arrived. I think the offer is positive regardless, so why did you say no?" Ah-Rin asked.

    Do-Jin sat down and looked at Yu-Seong. "Did he not say it himself?"

    "I did, that you begged me to give you the position of the attack team leader."

    "So you heard," said Do-Jin to Ah-Rin.

    "Hey, do you think this situation is the same as when you asked me to give you the position of the guild master?"

    Ah-Rin, who had be somewhat close to Do-Jin now, looked at him with a bewildered expression. She wanted to expand the guild''s size, so she saw the current situation as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Understandably, she found Do-Jin¡¯s reason for refusing the offer ridiculous.

    "But..."

    "Think about it seriously. This is..." Ah-Rin started to speak as she turned to look at Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®The rascal of a big and powerful family.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong used to be known as the rascal of the Choi family, but nobody addressed him as such anymore. Thus, Ah-Rin felt ufortable, unnecessary chattering in front of him.

    "Shall I step aside for a moment?" Yu-Seong asked with a shrug.

    In fact, he had already made some progress regarding negotiations anyway.

    <i>¡®Although, I haven''tpletely dismissed the possibility of a worst-case scenario yet¡­¡¯</i>

    If the emotional struggle with Ah-Rin intensified, Do-Jin could leave the Eclipse Guild. However, the likelihood of that happening was low.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin, once he sinks his teeth into something, he won¡¯t let go.¡¯</i>

    This time, his pride would once again get in the way.

    Just as Yu-Seong was about to get up from his seat after nodding at Ah-Rin, Do-Jin grabbed him and said, "Stay seated."

    Do-Jin let out a deep sigh as his gaze revealedplex emotions. In fact, he already knew that his decision had been a childish one. He didn''t necessarily have to take on the role of the attack team leader. It was a job he could do once the Eclipse Guild had grown even more and he could form his own team.

    Although he was very proud, he had the patience to take a step back for the future. Or at least, that would usually be the case.

    However, Do-Jin had a simple reason to insist on bing the attack team leader.

    "You have to take on the role of attack team leader because it''s the will of the Comet Group¡¯s Chairman, your father, right?"

    Yu-Seong finally understood why Do-Jin was so insistent on his choice.

    <i>¡®This guy... He didn''t want to follow Father''s orders, that''s why.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong expected, Do-Jin''s resentment toward Woo-Jae had not diminished at all.

    In fact, if Woo-Jae had been right in front of the man, Do-Jin might have suppressed most of his emotions. However, with Yu-Seong standing before him on Woo-Jae¡¯s behalf, following Woo-Jae''s orders just went against all of his instincts.

    Do-Jin knew that this was a foolish decision, but he had his reasons.

    <i>¡®Is he saying he trust me?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong wanted to express what a stupid question that was to Do-Jin. Was Do-Jin asking him to ignore his resentment toward Woo-Jae, after showing it all so inly in front of him?

    Despite not being raised with much care, Yu-Seong was still Woo-Jae¡¯s son. And Do-Jin was making such an unreasonable request to him, Woo-Jae''s child.

    <i>¡®The original Choi Yu-Seong would have definitely taken the bait.¡¯?</i>

    With just a little instigation from Do-Jin, the original Yu-Seong might have been burning with fear and resentment toward his father, Woo-Jae. But how about the Yu-Seong standing in front of Do-Jin now?

    <i>¡®I feel a bit upset, but...¡¯?</i>

    This fact came as no surprise, but Yu-Seong found it a little difficult to ept it. Above all, he had to correct a part of Do-Jin''s misconception.

    "Of course, if I''m not the attack team leader, my father might be upset. But the role was not decided by my father''s orders. It''s my choice."

    This was enough to slightly alleviate Do-Jin''s resentment. His eyes, which had been burning with resentment and mixed feelings, slowly returned to their usual state. He was calming down.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s still not fully epting it, but¡­¡¯</i>

    This was unsurprising. Do-Jin would be aware that Yu-Seong¡¯s will was likely reflected by Woo-Jae.

    ¡°...let''s have a match."

    "What?" Yu-Seong said with his brows furrowed deeply.

    He was suddenly reminded of the nightmare on the 9th floor of the Tower of Heaven.

    "Not a life-or-death battle, but a duel."

    "Really? Just a duel?"

    "Of course, we might end up with a broken bone or two." With a coolugh, Do-Jin added, "If you''re not confident, you can give up. What will you do?"

    "Kim Do-Jin, you really¡­!" eximed Ah-Rin as she stood up with a bewildered expression.

    "...Alright." Yu-Seong, who had been lost in thought, gave a firm nod.

    Not only Do-Yoon and Ah-Rin were surprised, but Do-Jin himself. His eyes widened as he thought he had just made an unreasonable request.

    "Let''s do it. A duel. With all our strength this time," replied Yu-Seong.

    This time, it would be a head-on battle without any interference. As long as they weren''t aiming to kill each other, it was actually something that Yu-Seong had always wanted to do¡ªto fight with all his strength in the current world, not inside the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®If that happens, I can find out where I stand right now¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s eyes glittered with excitement.

 Chapter 193

    <h4>Chapter 193 </h4>

    The dual match with Do-Jin was set for two weekster. Because of that, the originally scheduled raid date was also pushed back a bit.

    Thankfully, Woo-Jae and Bernard didn''t mind. From Woo-Jae''s perspective, the important thing was to finally conquer the dungeon. As for Bernard, he actually thought the dy was better as it gave him more time to be stronger. Meanwhile, Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong also decided to take the promotion evaluation for achieving B-rank.

    In many ways, Do-Jin and Yu-Seong¡¯s match was helping everyone gain more preparation time. And it was Yu-Seong himself who had requested more time for preparation.

    When Yu-Seong came home and shared the news, Yu-Ri asked, "...Are you really confident?"

    Yu-Ri knew well that Yu-Seong was formidable enough that it was difficult for him to find a worthy opponent among the hunters of the same rank. In fact, even Yu-Ri, who waspeting at the upper level of A-rank herself, felt that the gap between her and Yu-Seong was getting narrower.

    However, it was a problem that Do-Jin was going to be Yu-Seong¡¯s opponent. He was someone who could not find a worthy opponent among hunters of the same rank, and there was a difference between struggling to find an opponent and not being able to find one at all.

    It was a difference between being the strongest and being the one who chased the strongest. Yu-Seong was fully aware of this fact.

    "There is always a champion who defends their title, but it is alsomon for a challenger to take away that title. I''m not confident yet, to be honest," Yu-Seong answered calmly.

    ¡°You are not confident to¡­not lose?¡± Yu-Ri asked, recalling Yu-Seong¡¯s usual joke.

    Yu-Seong slowly shook his head. "No, I mean it this time. I really don''t have the confidence to beat Kim Do-Jin right now. To be clear, hisbat power is at least one or two levels higher than mine."

    "Is the difference really that big?" asked Do-Yoon, who had been standing next to them with his arms crossed.

    Yu-Seong felt that the gap between himself and Do-Jin was one sheet of paper.

    "Kim Do-Jin keeps a lot of his skills hidden, and he bes even stronger when in a desperate situation."

    In fact, this was often called the protagonist''s buff. Yu-Seong didn''t exin the situation any further. He knew that, even if he did exin, the information could not be easily understood.

    "Is there a way?" Yu-Ri asked.

    Yu-Seong nodded slowly. "I wouldn¡¯t have epted the duel without having a method in the first ce. There is a way to make up for the shorings in a short period of time, even if it might not be enough for now.¡±

    "How?"

    "By finding a good master."

    ¡°...¡± Yu-Ri''s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

    "Don''t look at me like that. I''m serious," Yu-Seong said.

    "Then, where is this good master?" Yu-Ri asked.

    In fact, there were many skilled and talented people who were quite good at teaching, including Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon. However, they wouldn''t be enough.

    "I already know who it is. And because of that, I n to be alone when learning from my master," said Yu-Seong with a firm look.

    "What?"

    "Just as I said. I can''t be together with you two while training with my master. Please understand. My master is a very shy person.¡±

    "But you don''t know what might happen," Yu-Ri said.

    "It''s okay.¡±

    "Young master, you have already been attacked by many viins. In the unlikely event that something happens..." said Do-Yoon.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The person I want to learn from is really strong," said Yu-Seong.

    "You can''t cover the sky with one hand," Yu-Ri cautioned.

    Yu-Seong nodded his head. ¡°That usually is the case, but my master¡­is different.¡±

    He understood that the two wouldn''t easily agree with his decision. After all, he couldn¡¯t offer a lot of details regarding his decision.

    However, if the master of Do-Jin from the original novel, who was the strongest figure in this world, were to be Yu-Seong''s master, she could protect him even from the Demon King.

    "Trust me again this time."

    ¡°You are asking us to trust in your future foresight again?¡± Yu-Ri asked.

    By now, Yu-Ri had already guessed that Yu-Seong didn''t really have the future foresight skill. This made her anxious, but seeing Yu-Seong''s firm gaze, she couldn''t oppose him any longer.

    Do-Yoon was the same. Seeing Yu-Seong''s resolute expression, he realized that no words could persuade him anymore. Then, he asked, "...Can you at least tell us where you''ll be training?"

    "Sorry. My master will hate that you have the location if I tell you anything.¡±

    "How about giving you a ride nearby?"

    Yu-Seong shook his head with a wry smile. He didn''t have the confidence that the two wouldn''t watch him from afar. If that was the case, the person who would be Yu-Seong''s master would surely notice.

    In the end, the two sighed in defeat and nodded.

    "Will you contact us from time to time?"

    "If you promise not to track my phone," answered Yu-Seong.

    "Honestly, I can''t promise that."

    Yu-Seong chuckled. Slowly getting up from the sofa, he wore the cap he had prepared in advance and took the car keys from Do-Yoon, who often drove. He said, "I understand how you two feel. Thank you, and sorry. Please understand for now.¡±

    Anyway, it was something he had decided to do before entering the Tower of Heaven again. It was something that he would have to face sooner orter, and the two eventually had to reluctantly give their approval.

    "You''reing back in two weeks, right?"

    "Of course."

    "If you don''t contact us after two weeks, we''ll find you no matter where you are in the country."

    Yu-Seong smiled at Yu-Ri and waved his hand lightly. He also wore his horn-rimmed sses and a ck mask. He said firmly, "I''ll be back."

    Do-Yoon silently bowed his head.

    ***

    Namyangju, located in Gyeonggido, appeared to be a bustling city center. However, some parts of the outskirts were quite remote and peaceful countryside viges. It was in one of these viges that an Italian foreign car, with a rather loud exhaust sound, pulled up.

    Yu-Seong parked the car in a secluded location away from the vige and checked the location on his navigation system. Then, he nodded his head in confirmation. "I found the exact location.¡±

    Rather than dragging a noisy car around and attracting attention, Yu-Seong thought that it would be better to walk quietly from this point onward. Thinking so, he got out of the car and started quietly walking down the country road with fields on both sides.

    Even though the location wasn''t far, every step felt heavy to him. After all, he was on his way to meet someone who could be called his first master in life. Maybe that was why he felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness in his heart.

    After ten minutes of walking along the country road, he exchanged nces with a yellow dog that greeted him from the vige entrance. He eventually stood in front of the gate of the closest house.

    <i>¡®First, how should I greet her?¡¯</i>

    Perhaps unfamiliar with being in a rural vige, Yu-Seong found himself contemting how to start the conversation as he stood at the house which had its door wide open.

    <i>Tap.</i>

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Yu-Seong screamed and quickly turned around when someone tapped on his back.

    "Huh? Why are you so surprised?" The woman clicked her tongue at Yu-Seong¡¯s dumbfounded expression.

    She was about 180cm tall, which was quite the height for a woman, and despite the chilly spring weather, she only wore a white in T-shirt and jeans.

    The woman looked up at the surprised Yu-Seong and tilted her head in wonder. "You look like the yangban I saw on TV. What are you doing in this countryside?"

    "Pa, Park Ok-Rye?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "You know me?" the woman asked in a calm, indifferent voice, and her eyes didn''t even show a hint of caution.

    Yu-Seong clearly knew the woman. In fact, he could not help but know her.

    <i>¡®But I didn¡¯t expect to meet her right away.¡¯</i>

    Park Ok-Rye appeared to be in her mid-twenties despite being over sixty years old. She also didn''t seem to belong in the rural vige.

    And just how could she maintain her youth like that? The secret, which made everyone in the vige envious, was simple.

    <i>¡®She is using her mana to stay young.¡¯</i>

    It was quite amon practice among hunters. The problem was that Ok-Rye was not a hunter or a yer, but she could actually control mana.

    In this world, there were three types of beings who could use mana without going through the awakening process.

    <i>¡®Non-human races, wizards, and transcendent beings.¡¯</i>

    Ok-Rye belonged to the third group.

    Yu-Seong forced his pounding heart to calm down, then removed his hat, sses, and mask. With a bow, he said, "I came here to receive guidance."

    He then wondered if he had said the right thing.

    Ok-Rye turned her gaze to briefly look at Yu-Seong before saying with a smile, ¡°Good, you¡¯re handsome. You passed the first round. Sit down for now.¡±

    She smirked and gestured with a tilt of her chin for Yu-Seong to sit at the table ced in the yard.

    ***

    Park Ok-Rye, who was 63 years old but looked like she was under 25 in terms of physical appearance, brought kimchi and makgeolli from the house.

    As Yu-Seong sat in the yard, she handed him a brass cup and asked, "Do you know how to drink?"

    "Yes, I do."

    "Drink it."

    Ok-Rye appeared to be very rxed. She filled their cups with makgeolli and lightly clinked her brass cup with Yu-Seong¡¯s before emptying her cup in one gulp.

    "Damn, this is the real deal. Makgeolli''s gotta be icy like this."

    "Um¡­ Grandma..."

    "Grandma? Do I look like a grandma to you?"

    With a somewhat awkward expression, Yu-Seong shook his head in response to Ok-Rye''s question.

    "Call me ''noona''."

    "...Huh?"

    "If you don¡¯t want to, you can leave."

    "...Noona."

    "Haha, it feels pretty good when a handsome person like you calls me noona." Ok-Rye chuckled somewhat oddly and drank several cups of makgeolli.

    Then, she went on to say, "I remember seeing you on TV. You were the troublemaker in the Comet Group, but now you''re known as the rising morning star¡ªChoi Yu-Seong, the ninth child. I don''t know how you found out about me, but I assume it''s possible through the Comet Group. You might have found out somehow."

    In reality, the Comet Group was not aware of Ok-Rye¡¯s existence. They only vaguely knew that the South Korean government was hiding one of the three transcendent beings in the world like a secret weapon. In fact, Ok-Rye was a particrly special transcendent being among them.

    Ok-Rye continued to drink makgeolli and slowly scanned Yu-Seong''s body with her ck eyes. Her actions seemed casual, but there was a strange and mysterious power that could be felt from her eyes.

    Yu-Seong could only sit in front of Ok-Rye in a tense posture and remain silent.

    "Let¡¯s see. You have been training quite well. Unlike most yers these days, you have steadily built your foundation and improved. Even without my guidance, you are quite capable of receiving quite a bit of attention. Why did you bother toe here?"

    "I want to defeat someone."

    "Is there someone among S-rank hunters who you hold a grudge against?"

    "We are of the same rank."

    "Someoneparable to you in the same rank... Ah, Kim Do-Jin. That guy." Ok-Rye chuckled and nodded in understanding. "He''s a monster. He''ll soon be in the same realm as me."

    In the original novel, Do-Jin also became a transcendent being like Ok-Rye. However, Yu-Seong was aware that Ok-Rye was an even greater monster than Do-Jin.

    Ok-Rye was an infinite reincarnator, having already lived 99 lives and was currently living her 100th life as a transcendent being. This was why she was known as the strongest character in the original novel''s world.

    1. The Korean idiom used to metaphorically express that the difference in quantity or degree is minimal

    2. makgeolli is a traditional Korean liquor that is usually made by fermenting rice or wheat with nuruk (a type of fermentation starter).

 Chapter 194

    <h4>Chapter 194 </h4>

    Although Ok-Rye''s gaze seemed indifferent, it sometimes became so sharp that it felt like she was peering into Yu-Seong¡¯s soul. Whenever Yu-Seong met her gaze, he unconsciously gulped.

    As they exchanged several cups of makgeolli and chatted, Ok-Rye chuckled and asked, "So what do you want to learn from me?"

    "I want to learn many things, but... just because I want to, doesn¡¯t mean that I am able to, does it?"

    In the original novel, Do-Jin suffered greatly in order to learn from Ok-Rye. It was not surprising that Ok-Rye, a transcendent being, was not inclined to easily teach her martial arts to others.

    "Well, of course. If such a handsome young man calls me ''noona'' and asks for a favor, I have to at least pretend that I can''t refuse. Hehe."

    Yu-Seong didn''t quite understand Ok-Rye, because Do-Jin was no less handsome than himself. Nevertheless, in the original novel, Do-Jin spent over three months doing various chores and clearing dungeons as instructed by Ok-Rye in order to learn from her. Compared to that, it seemed easy for Yu-Seong to be allowed to learn from Ok-Rye.

    <i>¡®I wonder if it''s because my facial features are more appealing to her?¡¯</i>

    Or maybe it was because Do-Jin couldn''t call Ok-Rye ''noona'' due to his personality? In fact, in the original novel, Do-Jin never called Ok-Rye ''noona''.

    <i>¡®From the beginning, he came here with the introduction of the Association president and called her master.¡¯</i>

    Anyway, Yu-Seong passed Ok-Rye''s disciple test very easily.

    "Why? Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I would give you some strange task to receive my teachings?"

    "Uh..."

    "Hahaha! Look at this immature guy. His emotions are written all over his face. How can he survive in this harsh world?" Speaking with a smirk, Ok-Rye filled her own cup with thest remaining makgeolli.

    "I''m naturally moody, but I''m feeling good today. An unexpected guest came, and he''s handsome and called me ''noona''. There''s nothing more I could ask for. I''ll take you as my disciple.¡±

    "..."

    "It''s rare in the world these days, so let''s do a formal greeting. Dear disciple, do you know the Nine Bows ritual?"

    "Of course."

    Ok-Rye set down her makgeolli cup and sat cross-legged in a fairly formal posture. "Go ahead, it''s been a while since I''ve received a greeting from a disciple."

    Yu-Seong silently kneeled before bowing respectfully. One, two, three... The nine bows of different rituals continued on.

    Only as it approached the end did Ok-Ryeugh loudly and extend her hand. She said, "I''m Park Ok-Rye. Call me ''master'' from now on, young disciple.¡±

    As he watched Ok-Rye and wondered if this was really the end, Yu-Seong cautiously opened his mouth to greet her. "Master."

    "Hahaha! Perhaps it''s been a while¡­ That sounds good to hear."

    As he looked at theughing Ok-Rye, Yu-Seong wrapped the title of ''master'' around the tip of his tongue again. It was a strange feeling, one that made him feel uplifted.

    ***

    After forming a formal bond between master and disciple, Yu-Seong told Ok-Rye about the remaining time and the current situation.

    "Two weeks? You have to be able to beat Kim Do-Jin within that time?"

    "...Is that difficult?"

    "Difficult? Not at all. Kim Do-Jin has some potential, but he''s still a novice. For me, I could win with just one finger."

    "That''s for you, master."

    Ok-Rye''s words were not an exaggeration. In fact, if she wanted to, she could subdue Do-Jin with just her voice, let alone a finger. However, for Yu-Seong, it was definitely not an easy task.

    "However, it won''t be easy to follow my training program. You might even feel like dying. Are you still okay with that?"

    "Yes."

    In the first ce, Yu-Seong had no intention of beating the main character of the original novel without facing such extremes.

    Seeing Yu-Seong''s determined gaze, Ok-Rye nodded with a strange expression on her face. "Good. Show me everything you have now. Two weeks is too short a time for you to learn something new from me, so we¡¯ll focus on improving what you already have."

    "I understand."

    "Follow me."

    After Ok-Rye waved her hand, a blue-dimensional portal formed in the empty space. She proceeded to enter it with an indifferent expression and Yu-Seong followed her.

    Inside the portal, thendscape that unfolded before them was a barren wastnd where it was hard to find even nts, let alone people. Looking around and frowning from the intense sunlight, Yu-Seong asked, "Where are we...?"

    "I can''t even remember the name¡­ It¡¯s somewhere in the US. After all, there¡¯s no other suitable ce to train where people are hard to find.¡±

    This meant that, with one gesture from Ok-Rye, they had instantly crossed from Korea to the US. Yu-Seong looked at her in surprise.

    Ok-Rye nodded as if it was nothing with her arms crossed. She said, "Give it your all. Don''t worry about me getting hurt or dying."

    "I understand."

    Silently, Yu-Seong activated all the ancient relics he had with him and transformed Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into the form of a spear. From the beginning, he wasn¡¯t worried about hurting her. While she did not directly interfere with the world, if she set her mind to it, she was a transcendent being capable of single-handedly killing even the Demon King.

    <i>¡®If I think about it, there''s a higher wall than the S-rank hunters I saw during my E-rank days.¡¯</i>

    There was absolutely no reason to worry about Ok-Rye getting hurt.

    <i>¡®From the beginning, with all my might¡­¡¯</i>

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    As if thunder was ringing in his head, Yu-Seong¡¯s hair stood on end, and electricity began to flow through his body. The power of the wind that supported his body to float was quite light as well.

    <i>¡®The fury of the Lightning Punisher, the breath of the Wind Watcher, the vitality of the Giant Hunter.¡¯</i>

    By fully utilizing the power of the three ancient relics, and with the reinforcement abilities obtained from the Tower of Heaven, the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill that was originally difficult to maintain flowed quite naturally throughout Yu-Seong¡¯s body.

    <i>¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯</i>

    Perhaps this power alone was enough to defeat Do-Jin at this moment? However, Yu-Seong immediately shook his head.

    <i>¡®As much as I''ve grown..¡¯</i>

    No, perhaps Do-Jin had be even stronger than that.

    "Well... Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill, huh? You have quite a useful skill."

    Even this Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill was just a ¡®<i>useful skill¡¯</i> for Ok-Rye.

    Feeling the thrilling electricity flowing through him, Yu-Seong said with a glint in his eye, "Then... Here I go!"

    With a loud shout, Yu-Seong crossed the vast wilderness with a sh.

    ***

    Time flew by like an arrow. This was especially true for Yu-Seong, who hardly realized the passage of time.

    The training that started in the wilderness had no concept of day or night, and meals were not even taken into consideration. Yu-Seong''s training was literally an infinite battle. There was no rest and no room forcency. Even when he was tired after pouring out his Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, Ok-Rye relentlessly attacked Yu-Seong and forced him to evade and defend himself.

    As Ok-Rye shouted for him to push his body and mind to the extreme, Yu-Seong felt like he might die. However, he still pushed himself to the limit. Even though he felt like he was about to copse from exhaustion, what more could he do?

    Regardless of his doubts, Yu-Seong''s body moved without rest. The situation was peculiar; he was already exhausted, but his body continued to respond. Later, even the doubts disappeared from his mind. Ok-Rye either attacked or induced an attack without saying a word, and Yu-Seong somewhat instinctively moved his body ording to Ok-Rye''s will.

    Just when the thought of actually dying from exhaustion hadpletely vanished from Yu-Seong¡¯s mind, Ok-Rye pulled back her fist and stepped back. She asked, "You said two weeks, right?"

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Hm, you still haven''t regained your senses,"mented Ok-Rye.

    Without another word, she lightly tapped Yu-Seong''s forehead with her fingertips as he rushed toward her.

    <i>Smack!?</i>

    "Uh-!"

    After rolling on the ground a few times, Yu-Seong suddenly stood up. His dazed look quickly went away, his eyes regaining their usual light.

    "Didn''t you say the appointment was after two weeks at noon?"

    "Oh, yes."

    "It''s time."

    ¡°What...?"

    "The two weeks that you mentioned have passed."

    Yu-Seong looked at Ok-Rye with an incredulous expression. He remembereding over to this barrennd with her and starting their first battle. However, since then, he had no idea how time had passed.

    "Did I spar with my master without eating or sleeping?"

    In response to Yu-Seong¡¯s question about the inexplicable situation, Ok-Rye pointed at him to reveal a blue aura connecting to his body like a thread. She said, "You wouldn''t have been able to do it in normal circumstances. But with someone''s help, it''s possible enough."

    "Ah..."

    Ok-Rye forcibly grabbed Yu-Seong, who was about to copse from exhaustion at any moment, and made him move. She exined, "What you''ve been doing is an unconscious sparring. Two weeks is too short a time to teach you something new, but it''s enough to bring out your maximum potential. And to do that, it''s much easier to bring out your power in a state of unconsciousness rather than consciousness..."

    "I roughly understand."

    "You don''t need to fully understand anyway. More importantly, there''s another reason why I woke you up exactly after two weeks."

    .

    "What reason?"

    "Your potential is not ordinary, but Kim Do-Jin is such a monster. I took out another insurance policy just in case. There''s a limit to bringing out your potential with a two-week-long training."

    "It sounds a bit different from what you first said..."

    Ok-Rye smirked at Yu-Seong''s question and shook her head. "It doesn''t mean you''re losing. It''s just that we needed to make use of the two weeks fully."

    As she was disappearing from Yu-Seong''s sight, Ok-Rye¡¯s fist grazed Yu-Seong''s cheekbone.

    Yu-Seong instinctively turned his head to avoid the punch without much thought, and his eyes widened in surprise. He couldn''t see Ok-Rye''s attack, but his body moved on its own.

    "Right now, your body is in a state of extreme tension and excitement, which is practically the best situation to fight in. The best option would be to rest after embodying everything you''ve learned¡­.¡± Ok-Rye let out an awkwardugh before saying with a smile, ¡°...but there wasn''t enough time for that."

    ¡°Then¡­¡±

    "In an hour, all the recoil of your previous training wille."

    "...It¡¯s going to hurt a lot."

    "Very much so. It could be as painful as the first awakening."

    "Oh, my goodness..."

    Ok-Rye giggled at the sight of Yu-Seong''s panicked expression. She then said, ¡°Did you think it would be easy to grow rapidly in a short period of time? Since there is a promised match, there is no other choice but to push yourself. I hate hearing that my disciple got beaten up somewhere.¡±

    "I see¡­ Uh, by the way, what time is it now, master...?"

    "It''s 12:10 pm in Korea."

    "...I said the appointment was at noon."

    "I got carried away with the fun of teaching my disciple after a long time, so I was a littlete."

    Yu-Seong realized he waste and hurriedly spoke up.

 Chapter 195

    <h4>Chapter 195 </h4>

    ¡°Master, can I ask to use the teleportation portal we used toe here to get to Hannam-dong?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "There''s no reason to say no, but it might be difficult to get to the exact location. I can only teleport to ces I''ve been to."

    That was good enough.

    "Well, here''s the address..."

    Upon Yu-Seong''s urgent request, Ok-Rye checked the location and tilted her head in confusion. She said, "Seoul has changed a lot. There are many buildings unfamiliar to me, since I haven¡¯t been there. It might be dangerous, so we might have to go somewhere a little further away..."

    "Please do!"

    In fact, as long as it was in Hannam-dong, it didn''t matter where they went. It would still be faster than flying on a ne from the United States.

    Smiling at Yu-Seong''s urgent look, Ok-Rye tore the air with one hand and created a portal. Just before Yu-Seong jumped into it, Ok-Rye called him, ¡°Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    "I''ll say it again, but I can''t stand it if I hear that my disciple got beaten up or lost to someone," said Ok-Rye as she raised her fist and smiled.

    "..."

    "In case you lose, be prepared for a grueling three-year training and not two weeks like this time," Ok-Rye warned.

    He hadn¡¯t even felt the aftermath of the training yet, so why was he terrified already?

    With his body already trembling, Yu-Seong nodded and said, "I will definitely win, master. See youter!"

    After Yu-Seong jumped into the portal and disappeared, Ok-Rye momentarily looked at the final spot he had stood at. Then, she slowly looked up at the sky. "Baek Yu-Ri, your son has grown up welli. He¡¯s strong and confident. You might be able to feel at ease even there."

    Ok-Rye recalled her friend, her cute little younger friend, who had been her disciple before Yu-Seong. Thinking about the woman named Baek Yu-Ri from a distant past, Ok-Rye smiled bitterly.

    She had been so happy when Baek Yu-Ri had sent a photo of her newborn baby, Yu-Seong. She had been so happy to have a truly cute nephew. But now, Baek Yu-Ri, the mother and someone who should have watched the child grow up, was no longer in this world.

    "It would have been nice if you could have seen him like this with me..."

    It was regrettable and sorrowful. Although Ok-Rye had experienced frequent separations and deaths over many years, it was not easy to adapt to the fact that someone had left her side.

    At the time of the ident, if it hadn''t been for the promise of fate that transcendent beings were bound by, she would have immediately gone to the Comet Group and turned the whole house upside down to find the culprit.

    That exined a wish she made very desperately.

    <i>¡®May the shadow of death cast upon that child be banished by my teaching¡­¡¯</i>

    Despite this, what if unavoidable death were to strike Yu-Seong again this time? A deep anger swirled in Ok-Rye''s eyes, which had been calm and serene a moment ago.

    <i>¡®Then, even if I fall into a more severe curse of fate¡­ I won¡¯t bear it anymore.¡¯?</i>

    She sincerely hoped that such a day would nevere.

    ***

    Do-Jin, who had arrived almost an hour early at the hunter training center in Hannam-dong where he had promised to meet Yu-Seong, looked at his watch with his arms folded. Hemented, ¡°12:18.¡±

    Ah-Rin flinched at Do-Jin¡¯s sharp tone as she stood next to him. Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon, who were sitting across from them, couldn''t bring themselves to meet his gaze.

    "Hey, he''ste. And you said you couldn''t get in touch with him, right?" Do-Jin asked.

    Yu-Ri briefly made eye contact with Do-Jin before slowly nodding in agreement. "Yes."

    It was a situation that worried her quite a lot as well.

    <i>¡®He promised he woulde back safely¡­¡¯</i>

    Even though the scheduled sparring time hade, Yu-Seong was still not here.

    Yu-Ri tried not to show it outwardly, but she was indeed very worried.

    <i>¡®Do-Yoon oppa seems like he might run out right away if Yu-Seong oppa still doesn¡¯t show up¡­¡¯</i>

    Just as Yu-Ri was looking at Do-Yoon''s stiff expression¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m worried.¡±

    ¡°Yes, right¡­. What?¡± Yu-Ri who initially replied carelessly turned to Do-Jin in surprise.

    "Choi Yu-Seong is oftente for appointments, but this is the first time he''s been thiste."

    Despite the angry look and the scowl on his face, was he genuinely concerned? Yu-Ri¡¯s expression shifted to one of puzzlement as she watched Do-Jin.

    "It''s 12:30. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. I¡¯ll go out to find him," said Do-Yoon urgently from his seat next to Yu-Ri.

    It had been over 30 minutes now and they hadn''t heard back from Yu-Seong. Do-Yoon couldn''t take it anymore, since they hadn''t been able to confirm his location or contact him for the past two weeks.

    Just when Do-Yoon was about to go outside, the door of the training center, which had been closed, opened wide.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    With a slightly loud noise, Yu-Seong opened the iron door where the mana barrier was activated. He had a tired expression on his face. Out of breath, he said, "Huk, huk. Sorry for beingte, everyone!"

    His disheveled appearance, with torn clothes and an overall unkempt look, seemed to indicate that he had rushed there in a hurry.

    Do-Jin frowned and snorted at Yu-Seong''s appearance. "You look like a mess. Go take a shower and change your clothes before we start. I''ll wait a little longer."

    "No."

    Yu-Seong desired to clean himself up, but he didn''t have the luxury to do so. He now had about 40 minutes left. If he missed the time limit, a tremendous aftereffect from the past two weeks of training woulde, making the spar impossible.

    "I''m sorry I¡¯m sote, but let''s start right away. Oh, if you''re not feeling good about fighting with me in this state, I can go and shower quickly."

    "What''s the point of feeling uneasy while we''re going to stter blood on each other anyway?" Do-Jin chuckled and slowly scanned Yu-Seong from head to toe. He asked, "But are you sure to fight like¡­?"

    "I can do it. Don''t worry, I can easily beat you."

    "Beat me?" Do-Jin''s eyebrows twitched, but his eyes and mouth formed quite a bright smile. He added, "It seems like you''re telling a funny joke.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a joke,¡± replied Yu-Seong.

    Although he felt a twinge of guilt at seeing the smile on Do-Jin''s face when the man was really angry, Yu-Seong tried to remain as calm as possible. The more excited he got, the better. If they were going to fight anyway, it was better for him to be emotionally charged.

    ¡°Then, let''s start right away,¡± said Do-Jin as he went toward the center of the wide training center.

    While they were talking, Yu-Seong managed to catch his breath. Then, he approached Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon, greeting them with a gentle gaze. ¡°Sorry for making you worry.¡±

    ¡°It''s okay. You came back safe and sound.¡±

    ¡°Are you really okay to start right away?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu-Seong calmly replied to Do-Yoon''s question and moved forward slowly.

    He wasn¡¯t just concerned about the time limit.

    <i>''I can really win.''?</i>

    The truth was, Yu-Seong didn''t really know what kind of training Ok-Rye had put him through. After the initial stages, he had no memory of the unconscious sparring. However, he knew instinctively that it was incredibly harsh training.

    Just the thought of doing the training again made him break out in cold sweat and brought up feelings of terror in his mind. However, the effect of it was clear.

    <i>''I have no idea what she did, but...''?</i>

    Overall, Yu-Seong''s skills that had previously reached B-rank had all received an additional rating of B(++) now.

    <i>''It''s not just one +, but two.''?</i>

    In fact, at this point, it was safe to say that he had reached the limit of B-rank. It was not just the visible numbers alone.

    <i>¡®My body feels really light.¡¯</i>

    The basis for his confidence of winning was sufficient.

    Despite it being a sparring session, Do-Jin was holding a real sword. He said casually, "If you''re scared now, I can change my choice of weapon.¡±

    "No, if it''s not a real sword, we wouldn¡¯t be able to show our true skills, right?"

    After all, the weapon they were ustomed to was the best one for showing their skill. And now, the two of them had to clearly confirm each other''s skill.

    <i>¡®Now is the chance.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps, after having trained under Park Ok-Rye alone, now would be the only time where Yu-Seong was stronger than Do-Jin.

    Just as Do-Jin waspetitive, Yu-Seong also wanted topete and win again Do-Jin. No, in fact, his desire was even stronger than Do-Jin¡¯s.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin, the protagonist of the original novel.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had never properly fought Do-Jin before. However, whenever they exchanged blows, Yu-Seong felt an insurmountable wall. But how about now?

    With a small grin on his face, Yu-Seong raised his spear and assumed the proper stance. Standing in front of Do-Jin, the movements of the spear in Yu-Seong¡¯s mind were different from usual.

    <i>¡®Cu Chinn.¡¯</i>

    Cu Chinn''s Secret Spear skills were finally showing their full range of techniques now.

    Do-Jin''s eyes narrowed instinctively at Yu-Seong''s different demeanor from usual. Then, he returned Yu-Seong¡¯s smile with one of his own. Hemented, "I don''t know what you''ve been doing for the past two weeks, but¡­you''ve changed a bit."

    If Yu-Seong''s spear skills had just started to bloom, then Do-Jin''s sword skills had already been in full bloom for a long time. Above all, Do-Jin was also looking forward to one thing.

    <i>¡®I can finally see it this time, his true limits.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin never thought of Yu-Seong as weak. He also didn''t think that Yu-Seong¡¯s current appearance was due to just two weeks of intense training.

    "Come on, Choi Yu-Seong."

    <i>¡®Show me everything you''re hiding.¡¯</i>

    Just as Do-Jin murmured inwardly, Yu-Seong disappeared from his sight.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Immediately after, Yu-Seong¡¯s blue mana-enveloped spear and Do-Jin''s sword collided in midair. That was just the beginning of their spar.

    The three people who came as observers¡ªthe Jin siblings and Ah-Rin¡ªcould hardly believe the quick strikes that followed one after another.

    <i>Kagagakang-!?</i>

    The two metal armors shed six times in just one breath, and mes burst into the air. The exchange of attacks continued for several breaths. The tip of the spear and the end of the sword never touched the other person¡¯s body. Even the mana canceled out before it could cause any harm to each other.

    Yu-Ri, feeling the sweat in her clenched fist, turned her gaze to the side. There, Do-Yoon, who was also clenching his fist with a simr expression, looked pleased with the glint in his eyes. Clearly, he was enjoying it.

    "If it''s at that level..."

    "If I were in the middle of that, I''d have to fight with all my might."

    Finally, Yu-Seong stood on the same level as Do-Yoon, who was considered a skillful fighter ranking in the top of the A-rank. In fact, Yu-Ri''s thoughts were not much different.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m sure he hasn''t used his full power yet, but¡­¡¯</i>

    The disyed ability of Do-Jin, who was called the genius of the era, was expected. However, the growth achieved by Yu-Seong was truly astonishing. The two siblings who had been with Yu-Seong for a long time could not suppress their admiration at Yu-Seong¡¯s incredible growth.

    "Oh...my goodness!"

    "Young master..."

    While they couldn''t hide their joy, at that moment, Yu-Seong''s spear grazed Do-Jin''s shoulder and blood sttered into the air.

 Chapter 196

    <h4>Chapter 196 </h4>

    It was a very minor flesh wound. However, this minor flesh wound was the trigger of a significant change in the flow of the battle.

    This was a battle between a spear and a sword. A clear difference in speed began to appear between the wielders of these weapons.

    ¡°The young master¡­is a bit faster.¡± Do-Yoon, whose eyes suddenly sharpened up like a predatory wolf¡¯s, showed extreme concentration.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± Yu-Ri¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise as she focused on the fight..

    Once again, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear scraped Do-Jin¡¯s thigh.

    <i>Whoosh~</i>

    Although his flesh was revealed and blood gushed out from his wounds, Do-Jin did not even raise an eyebrow as he maintained his concentration. A momentter, a blue pentagram magic circle appeared at the tip of Do-Jin¡¯s sword.

    Surprised, Yu-Seong quickly lifted his spear to defend himself as a magic sphere condensed by Do-Jin shot out toward him.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    With a loud explosion, Yu-Seong stumbled and was pushed back by a considerable distance.

    <i>¡®When did he prepare this kind of magic?¡¯</i>

    The magic sphere had greater power than what Yu-Seong had expected.

    With blood flowing from his lips, Yu-Seong looked straight ahead. However, he could not see Do-Jin, who should have been in front of him. Quickly taking seven steps of his Wind Control, he then used its chaotic and confusing movements to avoid Do-Jin¡¯s subsequent attacks.

    <i>Whoosh!</i>

    At that moment, Do-Jin shed at Yu-Seong with his sword and almost ran him through. As Yu-Seong¡¯s clothes became tattered, blood sttered everywhere.

    If Yu-Seong¡¯s Wind Control movement had been a bit more predictable, Do-Jin¡¯s current attack would have immediately won him the battle.

    <i>¡®As expected¡­ Kim Do-Jin.¡¯</i>

    Clearly, Do-Jin had not wasted time while Yu-Seong was receiving training from Park Ok-Rye. Do-Jin¡¯s offensive movement was much sharper than what Yu-Seong had expected.

    Having barely managed to evade Do-Jin¡¯s attack, Yu-Seong used his arm to rebound off the ground and fly into the air, creating some distance between himself and Do-Jin. He wanted to be able to better see Do-Jin¡¯s movements.

    As Do-Jin continued to attack, Yu-Seong defended against his onught.

    Do-Yoon, who was watching the unfolding scene, let out a short sigh. ¡°The young master has lost the momentum.¡±

    The most important thing in a fight between equals, or those who were simrly skilled, was momentum. Once someone started to lose momentum and timing, they would inevitably be on the backfoot and be pushed back; thus, it would be difficult for the one who had lost momentum to regain the upper hand.

    Due to this fact, it became difficult for Yu-Seong to escape his defensive posture and reinitiate an attack.

    At first, when the battle went back and forth, it was clear that Yu-Seong had the initiative and momentum.

    However, the powerful magic that Do-Jin had quickly prepared and used instantly reversed the momentum. Now, it was Do-Jin who was initiating the attacks. Naturally, the movement of his sword started to surpass the speed of Yu-Seong¡¯s spear, and Yu-Seong ended up on the defense.

    To turn the situation around, Yu-Seong needed to bring out a trump card, just like what Do-Jin had done earlier.

    ¡°Young master!¡±

    ¡°Yu-Seong oppa¡­¡±

    ¡°Kim Do-Jin¡­!¡±

    Cold sweat trickled down the backs of the three people¡ªDo-Yoon, Yu-Ri, and Ah-Rin¡ªwho were watching the battle from afar.

    At the center of everyone¡¯s attention, Yu-Seong, who was focusing on defense, suddenly had a thought.

    <i>¡®If I keep getting pushed back, there will be no way out.¡¯</i>.

    He hade to the same conclusion: now that he had lost the initiative, he was going to be suppressed and there was nothing he could do about it.There were many trump cards that he could bring out, but the same was true for Do-Jin as well.

    <i>¡®Like how Kim Do-Jin used magic earlier¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong needed a means to turn the tables once Do-Jin revealed an opening.

    While considering his options, Yu-Seong was being increasingly forced onto his back foot. His top was already ragged and tattered, practically torn to shreds, and his well-trained upper body muscles were covered in blood. Nevertheless, his eyes maintained a sense of vignce.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let myself copse from just this alone.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin looked at Choi Yu-Seong and inwardlyughed. He had no intention of defeating Yu-Seong through an ambiguous, nonmittal approach.

    <i>¡®When you see a small gap¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin was nning onnding an immediate, fatal blow.

    <i>¡®Now!¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin¡¯s eyes shone brightly once he saw Yu-Seong struggling to avoid the tip of his sword. He transferred his mana into the magic circle at the tip of his sword. However, right when the rune magic circle was on the cusp of beingpleted, it was suddenly scattered by a foreign energy.

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    Stunned, Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong, who had seemed to be on the brink of copse just moments earlier.

    Yu-Seong straightened himself out using Wind Control, struck out with his spear, and extended his arm out with an open palm. Hemanded, ¡°Dancing Electric Doll.¡±

    With the activation of Yu-Seong¡¯s skill, Do-Jin quickly took a step back and opened a magic defensive barrier. Once again, as if to nullify his magic, a foreign energy tried to interfere and disperse his magic barrier.

    This time, Do-Jin just snorted. ¡°You dare¡­!¡±

    Once he was able toplete his spell, imprisoning the Dancing Electric Doll inside the magic barrier, Do-Jin looked straight ahead at Yu-Seong, who was lunging straight at him.

    <i>¡®When did he learn Dispel?¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin knew that he was the one who had taught Yu-Seong about magic. However, he had no idea how far Yu-Seong had progressed in it.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, you must have trained and developed your magic ability quite a lot. It seems you have already be a ss 3 expert.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong, who could sense Do-Jin¡¯s misunderstanding, poured out a quick offensive to not lose his regained momentum.

    In truth, Do-Jin¡¯s thoughts were not entirely wrong. However, they were not quite right either. In fact, it was right after Ok-Rye¡¯s training that Yu-Seong had reached ss 3.

    <i>¡®Actually, to be specific, I reached ss 3 during training.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, there was only one type of ss 3 magic that Yu-Seong had learned¡ªDispel, a kind of magic that could interfere with an opponent¡¯s magic.

    <i>¡®I see¡­ Master deliberately focused on training me to use Dispel¡­¡¯</i>

    As the spar continued, Yu-Seong slowly recalled bits and pieces of what he had learned during his training with Ok-Rye.

    Those training sessions had been long and difficult. And within that training period, Ok-Rye had focused on teaching Yu-Seong Dispel.

    <i>¡®Anyway, it is obvious that Kim Do-Jin is in a higher ss than me.¡¯</i>

    It would be foolish for Yu-Seong to fight head-on with the same type of magic against Do-Jin, who used a much more eclectic variety of magic. However, he did think that constantly using the only ss 3 magic he knew of, Dispel, could help him keep Do-Jin in check.

    Dispel had a high failure rate as it was a difficult spell to execute, but once it seeded, it could break an opponent¡¯s magic even if one was only a lower-ss magic user. Thus, if it worked, one could break an opponent¡¯s tempo and gain the upper hand in terms of momentum. This was because, if one¡¯s magic failed once, gaps in their defense were bound to appear.

    Having regained his momentum, Yu-Seong maintained his offensive rather easily and ced Do-Jin on his back foot.

    <i>¡®Raging Snake, Coiling and Rising Snake, Poison Fanged Snake.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong unleashed Cu Chinn¡¯s spear moves, which were now naturally ingrained in his body, one after another, leaving cut marks all over Kim Do-Jin¡¯s body¡­

    ¡°Ha-!¡± Do-Jin burst outughing and deployed a spell once more.

    This time, it was with his palm rather than his sword.

    Btedly noticing the spell that Do-Jin had secretly prepared during their fierce battle, Yu-Seong tried to use Dispel in turn, activating it through the tip of his spear, but he was a step toote.

    Do-Jin¡¯s rapidly unfolding magic wrapped around his body and sword. Though Do-Jin had been on the defensive, he instantly switched toward the offensive.

    <i>¡®The tempo¡­!¡¯</i>

    In an instant, Do-Jin¡¯s movements had be twice as fast.

    <i>¡®He used Haste on himself!¡¯</i>

    Haste was, quite literally, magic that made one move faster.

    The problem with using Haste was that most wizards could not adapt to the sudden change in their movements, so they would inevitably make mistakes. However, this did not apply to Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin adapted to his elerated movement rtively easily andunched an offensive without revealing any new gaps.

    Indeed, it was not easy to regain momentum once it was lost. Having such thoughts, Yu-Seong did not want to miss this opportunity.

    <i>¡®I wanted to hide this as much as possible¡­but since my opponent is Kim Do-Jin, I guess there is nothing I can do about it.¡¯</i>

    In order to win the battle, Yu-Seong had to pour out everything from the start. Thus, he did not hesitate any longer and activated another skill, one that he had acquired but had not yet used.

    <i>¡®Gale Force.¡¯</i>

    When he had defeated the ck Gauze King, Emilia, one of the Twelve Dark Kings of the Demon King Worshipers, Yu-Seong had received skill offers from two gods. Between the two, he had rejected the offer from Odin, the Father of Magical Hymns.

    <i>¡®Loki and Odin do not get along anyway.¡¯</i>

    Nothing good woulde about if Yu-Seong simultaneously epted and received the support of two gods who were at odds with each other.

    In any case, the moment he chose to hold hands with Loki, Yu-Seong had no choice but to distance himself from Odin.

    As a result, Thor and the other gods expressed their disappointment at his choice, but there was no other alternative for Yu-Seong. Thus, he had epted the offer of an equally powerful god who was not at odds with Loki, the Cold Wind of the West.

    And the skill Yu-Seong had received from that god was Gale Force, which only had one effect.

    <i>¡®Within a radius of 30 meters around me, paths of wind will form.¡¯</i>

    The skill had an area effect that elerated one¡¯s speed when riding the wind flow and decelerated when not riding the flow.

    Gale Force was an advanced skill where different paths of wind met to create chaotic gale force winds and allow one topletely subdue one¡¯s opponent!

    The reason why Yu-Seong had not used Gale Force earlier was simple.

    <i>¡®If I do not ride the wind paths properly, it is more of a poison than a benefit.¡¯</i>

    Gale Force resembled Haste in that both were difficult to use properly; however, the difficulty level was much higher for Gale Force.

    The magic¡¯s powerful effects could only be realized if one took advantage of a tailwind to move faster while at the same time the opponent¡¯s range of movement was restricted by a headwind or tailwind.

    The more skilled one¡¯s opponent was, the faster they would realize the effects of the skill; hence, Gale Force was difficult to properly use. Of course, that was usually the case for most powerful spells.

    Yu-Seong had learned some ways to properly utilize Gale Force during his training with Ok-Rye.

    <i>¡®Be clearly aware of the space around me.¡¯</i>

    One had to rule over one¡¯s surrounding space. In other words, one had to have control over the surrounding air.

    Yu-Seong had not yet perfected this concept, but he had learned the skill well enough to be able to apply this air control within the range of his spear.

    Yu-Seong activated Gale Force and sensed the currents around him through the tip of his spear.

    The most important thing for Yu-Seong was that the effect of the wind pushing him forward would bepounded by another gust of wind taking the opponent by surprise and pushing them from behind, right into the path of his attack.

    Do-Jin, who was unaware of the rapidly changing situation, naturally fell into Yu-Seong¡¯s trap as a gust of wind pushed his back. As he was caught up in the tailwind, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes widened.

    <i>¡®Just one fleeting moment of distraction,¡¯</i><i>?</i>thought Yu-Seong.

    Do-Jin would not fall victim to the same move twice. As the main character in the novel, he would undoubtedly be able to copy and imitate Yu-Seong¡¯s skill the second time around.

    However, now was Yu-Seong¡¯s chance. He used his tailwind to drive forward while Do-Jin was being held up by a gust of wind from behind. Then, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear pierced through the air between the two shing wind paths.

    A vacuum formed, a space where no sound could be heard and nothing could be sensed.

    Feeling the impending danger, Do-Jin hurriedly activated a spell, but Yu-Seong did not pay much attention to Do-Jin¡¯s actions.

    <i>¡®This sort of attack cannot be stopped with hastily cast magic.¡¯</i>

    A momentter, the vacuum space exploded and sent out a powerful gale that spread across the entire training center.

 Chapter 197

    <h4>Chapter 197 </h4>

    Do-Jin hurriedly cast a Shield spell. However, as Yu-Seong expected, Do-Jin¡¯s hastily cast spell was not able to stop his Gale Force.

    Yu-Seong could see the panic in Do-Jin¡¯s eyes as the winds produced by Gale Force flung thetter backward.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Do-Jin¡¯s back mmed against the wall of the training center, and it seemed as if he would fall to his knees. However, it was Yu-Seong who cried out in astonishment instead.

    <i>¡®Oh my god¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin was rushing toward Yu-Seong through the gaps between the raging Gale Force winds. Though wounds appeared all over Do-Jin¡¯s body, to the point that the raging wind seemed to turn red from his free-flowing blood, Do-Jin charged forward without hesitation and thrust his sword at Yu-Seong¡¯s throat, which was open to attack due to Yu-Seong¡¯s focus on casting Gale Force.

    ¡°Ugh¡­!¡±

    Barely avoiding Do-Jin¡¯s sword, which passed by right in front of his eyes, Yu-Seong inhaled sharply and shifted his focus back to Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Already¡­?¡¯</i>

    In spite of bearing the brunt of a passing Gale Force wind striking him head-on, Do-Jin pushed through the winds and caught up to Yu-Seong, eventually reaching Yu-Seong¡¯s left side.

    Do-Jin had moved much faster than what Yu-Seong had expected; however, it was not due to using Haste. To be precise, Do-Jin¡¯s movements had not elerated; rather, they had be morepact and concise. Each step Do-Jin took, and even the smallest movements of his shoulder muscles, were surprisingly refined and neatlypressed.

    <i>¡®I can''t avoid this¡­!¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong tried to muster a defense by raising his spear, but Do-Jin¡¯s sword passed his gap-riddled defenses and pierced his abdomen.

    ¡°¡­ Young master!¡±

    ¡°Yu-Seong oppa!¡±

    Right when Jin Do-Yoon and Jin Yu-Ri¡¯s startled shouts reached his ears, Yu-Seong felt a burning pain rise from his belly button to the top of his head.

    <i>¡®You bastard¡­¡¯?</i>

    If Yu-Seong had not slightly deflected the tip of Do-Jin¡¯s sword with his spear at thest moment, Do-Jin would have stabbed a critical area.

    Do-Jin¡¯s gaze was cold. He quickly pulled his sword out of Yu-Seong¡¯s abdomen, then spun around and struck at Yu-Seong¡¯s neck. This move was also thoroughly concise and nearly wless.

    Based on his extreme focus, which he had trained to the limit during his training session with Bak Ok-Rye, Yu-Seong knew that he would not be able to avoid Do-Jin¡¯s sword. He was well aware of the sword skill that Do-Jin was currently using, a skill that was difficult to block or avoid.

    <i>¡®wless Sword¡­ has he already perfected it?¡¯</i>

    It was the very foundation of Do-Jin¡¯s swordsmanship, the sword art that he had used when he had defeated a Demon King in his previous world. It was a sword art that had no form or technique, unlike normal martial arts.

    At the beginning of the spar, Do-Jin had not reached this high of a mastery in his wless Sword. While his techniques had appeared perfect at a first nce, they had in fact beencking in a few key points, so Yu-Seong had been able to handle him rtively easily; however, it appeared that Do-Jin¡¯s skill level had further developed during their battle.

    <i>¡®Well, he is the main character after all¡­ and crises make one grow quicker, right?¡¯</i>

    Though this reality was unfortunate for Yu-Seong, it was unavoidable.

    <i>¡®Right, Do-Jin is just regaining his previous strength and abilities.¡¯</i>

    Gale Force was a powerful skill, but that was also why it could be helpful to Do-Jin instead. Yu-Seong could not afford a half-assed approach¡ªjust like Do-Jin, he had to act with the intention of killing his opponent.

    <i>¡®Too bad I can¡¯t use wless Sword like Do-Jin does.¡¯</i>

    In terms of both magic and the ability to handle weapons, he was not Do-Jin¡¯s match. Thus, it was close to impossible for Yu-Seong to beat the regressor. Luckily, Yu-Seong could at least move faster and in a more sophisticated manner than Do-Jin could.

    This long, drawn-out thought passed through Yu-Seong¡¯s mind in a split second. Feeling the cold edge of Do-Jin¡¯s sword approaching the nape of his neck, Yu-Seong poured out all he had.

    <i>¡®Activate Wind Thunder Dragon God Art.¡¯?</i>

    <i>Rumble-!</i>

    The sound of thunder and lightning filled the training center, and right as the tip of Do-Jin¡¯s sword touched his neck, Yu-Seong disappeared.

    With not an ounce of surprise in his eyes, Do-Jin shifted his stance to the left, threw out his sword, and widened the distance between them.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Swinging his spear in a wide arc, Yu-Seong cut Do-Jin¡¯s sword in half! With lightning crackling and swirling around his body as if flowing together with his Gale Force winds, he shot upward. Without any hesitation, he moved together with the air currents and reengaged Do-Jin.

    From his subspace, Do-Jin took out a new sword and smiled as he unleashed wless Sword once more.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    With another explosion, Do-Jin was pushed back, and a huge me rose in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes.

    Without any hesitation, Yu-Seong rushed into the me and broke through. Despite having gone through the me, he did not have a single burn mark.

    As his eyes lit with blue mes, the distinctive feature of Insight, Do-Jin could not help but exim with admiration when he understood the movements of the wind flowing around Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®In that short moment, he scattered and neutralized my mes with his wind.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin was surprised and could not help but think¡­had he ever met a person like Yu-Seong in his previous world or in this world?

    Although he had experienced despair when he first faced the overwhelmingly powerful Demon King and shuddered at the deep darkness that the Demon King exuded, Do-Jin had never experienced anyone ever chasing him at such terrifying speed.

    <i>¡®His attacks are relentless!¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin had attained full mastery wless Sword, which he had nned to do for a while, but despite awakening the beast within him and striving with all his might, Do-Jin realized that he could no longer keep up with Yu-Seong¡¯s crazy movement speed. He realized that it would be difficult to block all of Yu-Seong¡¯s spear attacks.

    At that moment, Do-Jin acknowledged that if the Heavens had sent someone down to Earth to be his opponent, that someone was definitely Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Yes, you¡¯re my rival¡­!¡¯</i>

    While these thoughts were quickly passing through Do-Jin¡¯s mind, right in front of his eyes, he saw Yu-Seong charging at him with the spear pulled back, ready tounch an attack.

    <i>¡®It¡¯sing.¡¯</i>

    Based on Yu-Seong¡¯s breakneck speed and familiar-looking stance, Do-Jin knew that Yu-Seong¡¯s ultimate move, Lance Charge, wasing.

    Did Do-Jin have a sword skill to withstand and confront such an ultimate move head-on? No, he did not; however, he did not show any sign of distress. There was no need to panic. No matter how fast and strong Yu-Seong¡¯s attack was, it could be evaded with a single step, and it could be deflected with a single, short blow.

    Do-Jin closed his eyes and focused all his senses on the tip of his sword and the sound of the tearing atmosphere as his sword moved through space. Yu-Seong¡¯s movement was seemingly as fast as lightning, but the direction from which it was approaching Do-Jin could be discerned just by the sound Yu-Seong gave off.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s here.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin felt Yu-Seong¡¯s spear touch the tip of his sword, and at that moment, he saw the image of a lightning bolt striking down.

    The image of the sword moving in his mind was not strong, nor was it quick. However, Do-Jin¡¯s sword urately met the path of Yu-Seong¡¯s lightning, then continued up that path, shing through the lightning.

    Do-Jin envisioned the move in his mind, then proceeded to make it a reality. He moved and twisted naturally with the flow of the raging wind as he shed downward with his sword.

    <i>¡®wless Sword, Absolute Lightning.¡¯</i>

    Right before their weapons collided, Yu-Seong gasped as he saw Do-Jin¡¯s mysterious and astonishing movement unfold in slow-motion.

    <i>¡®Lightning¡­¡¯</i>

    His attack was being cut apart. The problem was that, havingunched an all-out attack with his spear, Yu-Seong could no longer pull back, no matter what. This meant that there was only one way out for him.

    Like Do-Jin, Yu-Seong had to ovee his limits at this critical moment.

    <i>¡®The Wind Thunder Dragon God Art is not just about pouring in power and letting the technique guide your swing¡­¡¯</i>

    He had to be the one controlling the technique.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s mental strength, which he had reinforced during his training sessions with Bak Ok-Rye; his physical strength, which was based on his solid chakra; and his constant technical training shone through at that moment.

    <i>¡®Wind Thunder Dragon God Art ¡ª Lance Charge, Coiling and Rising Snake!¡¯</i>

    To cut off Do-Jin¡¯s technique, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear wrapped around the approaching sword and swung upward!

    The winding, snake-like Lance Charge was an esoteric technique, one of the forms of the Magic Spear. As it unfolded, the two weapons rapidly intertwined, with sparks flying out in all directions.

    <i>ng-!</i>

    Everything happened in a sh, but for the two of them, the exchange was long and drawn out.

    In the end, Yu-Seong¡¯s spear rose like lightning as it grazed Do-Jin¡¯s neck. Do-Jin stiffened, with Yu-Seong¡¯s spear now resting on his shoulder.

    At the same time, Do-Jin¡¯s sword, which Yu-Seong had expected to be near the ground based on its trajectory, instead pointed upward, having stopped on the left side of Yu-Seong¡¯s neck.

    Both of them stopped moving. Between them, hot, pure-white steam rose in the air, slowly scattering away.

    A long silence ensued.

    They stood still, both with their weapons still poised to cut off the opponent¡¯s head, until Do-Jin finally broke the silence.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    A silent momentter, cracks began to form on Do-Jin¡¯s sword.

    <i>Crack-!</i>

    Then, half of Do-Jin¡¯s sword shattered into pieces, falling to the ground.

    Do-Jin watched this happen with a calm expression on his face. Then, he spoke up again.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re the attack leader.¡±

    Yu-Seong smiled at Do-Jin and nodded.

    ¡°The position was mine from the start.¡±

    At the same time, Yu-Seong staggered and copsed on his side.

    ¡°Young master¡­!¡±

    Jin Do-Yoon rushed in and quickly supported Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Hmpf¡­¡±

    Do-Jin snorted coldly. He turned his back at Yu-Seong and looked at his broken sword.

    <i>¡®In the end, I couldn¡¯t stop his lightning.¡¯</i>

    He had expected Yu-Seong¡¯s lightning to follow a straight, downward path. Instead, it had risen up like a snake about to bite its prey, thoroughly smashing and ruining his sword.

    After staring at his broken sword for a long time, Do-Jin trudged past Ah-Rin.

    ¡°Do-Jin, are you okay!?¡± With a concerned expression, Ah-Rin caught up with Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin nodded his head heavily. ¡°Just this once.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of weakling who¡¯ll crumble just from one loss.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ah-Rin eximed.

    Do-Jin smiled.

    As a regressor, he had traversed a long and difficult path, so one defeat was not something that would throw him into despair.

    Even in this world, he did not expect to always be victorious. Hadn¡¯t he felt despair when he had first seen the mighty Demon King? However, in the end, Do-Jin was confident he woulde out on top.

    ¡°Honestly, my pride took a hit¡­ but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    He felt bad, but he had to admit the truth: Yu-Seong was indeed his rival. Hence, Do-Jin could ept the result.

    ¡°Next time, I will win.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a much more thoughtful guy than I thought, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ah-Rin said as she clenched her fists tightly in admiration over Do-Jin¡¯s unexpected reaction. ¡°Okay, then I shall also work hard and not lose out until the day our Eclipse surpasses the Comet Guild!¡±

    ¡°Naturally, vice president. That is your role.¡±

    Do-Jin¡¯s role was to always lead the way, stand at the forefront, and overwhelm the opponent. Each had their own path.

    As Do-Jin organized his thoughts in this way, a cold, sharp gaze settled in his eyes as a voice filled with deep resentment rang in his mind.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡­ will he be another barrier in my pursuit to kill Choi Woo-Jae?¡¯</i>

    Hoping that this scenario would note to pass, Do-Jin headed outside the training center.

    ***

    The hospital required Yu-Seong to recuperate for at least two weeks. No matter how good his physical ability was as a yer, Yu-Seong had a hole in his abdomen and umted fatigue and injuries throughout his body. Even with the help of yers with considerable healing abilities, Yu-Seong needed time to heal naturally.

    If it had been the Yu-Seong of the past, he would have sighed and looked down helplessly at his hospital bed as he waited for time to pass by.

    <i>¡®But it¡¯s different now.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat and received additional healing assistance whenever there was no one watching him. As a result, he recovered from all his wounds and fatigue and left his hospital bed in a mere two days!

    <i>¡®As expected, the effect of staying up all night!¡¯</i>

    Even the doctor who had forced him to rest was surprised by this miraculous recovery, which made Yu-Seong all the prouder for having obtained the Green Wind Spirit Cat from the Tower of Heaven.

    1. The raws say ¡°half circle,¡± but that would put Do-Jin¡¯s back toward Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 198

    <h4>Chapter 198 </h4>

    Unlike other heal-type yers, Yu-Seong could continually operate Great Wind Spirit Cat, which was inexhaustible, as long as he supplied it with chakra. In this sense, his recovery ability was greater than that of others.

    For normal yers, such mana consumption might be burdensome, but Yu-Seong saw things differently.

    <i>¡®The joint effect of drinking a mana stone extract every day and using The God¡¯s Chakra are amazing.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong also recently realized that the efficiency ratio of the energy created from The God¡¯s Chakra was more than 1.5 times higher than that of ordinary mana.

    In particr, the amount of chakra consumed in rtion to the healing effect seemed rtively low, possibly because Great Wind Spirit Cat paired well with The God¡¯s Chakra.

    <i>¡®Though, this sort of detail never came out in the original novel¡­¡¯</i>

    To put it bluntly, this was also a hidden piece. As a yer who specialized in chakra mana, Yu-Seong was very satisfied with such a positive result.

    Although puzzled by his recovery speed, the doctor approved Yu-Seong¡¯s discharge, so Yu-Seong was making his way toward the hospital exit with a satisfied feeling. However, his eyes widened when he saw a familiar face waiting for him at the exit.

    ¡°Mi-Na noo-nim?¡±

    With a box of beverages in one hand, as if she had nned to pay Yu-Seong a visit, Mi-Na blinked her big eyes and tilted her head. ¡°Yu-Seong? I heard that you suffered a serious abdomen puncture wound, no?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s not untrue, but¡­ I¡¯m fine now.¡± Yu-Seongughed awkwardly and scratched his cheek.

    ¡°Your abdomen puncture wound healed in two days? No matter how effective heal skills are¡­ Did you learn Super Regeneration?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but I do have a simr skill.¡±

    The Super Regeneration skill could only be applied on oneself, but Great Wind Spirit Cat could be used on others. Yu-Seong was proud that he possessed such an iparable heal skill.

    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Mi-Na sighed and clicked her tongue before smiling and nodding. ¡°Well, I expect as much from you. Please continue to amaze me, my dear Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°¡­for some reason, I feel a bit scared by your choice of words.¡±

    ¡°If you do well, I can leave this troublesome president position of mine and run off, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Yu-Seong chuckled awkwardly and evaded the question.

    In truth, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t picture Mi-Na leaving the Comet Guild¡¯s President position.

    <i>¡®Because you¡¯re so good at what you do¡­¡¯</i>

    No matter how much Yu-Seong developed, Woo-Jae, who had seen Mi-Na¡¯s achievements with his own eyes, would never let her go. Although she outwardly expressed her annoyance with her title and responsibilities, Mi-Na was obviously skilled in running the guild.

    Even though she had the support of Woo-Jae and the secondary effects of being supported by the Comet Group, no one could deny that her leadership and management skills, which stemmed from her overwhelming charisma, allowed the Comet Guild to quickly rise and be the number one guild in the industry.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t need this but take it anyway. Drink it when you get home.¡±

    Yu-Seong quickly snatched the box of beverages from Mi-Na and nodded. ¡°Thank you. By the way, you came to visit me in the hospital this time around, too.¡±

    Was it because they often saw each other at work and their rtionships ovepped in many ways? Unlike the past, when Mi-Na had looked at Yu-Seong with a somewhat displeased and doubtful look, Mi-Na currently looked at him with a hint of curiosity and appreciation.

    <i>¡®Mi-Na noo-nim, who hates evil people, seems to have a hard time sorting out her emotions because of the past behavior of the original owner of this body, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In any case, positive changes were taking ce, so Yu-Seong decided to view this change as a good thing.

    ¡°Looking at your current condition, I guess there was no reason for me toe¡­ But, like I just said, you may be quite useful to me, so I¡¯m trying to be nice to you. If possible, please hurry up and quickly develop so that this older sister of yours can rest in peace.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Yu-Seong smiled and nodded after hearing Mi-Na¡¯s frank words.

    However, no matter how far Yu-Seong developed, Mi-Na would likely find it difficult to quit her position as the Comet Guild president. Regardless, Yu-Seong decided to respond in a positive tone.

    ¡°Oh, the main reason for my visit is something else.¡±

    ¡°The main reason?¡±

    ¡°The investigation you requested for me to conduct.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Yu-Seong responded.

    Recently, Yu-Seong had asked Mi-Na to investigate and look into the connection between Choi In-Young and a vampire.

    As her eyes sharpened, Mi-Na gradually lowered her voice as she continued speaking. ¡°I think your guess is somewhat correct. It will take more time for a firm conclusion, but I¡¯m mobilizing all the manpower at my disposal. I think a conclusion can be reached within a month.¡±

    ¡°In a month? That¡¯s fast.¡±

    ¡°To put it bluntly, considering that you¡¯ve provided me with your own reinforcement forces, a month¡¯s time is actually quite long. Everything has to be conducted outside of father¡¯s gaze¡­ It¡¯s not like that side is filled with a bunch of idiots.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    As Yu-Seong reflected, he recalled that it was not just Mi-Na who he had asked to look into the issue.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s also Ji-Ho hyung.¡¯</i>

    Ji-Ho, the eldest who had retired from the Comet Group, was also looking into the issue from the shadows.

    Perhaps Woo-Jae had already noticed what was going on to some extent.

    <i>¡®I guess I¡¯ll have to assume that the Special Police Force is also moving.¡¯</i>

    In any case, the Special Police Force was the best track, search, and arrest specialists in the country.

    Of course, it would be difficult for even the Special Police Force to freely investigate the Comet Group¡¯s children. However, with the internal help from the Comet Guild¡¯s president Mi-Na and with the protective cover that Ji-Ho had provided, the story was different for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®The pieces are starting to fit together.¡¯</i>

    Even if Woo-Jae found out about the Special Police Force investigation, Ji-Ho coulde forward and help protect Mi-Na¡¯s secret.

    From Yu-Seong¡¯s point of view, this was an unforeseen and unintended dynamic that further strengthened his overall n.

    ¡°Since you pointed me toward a general direction and drew an overall picture, I was able to start putting things in motion, so I feel that you¡¯ve done a tremendous job.¡±

    Yu-Seong finally understood why he saw a slightly appreciative look in Mi-Na¡¯s eyes. He said, ¡°That wasn¡¯t my intention, but I¡¯m d that you see me in such a good light.¡±

    ¡°If you drew such a picture unintentionally, that¡¯s amazing in its own way. You¡¯re doing great. You¡¯re already fulfilling my wish by constantly surprising me.¡± Mi-Na shrugged, looking unconvinced.

    She seemed to firmly believe that Yu-Seong had acted with intention and had created the current situation.

    ¡°Ah, but what if my guess is confirmed to be true¡­?¡±

    What if In-Young was not simply involved with a vampire but was a vampire herself?

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to capture her and tear her to pieces,¡± Mi-Na answered without a hint of hesitation as she gave a fierce smile.

    From her point of view, a vampire was an existence that represented pure evil. Due to the deep-seated resentment she had for all things evil, which stemmed from her childhood trauma, Mi-Na was not going to wait around and see how things yed out.

    <i>¡®If Choi In-Young is a real vampire, she won¡¯t be easily defeated¡­¡¯</i>

    Considering that there was a high probability that Mi-Na would move with the assistance of the Special Police Force, Yu-Seong felt that there would not be much of a problem.

    ¡°Anyway, I stopped by today to update you on the situation. I think you have the right to know since you were the first informant.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This is nothing.¡±

    ¡°But you also took the time to visit me in the hospital,¡± Yu-Seong said as he saw Mi-Na smile back at him.

    Mi-Na could be said to be tall, but for whatever reason, Yu-Seong felt as if she looked even taller from where he was.

    <i>¡®Is it because of her body ratio? Or is it because of the atmosphere?¡¯</i>

    In the end, Yu-Seong could not help but be left with an indelible impression that Mi-Na was a great person.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t gone and caused so many idents in the past, I would be more fond of you¡­¡± Mi-Na briefly expressed her thoughts before pping her hands as if she had suddenly recalled something. ¡°Oh, and also, you should keep in touch with Ji-Ho.¡±

    ¡°Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡±

    ¡°Your most recent contact with him was to ask him to look into Choi In-Young, but you haven¡¯t contacted him otherwise, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°That guy is timid, so he might be secretly upset that you haven¡¯t been keeping in touch with him. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll make sure to get in touch with him.¡±

    ¡°Right. Anyway, good luck with the raid.¡± Mi-Na gave a smile before quickly turning around as if she had nothing more to say.

    However, she quickly turned back around and ruffled Yu-Seong¡¯s hair as if she had just thought of something.

    Yu-Seong was a bit taller than her, but she was wearing high-heeled shoes, so her movement was not awkward at all.

    ¡°¡­Noo-nim¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to try such a gesture on my younger brother. Anyway, I¡¯ll be off now,¡± said Mi-Na before she turned around and left.

    Yu-Seong felt a strange feeling stirring in his heart as he watched Mi-Na leaving.

    <i>¡®Family¡­¡¯</i>

    Choi Woo-Jae, Choi Ji-Ho, and now Choi Mi-Na¡­ The most unexpected change after entering the novel¡¯s world seemed to be a change in the characters¡¯ mindsets.

    ***

    In a quiet traditional Korean house (hanok) built at the foot of an unknown mountain located on the outskirts of Goyang city in the Gyeonggi-do province, a pale-faced young man sitting in a wheelchair smiled while answering the phone.

    ¡°Yes, I know. Of course. Thank you.¡±

    His responses in the conversation were a session of short answers. It was, after all, unusual for him to give a lengthy response.

    Nevertheless, the warmth in Ji-Ho¡¯s voice made Baek Chul, who was standing behind Ji-Ho and watching him intently, break out into a smile.

    ¡°No. Of course not¡­ Rather, I¡¯m grateful that you contacted me first.¡±

    For the first time in the conversation, Ji-Ho gave a long reply.

    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll try and reach out to contact you first. Don¡¯t be concerned about me. I heard you have something important to do, so you should make sure to do well,¡± said Ji-Ho with a smile before hanging up the phone.

    ¡°Does it give you so much pleasure to have a phone call with young master Yu-Seong?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Did it show too much?¡±

    ¡°Your smile right now is the brightest I¡¯ve seen in recent days. Yourplexion looks much better as well.¡±

    ¡°Since Captain Baek is saying such things, even if it¡¯s a bit of a nuisance, I¡¯ll have to call Yu-Seong more often.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea.¡±

    When the two shared augh together, a cool mountain breeze passed between the two.

    <i>Cough!?</i>Ji-Ho let out a short cough.

    Surprised, Baek Chul quickly approached Ji-Ho. ¡°Master!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± Ji-Ho said lightly as he turned to Baek Chul and smiled.

    However, blood was dripping from the corners of his mouth.

    ¡°Recently, it seems to be happening more often¡­¡±

    ¡°It could be worse. Everything must flow ording to the will of the world, no?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak as though you¡¯ve reached some sort of enlightenment. Master is far too young for that.¡±

    After Baek Chul gave his response, Ji-Ho smiled and nodded. He said, ¡°I will try my best. By the way, if you have time, can you go to Seoul with me?¡±

    When Ji-Ho made such an unexpected request, Baek Chul looked surprised as he was not one to hide his emotions. He asked, ¡°You want to see master Yu-Seong?¡±

    ¡°I would like to say hello to my father¡­and see Yu-Seong and Mi-Na¡­¡± Ji-Ho¡¯s voice trailed off as a firm sense of determination filled his eyes.

    <i>¡®While I still have some time left¡­¡¯?</i>

    Recently, Ji-Ho felt a strong desire to do as much as he could.

    ¡°Really¡­ Will it be okay for you?¡±

    After that fateful incident, Ji-Ho had chosen to live in seclusion and detested leaving the mountainside. As if he had been bitten by people and everything in the world, Ji-Ho had tried not to look at or venture out into the wider world as much as possible.

    However, Ji-Ho was now trying to actively reengage with the world. This marked a monumental first step.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided after some consideration.¡±

    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±

    Baek Chul no longer expressed his doubts. He also did not try to stop Ji-Ho; actually, to be more exact, Baek Chul was not able to stop Ji-Ho.

 Chapter 199

    <h4>Chapter 199 </h4>

    Every member of the Choi family was stubborn, so there was no way any of them would listen to someone else¡¯s advice if he or she had their mind set on something.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Baek Chul solemnly nodded.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Captain Baek, do you remember your promise?¡± Ji-Ho turned his gaze toward Baek Chul and smiled.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°If I should ever die¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such things!¡± Baek Chul shouted loudly as his eyes turned bloodshot.

    Baek Chul had a bulky figure and exuded a very masculine presence, but he was a man with a surprisingly soft heart.

    Ji-Ho smiled and said, ¡°Please, I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    Seeing that Baek Chul was not able to answer, Ji-Ho nodded and started to move around with his wheelchair. ¡°I should head in and get some rest. If I don¡¯t want Captain Baek to worry, I have to manage my health a bit more diligently.¡±

    ¡°¡­There must be some way.¡±

    ¡°There could be, but I don¡¯t see it.¡±

    After calmly prophesying his own end, Ji-Ho entered his room.

    Silently watching Ji-Ho¡¯s receding figure, Baek Chul lowered his head while clenching his fists.

    ***

    Time passed, and the bright morning of the day of the raid soon came.

    The start of such a day could be quite tense, throwing one off one¡¯s routine, but Yu-Seong spent the morning in the same way he spent most mornings. He broke into a sweat with his early morning training session, took a shower, and finished with a diet-conscious protein-rich breakfast.

    After that, Yu-Seong arrived at Gimpo airport with his party members using a rented van. They then head to Busan on a private ne provided by thepany.

    <i>¡®I heard that Bernard Yoo and Meghan have already arrived in Busan¡­¡¯</i>

    Ah-Rin had already arrived in Busan as well; however, the problem was that she did note with Do-Jin, nor was anyone able to get in contact with him.

    But Yu-Seong was not too worried. He was certain that Do-Jin would eventually appear at the designated raid site.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s not someone who won¡¯t follow through on his promise.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong arrived at Busan¡¯s Gimhae airport with a rtively light heart and got into another van to head to Sasang Terminal in Busan, where the Rank 7 dungeon appeared.

    The new dungeon entrance had arisen aboveground on a busy road where buses and cars would have normally traveled. Thanks to the considerable amount of time afforded to them, the entire site had been neatly organized.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a mess¡­but it¡¯s a mess in a different way.¡¯?</i>

    From inside the van, Yu-Seong saw a swarm of foreign and domestic media reporters and personnel flocking to the site; this was to be expected, as Kim Jin-Young and Park Jin-Hwan had already spread the news of what was to happen.

    <i>¡®The first raid to be led by a B-Rank attack leader,¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought.

    Among his party members, there was only one S-Rank member. When ounting for all the party¡¯s attack members, the party¡¯s average rank was B.

    If Yu-Seong and his party was sessful, it would be a monumental event that would destroy the traditional outlook that, in order to attack a raid dungeon of Rank 7 or higher, an attack party needed an average party member rank of A + or higher and needed at least 3 S-Rank members.

    <i>¡®On the other hand, if I fail¡­ it¡¯ll be a great disgrace.¡¯</i>

    If the dungeon raid failed, many woulde out and state that the raid group was too arrogant and greedy, that the Comet Guild was too full of itself, and that the entire Comet Group was overstepping its boundaries. Hence, it was understandable that everyone¡¯s attention on this current raid.

    <i>¡®I also see quite a few people from other guilds.¡¯</i>

    As if they had no intention of hiding their identity, the gathered people from other guilds each wore their guild badges, and there were also some hunters who were wearing their gear. Among them, there were probably many who wanted to participate in the raid.

    <i>¡®Whether they seed or fail, they¡¯ll benefit unconditionally as long as they make it out alive.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, there were those who were waiting tough at the Comet Guild¡¯s failure.

    <i>¡®For example, the Daehyun Guild.¡¯</i>

    Normally, the Cheon-Ji Guild, which was created by the Cheon-Ji Group and was currently ranked second in the guild rankings in Korea, would have joined the Daehyun Guild in wishing for the Comet Guild¡¯s raid to fail. This was so that they could ridicule the Comet Guild¡¯s failure.

    <i>¡®But the situation is different now.¡¯</i>

    This was because Bernard Yoo, although not a member of the Cheon-Ji Guild but belonging to the third generation of the Cheon-Ji Group, was included in Yu-Seong¡¯s raid party.

    Even though the Comet Group and Cheon-Ji Group were fiercepetitors, there was no need to hold a knife to each other¡¯s throats in such a situation.

    Rather, the Cheon-Ji Guild had publicly wished for the raid¡¯s sess and offered their support, sending out supplemental gear and supplies through its support team; they even went as far as to offer potions, which were difficult to obtain.

    Since things had publicly progressed in this fashion, it meant that the two sides would be standing shoulder-to-shoulder.

    <i>¡®Just because we were enemies once doesn¡¯t mean that we need to remain as enemies forever.¡¯</i>

    The working rtionship between Yu-Seong and Bernard could be a bridge that connected the divide between the Cheon-Ji and the Comet Group, the two leading conglomerates in Korea.

    Of course, there were bound to be people who would kick up a fuss about this possibility. However, taking other factors into consideration, this potential budding rtionship had a chance to turn out a positive result.

    <i>¡®The future has already changed a lot anyway.¡¯</i>

    When he had first arrived in this world, Yu-Seong had been quite afraid of potentially changing the future. However, his thoughts were different now.

    <i>¡®Since things are how they are, I¡¯ll take the initiative and change things to my advantage.¡¯</i>

    This frame of mind was also the reason why he had taken the initiative to form this current raid party.

    Inside the van, Yu-Seong turned and looked at the other Comet Guild¡¯s Hunting Team 8 members, who were looking out at the gathered crowds with slightly nervous or excited expressions on their faces.

    Feeling Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze upon them, every member turned their head toward him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    With Yu-Seong¡¯s briefmand, everyone got up from their seats and slowly headed for the van¡¯s door, which opened automatically.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°The Comet Guild is here!¡±

    ¡°The main character has arrived. Everyone, get ready!¡±

    Once the van door opened, a cacophony of loud voices, at a much higher decibel level than when the van¡¯s door had been closed, was heard as spotlights started turning on.

    Of course, Yu-Seong was the first to get out of the van.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong-!¡±

    ¡°The Comet¡¯s scion!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Prince of Reversals, Choi Yu-Seong!¡±

    Yu-Seong slightly blushed after hearing the various nicknames that he didn¡¯t even know existed and calmly walked past the ring spotlights.

    ¡°Wow, no matter how I take a picture, Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s image is immacte.¡±

    ¡°Before, he was just a handsome troublemaker, but now, he looks like a real prince.¡±

    Thements were a little bit embarrassing for Yu-Seong, but on the whole, the situation was not too bad.

    <i>¡®My Star Factor is continuously growing.¡¯</i>

    The attention and the people¡¯s cheers were aspects that Yu-Seong needed to learn how to enjoy.

    With his head raised and his shoulders straight, Yu-Seong set aside his initial feeling of embarrassment and confidently walked amongst the reporters who had opened a path for him to walk through.

    Yu-Seong was followed by Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri.

    ¡°It¡¯s ck Shadow, Jin Yu-Ri!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Beast of the Moonlight, Jin Do-Yoon!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re siblings, and they¡¯re also the Prince¡¯s guardians!¡±

    It had not been long since the Jin siblings first publicly revealed their skills for the world to see. However, it did not take them long to establish a public reputation, as they were already known amongst the top performers in the A-Rank; thus, it was only a matter of time before the public got to know them.

    <i>¡®I can understand Jin Yu-Ri being used to this, but I actually thought that Jin Do-Yoon would have shown a bit of embarrassment¡­¡¯</i>

    Both did not show even the slightest signs of embarrassment, which Yu-Seong had shown, but Do-Yoon appeared to be slightly nervous.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s on edge, like he¡¯s expecting someone to jump out of nowhere.¡¯</i>

    With him being so on edge, Do-Yoon probably did not even register the many eyes and loud voices around him.

    ¡°The two super rookies are here, too!¡±

    ¡°The Comet, no, Korea¡¯s new future!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the couple! The Demonic Beast Tamer and the Water Fairy!¡±

    ¡°Who said we¡¯re a couple?!¡± Ye-Ryeong shouted angrily after hearing the reporters¡¯ shouts.

    ¡°Huh? I heard news that you two are dating. Do you have anything to say about this?!¡±

    Right when the reporters, whose eyes seemed to widen at the same time, saw an opening to rush at the new arrivals, Jin-Hyuk said, ¡°Don¡¯t link me with such a snot-nosed shortie; it makes me annoyed.¡±

    Jin-Hyuk, who spoke in a lower tone than normal, stared at the reporters icily. Surprised by the sudden standoffish aura that he exuded, the reporters were left speechless.

    Although Jin-Hyuk was still rtively young and small, many people found it hard to approach him because of the unique air that he exuded around him.

    <i>¡®Jin-Hyuk seems like a person who would be able to kill others if he got angered.¡¯</i>

    Considering Jin-Hyuk¡¯s notoriety in the original novel, this sort of scenario was a possibility, but the current Jin-Hyuk had changed.

    Thinking this, Yu-Seong nced back at Jin-Hyuk with a somewhat proud gaze.

    Sensing Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze, Jin-Hyuk¡¯s icy demeanor disappeared, his face turned red, and he soon dropped his head.

    <i>¡®Cute kid.¡¯?</i>

    To Yu-Seong, Jin-Hyuk was just a cute kid.

    From the other side of the area, five familiar faces slowly approached Yu-Seong and his party.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Burning Hero, Bernard Yoo!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Death Dancing Meghan!¡±

    ¡°The Saintess, Baek Ah-Rin, is here, too!¡±

    Bernard, Meghan, and Ah-Rin looked relieved and happy once they found Yu-Seong and his party.

    <i>¡®It looks like they¡¯re familiar with this sort of thing.¡¯</i>

    Right when Yu-Seong was about to feel a sense of envy at the calm and natural expressions of the approaching party, Bernard quickly approached Yu-Seong and whispered in a small voice, ¡°Damn, this is such a burden. Why are there so many people here? Did you call them over here, you psycho?¡±

    ¡°¡­Wow, you¡¯re really good at saying the most awful things without the slightest change in your facial expression.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s quite used to standing in front of a camera while secretly moving his lips,¡± Meghan answered when she saw that Yu-Seong was surprised by Bernard¡¯s crassnguage and facial muscle control.

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t have a very good personality. But knowing that I¡¯d cause a scene if I just went out in public with my natural manner of speaking, I practiced speaking with the least amount of facial movement.¡±

    Bernard did not deny the fact that he was using some secretive way of speaking his mind; he smiled at the people around him while he slightly moved his lips to talk to Yu-Seong. His slight lip movements were not picked up by the people around them.

    ¡°But where is that rotten Kim Do-Jin? Didn¡¯t hee with you?¡± Bernard asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to reach him.¡±

    ¡°Wait, is he possibly noting?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯lle.¡±

    ¡°You seem to be very confident of that, no?¡±

    ¡°Because I believe that he¡¯ll keep his promise.¡±

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°¡­?¡± Yu-Seong made a puzzled expression as the two were walking among the reporters toward the dungeon¡¯s square. He stated, ¡°But you¡¯re already here.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m asking if you believe in me, man.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. We¡¯re friends.¡±

    After Yu-Seong responded with an exasperated expression on his face, Bernard had a satisfied smile on his face.

    As for Yu-Seong, who had responded without much thought, he was surprised by his own choice of words.

    <i>¡®Friend.¡¯</i>

    Did the original Choi Yu-Seong, an employee of a gamepany, have a friend? In his own world, he had been naive and not particrly talkative, so in truth, he probably never had any true friends. Sure, he had colleagues and had been a boss to others, but that was the extent of their rtionships.

    However, in this world, he genuinely felt like he had friends. Furthermore, it was not just restricted to his immediate family.

    .

    This world, which only existed in a novel, had given him so many things.

    <i>¡®My friends.¡¯</i>

    Bernard, Meghan, Yu-Ri, Do-Yoon, Ye-Ryeong, and even Jin-Hyuk¡­were all of different ages and genders, but they were definitely all his friends. Yu-Seong was confident that they would have his back during a fight, which was why he had asked them to participate in this raid as his party members.

    <i>¡®Then, I guess Kim Do-Jin is also¡­a friend.¡¯?</i>

    Once Yu-Seong calmly organized his thoughts, a question suddenly popped up in his mind:<i>?</i>Would Do-Jin feel the same way?

    Right when he had such a thought, the shouts of the reporters rang out twice as loud as before. Hearing their shouts, Yu-Seong gave a faint smile as he slowly turned to look and made his way through the crowd.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s as if he knows he¡¯s the main character; he¡¯s thest to arrive.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin had arrived.

 Chapter 200

    <h4>Chapter 200 </h4>

    When a crowd started to gather, the cheers grew many times louder than before.

    ¡°Prince of Reversals!¡±

    ¡°Monster!¡±

    ¡°Burning Hero! Death Dancing!¡±

    ¡°The Prince¡¯s guardians!¡±

    ¡°Demonic Beast Tamer! Water Fairy! Even the Saintess!¡±

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    The crowd, including the reporters themselves, had voices that seemed to pierce the sky. There were far more people who wished for the sess of the raid than those who wanted it to fail. Of course, this was an unsurprising sight.

    <i>¡®If we sessfully aplish the raid¡­ Korea will be the first country to do so under such conditions.¡¯</i>

    Korea would be the first country to clear a Rank 7 dungeon with an average raid party member rank of B.

    A sessful raid would bring Korea one step closer to bing a premier yer country, which was currently considered the most important economic value in the world. This was the reason why most of the crowd were expressing cheers of support at the scene.

    <i>¡®I feel a strange sense of responsibility. I wonder if national athletes feel this way?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong calmed his nerves, took onest look behind him, and lightly waved his hands. Then, he entered the dungeon square.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°So handsome!¡±

    ¡°I hope you seed this time, too.¡±

    Carrying the expectations of his family, friends, and many others, Yu-Seong felt a great change in his heart.

    <i>¡®This feels more than just a novel¡¯s world¡­¡¯</i>

    This world was no longer different from his real life; it had be his everything.

    ***

    Right after entering the dungeon square, things became busy and hectic.

    First, Yu-Seong had to change out of his in clothes and put on a battle suit that had been custom-made for the raid.

    Wearing a suit that had the Comet logo and had cost over 50 billion won to make, Yu-Seong was startled to see an unexpected detail. He muttered, ¡°Huh¡­?¡±

    The brand logo of the Cheon-Ji Guild was attached to his chest under the Comet logo. Even Do-Jin¡¯s Eclipse Guild¡¯s logo had been stitched onto the sleeve of his right arm.

    The support team leader quickly offered an answer after seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s surprised expression. ¡°It was the boss¡¯ order.¡±

    The support team leader was referring to the Comet Guild¡¯s boss, Mi-Na. However, there was no way Mi-Na would have made such a decision by herself.

    <i>¡®Father took action.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was certain that Woo-Jae had met the Cheon-Ji Group¡¯s chairman and had probably signed some sort of agreement. It must have been something in the works after Yu-Seong had reported the list of members in his raid¡¯s attack team.

    The party members all expressed different emotions after putting on the battle suits that prominently disyed the various sponsors¡¯ names. In particr, Ah-Rin seemed overwhelmed with emotion, saying, ¡°I heard this would happen, but I didn¡¯t expect the logo to be so prominent. I¡¯m very grateful to the boss.¡±

    On the other hand, Do-Jin frowned as he saw the Eclipse Guild logo stitched on the right sleeve of his battle suit and the logo of the Comet Guild on his chest. He probably assumed this detail had been done under Woo-Jae¡¯s directive.

    <i>¡®Although it might be a bit distasteful, you shouldn¡¯t frown so much. Isn¡¯t this a good thing in the end?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong sighed with that thought in mind while looking at Do-Jin¡¯s reaction. It was times like these when he was reminded of Do-Jin¡¯s unyielding grudge against Woo-Jae, his father.

    <i>¡®Friends and family.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not want to give up either side; he needed to find a resolution.

    While Yu-Seong was having such thoughts, the attack team continued their preparations. The support team was also busy with their own preparations, having used a drone to film and record information regarding the dungeon structure and monsters to create a database.

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t figure out the boss monster. Sorry.¡±

    It hadn¡¯t been an easy task to film with a drone while avoiding the eyes of the dungeon monsters.

    This initial reconnaissance was different from the information gathering and recording that would happen when the attack team or party members were engaged in battle.

    While everyone else was busy preparing for the raid, the Comet Group¡¯s support team members were finishing up their recon and were able to provide a fairly detailed map of the dungeon.

    In truth, the skill level of such a recon was considerable and rather impressivepared to any other recon team in Korea, or in the world, for that matter.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Upon receiving the database and map, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes sparkled.

    <i>¡®I kind of expected as much, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Being familiar with this dungeon, Yu-Seong naturally had a smile on his face.

    ¡°The transport drones are ready. We¡¯ve stocked them with food, supply gear, and additional treatment kits, just in case.¡±

    As the support team leader gave his report, Yu-Seong nodded. Then, he realized another truth.

    <i>¡®From an advanced party that does recon with drones to transportation drones and supplies¡­¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong could not help but feel that this level of preparation was drastically different from normal dungeon hunting; this was the preparation necessary for a raid. With the preparation having been done, he did not feel tense even though this was his first time experiencing such a massive hunt.

    The entire preparation phase took a little over an hour to bepleted.

    <i>¡®13:59 and 12 seconds.¡¯</i>

    Since Yu-Seong had decided to enter the raid dungeon at exactly 14:00, there was less than 50 seconds left on the countdown clock.

    Everyone in the party stood at the entrance of the huge dungeon, which exuded a deep darkness that seemed to want to suck people inward.

    After looking at such a familiar yet unfamiliar scene, Yu-Seong nced around him. He wanted to see if anyone was being overly nervous or excited. However, he saw that every party member¡¯s expression was calm and stable.

    <i>¡®Well, Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk seem a bit excited.¡¯?</i>

    However, Yu-Seong was not concerned about their level of excitement.

    ¡°Ten seconds left.¡±

    Just when the supply team leader shouted out the remaining time, Yu-Seong nodded in acknowledgment.

    ¡°10, 9, 8¡­ 3, 2¡­!¡±

    As the supply team leader gave the final countdown, the initially calm surrounding began to enliven. Yu-Seong also refocused on what was ahead rather than on hispanions.

    ¡°0!¡±

    Once thest number was stated, Yu-Seong, Do-Jin, and everyone else in the party dived into the dungeon.

    This was how Yu-Seong¡¯s first raid started.

    ***

    Even after the start of the dungeon raid, the dungeon square remained as busy as before. The filming crews were the busiest, preparing their drones for filming. They were eager to take pictures and film the activities of each raid member who had entered the dungeon, the entire raid team¡¯s performance, the counterattack of monsters, and everything else in-between. No one wanted to make a mistake.

    <i>¡®Well, that should be expected since everything will be broadcasted live.¡¯?</i>

    Jin-Hwan unconsciously snorted as if he was influenced by the bustling fervor around him.

    Possibly because this raid had raised such a public issue, there were more people than expected who wanted to watch the raid, and the raid party¡¯s attack strategy unfold live; moreover, Yu-Seong had approved of the live transmission. Therefore, if anyone made a mistake or had a misstep, it would be captured live on a video feed.

    Hence, while gritting their teeth and focusing on their drone operation and filming, the reporters felt a sense of tension that spread throughout their entire bodies.

    Thankfully, that initial feeling of tension did notst long. To be precise, the fervor and heat remained but no longer originated from a sense of anticipation.

    ¡°How far have they progressed within the dungeon?!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve progressed through 20% of the map that was created from the initial recon.¡±

    ¡°What is the projected attack time before raidpletion?!¡±

    ¡°1 hour 11 minutes and 36 seconds.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god¡­!¡±

    The reporters eximed as they heard themunication between the Comet Group¡¯s support team leader and the party team members.

    <i>¡®The average clear time for a Rank 7 raid dungeon is 15 hours!¡¯</i>

    However, this current raid, which had a rtively lower average party member rank, was progressing through the dungeon at a much faster pace than other Rank 7 dungeon raids.

    Considering that all the monsters inside the dungeon were elite, the progression speed was unbelievably fast.

    Moreover, none of the attack team members were showing any signs of exhaustion. The team members worked well together and progressed smoothly through the dungeon.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong¡­¡¯?</i>

    In particr, the teamwork between these two, who led from the forefront, was amazing.

    Famous for being tricky monsters to deal with, the lizardmen of the swamp area died without putting up much of a resistance whenever Do-Jin and Yu-Seong swept past them. The pair lived up to their names as the most promising star yers in the Korean scene.

    <i>¡®Is it because they¡¯re rising stars?¡¯?</i>

    The reporters could not help but marvel at the ease with which Do-Jin and Yu-Seong were clearing through the elite Lizardmen, monsters famous for requiring at least A-rank yers to properly contend against them.

    ¡°Have they already reached S-Rank? Perhaps they just haven¡¯t gone through the rank promotion review?¡± a reporter unconsciously said aloud the exact thought that Jin-Hwan was having.

    In fact, it was a thought that had popped up in every reporter¡¯s mind.

    The two were seriously overwhelming for B-Rank yers. Even if one searched through the records of all the yers in the whole world, one would not be able to find anyoneparable.

    <i>¡®There might be one or two simr cases, but¡­¡¯</i>

    At least, officially, no such simr yer record existed.

    Soon, the gathered reporters¡¯ doubts became a sense of astonishment. Then, that sense of astonishment turned into admiration.

    ¡°If those two are really B-Rank yers¡­¡±

    ¡°What will happen when they reach S-Rank?¡±

    Right when all of the Korean viewers were daydreaming of the day when Do-Jin and Yu-Seong became S-Rank transcendent realm yers, Do-Jin and Yu-Seong slowed down, took a step back, and allowed a new vanguard toe forward.

    ¡°Burning Hero! Death Dancing!¡±

    At the vanguard position were now Bernard and Meghan. Of the two, Meghan¡¯s skill clearly stood out.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve heard of the Death Dancing skill in passing, but it¡¯s so gorgeous to see firsthand!¡¯</i>

    As Meghan danced around with her two longswords, the surrounding monsters were literally shredded into pieces. She also threw herself into the swamp, which was often called the worst dungeon field, without any hesitation and ughtered the now fleeing Lizardmen.

    <i>¡®The ss of a top S-Rank yer is certainly different.¡¯</i>

    Meghan was in the upper-middle ss amongst the United States¡¯ S-Rank yers.

    As shown by Meghan¡¯s performance, talented yers were not unique to Korea. The power of the United States, which was famous for being the greatest yer power in the past and present, was enormous, and every viewer was reminded of this very fact as they watched Meghan¡¯s disy of skill.

    Bernard was also holding his own, performing admirably. Although his attacks looked simple, the results they produced were inarguable and captivating. Every time he powerfully sent a punch flying out, the Lizardmen on the receiving end exploded and died; watching such explosions, many of the gathered reporters could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction.

    Furthermore, it was not just these four who were performing admirably in the raid. Although Do-Yoon, Yu-Ri, Ye-Ryeong, and Jin-Hyuk did not stand at the vanguard, they performed solidly in the party formation¡¯s nks and rear positions.

    The majority of the raid party members were clearly disying abilities that exceeded the limits of their respective ranks. That alone was something to be in awe of. However, the yer who gave every viewer goosebumps was Yu-Seong, who thoroughlymanded such a talented group of yers.

    <i>¡®The timing on the recement of the vanguard and the arrangement of the rear formation are thorough and solid.¡¯</i>

    No matter how talented a hunter was, the longer one stayed in the humid swamp environment and faced the constant attacks from its inhabiting monsters, one¡¯s concentration level would eventually drop due to exhaustion.

    However, whenever such a time was imminent, Yu-Seong shrewdly changed the position of his party members within the formation or yelled out words of encouragement to further motivate the party members.

    In other words, Yu-Seong, the leader of the raid, was the main reason why the current raid team was able to exert greater power than their expected output.

    When Jin-Hwan first looked at the list of attackers that Yu-Seong had publicly presented, he had doubts about whether they would be able to work together properly. However, seeing the overwhelming results on the battlefield, Jin-Hwan could not help but chastise himself inwardly.

    <i>¡®You idiot. You still haven¡¯t learned.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Hwan was reminded once again that Yu-Seong was not a person who could be judged under the same lens as others. As always, Yu-Seong went beyond his perceived limits and surprised everyone with his unimaginable actions and results.

    <i>¡®Sometimes, being too cool-headed and rational makes one stupid.¡¯</i>

    Being overly rational and critical were not always a good thing. asionally, there were times when one was so deeply buried in such emotions that one would miss the clear truth that existed right in front of one¡¯s own eyes.

    Moreover, this was not just the case for Jin-Hwan. Many of the gathered reporters had their own expectations, anxieties, concerns, or dissatisfactions regarding the raid party; however, after witnessing such an unbelievable scene, these reporters could not help but self-reflect and feel a burning sense of passion in their hearts.

    ¡°Keep going.¡±

    ¡°Show me how awesome you all are.¡±

    Proof of this emotional sentiment was illustrated by the growing number of reporters who clenched their jaws and concentrated on filming while unconsciously mumbling words of encouragement.

 Chapter 201

    <h4>Chapter 201 </h4>

    Individuals were gathered outside of Dungeon Square, observing the ongoing dungeon raid through the live TV broadcasts. All of them shared rtively simr thoughts.

    "The speed right now is incredibly fast, isn''t it?"

    "What is the shortest time to conquer a Rank 7 raid dungeon?"

    "It''s a little less than 8 hours, I think."

    "What is the average rank of the members of an attack team?"

    "S-rank. They have fewer members though. There¡¯s only seven of them in total."

    After pooling the knowledge of numerous individuals, a singr conclusion dawned on each person¡ªit was an incredible assertion. Thinking about it objectively,paring the performance of an average B-rank attack team to that of an average S-rank team seemed quiteughable. However, given the situation, it was impossible for everyone here not to have expectations.

    The inte chat andments were not much different.

    - Wow, the speed is insane, isn''t it?

    - Choi Yu-Seong is skilled inbat, but how could he also excel in strategy and deployment? Is there anything he can''t do?

    - He¡¯s Ronaldo¡­no, Messi of the raid world¡­ Choi Yu-Seong is the god of raids.

    - By the way, how much time has passed now?

    - It has only been 2 hours and 30 minutes.

    - Oh, it¡¯s frustrating not knowing how long the dungeon is.

    - What happens if he breaks the record?

    - Then, of course, the stock prices of the Comet Group will skyrocket.

    - The Comet and Cheon-Ji Group''s stocks are already rising, aren''t they?

    - I''m going to buy Comet crypto coins. Don''t look for me.

    - NSFW) Sorry for aggroing you, but have you seen Kim Do-Jin and Choi Yu-Seong''s raid level? It''s insane! Their skills are on par with the best in the world. Can you believe Choi Yu-Seong used to be a loser? Seriously¡­

    Despite the mostly excited reactions, naturally, there were also many negative thoughts.

    - It''s still in the early stages.

    - Is a raid dungeon that easy? And let¡¯s be real, the boss monster attack is the most difficult part.

    - Uh, trap zones haven''t even appeared yet.

    - Don''t get too excited and start buying stocks. Or y¡¯all will end up going to the Han River.

    ©¸ Uh, I already bought them.

    ©¸ Congrats, you have bought tickets to Han River.

    ©¸ Yeah, you¡¯ve won the lottery.

    L LOL!

    As the live broadcast gained momentum, people from not only Korea but also abroad were bing more intrigued by the event.

    - It¡¯s the trap zone!

    - Oh my god. How do you deal with that?

    - See, all the stock maniacs are gonna get their tickets to the Han River.

    Finally, the attack team faced their first crisis.

    ***

    The Swamp Emperor was a Rank 7 raid dungeon, home to a variety of intelligent creatures that resembled lizards or crocodiles. The creatures had the ability to walk on two legs and use tools just like humans. This unique feature made the dungeon exceptionally challenging.

    <i>¡®It''s not like raid dungeons are easy in the first ce, but...¡¯?</i>

    Thanks to everyone in the attack team working together and nobody falling behind, they had sessfully progressed through the early parts of the dungeon much faster than Yu-Seong had expected.

    <i>¡®I was a bit concerned that Kim Do-Jin might express some dissatisfaction¡­¡¯</i>

    Perhaps Do-Jin had already epted his defeat, or perhaps he simply wanted to firmly support the team once he had been entrusted with the task.

    <i>¡®As expected, he is the kind of person who does his best when he has to.¡¯</i>

    What had tripped up Yu-Seong and his team was the trap zone, which was bound to exist in any raid dungeon.

    While traps could also be found in regr dungeons, the scale of the traps in raid dungeons was different. As if to prove this point, the team found themselves panting andughing in disbelief at the sight before them. They saw a vast swamp resembling a wide river with shiny-eyed lizardmen lurking within.

    Up until now, they had been able to confuse and defeat the lizardmen by taking both forest paths and swamps, or temporarily traversing the swamp and moving on. That was how they had been progressing through the raid dungeon.

    However, fighting against swarming lizardmen in a vast swamp that stretched out like a river with no solid ground to step on seemed impossible. Even if, at first, they managed to maintain some bnce, they would eventually end up stuck in the swamp after achieving only a small amount of progress. If that were to happen, death would be the only oue.

    Meghan, the only S-rank member of the attack team, quickly tied back her messy hair and voiced her concern. She said, "Isn''t this a bit too much?"

    "Is there a way?" questioned Bernard as he scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

    "Hey, Yoo Jin-Hyuk, don''t you have any demonic beasts that could be useful in this situation? Like a giant frog or something?" asked Ye-Ryeong.

    ¡°If I had one, don''t you think I would have used it? Sorry, hyung, I guess I''m not much help,¡± replied Jin-Hyuk, letting out a sigh and dropping his head.

    "It''s okay. Everyone must be tired, so let¡¯s take a break. We''ll figure something out," said Yu-Seong calmly as he patted Jin-Hyuk¡¯s head.

    He scanned the area around them. After defeating all the lizardmen they had encountered so far, Yu-Seong didn''t see any problem with exploring the area on his own.

    "I''lle with you," Do-Jin said, quickly following Yu-Seong.

    "I can manage on my own¡­" Yu-Seong replied.

    "I''ll stille with you," Do-Jin insisted.

    "Whatever," Yu-Seong said with a shrug.

    Then, he left the team and headed down the path they had taken before. He wandered around, touching the grass and even searching through the corpses of the lizardmen they had killed.

    Do-Jin observed Yu-Seong¡¯s actions from afar with indifference. He said coldly, "There''s no need to act. Don''t you already know the way?"

    Yu-Seong flinched before turning toward Do-Jin. He asked, "Did you notice?"

    "I''ve fought against you several times before. I can easily catch what''s on your twisted mind," Do-Jin replied.

    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Yu-Seong chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

    In fact, Do-Jin was right. Yu-Seong already knew the strategy to defeat the Swamp Emperor.

    <i>¡®The basic strategy depends on the team''s skills, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Trap zone and raid boss hunting were always better with strategy and experience. Besides, the Swamp Emperor was a dungeon that Do-Jin had personally conquered in the original novel.

    <i>¡®In the original novel, he struggled a bit because he didn''t know the strategy, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In the end, just like a typical party of the protagonist, they could find the solution with little difficulty. They ended up passing through the trap zone and the Swamp River.

    "So, what''s the n?" asked Do-Jin.

    "It''s simpler than you think. Do you know why lizardmen can walk on top of the swamp?"

    Come to think of it, lizardmen could sink into the swamp when they wanted to, and they could also walk on top of the swamp as if it were t ground.

    "Well, because they are monsters... Is there any other reason?" said Do-Jin.

    "It''s not an entirely incorrect assumption. They can spray liquid through tiny holes in their scales when necessary. The liquides out from..." exined Yu-Seong, pulling out a white organ from the corpse of a defeated lizardman.

    "It''s the lungs," said Do-Jin.

    Although the blue blood distinct to monsters was sticky and messy, it wasn''t difficult to figure out where the organ was located.

    "That''s right. They exhale a liquid called Tellintra from their lungs and send it flowing into their bloodstream. It allows them to jump over the swamp at any time," said Yu-Seong.

    "I see..." Do-Jin responded with glittering eyes.

    As if to demonstrate, Yu-Seong pierced the lung with his spear and sprayed the transparent liquid over his lower body. Turning toward the nearby swamp, he said, "Just to be sure, we should check.¡±

    He stepped onto the swamp without feeling the usual sticky sensation that would cause him to lose his bnce. He felt no resistance, which was possibly due to the coat of Tellintra liquid.

    <i>¡®As expected, this method didn¡¯t change.¡¯</i>

    He proceeded to jump from one end of the swamp to the other, wielding his spear with ease as if he were walking on solid ground. Then, he turned to face Do-Jin.

    "This would make things much easier," said Do-Jin.

    "What do you think? Don''t you think this is enough to make me the leader of the attack team?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    ¡°As I said, this is a one-time thing," said Do-Jin. He smirked and turned toward Yu-Seong with a mischievous smile. "You¡¯re the Prince of Reversals.¡±

    "What?"

    While pondering over that nickname, Yu-Seong suddenly remembered that someone outside the dungeon had said that to him before he had entered. His face flushed red with embarrassment.

    In fact, he had been embarrassed by the nickname, but he had failed to express it during the earlier chaotic situation.

    <i>¡®What do you mean, prince¡­?¡¯</i>

    Moreover, it was the Prince of Reversal.

    Yu-Seong had an idea of what the nickname meant, but hearing it from his colleague''s mouth made him feel different about it.

    "Prince of Reversals," Do-Jin repeated.

    "Stop it," Yu-Seong said.

    "It¡¯s pretty immature and embarrassing," Do-Jin teased.

    "Kim Do-Jin."

    "Prince of Reversals."

    "I''ll kill you!" shouted Yu-Seong.

    Do-Jin grinned and turned around to start collecting the lizardmen''s corpses¡¯ lungs. He then said, "I can''t let the prince do such a menial task.¡±

    "You really..." Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh and dropped his head.

    <i>¡®I need to change my nickname as soon as we''re out of this dungeon, even if it means manipting the media.¡¯</i>

    Right now, it was just Do-Jin. However, someday, Bernard could also make fun of him. Perhaps, Bernard might have already wanted to make fun of him, but he had been holding back because of the ongoing dungeon progress.

    And once the teasing started, Yu-Seong was certain that he would continue to receive it.

    <i>¡®I''ll definitely change my nickname.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

    ***

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin exined the Tellintra liquid to the rest of the team. No one felt ufortable with the idea of coating themselves in liquid from the monsters¡¯ lungs. In the first ce, it was unreasonable to expect afortable and clean environment for a dungeon conquest.

    Instead, once they learned that the Tellintra liquid allowed them to use the swamp as if it were t ground, the team felt a significant sense of joy. By solving the difficult swamp situation in the Swamp Emperor raid, they gained much more freedom of movement.

    "The effect of the Tellintra liquidsts about 30 minutes after applying it, so we have to cross the Swamp River in that window of time," Yu-Seong exined.

    "How on earth did you figure that out, Boss?" Ye-Ryeong asked.

    With an awkward smile, Yu-Seong said, "As I said, I have a bit of future foresight..."

    ¡°He said he read a novel and was sucked into it,¡± Do-Jin said coldly before Yu-Seong could finish his sentence.

    All of the team members turned to Do-Jin with a surprised expression.

    "I didn''t want to believe it at first, but these days it doesn''t seem impossible," he continued.

    ¡°Haha¡­ No way.¡±

    "If that''s true..."

    For a moment, the group exchanged nces, unsure of how to respond. However, Yu-Seong didn''t hesitate to answer.

    "Kim Do-Jin is right," said Yu-Seong calmly.

    After hearing Yu-Seong speak up, the faces of his teammates lit up.

    "When you two joke around, it really does seem real," said Bernard.

    "I almost fell for it,¡± said Meghan.

    The group started tough and make jokes, with Bernard and Megan having started the rxed conversation. The only person who didn''t join in theughter was Do-Jin, who remained serious.

    <i>¡®Is he finally starting to suspect me?''?</i>

    However, it didn''t matter to Yu-Seong. Regardless of when or where, Yu-Seong had always been prepared to reveal the truth to people. He just wanted to do it when people would actually believe him.

    <i>¡®Trying to hide it badly will¡­¡¯</i>

    It would only make it a bigger problem in the end. To offer the truth from the start would make it less shocking for everyer on.

    <i>¡®Let''s be honest.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t bring himself to lie, not to the people he now considered his family and friends.

    "Okay, enough rest. Let''s move on," Yu-Seong said.

    After the short incident passed, the group started to apply the Tellintra liquid on themselves before continuing their journey through the dungeon.

    1. Not safe for work

    2. Han River is a representative location for suicide in Seoul, which symbolizes the idea of potentiallymitting suicide.

 Chapter 202

    <h4>Chapter 202 </h4>

    As the attack team escaped the trap zone, the Swamp River, a loud cheer erupted from both inside and outside the dungeon square.

    ¡°Waaaagh-!¡±

    "How did they evene up with that?"

    "Perhaps they already knew that?"

    "But how did they already have such information about a dungeon with no data?"

    ¡°Maybe by future foresight or advanced exploration skills?¡±

    Amidst the reporters'' surprise and spective remarks, an enormous cheer echoed from outside the dungeon square to reach inside of it. Hearing the loud cheer, Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young unconsciously smiled.

    "He''s our boss, but he truly is amazing,"mented Jin-Hwan.

    "Yes, he¡¯s pretty unbelievable," said Jin-Young with a heartyugh.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong¡ªhe''s such an interesting person.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Hwan focused on Yu-Seong, who had once again taken the lead and was running at the forefront like the wind.

    Yu-Seong moved quickly and brilliantly. Even among the attack team members, who were all outstanding and impossible to miss, he stood out in a unique way. Perhaps that was the reason why people always expected great things from him.

    What kind of scene would Yu-Seong cause? Thinking about it, people also had a lot of expectations from him in the past. But now, their expectations of him were theplete opposite of what they used to be.

    <i>¡®He has bepletely likable, even though he was synonymous with negativity just two years ago.¡¯</i>

    Indeed, it was an amazing transformation. Moreover, now Jin-Hwan himself was also a part of this miraculous transformation. He even had the feeling that he was standing at the center of history.

    Jin-Hwan''s heart pounded with excitement, stimted by the endless desire and longing he had as a reporter.

    However, it wasn''t just Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young. All the reporters gathered here felt the same way, that perhaps they were all contributing to a page in history. The excitement was so intense that they couldn''t let go of the drone controller.

    "After this shoot, we''re probably going to receive a flood of job applications, right?" Jin-Young asked cautiously with a slightly excited expression.

    ¡°We might get buried under all those job applications and not even be able to breathe," replied Jin-Hwan with a chuckle.

    "Oh, my goodness. If dying like that is possible, I have nothing else to wish for," responded Jin-Young.

    Jin-Young''s exaggerated sigh made Jin-Hwanugh again. Then, suddenly, Jin-Hwan remembered something and asked, "By the way, what time is it now?"

    After escaping the trap zone, the attack team took a short break before moving forward again. Since then, they hadn¡¯t taken any other breaks. In other words, they were still in the process of breaking the shortest record.

    "It''s just past four hours," replied Jin-Young.

    Time seemed to be passing by faster than expected. Jin-Hwan felt an inexplicable tension and his gaze was drawn to the monitor.

    <i>¡®Since they''ve already bypassed the trap zone, time doesn''t really matter until we encounter the raid boss monster.¡¯</i>

    The important thing was how quickly the attack team could defeat the raid boss monster.

    About thirty minutester, the enormous raid boss monster, whose size could not be captured by a single camera, shook the ground and revealed its form.

    "Oh my god... What is that?"

    "Is that a dinosaur?"

    "It''s so huge!"

    "It''s the raid boss monster...!"

    The ground shook as a monster so big that it couldn¡¯t be captured by a single camera appeared.

    ***

    <i>Rumble~</i>

    The ground shook under Yu-Seong''s feet as he broke through the line of lizardmen rushing toward him and tore them to pieces.

    In the depths of the dungeon, the boss monster had just revealed itself. The shockwave caused by its appearance was so great that space itself seemed to be torn apart; the tremors made most of the attack party lose their bnce and stagger in ce for a moment.

    What was even more astonishing was that, with the appearance of the raid boss monster, the lizardmen that were attacking Yu-Seong''s group began to scream and run in all directions. The reason for their behavior was not difficult to discern.

    The enormous raid boss monster caught the fleeing lizardmen with its front paw, then bit down and chewed them up.

    <i>¡®The Tyrant of the Swamp.¡¯</i>

    As its name suggested, the enormous raid monster showed no mercy. It shouted and bit down anything in its path.

    <i>Kaaaaaa-!</i>

    With a loud roar, the raid monster opened its huge mouth, revealing its terrifying fangs that dripped blue blood and emitting a deadly aura.

    Watching such a scene, Bernard hardened his expression and asked, "Excuse me, but, guys, that''s not a dragon, right?"

    "There''s no way a dragon would appear in a Rank 7 raid dungeon, right?" asked Meghan.

    Bernard now turned his gaze toward Yu-Seong, feeling as if he would know the answer. He asked, "Then, what is that?"

    "It¡¯s the Tyrant of the Swamp. It could be considered a type of dinosaur," said Yu-Seong.

    In fact, in terms of appearance, there wasn''t much difference between the Tyrant of the Swamp and the lizardmen they had encountered before. However, the Tyrant of the Swamp had a much more ferocious and aggressive demeanor, and its eyes showed no signs of reason.

    "It seems like its scales are quite hard," said Do-Jin, who had activated his Insight skill to analyze the Tyrant of the Swamp''s overall abilities, as he furrowed his brow.

    "The hide also looks quite tough," said Yu-Seong.

    "There''s a high chance my sword won''t work," said Do-Jin.

    "That''s highly likely," said Yu-Seong with a calm nod.

    "Do you know how to beat it?" Yu-Ri asked.

    Yu-Seong looked around the group in response to Yu-Ri''s question, and he could see that everyone was looking at him expectantly even if they were trying to hide it.

    Even Do-Jin was watching with interest, his gaze fixed on how Yu-Seong would handle the situation.

    "Yes," Yu-Seong replied calmly amidst the intense stares.

    "Of course..."

    "Your future foresight ability is amazing!" said Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri.

    Yu-Seong inwardly smiled bitterly at their words.

    <i>¡®What I said earlier seems to be weighing on their minds.¡¯</i>

    It felt like the Jin siblings were deliberately ignoring reality.

    Yu-Seong looked at Meghan, choosing not to dwell on that part. He then said, "The most important thing here is the role of you two.¡±

    <i>Thump, thump.?</i>

    The Tyrant of the Swamp could be heard moving, searching for new prey. It had devoured all the lizardmen that had tried to escape from behind the attack team.

    "Is that my and Meghan''s role?" Bernard asked, waving his arm.

    "No," Yu-Seong said, shaking his head and looking at Yu-Ri.

    ¡°Me?¡± asked Yu-Ri.

    "Yes, I believe that, Meghan and Yu-Ri, you two are capable enough to do it," Yu-Seong replied.

    "What do we have to do?" Meghan asked quickly.

    "If you ride on top of its neck and look closely between its scales, you''ll find a small blue gemstone buried there. That¡¯s hitting its nerve," Yu-Seong exined.

    "It does have some simrities to a dragon," Yu-Rimented.

    Yu-Seong nodded with a slight smile. "Exactly. It even breathes fire, but if you can pierce the nerve precisely, the Tyrant of the Swamp will lose its strength and its skin will be much softer."

    "But there will be consequences, right? It''s called the nerve for a reason."

    "Yes, it will increase its attack power and be much faster," Yu-Seong confirmed.

    Indeed, it was a dangerous method, but there was no other way to prate the scales and skin of the Tyrant of the Swamp with their current teamposition. This was the only way.

    "Of all parts, why on the top of its head¡­? It would take some effort to ride up there.¡±

    Among the attack team members, Yu-Ri and Meghan had the best mobility. It was not difficult to understand why Yu-Seong chose them.

    "What about me?" asked Bernard.

    "For now, the role of the rest of us is to attract its attention. Bernard Yoo and Jin Do-Yoon in the front, and Kim Do-Jin and myself from the side," Yu-Seong exined.

    The rtively safe rear position was assigned to Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk.

    After each member acknowledged their position and nodded with a tense expression, Yu-Ri asked, "What about after hitting its nerve?"

    "After that... Kim Do-Jin and I will take care of it," Yu-Seong answered, turning his gaze to Do-Jin.

    Naturally, everyone turned to look at the two of them.

    "..."

    Instead of giving an answer, Do-Jin simply nodded in response to Yu-Seong''s words.

    "Although it''s important that Yu-Ri and Meghan do well, if we don''t attract its attention, the Tyrant will notice them. That''s why every one of us has to give our best effort. If Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk feel that it''s too dangerous, you two can step away immediately. Don¡¯t overdo it," Yu-Seong exined.

    ¡°You can trust me, boss!" said Ye-Ryeong,

    "I won''t disappoint you, hyung!" said Jin-Hyuk.

    Yu-Seong watched their firm response and nodded.

    By the time the strategy meeting was over, the Tyrant of the Swamp had already crept up behind them, casting its shadow over their backs.

    "Okay, then... Let the raid begin!"

    With those words, Yu-Seong and the others scattered in all directions.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    With a loud noise, the Tyrant of the Swamp hit the ground where the party had just been with its thick tail, leaving a deep crater in the earth.

    Feeling the sense of crisis, the attack team stared at the deep crater and took a deep breath.

    <i>¡®I knew it¡¯s big, even from far away, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Seeing it up close, the Tyrant seemed even bigger than they had anticipated. Above all, the location of battle was not very favorable.

    <i>¡®There are too many swamps around here.¡¯</i>

    Although the Tyrant of the Swamp did not have any special abilities or intelligence, the surrounding environment and its physical strength made it difficult for the attack team to strike back.

    Fortunately, Yu-Seong had prepared Tellintra liquid for everyone based on the information he had read in the original novel. He had even prepared some spare liquid just in case the effect disappeared over time.

    Yu-Seong believed that the attack team had a solid chance of sess.

    Finally, the attack began from the front. Do-Yoon had turned into aplete werewolf, running toward the Tyrant of the Swamp''s front paw, which was raised in a threatening posture, without hesitation.

    Although it was a terrifying situation where he could be minced meat at any moment, there was no hesitation in Do-Yoon''s movements.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    With a loud sound, a low beast cry escaped from Do-Yoon''s mouth as he blocked the enormous raid monster¡¯s front paw with both arms.

    <i>¡°Krrrrrrr¡­¡±</i>

    Soon after, mana began to boil all over Do-Yoon''s body, and he began to push the front paw of the Tyrant of the Swamp away.

    <i>¡®Mountain Push!¡¯</i>

    Bernard added explosive power to Do-Yoon''s special move and delivered a punch, enhancing the explosion of strength.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    With a loud noise, the Tyrant of the Swamp swayed, as if it was about to fall over, but it quickly regained bnce by hitting the ground with its enormous tail. Then, it shook off Yu-Ri and Meghan who were cautiously climbing its back.

    When the Tyrant of the Swamp opened its mouth wide and red, Yu-Seong shouted urgently, ¡°It¡¯s the Breath!¡±

    Do-Yoon and Bernard quickly stepped back, having already anticipated the attack.

    <i>Quaaaah-!?</i>

    A dark bluish liquid poured out of the raid monster¡¯s mouth, covering the ground where Do-Yoon and Bernard had just stood. The targeted ground surprisingly melted into a swamp-like shape.

    Even if they had applied Tellintra liquid, if they were hit by that kind of breath, they would have lost the ability to breathe and would have sunk right into the swamp.

    While Do-Yoon and Bernard caught their breath after retreating to a safe distance from the impact of the breath, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin rushed in from the side.

    "I''ll push you. Stab it as hard as you can," Do-Jin said.

    "Huh?" questioned Yu-Seong.

    Although he had reacted with a question, Yu-Seong understood exactly what Do-Jin was talking about.

    While being surprised by the power of Do-Jin''s magic-reinforcement, Yu-Seong twisted his body and aimed for a rtively weak spot between the tightly packed scales of the raid boss monster.

    <i>¡®Lance Charge.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong activated the magic-reinforcement version of Lance Charge. There was a loud whooshing sound as the air was pushed aside when thence prated the swampy area.

 Chapter 203

    <h4>Chapter 203 </h4>

    The Lance Charge pierced through the thick hide of the giant Tyrant of the Swamp and stabbed into the ground past it.

    The Tyrant of the Swamp, not expecting to be injured due to its thick scales and tough hide, let out a loud roar in surprise and pain.

    <i>Keughaaaa-!</i>

    With a roar, it turned to look at Yu-Seong and Do-Jin angrily.

    "Looks like we properly drew its aggro," said Yu-Seong with a grin.

    When Yu-Seong quickly retrieved his spear and began to flee, Do-Jin cast a spell to block the Tyrant of the Swamp¡¯s attack, which was swinging itsrge paw above Yu-Seong''s head.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Although the magic shield had broken, they were still able to buy themselves some time.

    Thanks to Do-Jin''s attack, Yu-Seong was able to create some distance and observe the enraged Tyrant. He pointed his spear toward the area near the Tyrant''s eye, twirling it around.

    Although the Tyrant was more of a beast acting on instinct rather than a creature with intelligence, it understood the meaning behind Yu-Seong''s actions. It took a couple steps forward, seemingly ready to charge at him.

    However, the Tyrant suddenly fell to the ground. The reason was simple. Three party members¡ªDo-Yoon, Bernard, and Kong, who was summoned by Jin-Hyuk¡ªwere pulling the tail of the Tyrant together.

    <i>Keughaaaa-!</i>

    In the midst of the Tyrant''s roar of anger, Ye-Ryeong concentrated and generated a huge water droplet in midair.

    The attack of the floating water droplet did not seem particrly powerful, not exploding even after hitting the Tyrant¡¯s nostrils. Instead, the droplet engulfed and wrapped around the screaming Tyrant of the Swamp''s face.

    In an instant, the trapped Tyrant''s eyes widened inside the water droplet.

    The creature was already bing increasingly irritated by the trio¡ªJin-Hyuk, Bernard, and Do-Yoon¡ªwho were pulling its tail as it tried to escape with all its strength.

    Now, the sudden confinement within the water droplet was making it even more difficult for it to breathe. No matter how powerful the Tyrant was, it still needed to breathe to exert its strength.

    With his own powerful blow seeding and the team''s counter-attack taking advantage of the opening, Yu-Seong was inwardly impressed by the attack team.

    <i>¡®They all moved quickly by making the right judgments.¡¯</i>

    And then, there was Ye-Ryeong. Yu-Seong knew she was a genius, but her control over water droplets was truly remarkable.

    <i>¡®She can already control the water droplet to such an extent.¡¯?</i>

    The Tyrant had a head as big as its massive body, with a circumference that could barely be measured by about ten adult men standing side by side. Naturally, the power of twisting its head was also incredible.

    That was why it was not only difficult to create such a huge water droplet, but it was also several times more challenging to maintain its shape.

    As the Tyrant writhed wildly in the increasingly suffocating situation, Ye-Ryeong maintained the water droplet alone, changing its form slightly in response to each shock that came, rather than fighting against the creature''s strength. Her control of mana was truly remarkable and precise.

    <i>¡®The Sorceress of the Flood.¡¯</i>

    There was a reason Ye-Ryeong was a genius who would one day be called a disaster.

    On the contrary, the three who had been holding the tail were the first to fall exhausted.

    "Ugh-!"

    "Dammit!"

    "Step back, Kong!"

    Do-Yoon, Bernard, and Jin-Hyuk groaned and yelled as they let go of the Tyrant''s tail, which had started to shake even more violently.

    Even Ye-Ryeong couldn''t hold on any longer at this moment.

    <i>Pop-!</i>

    When the water droplet burst and the suffocating Tyrant regained its breath, it opened its mouth wide with rage.

    "Gotcha," said Yu-Ri, who had already mounted the Tyrant¡¯s head. She plunged her sword directly into the nape of its neck.

    <i>Kiiiiieeee-!</i>

    Suddenly, green mana exploded from the screaming Tyrant''s nerve. Meghan, who had grabbed Yu-Ri''s neck from behind, twisted her body as if she was dancing and swung two daggers. With her daggers slicing through the explosive mana, she thrusted her sword into the nerve once more.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    The green mana, which had exploded with the sound, disappearedpletely.

    Rather than continuing to move, the Tyrant trembled and its scales quivered as it fell to the ground. Even its tough hide was now full of deep wrinkles, as if all its strength had beenpletely drained.

    At first nce, it seemed like the Tyrant waspletely exhausted. However, it wasn''t over yet.

    "It''s the beginning of Phase 2," imed Yu-Seong shortly.

    Another arm suddenly sprang from the Tyrant''s hide under its original arm. The tail also suddenly split into two branches and expanded.

    Then, an unrelenting attack began, leaving no time for the attack team to catch their breath. The ground was turned upside down, and the air was torn apart. The Tyrant had turned into a rampage state, bing several times faster and stronger than before.

    Even Meghan and Yu-Ri, who had been on its head, couldn''t hold on and fell to the ground. It was Jin-Hyuk''s Kong which quickly shot forward, jumped into the sky, and caught them.

    "Look out!" yelled Yu-Ri.

    ¡°The tail!¡± shouted Meghan.

    The two women screamed as theynded safely on Kong''s palms.

    When Jin-Hyuk snapped his fingers, Kong disappeared from the air. It was a reverse summoning.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    The long tail passed just above the heads of the two women. Yu-Ri and Meghan, who hadnded safely on the ground thanks to Kong''s support, also began to run away.

    Meanwhile, Yu-Seong, who had gained a reasonable distance, thought to himself.

    <i>¡®I have to pierce the heart in one shot when I get the chance.¡¯</i>

    The Tyrant''s weakness was like any other living creatures: the heart. However, even though it was covered in rtively less tough hide, the creature''s defensive power was not to be underestimated.

    <i>¡®I have to break through that hide and disrupt the muscles to pierce the heart in one shot.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong didn''t bother to consider whether it was possible or not.

    <i>¡®I will definitely seed.¡¯</i>

    It would be impossible to do it alone. Even though his Wind Thunder Dragon God Art¡¯s breakthrough power was exceptional, there were limits. Someone would have to pave the way for Yu-Seong. And right now, there was a partner next to him who could y that role.

    "Kim Do-Jin," called Yu-Seong.

    "It''s impossible. I might be able to break through the hide, but that''s probably the limit. Even if I hit it hard enough..."

    Do-Jin was aware that the sword wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it, so he made his thoughts clear to Yu-Seong, who simply smiled.

    In fact, during their previous duel, Do-Jin had failed to fully demonstrate his perfect swordsmanship. There was nothing that he could have done, since that had been his best at the time.

    <i>¡®If he uses his truly powerful swordsmanship, the sword may not be able to stand it.¡¯</i>

    That could be a powerful move in ordinary situations, but Do-Jin could possibly kill his opponent in a duel with that same move. In fact, it was certain¡ªone hundred percent¡ªthat the opponent would die. That was why Do-Jin hadn¡¯t been able to fully unleash his swordsmanship at maximum power.

    But in the current situation, that was not enough.

    When Yu-Seong silently opened his subspace storage, Do-Jin asked, "A subspace skill?"

    "No, it''s an item that I bought," replied Yu-Seong calmly as he pulled out a long sword with a golden hilt that seemed to be sealed from within the storage.

    When he handed it over to him, Do-Jin asked, "This is...?"

    At a nce, Do-Jin was surprised by the grandeur of the sword, which looked far from ordinary.

    "It''s one of the Dual Dragon de. It wasn''t easy to get it,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Dual Dragon de?" asked Do-Jin.

    At the mention of the name, the Dual Dragon de trembled in response.

    "It''s an ancient relic with extraordinary power infused within it."

    "No way...!" shouted Do-Jin as his eyes widened.

    Dual Dragon de was a sword with a strong ego and it emitted powerful energy. It was a rare ancient relic that was difficult to find during this era, but there was only one such relic that he could possibly imagine.

    "It was used by General Yi Sun-Sin. Use it with gratitude," said Yu-Seong.

    "I will make good use of it," responded Do-Jin with his eyes lighting up in excitement.

    With the Dual Dragon de, he would be able to unleash all of his techniques without holding back.

    "After 5 minutes in the Berserk stage, there will be a brief period of grogginess," said Yu-Seong.

    Although they called it grogginess, it was only about three seconds at most. That would be their chance.

    Yu-Seong had been counting the seconds since the Berserk stage began. With the Tyrant''s increased power during the Berserk stage, it was almost impossible to get close to it using their current skills. Thus, they would have to continue widening the distance until they could take action during the three seconds of grogginess.

    While maintaining a moderate distance and waiting for the grogginess period, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin stayed ready. They would have to move just before the grogginess period started.

    "Now...!"

    Both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin simultaneously shot forward. Yu-Seong''s eyes shone brightly as he dodged the tail that was falling toward him.

    <i>¡®It has lost its strength.¡¯</i>

    The grogginess period had started. Everyone was surprised when the Tyrant suddenly stopped moving. At that moment, Do-Jin, who had been preparing for this moment, poured his magic into his sword.

    <i>Whooong-!</i>

    The Dual Dragon de roared with joy as Do-Jin emitted a high-purity mana. At the same time, a massive energy wave shot out from Do-Jin¡¯s sword,monly known in this world as the<i>?¡®Aurora de¡¯</i>.

    <i>¡®He can already use a technique that requires at least an S-rank swordsmanship skill¡­¡¯</i>

    Although, the duration of this technique was likely to notst very long. Moreover, Do-Jin nned to execute his skills while maintaining the powerful energy wave.

    Then, Thunder and Wind power surged from Yu-Seong''s body simultaneously.

    <i>''Wind Thunder Dragon God Art.''?</i>

    And when his Third Eye opened, he momentarily met Do-Jin¡¯s gaze in the air.

    <i>¡®This sword is really good. Can I deliver the final blow?¡¯</i>

    <i>''Sure, if you can.''?</i>

    Perhaps because of their Insight and the Third Eye, Do-Jin and Yu-Seong could easily guess what was going on in each other¡¯s mind.

    Do-Jinughed before raising his voice and yelling, "Antareus!"

    With a huge shout, the ck dragon hidden on Do-Jin''s shoulder revealed itself, opening its mouth and releasing Pentagram into the air. Do-Jin was then enveloped in ck mes as he stepped into a magic circle.

    <i>''What the hell did that crazy guy make this time?''?</i>

    The energy rising from the ck mes surrounding Do-Jin converged into his sword.

    <i>''Special: Heavenly Gauze ck me Sword.''?</i>

    After losing to Yu-Seong, Do-Jin had spent that time devising a new special move. His new special technique shredded through the Tyrant''s tough hide in one breath. The mes that followed engulfed the Tyrant''s entire body.

    The Tyrant let out a scream of agony in the face of such tremendous force.

    <i>''Insane...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong let out a ridiculous sigh inwardly. It was a technique that he had not even seen in the original novel. If those mes did not go out, the Tyrant would eventually be ashes, so Yu-Seong could understand the confidence Do-Jin showed in the moment.

    <i>''But...''?</i>

    The opponent was not favorable for being the target of that technique. In the Berserk state, the Tyrant''s resistance clearly decreased, but its regeneration ability increased overwhelmingly. On the other hand, the mes would rather be a threat to the attack team once the grogginess period ended.

    <i>''I do understand his intention.''?</i>

    Do-Jin tried burning the Tyrant¡¯s heart with one blow without knowing about its regeneration ability. As a result, his sword could not reach the heart.

    <i>''It''s a shame, but he clearly opened the way.''?</i>

    Do-Jin looked at Yu-Seong.

    <i>''I know. I''ll finish it.''?</i>

    This was truly the end. With the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art wrapped around him, Yu-Seong mustered all his strength and leaped onto the Tyrant, preparing to strike the final blow.

    The fierce ck mes could not prate the rough wind caused by Yu-Seong.

    .

    <i>¡®A single blow¡ªstarting from the ground, passing through the Tyrant''s body, all the way up to its back and over... ¡®</i>

    Like a sh of lightning, Yu-Seong reached the sky and then plunged back down, piercing the Tyrant''s head with his spear.

    <i>Crunch!?</i>

    There was no scream, only the sound of the massive Tyrant hitting the ground. It was the signal announcing the sessful conquest of the Rank 7 raid dungeon, the Swamp Emperor.

 Chapter 204

    <h4>Chapter 204 </h4>

    Once the Tyrant of the Swamp fell, a thunderous cheer shook the entire Republic of Korea. It was the raid that had been highly anticipated with many concerns and worries, but the results were beyond everyone''s expectations.

    To everyone''s amazement, the total clear time for the Rank 7 raid dungeon was only 6 hours and 36 minutes, overwhelmingly surpassing the previous record of 7 hours and 58 minutes to be the shortest time.

    Some people criticized the dungeon for being too easy for a Rank 7 raid, but such an issue wasn¡¯t significant enough to catch everyone else¡¯s attention. Although the difficulty level was lower than a typical Rank 7 raid dungeon, the fact that the average rank of the attack team was Bpletely shattered the manual''s requirement that the raid dungeon needed a minimum average rank of A+. In fact, there were even discussions about whether all members of the attack team could be Irregrs.

    In fact, that spection was not wrong. Yu-Seong had be an Irregr when he had experienced great pain during his awakening. ording to the original novel''s setting, Do-Jin and Bernard were also Irregrs, and it went without saying that the same was true for Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong, who were considered future disasters.

    Although Meghan, Do-Yoon, and Yu-Ri were not Irregrs, they were no less talented than the others. In other words, every member of the attack team was exceptional, and they even did well to support each other.

    However, even among these exceptional individuals, there was always an MVP (most valuable yer), and most dungeon scorepanies chose Yu-Seong as the top performer of this raid. He scored 9.9 out of 10, surpassing Do-Jin''s score of 9.8, and his name resounded throughout the world.

    ***

    From North America, South America, Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Africa, people of all countries, genders, and races cheered for Yu-Seong and his attack team''s achievements.

    Indeed, it was an incredible record¡ªsomething that had been deemed impossible. It was something that nobody could have imagined.

    Articles about the achievement began with phrases like ¡®Unbelievable record¡¯ and ¡®Unimaginable event¡¯ and were published in newspapers and news outlets all over the world.

    Woo-Jae¡ªwho had already sent a message to everyone involved with the Comet Group around the world to move just before Yu-Seong struck the spear over the Tyrant''s head¡ªburst into uncontrobleughter thatsted for days.

    "Hahaha!" Heughed loudly, forgetting his previous statement that smiling was awkward for him.

    Pil-Doo couldn''t help but join in theughter as well.

    <i>¡®The Comet''s stock has surpassed its all-time high.¡¯</i>

    The Comet Group had held its position as the toppany in the domestic market, but its corporate value had only reached the top 10 in the overseas market. However, after this unprecedented achievement, thepany''s overseas evaluation value had skyrocketed to within the top 5.

    It was rare to see such a dramatic rise in a top 10 battle, where each rank had a significant gap. It was no wonder that Woo-Jae couldn''t stop hisughter. He had also instructed Pil-Doo to prepare several gifts for Yu-Seong.

    While it could be seen as pretty excessive, even Pil-Doo had to admit that the man deserved it this time.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong deserves to receive gifts of this magnitude.¡¯</i>

    Of course, Yu-Seong¡¯s siblings, who had previously treated him as a mere pebble due to the pressure from Mi-Na, would harbor some discontent and eye him with hostility. As Yu-Seong continued to grow stronger, it became increasingly clear that Mi-Na''s ability to protect him was reaching its limit.

    Many of Woo-Jae''s gifts also had simr meanings behind them. From now on, it would be even harder for Yu-Seong to endure on his own in this household. That was why the gifts that would soon be given to him were not so much spoils, as they were supplies.

    <i>''How will Yu-Seong endure this situation?''?</i>

    Perhaps the tipping point woulde sooner than expected.

    Just as Pil-Doo''s mouth twitched from him having such thoughts, Woo-Jae spoke up with a hyena-likeughter. "Now, you''re starting to look forward to it rather than worry about it, aren''t you?"

    Without realizing it, Pil-Doo jolted slightly. He smiled awkwardly and nodded. In fact, he couldn¡¯t deny Woo-Jae¡¯s words. Anticipation rather than worry¡ªthat was the perfect way to put his feelings into words.

    "I understand how you feel. I feel the same way," said Woo-Jae.

    Woo-Jae had thought of Yu-Seong as just a reckless daredevil jumping around without knowing what he had, but as time went on, this one son of his had caught up to and even surpassed his siblings who had been ahead of him. It was really amazing, to the point where he couldn''t help but let out a dryugh.

    Woo-Jae''s gaze fell on the newspaper article in front of him, after sharing the same sentiment as Pil-Doo. Arge photo of Yu-Seong and his attack team, all looking confident, was disyed.

    "Did they officially apply as a team?"

    "No, it was a temporary formation."

    "That''s a shame,¡± responded Woo-Jae as he smacked his lips.

    Woo-Jae had mixed feelings when he first saw the list of attack team members. Now, he was surprised but also impressed.

    <i>¡®The grandson of Cheon-Ji Group and Kim Do-Jin¡­¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae knew they were talented individuals, but even he hesitated to reach out to them.

    The Cheon-Ji Group was one of the top twopanies in South Korea,peting with the Comet Group for market dominance, and Do-Jin had some suspicious aspects about him. However, Yu-Seong had taken these two under his wing and had led them as he pleased.

    Consistently maintaining this attack team would undoubtedly benefit the Comet Group, and ultimately, the sessor to thepany would benefit the most. As Woo-Jae''s thoughts reached this point, he suddenly remembered the face of Yu-Seong, who had expressed a desire to inherit the chairman''s position. He muttered, "Perhaps it''s better to give it to the ninth child who wants it than the second child who doesn''t even care if I give it to him."

    Trembling slightly, Pil-Doo asked, "Do you already think about it that much?"

    "Who knows. If he¡¯s blocked by the wall, the fifth, it''s a meaningless story from the beginning," replied Woo-Jae.

    ¡°...Right.¡± Pil-Doo nodded in agreement.

    As Woo-Jae slowly got up from his seat with a strange smile on his face, his phone began to ring in quick session. Of course, there weren''t many people who could directly call him on his phone.

    Woo-Jae¡¯s gaze naturally shifted to the name on the screen, and when he saw the name Choi Ji-Ho, the expressions of both men changed once again.

    "The first, first young master is¡­¡± said Pil-Doo.

    "He must also have made a decision. It¡¯s pretty exciting," replied Woo-Jae as he slowly picked up his phone and pressed the call button.

    "...This is Choi Ji-Ho. Father. How are you?"

    It had been a long time since Woo-Jae had heard his eldest son¡¯s voice.

    ***

    The room resembled a vast warehouse, and Talia approached Eveheim, who was fixated on therge TV showing the scene of Yu-Seong and his team subduing the Tyrant of the Swamp. She quietly handed him a cup of tea.

    Eveheim, who was sitting on a brown leather sofa, hunched over while watching a video, lifted his head and gave a decadent smile. "Thank you, Talia."

    "Don''t mention it. By the way¡­ Kim Do-Jin is still the one you''re interested in, right, Godfather?"

    "Kim Do-Jin has always been our top priority." Eveheim chuckled and hunched back over to take a sip of warm tea. He said, "But who I''m looking at now isn''t Kim Do-Jin."

    Eveheim''s gaze returned to the video after he made that strange remark. In fact, from his perspective, the battles had been boring even with the Tyrant of the Swamp''s massive size and power.

    The Tyrant was just like any other monster to Eveheim. In fact, if he had been involved, he wouldn¡¯t have needed to intervene. Even if one of the six Hexagram Masters had to fight, they would have easily defeated the Tyrant alone. However, he still found watching the raid video enjoyable.

    Talia, who followed his gaze to the video, muttered to herself, "Meghan, that friend, seems to have almost reached her limit. She''s talented, but it seems like she won''t be able to go any further."

    "You''re right. That girl''s bowl is already overflowing."

    "Rather, that kid named Jin Yu-Ri seems quite interesting. She''s intelligent and familiar with assisting. She''s a talented person I''d like to take on as a disciple, and I haven¡¯t felt this way in a long time," Talia said as she licked her lips.

    "That guy Jin Do-Yoon seems to have potential too. If we guide him well, he could be quite useful."

    The person who spoke up next was Jackson, leaning against one side of the wall of the huge warehouse. Despite his massive size, he was surprisingly quiet before he opened his mouth. Even a decent S-rank hunter wouldn¡¯t easily catch his sound or presence.

    "Chae Ye-Ryeong, was it? That little girl caught my eye."

    "For me, it¡¯s Yoo Jin-Hyuk. He¡¯s the most talented I''ve seen," said Noah and James, who were also Hexagram Masters with abilities in Projection and Demonic Beast Summoning, respectively.

    The two people with simr abilities naturally looked at the talented children. In this interesting situation, the Hexagram Masters looked at each other andughed.

    "Then, what about Jacob...?"

    "I''ve had my eye on that guy Bernard for a long time," said Jacob, pointing to his chosen talented individual.

    Five of the six Hexagram Masters had marked their talented individuals. Everyone then shifted their gazes toward Olivia, thest remaining Hexagram Master. She was known to be the quietest among them, often wearing deep ck robes. But this time, wouldn''t she speak up?

    When everyone''s gaze was focused on Olivia, Eveheim suddenly burst into augh. "See? Aren''t you all the same as me? We are not looking at the individual, but everyone. It''s interesting, isn''t it?"

    He wasn''t just watching Do-Jin, the current top priority for the Demon King Worshipers recruitment. Instead, he was watching the entire attack team.

    At the mention of it, the Hexagram Masters'' mouths curved into simr smiles.

    "It''s surprising that the entire attack team is made up of such excellent individuals who we are all interested in. Then, Godfather, you must have marked one as well..." said Jackson.

    "Of course, it would be Kim Do-Jin, whom he has been watching." Talia received Eveheim¡¯s words with ease.

    "Choi Yu-Seong."

    When a small voice echoed through the warehouse, everyone''s gaze naturally followed the voice. Olivia, with her deep robe and ck hair, was looking at Eveheim. She said, "I want him, Choi Yu-Seong. Give him to me, Godfather."

    "Hmph¡­!" Eveheim let out a shortugh, then shook his head with a cool expression. "No, I refuse."

    At his resolute answer, Olivia''s white cheeks puffed up slightly beneath her robe.

 Chapter 205

    <h4>Chapter 205 </h4>

    "Olivia, even if you make that expression, I still won¡¯t give him up, because unlike the spections of Jackson and Talia, the person I want is not Kim Do-Jin," said Eveheim.

    "I know, so give him to me. Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Don''t be stubborn."

    "Godfather, you are the one who shouldn¡¯t be stubborn."

    "Are you going to continue acting like this? Remember, I am your Godfather."

    "...You''re abusing your power shamelessly."

    "Hehe¡­ Isn''t that what it''s for?" Eveheim let out a casualugh and turned his gaze back to the video.

    In reality, even though they were having a rxed conversation about who they had chosen, the probability of Yu-Seong''s attack team joining forces with the Demon King Worshipers was extremely low.

    <i>¡®With his background, and also considering their past behavior until now¡­¡¯</i>

    There was a high probability that they wouldn''t fit in with the Demon King Worshipers. In other words, the emotions of the six Hexagram Masters and Eveheim himself, who had said they were interested, were honestly just keeping their guards up.

    <i>¡®The sense of danger that those in the attack team may one day threaten us¡­¡¯</i>

    Perhaps, it was interesting.

    Many people thought that the Demon King Worshipers organization had appeared suddenly after the appearance of dungeons. However, the reality was quite different. Most of them had lived in different worlds, existing as darkness for a long time before being united under the name of Demon King Worshipers. Lycanthrope King Jackson and Vampire Queen Talia were representative figures of these existences.

    The reasons for these individualsing together under the name Demon King Worshipers were quite diverse. For example, Jackson''s family had mostly been killed by humans when he was young. Therefore, he despised humans in general, but he also knew that, even with his powerful strength as the Lycanthrope King, he could not win against an infinite number of humans. Jackson''s desire to punish Earth through the arrival of the Demon King could be seen as a fairly simple reason in a way.

    <i>¡®But it''s certain.¡¯</i>

    This was the case with all the Hexagram Masters gathered here. Someone sought revenge, someone else had a vile, baseless hatred for humans, and still others stood here for the revival of their own ns.

    These individuals, who harbored such long-standing evil intentions, felt a sense of danger from the newly-formed attack team, which, to put it mildly, had only just begun to spread its wings.

    There was a strange feeling that the newly formed attack team might hinder their goals. That was why they were considering crushing the team underfoot while they were still immature.

    <i>¡®If we fail to recruit them¡­¡¯</i>

    If they couldn¡¯t get it, then it might be better to trample the bud before it grew. In fact, it was not impossible if they made up their mind.

    Even if South Korea ranked in the top 10 yer nations in terms of armed strength, it would struggle to withstand the simultaneous attack of all seven individuals gathered here.

    The problem was in the aftermath. The Hexagram Masters and Godfather were all gathered in the narrow country of South Korea, and it would take considerable time to resolve the situation if an incident were to ur.

    No matter how strong their power was, South Korea was still a decent country. They were not confident in escaping without being caught after quickly finishing everything.

    First, Japan, China, and Russia would intervene, and if it took more time, Europe and the United States would also join in the effort to exterminate the Demon King Worshipers. In the midst of all this, there was only one ce that would suffer damage.

    <i>''South Korea.''?</i>

    Excluding Korea, what happened to someone else''snd wouldn''t be a big deal in the eyes of other countries. From a global perspective, eliminating all the ringleaders of the worst terrorists¡ªthe Demon King Worshipers who could summon the Demon King someday¡ªwould be considered a much greater benefit.

    <i>''Nevertheless, the excitement...''?</i>

    In fact, the excitement was inevitable. Starting with Eveheim, all six Hexagram Masters of the Demon King Worshipers were greedy.

    Amid that strange, oppressive atmosphere, Eveheim, who had silently turned off the TV with a remote, looked around the room. He asked, "You don''t really n on causing any trouble, do you?"

    "...Of course not," replied Jackson as he tried showing an awkward smile. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

    Unless Eveheim personally led them, they wouldn''t do something they had been told not to do. In fact, they were not a ragtag bunch of misfits.

    "Let''s all be patient for a while. Soon, an opportunity wille to us as well..."

    At Eveheim''s words, which sounded like a prophecy, the six Hexagram Masters smiled and nodded.

    ***

    After the Swamp Emperor raid ended, Yu-Seong had thought he would be extremely busy. In fact, there were plenty of things that would make him busy. With the rampage of interviews and TV appearances, there would not have been enough time to handle them all.

    However, Yu-Seong had chosen to avoid contact with all media.

    <i>¡®The Star Factor has already reached its peak.¡¯</i>

    With the sess of the Swamp Emperor raid, Yu-Seong''s fame had reached the top tier of the world. While his practicalbat ability might stillg behind S-rankers, his name value did not fall behind. Thanks to this, Yu-Seong''s leveling up speed had already far surpassed the level of Titanic Growth.

    <i>¡®If I decide to raise my level from now on, I could achieve the S-rank within this year.¡¯</i>

    However, he decided against it. He was keenly aware that the matured growth he would experience after leveling up would be far more potent than simply increasing his rank.

    Of course, that didn''t mean that Star Factor had be meaningless.

    ¡ºSpecial Skill: Star Factor B.

    The more people pay attention to the holder, the faster his growth level elerates.

    In a short amount of time, the interest towards skill holders has drastically increased to the point of absurdity, and a rank adjustment effect has urred.

    Hidden Piece is opened.

    D-rank perks ¨C Increases focus of attention when exposed to video media such as cameras.

    C-rank perks ¨C The more mboyant the fight, the less mana is consumed.

    B-rank perks ¨C When in a situation where many people are cheering, your maximum mana (or Chakra) increases

    Current eleration rate +300%

    Additional privileges are opened by achieving new interest figures. Experience points required for growth -15%

    Special) ¡®Prestige Show Off¡¯ effect is being used. If the target''s fame is lower than the user''s, it can randomly trigger a curse.

    The current fame of yer Choi Yu-Seong: 1300.

    ¡»

    As he looked at the special perks that had been added due to his increase in rank, Yu-Seong felt such joy that his heart warmed up.

    <i>¡®In such a situation where attention is pouring in, I can almost consider my mana to be infinite.¡¯</i>

    Having almost infinite mana, which was the equivalent of infinite Chakra for Yu-Seong, was of great significance.

    <i>¡®If my body can withstand it, I can even maintain the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art infinitely.¡¯</i>

    The Wind Thunder Dragon God Art had great power, but it had the drawbacks of physical strain and excessive mana consumption. However, the second drawback could practically be resolved by Star Factor alone.

    <i>¡®If I use the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art to the limit that my body can handle right now¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, when Star Factor''s effect was not activated at all, the mana capacity wascking, and the limit was about two minutes. Even with the power borrowed from ancient relics, two minutes was all it could effectivelyst.

    Fortunately, the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art was such a shy skill that it activated the C-rank perks shortly after beingunched. As a result, the actual time that the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art could be maintained was five minutes. In addition to that, what if the B-rank special perks were also applied here?

    <i>¡®It would depend on the level of interest, but a maximum of 10 minutes could be possible.¡¯</i>

    If Yu-Seong could maintain the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art for that long, even an S-rank hunter wouldn''t stand a chance against him unless they were at the top ranker level. It might sound arrogant, but Yu-Seong was confident in his abilities.

    <i>¡®I am strong enough.¡¯</i>

    Now, Yu-Seong no longer needed to tremble in fear at the sight of any enemy like before. He was content with his growth, and he was seeking a path for further advancement.

    Just then, Yu-Seong received an unexpected call from someone. He muttered, "Choi Min-Seok?"

    When he answered the phone, he could hear a slightly quavering voice on the other end of the line.

    - Yu, Yu-Seong? Is that you?

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    - Uh¡­ Well... I think it''s important news, so...

    Having already been beaten badly by Yu-Seong once before, Min-Seok had be like a frightened animal and was unable to even think about attacking him again.

    "Do you need to meet me in person?"

    - No, no need to!

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but chuckle at Min-Seok''s surprised reaction. He then asked, "Then, what is it?"

    - Um¡­ In-Young noo-nim contacted me and said she wants to meet me with the third hyung-nim.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes glittered.

    <i>''Choi In-Young has started to move.''?</i>

    Based on what he had observed so far, In-Young had been exercising as much patience as possible in this uncontroble situation.

    <i>''But now, she must be thinking of getting rid of me by any means necessary. Even if she has to face Mi-Na noo-nim.¡¯?</i>

    Amidst all this, she was making a very characteristic decision by choosing to use family members instead of external forces.

    <i>''She''s still scared to think of having to deal with Father.''?</i>

    She was trying to gather all of Yu-Seong¡¯s remaining siblings to restrict him. In fact, the reason why she had called Choi Min-Seok must have been because of that very choice.

    "It''s good news. Thanks."

    - Uh, ok. Yeah.

    A smile unconsciously crept onto Yu-Seong''s face after he hung up on Min-Seok, who had responded with bewilderment.

    <i>''Choi Min-Seok.''</i>

    The animal that was filled with fear now seemedpletely subservient to Yu-Seong. It was clear that he had chosen Yu-Seong over In-Young, whom he feared so much.

    <i>¡®Not bad.¡¯</i>

    In-Young was gathering the strength of the siblings.

    <i>¡®Direct confrontation is dangerous for now.¡¯</i>

    No matter how much he had grown recently, Yu-Seong still needed more time to be ready for that kind of battle.

    <i>¡®If Kim Do-Jin helps me, the situation could be different, but¡­¡¯</i>

    This time, Yu-Seong couldn''t rely on Do-Jin, but not because he assumed that Do-Jin would dislike being involved.

    <i>¡®No, he would rather jump in with joy.¡¯</i>

    It would be a situation where Do-Jin could delve into the heart of the Comet Group''s power structure. Do-Jin would even be happy to imagine the day when his sword would reach Woo-Jae''s heart.

    Being aware of this fact, Yu-Seong knew it would be foolish to drag Do-Jin into it.

    <i>¡®At least for the family dispute, I shouldn''t ask for Do-Jin''s help.¡¯</i>

    The same went for Meghan and Bernard. Although they might also step forward to help Yu-Seong, it would be very unpleasant for Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®Coborating on external business and having Cheon-Ji Group interfere in our family''s internal strife are twopletely different things.¡¯</i>

    In other words, Yu-Seong might have to fight against all of the other siblings under In-Young''smand with his current strength.

    <i>¡®Except for Choi Min-Seok, maybe... And the youngest one, she wouldn¡¯te forward.¡¯</i>

    The youngest member of the Comet Group had recently started high school. She had awakened at just five years old, already reaching A-rank at such a young age.

    In fact, she was widely considered a genius. However, she was indifferent to the world and had no particr interest in household affairs.

    Her hobbies were just eating tteokbokki with school friends, chatting in cafes, and singing loudly in karaoke rooms.

    Eventually, Yu-Seong would have to confront the remaining four siblings, excluding the deceased Choi Byung-Chan, who had already stepped back, along with Choi Ji-Ho and Choi Mi-Na, who were stationed at In-Young''s main base.

    As previously mentioned, it wouldn''t be easy to handle them with the power he currently had. So, what would be the best way to disappoint and anger In-Young at this point?

    <i>¡®Something that can also buy me some time.¡¯</i>

    After simply thinking about his concern, Yu-Seong smirked slyly.

    <i>¡®I can just visit the Tower of Heaven.¡¯</i>

    If In-Young and his other siblings were plotting, but Yu-Seong and his acquaintances were not present, the situation would be thoroughly futile for In-Young.

    <i>¡®Really, I''m d that the Tower of Heaven appeared early.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was certain that he no longer needed to stay in B-rank by the time he finished his adventure in the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®A-rank.¡¯</i>

    Finally, the area of ability in this world, known as the realm of power, was right in front of him.

    1. Tteokbokki is a popr Korean street food made of cylindrical rice cakes stir-fried with spicy gochujang sauce and various ingredients such as fish cakes, and vegetables.

 Chapter 206

    <h4>Chapter 206 </h4>

    In-Young, looking at the faces of the people who had gathered after receiving her call, couldn¡¯t help but smirk. After a moment of speechlessness, she sighed. "Haa..."

    "Where''s Min-Seok?" asked Choi Yeo-Reum, twisting her lips.

    Yeo-Reum was the seventh child of the Comet Family, and she was widely known as a yer with Natural Projection skill. She smirked subtly at In-Young, seeming to mock her sister with a cynical attitude. In fact, she hadn¡¯t evene here willingly.

    "You said we¡¯re all getting together after a long time, so what''s this?" Yeo-Reum said.

    "Choi Yeo-Reum, you sure talk a lot."

    "Look at that, Seok-Young oppa is still sticking to In-Young unni like a bodyguard. Are you sure you two are siblings? You guys could pass as a bodyguard and hisdy, haha!"

    "You...!" shouted Seok-Young.

    "It''s okay, oppa. I''ll handle it," said In-Young.

    Even though Yeo-Reum was being quite rude, In-Young remained calm and spoke in a steady voice.

    <i>¡®Even though she''s making me angry, I still need that woman''s help at the moment.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had grown quickly. He was now powerful enough to reach the tips of In-Young¡¯s toes. In order to shake off this sense of crisis, In-Young had considered stopping her brother by injuring him in some way.

    Unfortunately for her, Mi-Na¡¯s behavior had also be increasingly difficult to tolerate.

    <i>¡®If I concentrate on Choi Yu-Seong, there''s a chance that Choi Mi-Na could take control of thepany by herself.¡¯</i>

    In-Young could never allow that to happen, but she couldn¡¯t handle Mi-Na alone. This was why she had to rely on Seok-Young''s help so far. Together, they could manage Mi-Na''s behavior.

    <i>¡®Besides, the third oppa has also provided some assistance.¡¯</i>

    In-Young was stalling for time, knowing that she couldn''t win against Mi-Na alone. Mi-Na''s individual power was estimated to beparable to Woo-Jae''s, so In-Young was constantly working on increasing her strength while buying herself some time.

    However, as mentioned earlier, Yu-Seong had grown rapidly and was now strong enough to reach the tips of her toes. This meant that she had to deal with him too.

    And during the short period of time, she would have to face Mi-Na alone. This would certainly be a difficult task.

    <i>¡®I have already informed my mother''s side, so the situation should be somewhat manageable, but¡­¡¯</i>

    It wouldn''t be wise to rely too heavily on external forces, such as the power of her maternal rtives. In-Young needed to quickly bring Yu-Seong under control, getting out of this unfavorable situation as soon as possible. For that, Yeo-Reum''s power was essential to her.

    "You know, Yu-Seong is bing uncontroble these days," In-Young said.

    "It''s hard not to notice," Yeo-Reum replied.

    "Doesn''t it make you ufortable?" asked In-Young.

    Yeo-Reum shrugged in response. "Not really..."

    Although she sounded disinterested, her eyes flickered.

    In fact, In-Young knew Yeo-Reum quite well.

    <i>¡®She may act cool, but she''s just a narrow-minded kid.¡¯</i>

    Yeo-Reum clearly wasn''t interested in inheriting thepany. She didn¡¯t have an interest in holding high positions like the chairman or being on the board of directors. What she wanted was something quite simple.

    <i>¡®Money. Just enough money to live luxuriously without any worries.¡¯</i>

    The crucial question was: who would provide Yeo-Reum with the money she needed? That was the reason why Yeo-Reum hade to this gathering.

    <i>¡®Even though she ims that she hase here to reunite with the family after a long time¡­¡¯</i>

    In truth, Yeo-Reum hade here to pick a side and see who could help her. She wanted to figure out who she could rely on to take responsibility for her financial needs until she died.

    However, In-Young was certain that the young girl wouldn''t choose Yu-Seong''s side. The reason was simple.

    <i>¡®When Yu-Seong was being bullied by Min-Seok, he had asked for Yeo-Reum¡¯s help before.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had asked Yeo-Reum for help, since she had a somewhat less intimidating and more approachable image than the other siblings. However, the oue had been disappointing with Yeo-Reum choosing to remain indifferent. Yeo-Reum hadn¡¯t felt the need to get close to someone who she perceived as weak.

    As a result, Yeo-Reum suspected that Yu-Seong might hold a grudge against her, and so she was trying to quietly piggyback on In-Young''s n to get rid of him.

    In-Young was also well aware of Yeo-Reum''s intentions, so she didn''t feel the need to rebuke or scold her in any way.

    ¡°What happened to Min-Seok is quite surprising, but we don''t really need that coward anyway. We just need to deal with Yu-Seong,¡± said In-Young.

    "I understand that, but what I''m curious about is whether I''m the only one responsible for catching Yu-Seong."

    The only people gathered here were In-Young, Seok-Young, and Yeo-Reum. Min-Seok would usually be present as well, but he had suddenly disappeared. In-Young was bbergasted by this turn of events, while Yeo-Reum, who had been hopeful, felt equally disappointed.

    To be honest, the current Yu-Seong was more than Yeo-Reum could handle on her own.

    "Who said you''ll be alone? Oppa will help you,¡± said In-Young.

    "You mean Seok-Young oppa? Then what about Mi-Na unni?" asked Yeo-Reum.

    "I''ll take care of that myself." In-Young shed a sly smile as she revealed her ace in the hole. She said, "And even though he''s not here, our third brother, Jin-Woo, has agreed to assist with the operation on Choi Yu-Seong."

    Jin-Woo, the third child of the Choi family, also didn''t feel great about Yu-Seong climbing up his leg.

    "And so, you''re handling Mi-Na unni by yourself, unni?" asked Yeo-Reum.

    "Yes, it won''t be easy. That''s why all of you need to give it your best," said In-Young.

    "And the n is...?" asked Yeo-Reum.

    "It''s simple. Choi Yu-Seong, that rascal, has a huge weakness, right?" said In-Young as she let out a chillyugh.

    In fact, the most significant factor contributing to Yu-Seong''s reputation was his pristine record of sess. He carried the expectations of Woo-Jae, the nation, and its people on his shoulders and had not disappointed them even once. As a result, his shameful title of ''rascal'' was gradually fading away.

    However, what if he were to fail just once? Normally, if someone consistently failed and then seeded once, they would be praised. But in this case, what if they kept performing well and then failed all of a sudden? If that were to happen, Yu-Seong would probably receive criticism instead. The previous story about his ''rascal'' behavior would resurface once again, and eventually, Yu-Seong would be the subject of public scrutiny.

    When that happened, In-Young and her siblings would seize the opportunity to do everything in their power to tarnish Yu-Seong''s reputation. They would make it challenging for him to recover his position in society. After all, crafting false narratives was not as difficult as people assumed.

    In-Young''s exnation had Yeo-Reum''s eyes gleaming with excitement. The young girlmented, "This sounds fun."

    "Given Father''s personality, he''ll soon put Yu-Seong to the test again. This test will probably be a turning point. If he does well again, then¡­¡± In-Young gulped and had a bitter smile on her face.

    If that happened, Yu-Seong would rise further up and reach In-Young¡¯s chin, not just her toes. Indeed, it was a terrible thing to imagine.

    Yeo-Reum also shuddered at the thought. Anyways, she didn''t want to face the current Yu-Seong in any way.

    "Okay. It''s probably a good idea to give it a try," said Yeo-Reum as she made up her mind.

    At that moment, In-Young looked at Seok-Young and grinned satisfactorily.

    Suddenly, In-Young''s cell phone rang.

    <i>¡®Choi Jin-Woo?¡¯</i>

    The unexpected call was from Choi Jin-Woo, the third child of the Choi family.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± In-Young asked calmly.

    Hearing some news over the phone call, her expression gradually hardened. She said, "What...? Really? Alright, let''s discuss it further once you''re inside.¡±

    In-Young hung up quickly. She couldn''t hide her fluctuating emotions as she turned to Yeo-Reum and said, "The n we just talked about is on hold for now."

    "What? Why all of a sudden?" asked Yeo-Reum.

    In the first ce, In-Young had a strong resolve to have organized this gathering. However, she was suddenly canceling the n after receiving just one phone call. In truth, her change of mind didn''t make much sense.

    "Can you at least exin why?" Yeo-Reum asked anxiously as In-Young tried to leave the room hastily.

    If there were any changes happening in the household, Yeo-Reum had the right to know about it.

    In-Young hesitated for a moment, considering whether to snap at Yeo-Reum, but then she simply breathed a sigh. She said, "The first reason is that the target has disappeared.¡±

    "What? So Choi Yu-Seong has gone missing?" Yeo-Reum asked, her face lighting up with delight.

    Wouldn''t that be a good thing? In-Young wanted to pound her chest in frustration at Yeo-Reum''s misunderstanding.

    <i>¡®Can''t you understand what I''m saying?¡¯</i>

    At this point, with everyone''s attention fixed on Yu-Seong, the idea of him being kidnapped was very unlikely. Even if In-Young wanted to, it was impossible to do anything unless the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ entire main force came forward.

    Faced with a stupid younger sibling, In-Young had to exin everything in detail for them to understand. She said inly, "Of course not, Choi Yu-Seong has entered the Tower of Heaven."

    "Oh... So that''s what happened. My goodness, that means he realized that you''ve made a move," Yeo-Reum eximed.

    "That''s right," said In-Young before gritting her teeth.

    <i>¡®Choi Min-Seok¡­¡¯?</i>

    She was certain that the coward hadpletely lost his mind. She wanted to chase after Min-Seok and put him back in his ce right away, but she didn''t have the luxury of doing so.

    If Yu-Seong had simply disappeared, then they only had to dy the n. After all, he wasn''t going to live in the Tower of Heaven for the rest of his life. However, there was another reason for In-Young¡¯s growing anxiety.

    "Secondly, this is something that you''ll find out soon enough..." In-Young let out a deep sigh, her delicate features twisting into a frown. She said, "Ji-Ho oppa has returned.¡±

    "...What? Big brother was definitely..." said Yeo-Reum.

    "I don''t know the details," In-Young responded.

    However, Ji-Ho''s return was no small matter in the Comet Group. In fact, it was a huge storm.

    <i>¡®Choi Ji-Ho.¡¯</i>

    The man who had seemed unlikely to return to the world after that incident had now officially returned to the household. Although nobody knew what Ji-Ho would do in the future, the fact that he had been close to Mi-Na was well known within the family.

    <i>¡®Choi Ji-Ho, Choi Mi-Na.¡¯</i>

    In-Young clenched her fists once again as she spoke her enemies¡¯ names. It seemed like the burden on her shoulders had doubled.

    Where was the solution to this problem? As she pondered, a sudden realization shone in her eyes. It was as if she could see the algorithm that the two were following.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong... My goodness, is he the reason for those two returning?¡¯</i>

    It seemed unbelievable, but if her suspicions were proven right, then In-Young had found the key to solving the situation.

    However, as In-Young had already mentioned, Yu-Seong was not on Earth at the moment.

    <i>¡®Haha... I feel like I got clobbered by them¡­¡¯</i>

    In-Young let out a coldugh as she got into the car.

    ***

    After entering the Tower of Heaven, Yu-Seong felt time flying by him like a bullet once again. Several months had gone by, and before anyone knew it, autumn hade and gone, and winter had arrived.

    Yu-Seong, who had attracted significant attention from the world upon entering the Tower, had finally returned to Earth.

    After clearing the 16th floor, Yu-Seong stood at the forefront of the tower, apanied by the Jin siblings, Ye-Ryeong, and Jin-Hyuk. He checked the calendar and smiled contentedly.

    <i>¡®It''s already December.¡¯</i>

    He had made it out of the Tower before the year was over. Do-Jin and Bernard¡¯s group, who had entered the Tower about a monthter than Yu-Seong, were also expected to return to Earth soon.

    <i>¡®Until then¡­¡¯</i>

    There were still many things that needed to be taken care of. Fortunately, the time spent in the Tower had brought Yu-Seong significant growth.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve definitely reached my limit as a B-rank.¡¯</i>

    Now, Yu-Seong had to advance to A-rank no matter what. Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri were in the same situation. They had already started the S-rank promotion evaluation before Yu-Seong. As for Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk, they were up for the B-rank promotion evaluation. The power of the attack team had clearly been enhanced.

    Most importantly, long-awaited news reached Yu-Seong the day after he had returned to Earth. He murmured, "Finally..."

    The violet dragon egg that had been asleep for a long time, unlike Do-Jin¡¯s egg, began to crack open by itself.

 Chapter 207

    <h4>Chapter 207 </h4>

    The Dragon Egg trembled, swaying from side to side. The cracks on the hard shell¡¯s surface indicated that a creature was about to hatch from it.

    Realizing the Dragon Egg that he had been habitually checking every night was showing a significant change, Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t hide his excitement.

    <i>¡®When I first saw the egg, I thought that it would hatch right away, but¡­¡¯</i>

    After the arrival of winter following a long autumn, the Dragon Egg finally showed signs of hatching. The wait had been much longer than Yu-Seong anticipated.

    While waiting for his own Dragon Egg to hatch, Yu-Seong had grown increasingly envious as he witnessed the impressive performance of Antareus, Do-Jin''s dragon.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve encountered him once in the Tower of Heaven.¡¯</i>

    Before the Tower of Heaven, Yu-Seong hadst seen Antareus when fighting with the Tyrant of the Swamp. Surprisingly, in that short span of time, Antareus had grown to two heads taller andrger as well. And although he spoke in a clumsy fashion, Antareus could still converse with Do-Jin in the humannguage.

    Certainly, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel envious. However, finally, he was going to have a Dragon too.

    <i>¡®We both obtained the Dragons at the same time¡­ It''s just that I''m reallyte.</i> <i>I wonder what this fellow, hatching from a violet Dragon Egg blessed by the god Loki, would look like?¡¯?</i>

    Having watched the egg while eagerly waiting for it to hatch this entire time, Yu-Seong observed the egg finally cracking open. The first thing that emerged from the cracked egg was a fairly long tail.

    <i>¡®Purple¡­¡¯</i>

    When he firstid eyes on the tail''s dark purple color, Yu-Seong suddenly thought of Loki''s dark gaze.

    <i>¡®Well, since Loki blessed it, perhaps it''s only natural.¡¯</i>

    After that, everything happened in a sh. The Dragon, with its tail emerging first, swiftly freed itself from the shell and vigorously extended its arms. Then, with a loud crack, a head slightly resembling that of a lizard but definitely looked like a Dragon emerged from the shell to reveal itself to the world.

    When the Dragon slowly turned its head toward him, Yu-Seong muttered to himself, ¡°Wow, those purple eyes really resemble Loki''s.¡±

    At that moment, the Dragon effortlessly brushed off the crumbling eggshell and opened its mouth to speak, "Heh, well, since I am Loki myself, of course I resemble her.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ I mean, what?¡± eximed Yu-Seong.

    The moment of excitement about his Dragon¡¯s birth was short-lived. Yu-Seong was so captivated by the sight of the Dragon speaking in humannguage that his eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°Why? Is it the first time you''ve seen a Dragon speak as soon as it''s born?¡±

    ¡°N-No, it''s just... You¡­ Are you really...?¡±

    Howe he could clearly perceive Loki''s cold and mischievous aura through the Dragon''s behavior and demeanor? He had to be mistaken, for sure.

    Looking at Yu-Seong¡¯s stunned expression, Loki showed a cool smile on the Dragon¡¯s lips and nodded. ¡°Yes, you''re right, Choi Yu-Seong. It is I, a Joke-loving Prankster, who has appeared here!¡±

    The Dragon, or rather Loki, took a short-legged posemonly seen in animation and, with a twinkle in her violet eyes, said, ¡°Be happy. It''s a very rare urrence.¡±

    ¡°You are joking!¡±

    Yu-Seong could only scream like a mad person.

    ***

    The moment of shocksted for a long while.

    Regardless of Yu-Seong''s expression, Loki showed no concern at all. She simply showed a pleased smile while hopping around the vast room on her short legs to check her physical condition.

    "Hmm, the body of a Dragon is indeed excellent. The ability to be so active upon waking up,¡± muttered Loki calmly. Then, looking over at Yu-Seong, she said, "Choi Yu-Seong, I have a favor to ask of you."

    "Uh?"

    "Put me up on the bed," said Loki confidently as she stretched her short arms. With her wings still not fully unfolded, she asked, "Since I''ve be a Dragon, shouldn¡¯t I have to practice using my wings?"

    ¡°That¡¯s something you can handle yourself¡­¡±

    "Unfortunately, my arms and legs are too short. I might be able to fly if I use mana, but I''d prefer to fly using my own body... By the way, if you don''t listen to me, I''ll throw a tantrum on the floor," said Loki.

    "Is that something a god should say?" said Yu-Seong.

    "As you know, I don''t have the dignity of a god. Are you going to keep resisting?" asked Loki, who was still in the form of a Dragon.

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh as he lifted Loki, who had taken on the attitude of a cat being served by a cat butler, onto the bed.

    In that short time, Loki, no, the Dragon attempted to move and fly on the bed with her wings unfurled. However, she suddenly fell t on the floor. Then, she looked up at Yu-Seong and spread her arms once again.

    <i>¡®...You want me to pick you up again after that failure.¡¯</i>

    There were so many things that Yu-Seong wanted to say, but he had to suppress his inner thoughts and lift Loki back onto the bed again.

    Loki let out a chuckle and said, "As expected of you, Yu-Seong! I like you for your quickwittedness!¡±

    In this unclear situation of who was the owner and who was the pet, Yu-Seong could only pat his chest.

    ***

    <i>¡®My Yongyong that I thought of¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, the Dragon Yu-Seong had in mind was a rather yful one that followed him around like a child. It had a childlike innocence while showing some Dragon-worthy strength at times.

    ¡°Oh, it seems like the wings are starting to move now. Hey, Choi Yu-Seong, I think we just need to invest another hour.¡±

    This bad-tempered behavior of making Yu-Seong her ve was not at all what he had expected.

    "Hey, why do you look so upset? Is there something bothering you?"

    ¡°How can I not be upset¡­?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you should be absolutely ecstatic. You were chosen by this divine being, not just any ordinary Dragon. Well, most of my powers were left in my original body, but I¡¯m still much greater than a Dragon raised by someone like Kim Do-Jin, or whoever that is,¡± dered Loki proudly.

    ¡°''I don''t need that. Return my cute Yongyong to me,¡± responded Yu-Seong.

    Come to think of it, where did the soul that was supposed to be attached to the Dragon''s body go?

    In response to Yu-Seong''s curiosity, Loki raised her nose in the air and said confidently, "Ah, that cute little thing. I ced it inside the body of my Giant creature. Since it has no idea it was originally a Dragon, it seems quite satisfied. It¡¯s happy to have a good mother and father."

    Although something was definitely off, the heartwarming story ended in such a way that it was difficult to grasp.

    ¡°Don''t be too disappointed. Actually, I already knew it, but you''re quite useful, Choi Yu-Seong,¡± said Loki.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Despite her being in a Dragon form, Yu-Seong felt a chilly yfulness in Loki''s smile. He immediately became expressionless after understanding the full situation.

    ¡°My Chakra...is decreasing¡­?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t practicing anything, nor was he using any skills. Nevertheless, his amount of Chakra was continuously decreasing.

    ¡°I''ve tried many things, but it''s not easy to be a great god''s incarnation on Earth in this young Dragon''s body. Your Chakra, the mana that''s be deformed, is being well utilized. It''s much more powerful than ordinary mana,¡±mented Loki.

    Currently, it appeared that Yu-Seong''s Chakra was necessary for Loki''s activities. In fact, his Chakra was flowing into Loki without any permission or exnation. He was left speechless by the entire situation.

    "What the hell have you done?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "You and I have a clear contract, Choi Yu-Seong. It''s not difficult to share the Chakra," said Loki.

    Indeed, Loki was enjoying it. She was happy to see Yu-Seong suffering.

    Yu-Seong had no choice but to grit his teeth to Loki''s wickedness, no different from the actions of a myth. He cried out angrily, "You¡¯re just a burden, after all!"

    "A burden? You''re saying such a regrettable thing. Even though I am limited by having a Dragon''s body, I can still use the power of god."

    "By using my Chakra?" eximed Yu-Seong.

    "Of course!" said Loki.

    Yu-Seong was at a loss for words in the face of Loki''s confidence.

    "Well, your mana is quite useful. But with the current situation, I will drain you of your mana just from using my power of god once,¡± exined Loki.

    "...Just admit it, you''re a burden," said Yu-Seong.

    Ultimately, Loki was nothing more than a one-time-use skill at the moment. Moreover, it was a one-time-use skill that continuously consumed mana like a summon. Even after thinking about it some more, Yu-Seong still felt like Loki was just a burden.

    "Hey, my contracted friend, don''t say such regrettable things. The situation may be like this for now, but as I grow, things will change. Don''t you see? And what do you think about the power of a god? Don''t underestimate it just because it can only be used once."

    Loki''s yful gaze gradually faded away as she added, "It wouldn''t be difficult to blow up a small city on Earth or anything, with that one use alone.¡±

    "...What?" imed Yu-Seong.

    "Of course, it''s only when there is enough mana to support it, but..." Loki shrugged her short shoulders lightly. "Besides, I''m busy too, so I can''t keep ying around in this body. I have things to do up there. So, most of the time, I''ll be asleep."

    ¡°You¡¯d be asleep?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "Young Dragons grow faster the longer they sleep. You can ce me inside the subspace that you have. A Dragon''s body can withstand the cold temperatures in that space without issue. What''s more, your Chakra won''t be depleted while I''m sleeping..."

    "When needed, I can summon you to borrow your power of god, right?" asked Yu-Seong as his disappointed eyes sparkled.

    "That''s right. Your head''s finally working, Choi Yu-Seong," smirked Loki, pointing at herself with her short ws. "As I grow, the power I can wield will be more diverse. And besides, I''m basically a god, you know?"

    "What does that mean?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "And you have Eye of Replication and Fusion skills," exined Loki.

    "Yes..." Yu-Seong''s eyes widened with his voice trailing off.

    "Normally, I can only transmit skills through sponsorship. But with a Dragon''s body like this?"

    "You can use the skills," said Yu-Seong as he realized.

    "Yes, and you have the ability to copy them," said Loki.

    "Wow..."

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but marvel.

    The path of growth that should have followed the A-rank became much broader for him. And with this, Yu-Seong could potentially reach the maximum potential for growth that could be shown at A-rank much faster than expected. No doubt, the time needed would certainly be much shorter.

    "I''m sorry for calling you a burden. I sincerely apologize," said Yu-Seong.

    At Yu-Seong''s honest admiration, Loki''s nose raised with pride. She replied, "Finally, you recognize my true worth, Choi Yu-Seong. Hehe..."

    Perhaps it was because of Loki¡¯s rather cute appearance as a young Dragon? Yu-Seong hadpletely forgotten the dark and cold aura that she had within the Tower of Heaven.

    When Yu-Seong lifted her in his arms and started rubbing her face against him, Loki cried out, "What, what are you doing?!"

    "This pretty little thing!" said Yu-Seong.

    The Dragon''s exterior, which was thought to be cold and hard, turned out to be warm and soft. Maybe it was because she was still a baby, or maybe it was because she could change the temperature and texture as needed? Either way, Yu-Seong would trust anything about Dragons.

    "Stop it, Yu-Seong! How dare you do that to a god!" demanded Loki.

    As always, Loki brought joy alongside challenge and hardship. Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel happy whenever he experienced her temper, even though he knew her temperament well.

    "You, you really are the best," said Yu-Seong excitedly, not even noticing Loki¡¯s hint of rebelliousness.

    1. Yongyong is a cute nickname that Yu-Seong has given to his Dragon, drawing inspiration from the Korean word ¡®Yong,¡¯ which means dragon. ¡®Draggy¡¯ or ¡®Gongony¡¯ are alternative trantions for this term.

 Chapter 208

    <h4>Chapter 208 </h4>

    After getting over his sense of excitement, Yu-Seong asked Loki, ¡°So¡­ What should I call you?¡±

    Loki tilted her head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t keep calling you by your nickname, Joke-loving Prankster, can I?¡±

    Yu-Seong knew that calling Loki by her real name was dangerous. He could get into trouble as an ordinary human being, because he knew that Loki was a god possessing both a god¡¯s name and divinity.

    <i>¡®I may not be able to withstand her divinity, so I may start throwing up blood and die¡­¡¯?</i>

    Even if that did not happen, another unfortunate and unlucky incident may ur to Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Yu-Seong, as expected¡­ You definitely know of my identity.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d be a fool to not know by this point.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well¡­ That puts us in an awkward position~¡± While spinning herself in ce, Loki smiled at Yu-Seong with sparkling eyes. She added, ¡°If I don¡¯t grant you permission, you can¡¯t call me by my real name, right?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yu-Seong was surprised by Loki¡¯s unexpected response.

    ¡°Why are you so surprised? If you recognize my divinity and god name, you can call me by my name as long as I directly grant you permission. I see now that you sort of know the rules but not fully.¡±

    It was obvious that Yu-Seong did not know all the rules. The original novel had no exnation of the rules that Loki was referring to.

    ¡°Anyway, since you¡¯re a partner with whom I¡¯ve already made a soul contract with, shall this god allow you to call me by my name? Try and call out my name, Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°¡­Everything will be alright, right?¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust a god¡¯s word?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have any doubts if it was any other god, but you¡¯re a bit mischievous.¡±

    ¡°Hey, trust me. Try it¡­ Try, try.¡±

    Loki enjoyed joking around, but she probably had no intention of killing Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, she has had plenty of chances to kill me if she has wanted me dead, right?¡¯</i>

    For a moment, Yu-Seong let out a nervousugh, nodded his head, and wet his lips before calling out, ¡°L-Loki¡­?¡±

    Having called Loki by name, Yu-Seong trembled in fear before realizing that nothing was happening to him. He did not feel any pain or shock whatsoever.

    ¡°See, I told you to trust me.¡± With twinkling eyes, Loki smiled broadly at Yu-Seong. ¡°No matter how bad my personality is, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d kill a hard-earned contractor. Don¡¯t forget this point, Yu-Seong.¡±

    Feeling the strangely serious atmosphere, Yu-Seong unconsciously nodded his head vigorously. ¡°¡­Sure.¡±

    ¡°And another thing, now that I have descended into this altered body form, I should be able to teach you quite a lot.¡±

    Hearing Loki¡¯sment, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes shone brightly. He knew that Loki would be able to provide him with many secrets and other hard-to-obtain information about this world. He eagerly asked, ¡°Are you sure you can just tell me those things?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you need to meet some qualifications. If one knows a secret without having the proper qualification, a ridiculously heavy karma will weigh one down.¡± Loki smiled and nodded before continuing, ¡°Well, that¡¯s it for today. This god shall now call it a day and leave. I feel that something will happen to my main body soon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡±

    ¡°You seem slightly sad that I¡¯m leaving so soon.¡±

    ¡°Not really, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Whenever you call my name, I¡¯lle back to this altered body form¡­¡± Loki¡¯s purple eyes, which had been sparkling, gradually changed into a dull gray. She said, ¡°See you again, Yu-Seong.¡±

    The Dragon¡¯s body, having lost all of its power, copsed onto the ground.

    Yu-Seong smiled at Loki¡¯s speedy exit, lifted the light Dragon¡¯s body, and slowly pushed it into his subspace.

    In any case, Yu-Seong had obtained Loki as an emergency power source. From his point of view, there was no reason to hesitate any longer.

    <i>¡®Well then, shall I take the promotion test right away?¡¯</i>

    .

    After selecting the extreme difficulty setting for his A-Rank promotion review, Yu-Seong disappeared from the room.

    ***

    ¡°Long time no see, Yu-Seong.¡±

    Facing Mr. Guy¡¯s smiling face, Yu-Seong nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go right into the test.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re quite confident this time around, no? Hehehe.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯vepleted all my preparations.¡±

    Yu-Seong had never been in a better condition and circumstance for his promotion test.

    Seeing Yu-Seong¡¯s confident attitude, Mr. Guy nodded with twinkling eyes. ¡°You have certainly grown remarkably well. Well then, I bid you good luck, Yu-Seong. Hehehe.¡±

    When Mr. Guy disappeared with a smile, the scenery around Yu-Seong changed. The closest area to him now was a fairly wide in area. Then, in front of him was a huge number of undead troops wrapped in darkness.

    At the same time, a message appeared before his eyes.

    <<God shall help you!

    Difficulty: ++ Version

    An army of death led by a powerful dark mage is advancing toward you.

    Due to the difficulty penalty, you must withstand the attacks from this undead horde ¡®alone¡¯.

    After 100 hours, a god¡¯s punishment shall reign down on the undead army.

    If you can¡¯t hold on until that point, dere ¡®give up¡¯!

    Good luck.

    Special ¡ï

    If you defeat a general of death who leads the undead army, the overall time you have to endure shall be reduced by 20 hours. There are five generals of death, and these five generals do not move from their base. If you have to endure the constant attacks anyway, it wouldn¡¯t be bad to try and defeat the generals, right?>>

    Yu-Seong had been given a defense mission this time; although, it was possible for Yu-Seong to go on the offensive if he wanted.

    <i>¡®I just need to get into their bases and defeat the five generals of death, right?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong did not want to endure the mission for 100 hours. He hadn¡¯t chosen to stay in the B-rank for so long only to be dragged around in a promotion test.

    Of course, Yu-Seong still had to face some considerable hurdles. Due to the penalty for selecting the extreme difficulty mission setting, his overall ability levels had been reduced by half. Thanks to this penalty, his body felt as heavy as a bail of cotton that had been soaked in water.

    However, his condition still felt much better than what he had initially expected.

    <i>¡®What would be the simplest and most efficient way toplete this review?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong shot forward as he saw the undead army advancing toward him. The undead forces seemed endless, but the number that could attack Yu-Seong at any one time was limited.

    <i>¡®At best, ten is the limit, right?¡¯</i>

    However, Yu-Seong soon regretted having such a thought.

    Around ten undead soldiers,posed of zombies and skeletons, were near him.

    <i>¡®At best, they¡¯re just low-ranking undead.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong would not face any difficulty in defeating these sorts of opponents. Smashing the zombies and skeletons with a light swing of his spear, he soon jumped into the air.

    Digging through the dirt, red-eyed ghouls reached out and tried to grab onto Yu-Seong¡¯s ankles.

    <i>¡®Crazy¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had momentarily forgotten that this was an A-Rank promotion test on the extreme difficulty setting. It was only natural that he would be bombarded by some nonsensical forms of attack.

    Just as he had such a thought, Yu-Seong felt a wave of heat rise in front of him. He was frightened by the sensation of his skin heating up, so he quickly flung himself to the side through Wind Control.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Arge fireball burned the undead and the general area where Yu-Seong had been standing just moments earlier.

    <i>¡®Magic?¡¯</i>

    Then, when he raised his head, Yu-Seong saw a barrage of arrows pouring down on him. A group of gargoyles that were unaffected by the rain of arrows also descended toward him.

    <i>¡®This is nuts¡­!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong hurriedly unfolded Dancing Electric Doll while using Wind Control to leave the spot where he had been standing.

    The zombies and skeletons that had been attacking Yu-Seong were shattered into pieces by the gargoyles¡¯ descending attack and the rain of arrows. Even with this loss, the undead army did not seem to have sustained any meaningful loss. The lower-ranking undead, the zombies and skeletons, were literally just bait; their numbers were truly innumerable.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re even resurrecting¡­¡¯</i>

    As skeletons with staffs in their hands hurled magic at Yu-Seong, a lich waved its hands and the fallen low-ranking undead rose up once more.

    As long as the undead were notpletely crushed or unable to move, they could rise back up even after being struck by a few arrows or had their forms slightly deformed. To make matters worse for Yu-Seong, there was more than one lich.

    <i>¡®Two, three, four¡­¡¯</i>

    The number of liches appearing in the rear of the enemy forces gradually increased. Since this was the case, the number of low-ranking undead forces was essentially infinite.

    Once he recognized that he was essentially up against an army of immortals, Yu-Seong gritted his teeth. He had goosebumps all over his body.

    <i>¡®If I get caught up in this, it¡¯ll be dangerous.¡¯</i>

    Under these conditions, he would have to be extremely lucky to drag the battle out and survive for 100 hours. Of course, this was not the scenario that Yu-Seong wanted or envisioned.

    <i>¡®I need to be more daring.¡¯?</i>

    Although his overall abilities had been decreased by half, Yu-Seong did not hesitate to use his skills.

    <i>¡®Wind Thunder Dragon God Art.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong raised his power in an instant and caused a thunderbolt to crackle.

    <i>Rumble-!</i>

    Apanied by a rumbling thunderbolt, lightning struck and swept away the undead all around Yu-Seong. The lightning also wrapped around Yu-Seong¡¯s body.

    <i>¡®Run.¡¯</i>

    Following the winds, Yu-Seong cleared away most of the undead with the lightning that crackled around him.

    He took decisive action upon realizing that his lightning would affect the undead like a heavenly punishment. The lightning acted like a source of divine power, so the fallen undeads¡¯ resurrection speed was considerably lowered.

    Panicking, the liches used more magic. Unfortunately for them, their magic was destroyed when Yu-Seong started swinging with his lightning-wrapped spear.

    This scene would have driven any witnesses mad with shock. Being able to split magic just by wielding one¡¯s weapon? As told in legends, the wizard¡¯s greatest nemesis had appeared on the battlefield. However, maintaining this appearance and ability was not difficult for Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®Wrap Dispel around the tip of my spear and cut the magic itself.¡¯</i>

    The magic used by the liches was swift and threatening, but it was insignificantpared to the magic that Do-Jin had used. Hence, having already faced a greater opponent before, Yu-Seong was able to cut through the liches¡¯ magic easily.

    Gaining confidence, Yu-Seong cut through several magic spells and made his way through the undead army without much difficulty. This was all thanks to the fact that his anti-mage qualities were beginning to bloom.

    If Do-Jin had been by Yu-Seong¡¯s side, Do-Jin would have clicked his tongue after realizing that he had yed a part in awakening the strongest anti-mage yer with his own hands. Yu-Seong himself was not aware of this fact.

    Just as he started to feel morefortable with dealing with magic and the countless undead soldiers, Yu-Seong caught sight of one of the generals of death in the distance. The general of death was atop a huge dark horse, emanating an ominous darkness around it, so it was easy to spot the general amongst the legion of undead.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s start with that one¡­!¡¯</i>

    While looking at the general, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes twinkled at the thought of using Lance Charge. However, Yu-Seong soon tilted his head when he saw that the five generals of death were positioned quite close to each other.

    <i>¡®Eh?¡¯</i>

    Was it because Yu-Seong had randomly broken through the undead army? All the generals of death were angrily chasing after him right now.

    <i>¡®If that¡¯s the case¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong changed his mind about using Lance Charge. Using Wind Thunder Dragon God Art at regr intervals, he started to gather the generals of death who were chasing after him.

    In other words, he was pulling aggro. He was familiar with taking such actions, since he often pulled aggro when hunting in the dungeons.

    As the generals of darkness came closer, a suffocating spirit pressed down on Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulders. However, he felt rtively fine.

    <i>¡®I might be able toplete this all at once.¡¯</i>

    While recalling that any crisis was also an opportunity, Yu-Seong smiled.

    <i>¡®I never thought I¡¯d be able to test it out right away.¡¯</i>

    With enough magic power, a small city on Earth could be blown up. Recalling that fact, Yu-Seong opened his subspace and shouted, ¡°Loki!¡±

    In the end, Yu-Seong did not have to wait 100 hours for god¡¯s punishment to befall upon the undead army.

 Chapter 209

    <h4>Chapter 209 </h4>

    After shouting out loud, Yu-Seong confidently awaited Loki¡¯s arrival and god¡¯s heavenly punishment to descend on the immortal army. However, he was met with silence. Nothing changed.

    Actually, to be precise, there were some obvious changes and not all was quiet. All of a sudden, the generals of death surrounded Yu-Seong while riding atop hideous-looking skeleton horses. They clutched their weapons and brandished them at Yu-Seong.

    After hearing the sound of air being ripped apart and feeling an onught of killing intent approaching him, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widened as he quickly contorted himself.

    <i>¡®They¡¯re going tounch another attack¡­¡¯</i>

    It was not just one general of death either; all five were nning to attack him. On top of that, ghouls that crawled on the ground were also simultaneouslyunching their attacks at him.

    What Yu-Seong had thought of as an opportunity quickly turned into a crisis. The situation had turned dire when Loki did not respond to his call to decimate the undead army.

    <i>¡®Ugh, goddamn Loki!¡¯?</i>

    Didn¡¯t Loki say that she woulde upon being called? Was his trust misced? Seething and swearing at Loki inwardly, Yu-Seong released a fully charged Wind Thunder Dragon God Art strike in all directions.

    The weakest monsters surrounding him, such as the ghouls, zombies, and skeletons, copsed from the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art strike¡¯s lightning. He was now left to deal with the five generals of death.

    After avoiding one of the generals of death¡¯s sword strike, Yu-Seong was faced with another mace-wielding general of death.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    The force of the mace strike was so strong that, when the mace hit the ground, pieces of stone soared into the air.

    Despite feeling nervous, Yu-Seong managed to avoid the mace strike without much difficulty. Moreover, his reaction was not something that he had to consciously think about.

    <i>¡®My body remembers.¡¯</i>

    His body recognized and remembered how to avoid threatening auras. This was all thanks to the training that he had done with his teacher, Bak Ok-Rye.

    The next attack was from a general of death who wielded a long spear.

    <i>¡®This is easier!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong knew how to read the spear¡¯s movement. After all, he was already well versed in using a spear from his mastery of Cu Chinn¡¯s Magic Spear skill.

    After Yu-Seong avoided the spear attack, the next general¡¯s attack was not from a weapon. When he got closer to the generals of death to avoid the spear strike, another general of death jumped off his skeletal horse and swung his fist at him. At first nce, the punch seemed ordinary, but Yu-Seong¡¯s instinct urgently shouted a warning at him.

    <i>¡®If you avoid only what you see, you¡¯ll get struck!¡¯</i>

    With a sense of regret, Yu-Seong licked his lips and widened the distance between him and the generals of death.

    Just as he made his hasty retreat, the punch extended by the punching general of death stretched all the way to Yu-Seong¡¯s nose. Then, it contracted back like a rubber band.

    <i>¡®What the heck¡­!¡¯</i>

    If he had been a bit careless, he would have been hit in the head by the general of death¡¯s fist. The only end he would then face would be copsing on the ground while spilling blood.

    Yu-Seong was momentarily taken aback by the unconventional attack, but he quickly caught his breath and calmed himself. If he had not regained hisposure, a great ax strike swinging down toward his head from another general of death would have split his skull.

    Once again, with a roaring sound, the ground shattered, and stone fragments flew upward. However, this was not the end. With the ax strike having cracked the ground where he had been standing earlier, Yu-Seong momentarily lost his bnce and staggered.

    Then, as if he had been waiting for such an opening, the sword-wielding general of death, who hadunched the first attack, fiercelyunched a follow-up attack.

    <i>¡®This is dangerous¡­!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not have enough time to counter with his spear. Inhaling sharply, he took out the gun he had hidden away near his waistband.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not sure if this will work, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s body reacted quicker than what his mind could process. At that moment, a sh of lightning burst out from the tip of his gun¡¯s muzzle like a sudden me and struck the sword-wielding general of death.

    Yu-Seong had fired off a magic bullet, something he had learned from Jenny.

    <i>¡®I thought it might be possible if I spread it out like magic¡­¡¯</i>

    The result was fairly sessful for a first attempt. When Yu-Seongnded on the ground and rotated in the air after firing off his magic bullet shot, he saw a mace and punch attack approaching him; he jumped forward without hesitation. He first dodged the stabbing spear attack before dodging the fist strike that followed right behind it.

    He could notpletely avoid the sessive attacks, so a trickle of blood ran down his cheek from sustaining a minor injury. However, he was able to maintain a stable stance, so he immediately unleashed a Cu Chinn Spearmanship move.

    <i>¡®Raging Snake!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s spear, which he wielded like a whip, moved geometrically and hacked away at the generals of death who were atop their skeletal horses. ck blood burst into the air, and soon, the generals of death stumbled onto the ground once their skeletal horses were wounded.

    <i>¡®This is my chance¡­!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was focused on catching at least one general so that he could move on to the next. Ignoring the fist-wielding general, who was the first to regain his bnce, Yu-Seong aimed for the ax-wielding general who had yet to regain his bnce due to the heavy armor he wore.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s slow, but he presents the greatest threat.¡¯</i>

    The ax-wielding general would not have presented much of a problem if Yu-Seong had to fight him one-on-one, but the ax-wielding general was burdensome when included in the generals¡¯ joint attacks.

    It was then when Yu-Seong realized why the map had been set up so that the five generals of death were clustered close together.

    <i>¡®They were never meant to be defeated one-by-one.¡¯</i>

    These generals of death had been created tounch a joint attack. The fist-wielding general of death hadunched an attack without the help of his skeletal horse from the start; in other words, the generals of death were always meant to work together.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to sustain some losses.¡¯</i>

    If possible, Yu-Seong had to avoid sustaining bodily injury that could limit his mobility or fighting capability. Of course, there was no such area on his body. Wherever he eventually sustained injury, it would hurt, but Yu-Seong had to ept the loss to annihte the ax-wielding general of death.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll give them my flesh to cut their bones. Through a single Lance Charge¡­¡¯</i>

    Right when Yu-Seong urgently pulled his arm back tounch an attack, the sword-wielding general of death, who had clearly been behind him moments ago, appeared in a sh in front of him.

    <i>¡®What¡­?! Teleportation?¡¯</i>

    It seemed as though every death knight had at least one special hidden ability. Btedly realizing this fact, Yu-Seong sharply inhaled some air and avoided the general¡¯s sword strike.

    In the meantime, the ax-wielding general, who had regained his bnce, raised his weapon again while emanating an eerie aura.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m toote.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong made a helpless frown as he quickly rotated his spear. The moment he deflected the oing sword and fist strike, a long spear quickly approached his chest area as the sound of one foot slowly tearing through the air rang out.

    <i>¡®He threw his spear like a javelin¡­ I¡¯m toote.¡¯</i>

    Sharply inhaling once more, Yu-Seong gritted his teeth and braced himself for the inevitable pain that was toe. However, at that moment, he felt his Chakra draining away from his body as a purple magic circle appeared in front of him and blocked the thrown spear.

    <i>¡®Huh?¡¯</i>

    Perplexed as to what had happened, Yu-Seong soon saw a purple dragon rush out from a tear in his subspace.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, truly sorry. I¡¯m a bitte because I had something to take care of.¡±

    Loki spoke confidently, but Yu-Seong felt that she was acting shamelessly.

    Regardless of whatever Yu-Seong thought about her, Loki raised her head with a rxed gaze and an arrogant expression on her face. She then gave out a wild, maniacalugh. ¡°Anyway, this altered form of mine has appeared. Drum roll!¡±

    ***

    Although Loki appeared through a tear in Yu-Seong¡¯s subspace, the crisis situation on the battlefield did not change. The generals of death were still surrounding Yu-Seong, and the endless army of undead were fast approaching.

    To make matters worse, Yu-Seong¡¯s Wind Thunder Dragon God Art weapon had expired, reaching the end of its allotted use time.

    <i>¡®My mana¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was also running low on Chakra. If more time passed in this state, it would be difficult for him to maintain Loki¡¯s summoning.

    ¡°Why did youe sote?!¡±

    ¡°I told you; something came up.¡± Speaking calmly, Loki narrowed her eyes at Yu-Seong. ¡°Anyway, you have that thing, right?¡±

    When Loki finished speaking, Yu-Seong flinched as his facial expression subtly changed. He asked, ¡°How do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°As I said, you are contracted with me. So, of course I know.¡±

    With a smile, Loki spread her short arms out wide. Purple magic circles soon appeared once again in the air and easily blocked the oing attacks by the generals and undead soldiers.

    However, unlike the first time it was used, the robustness of the magic circles was not as firm and reliable. Cracks were quickly appearing all over Loki¡¯s hexagram magic circles.

    ¡°Hmm, hey you, mana tank. I¡¯mcking mana. Quickly, charge up my mana.¡±

    ¡°Shut up.¡±

    Yu-Seong¡¯s heart throbbed at the sheer amount of Chakra that was being consumed; however, he could only curse under his breath. Feeling dumbfounded, he reached inside his subspace and retrieved a transparent bottle that held a blue liquid. It was clearly evident how this item was supposed to be used.

    <i>¡®Mana Potion. I never thought I¡¯d be using such a rare thing like this here.¡¯</i>

    It was not easy to obtain mana potions in the Tower of Heaven, so Yu-Seong felt a deep sense of loss. However, he had no other option.

    <i>¡®Loki, this bastard.¡¯</i>

    Inwardly, Yu-Seong spat out curses. Without any more hesitation, he opened the cap of the bottle and gulped down the potion. Immediately, a cold sensation made him shudder, and the painful sensation that gripped his heart earlier hadpletely disappeared. Soon, he felt his nearly depleted mana levels filling up.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s and Loki¡¯s eyes both widened simultaneously at the sudden change.

    ¡°You¡­ Mana, no wait, Chakra? What is this feeling of transcending your capacity?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. What is going on? This is scary.¡±

    The mana energy converted into Chakra and began to swell within Yu-Seong. It was to the point of almost bursting his fully saturated body.

    ¡°Is it the God¡¯s Chakra¡­? Is it because of the efficiency of that skill? That Destruction God¡­ He gave you a pretty nice present.¡± Loki smiled at the unexpected situation and nodded with a satisfied expression. She said, ¡°If I can use this much energy, I can have a little more fun with this body.¡±

    Subsequently, the mana that had filled Yu-Seong¡¯s body to the brim flowed into Loki in a clear, visible form. Then, Loki, in the form of a baby Dragon that was norger than a human-sized head, began to grow little by little. Eventually, a ferocious-looking horn sprouted from the tip of Loki¡¯s nose, and a pair of wings stretched out from her body.

    Having grown to a size that wasrger than two adult men put together, Loki said, ¡°Hey, Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You need to say the activation words.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Cry out, Yu-Seong! Come, the end of all things¡­ Storm of Destruction!¡±

    ¡°¡­W-What?¡±

    ¡°Come on, if the summoner doesn¡¯t cheer his pet on, how can you expect the pet to do well?¡±

    ¡°You crazy bastard, how can you say something so shameless with a straight face?¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, you can do it! Wake up the inner temper tantrum baby within you!¡±

    Hearing Loki¡¯s words, Yu-Seong¡¯s face turned red; however, Yu-Seong eventually turned his head to the side and said, ¡°¡­Storm of Destruction.¡±

    ¡°Your voice is too quiet! Louder! Make sure to properly memorize the order of the spell¡¯s activation phrase as well!¡±

    ¡°Damn it, is this the Korean army?! Why should I have to say such childish words?¡±

    ¡°Hey, if you run out of mana again, you¡¯ll have to consume another one of your priceless potions.¡±

    Hearing Loki¡¯s slight threat, Yu-Seong could not help but feel taken aback as a sense of urgency appeared on his face. He did not want to consume another one of his precious potions. Eventually, Yu-Seong steeled his heart.

    <i>¡®Whatever, no one is watching me here anyway!¡¯</i>

    If he had done what Loki wanted him to do in the outside world, Yu-Seong would have probably obtained another embarrassing nickname.

    <i>¡®Prince of Reversals is embarrassing enough!¡¯</i>

    With a red face, Yu-Seong shouted as he clenched his fists, ¡°Oh,e¡­! The end of all things!¡±

    His voice initially trembled when he spoke the first few words, but there was strength in his voice by the time hepleted the phrase.

    Loki slowly made a satisfied smile. Then, through the gaps between her sharp teeth, purple spheres began to quickly gather.

    Seeing such an unusual scene unfolding, Yu-Seong gave up on trying to maintain his pride; he swung an arm out and shouted, ¡°Storm of Destruction!¡±

    Immediately, with a great roar, god¡¯s punishment descended and covered the entire undead army.

 Chapter 210

    <h4>Chapter 210 </h4>

    ¡°¡­Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, you¡¯ve surprised me many times in the past. To be honest, aside from yourself, I¡¯ve also met many strong people belonging to Earth who have set numerous amazing records. However, I¡¯ve never encountered an achievement as unbelievable as yours. There probably won¡¯t be one like it in the future, either.¡±

    While Mr. Guy tried to remain calm, Yu-Seong scratched his cheek and asked, ¡°Well, is there a problem?¡±

    With the help of a god, Loki, Yu-Seong aced his promotion test easily. To put it bluntly, he had disyed an overpowering show of force that was notmensurate with his rank. That was why Yu-Seong fully understood Mr. Guy¡¯s bewilderment.

    ¡°¡­Actually, there¡¯s no problem. But for the Joke-loving Prankster to intervene¡­¡±

    ¡°My main body is still trapped within the confines of that filthy Tower, so I didn¡¯t take a step outside my boundary,¡± snorted the small Dragon as it pped its wings by Yu-Seong¡¯s side.

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly not wrong.¡± Mr. Guy nodded as he once again chuckled at the unbelievable situation.

    He looked at thepletely ruined battlefield before gazing at Yu-Seong. ¡°Congrattions, Choi Yu-Seong. This is a tremendous achievement. You didn¡¯t need the entire 100 hours; you have annihted the undead army without the scheduled god¡¯s punishment. No matter how I think about it, your aplishment is beyond myprehension. The system is calcting yourpensation rewards right now, but honestly, it¡¯s taking awhile due to your astronomicallyrge aplishment.¡±

    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps, yes.¡±

    Mr. Guy probably insisted on adding the word ¡®perhaps¡¯ because he was being put in a difficult position.

    Seeing Mr. Guy scratching his cheek as he was deep in thought for a while, Lokiined, ¡°Why are you dragging this on? Can¡¯t you just look through the list ofpensation rewards, pick a few, and hand them over for Yu-Seong to choose?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ I¡¯m having a hard time choosing. Hmm¡­¡± Mr. Guy sighed before waving his hand in the air.

    Although Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t see anything, it was clear that there was some sort of list that only Mr. Guy could see. Mr. Guy¡¯s gaze went up and down the empty air in front of him before he eventually let out a defeated sigh.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯vepiled a rough list. Please pick one.¡± Mr. Guy then waved his hand as if he was throwing something at Yu-Seong.

    At the same time, three options unfolded before Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes.

    1. Special promotion: Direct ess to S-Rank.

    2. Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set.

    3. Obtaining at least 5 Special Skills of S-Rank or higher.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widened once he saw the choices. He eximed, ¡°Special direct promotion to S-Rank?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a list of rewards myself; the system seems to have recognized Mr. Choi Yu-Seong as already being beyond the A-Rank. Well, I agree with its assessment.¡± Mr. Guy, stroking his long beard, tilted his head and stated, ¡°In my opinion, I think the first choice is better than going through another cumbersome promotion test, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Guy, you¡¯re being quite naughty,¡± Loki stated in a bbergasted tone of voice before turning to Yu-Seong. She continued, ¡°You¡¯re not going to choose option one, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m not dumb.¡±

    Yu-Seong felt good that the system had judged him to be an S-Rank or higher. In this case, even a non-human machine was viewing his limits as being ridiculously high for his current rank. However, choosing option one just because of that sentiment would be foolish.

    <i>¡®In other words, the system is telling me that I¡¯m already at a level where I can take and pass the S-Rank promotion test any time I want.¡¯</i>

    In the end, Yu-Seong would eventually obtain the S-Rank, so option one only brought forward that eventuality a little bit quicker. The advantage of option one was that it would save him time, since he wouldn¡¯t need to gather 100 levels of A-Rank experience.

    However, Yu-Seong was still unconvinced.

    <i>¡®Is it necessary?¡¯</i>

    Thanks to his Star Factor skill, Yu-Seong¡¯s speed of leveling-up was already unparalleled. If he really wanted, he could reach the qualification to take the S-Rank promotion test within two to three months. Moreover, if he chose option one, he would have to give up the reward forpleting the S-Rank promotion test. Hence, Yu-Seong obviously excluded option one from his consideration.

    ¡°Hehehe¡­ I put it in as a small joke, but I guess it is not working out well.¡±

    ¡°Your pranks reflect your mischievousness, Mr. Guy,¡± Yu-Seong responded.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Mr. Choi Yu-Seong previously yed pranks on me as well?¡± Mr. Guy smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

    In the meantime, Yu-Seong looked over the remaining two reward options. After a moment of looking back and forth between the remaining two options, he quickly made up his mind.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s do option two.¡¯</i>

    Actually, Yu-Seong considered the third reward option very highly, so he had been torn between the two remaining options.

    It wasmonly epted that having more skills was always better for a yer, as skills conferred multiple benefits. In fact, Yu-Seong mostly agreed with this general sentiment. Moreover, if the skill rewards in option three were given as Special Skills, then they would not affect his empty skill slot count either. Needless to say, option three would truly be a transcendent reward option.

    However, Yu-Seong decided to ce his trust on Loki, on his own Eye of Replication, and on the power of his Fusion skill.

    <i>¡®Anyway, there¡¯ll be many opportunities for me to acquire more skills in the future.¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, getting his hands on a treasure from an other-world was a different situation.

    If he wanted to obtain just a part of an other-world¡¯s treasure, Yu-Seong felt that he would be able to purchase it somehow through his rued Karma Points. If he was lucky, he might even be able to purchase a couple of parts. However, getting his hands on aplete item set, which was rare in its own right, was an entirely different situation.

    As the item set¡¯s name suggested, the set¡¯s variousponents produced an additional power and effect once the set wasplete, and there was no guarantee that these otherworldly treasures could be obtained no matter how many Karma Points one had.

    <i>¡®There¡¯s probably only one unique set item in every dimension, and each set item probably has an owner already.¡¯?</i>

    Hence, collecting all the set items was most likely more difficult than collecting all the dragon balls, a popr concept that had been described in an old Japaneseic.

    In other words, the value of items was at their highest when a set wasplete.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a pity that I have to give up the 5 Special Skills of S rank or higher, but¡­¡¯</i>

    This time around, Yu-Seong was convinced he had to choose the item set option. He firmly stated, ¡°I choose option two.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t have any regrets, right?¡± Mr. Guy asked with sparkling eyes.

    Yu-Seong, who had already made up his mind, answered quickly without any hesitation, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll see you again¡­in the near future¡­ Mr. Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    After hearing Mr. Guy¡¯s words, Yu-Seong felt his consciousness slipping away at a rapid pace. It was time for him to go back to reality.

    ***

    The Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set was, as its name suggested, a treasure from an other-world that consisted of nine different items.

    <i>¡®Two earrings, two bracelets, four rings, and one ne.¡¯</i>

    As the name suggested, the set items were mainly in the shape of a snake¡¯s head or a coiled snake.

    <i>¡®If I wear all of these, I¡¯ll have no choice but to look shy.¡¯</i>

    With his given nickname, his bizarre spell chant, and now this essory set, Yu-Seong felt like he was gradually bing something like an awkward, mid-puberty teenager. However, he knew that there was no turning back now.

    <i>¡®¡­I can¡¯t give this up.¡¯</i>

    No matter how embarrassed he might feel, Yu-Seong could not give up something that provided him with such enormous benefits.

    First of all, there was the effect of the two earrings.

    <i>¡®My maximum mana capacity has increased.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt as though each earring increased his mana capacity by 25%. Hence, by gaining 50% more mana capacity in total, he felt as though the sudden increase had emptied his insides.

    <i>¡®I feel so empty and weak.¡¯</i>

    However, this problem was quickly resolved once he put on the two bracelets, which ovepped with each other, on his left arm.

    <i>¡®Increased mana recovery speed.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s God¡¯s Chakra continuously restored his mana even without Yu-Seong having to consciously concentrate on the act. Now, with the addition of the Nine-headed Snake¡¯s bracelets, the speed of his mana recovery had increased exponentially.

    <i>¡®This is great, no? If I have about five more of such bracelets, even if I use Wind Thunder Dragon God Art continuously, my mana level won¡¯t decrease. Rather, it¡¯ll constantly fill up.¡¯</i>

    With such thoughts in mind, Yu-Seong reached a hypothesis and he could not help but chuckle.

    <i>¡®Right now, I can probably use a skill simr to that of my Dancing Electric Doll indefinitely without worrying about mana consumption.¡¯?</i>

    Skills that he had never dared to use beyond a few times, due to hisck of mana, could now be used to his heart¡¯s content.

    By acquiring the God¡¯s Chakra and the Nine-headed Snake¡¯s bracelets, he had achieved unbelievable growth.

    <i>¡®In addition to all this, there are the four rings.¡¯</i>

    The four rings shared the same effect.

    <i>¡®Increased vitality.¡¯</i>

    This increase in vitality had two meanings.

    The first was that it literally improved Yu-Seong¡¯s physical strength. His concentration levels during battle would increase, and he would be able to fight for longer.

    That was not all. To test something out, Yu-Seong transformed his Pharoah¡¯s Caprice into a short dagger and drew a long cut on his palm. In an instant, blood flowed from therge wound, but the wound quickly regenerated with the four rings¡¯ glow.

    <i>¡®If I summon the Green Wind Spirit Cat while wearing these four rings during battle¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong gave out another satisfied chuckle.

    <i>¡®Sooner orter, people will probably be calling me a Human Troll.¡¯?</i>

    In other words, Yu-Seong would bepared to a monster that was known for its regeneration ability.<i>?</i>From his own point of view, being called a Human Troll was better than his current nickname, the Prince of Reversals.

    The final item was a ne. As soon as he put it on, Yu-Seong felt half of his mana instantly disappear. He was initially taken aback by the sudden sensation of having half of his mana being taken away; however, he knew the effects of the Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set based on the original novel, so he soon regained hisposure.

    <i>¡®That¡¯s why I chose this in the first ce. The exnation of this set in the original novel isrgely to me.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong did not choose the essory set because it looked good. In the original novel, [Modern Master Returns], the effects of the Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set had been clearly spelled out for him.

    <i>¡®Originally, it was a treasure that the Immortal Demon King had gathered and used.¡¯</i>

    Due to the effects of this other-world treasure, Kim Do-Jin and his party had struggled mightily against the Immortal Demon King in the novel. However, Yu-Seong was now in possession of this set.

    Even if he had to face the Immortal Demon King sometime in the future, Yu-Seong was confident he would be able to deal with the Demon King much morefortably than what Do-Jin had to go through in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Anyway, this ne is the most important item. It is also the essential representative symbol of the Nine-headed Snake.¡¯</i>

    The Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set possessed a rather non-intuitive effect.

    <i>¡®Half of my total mana has been sealed.¡¯?</i>

    At first nce, one might have this thought, but the reality was a little different.<i>?</i>Half of his mana had flowed into the ne that Yu-Seong was wearing, and that was not all.

    If his regenerated mana reached above half his maximum mana capacity, the ne would suck in that additional mana. This sort of mechanism might have concerned others who were not familiar with the ne¡¯s set effect, but Yu-Seong knew the effects beforehand. This was why he was not concerned.

    <i>¡®Mana umtion.¡¯</i>

    The set effect was to immediately take half of a yer¡¯s maximum mana capacity and store that mana within the ne. In a way, this could be seen as an immediate penalty. However, the story changed when one activated the ne¡¯s second ability, ¡®emission¡¯.

    <i>¡®Once I use emission, I can use the mana I¡¯ve umted in the ne in whatever way I want for five minutes.¡¯</i>

    In other words, depending on the amount of mana one umted, one could use mana that may be several times the amount of mana that one had or even of one¡¯s overall maximum capacity.

    <i>¡®Bybining this Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set¡¯s effect and Loki¡¯s spell, with its embarrassing spell chant¡­¡¯</i>

    It was now possible for Yu-Seong to borrow a god¡¯s power and blow up a small city. Having seen the effects of Storm of Destruction firsthand, Yu-Seong was sure of it.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s like I¡¯ve be a walking nuclear bomb.¡¯</i>

    As an A-Rank yer, Yu-Seong was rting himself to a nickname that was often given to yers of EX rank or higher.

    Yu-Seong seemed to be very satisfied with his present situation.

 Chapter 211

    <h4>Chapter 211 </h4>

    After confirming the effects of his set items, Yu-Seong started working on raising all of his skills to A-Rank.

    Simr to when he had reached B-rank, Yu-Seong summoned Mr. Ping Pong to convert his Karma Points. As expected, he was in possession of quite a lot of Karma Points. If he continued progressing as he did up to now,pleting difficult and sometimes unimaginable tasks, he would never becking Karma Points.

    <i>¡®It won¡¯t be easy to maintain such a pace, but¡­¡¯</i>

    When was this new life ever easy? Still, Yu-Seong believed he could aplish whatever he set forth for himself; as he had done up until now, he would continue to progress in the future. In this new world, which had be his reality, he no longer had doubts about his life¡¯s path.

    <i>¡®After upgrading all my skills to A-Rank, my power has more than doubled.¡¯</i>

    With the set items¡¯ additional effects, Yu-Seong¡¯s actual power had increased by nearly fourfold. Nevertheless, he felt a slight sense of regret. He soon found the reason why.

    <i>¡®For the present me, the wall between B- and A-Rank is paper thin.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was not referring to his growth in power, as he had be at least four times more powerful than before. The problem was in the areas where he had been struggling to develop through training.

    <i>¡®I feel like there¡¯s a wall in front of me but¡­¡¯</i>

    It was hard for Yu-Seong to see or understand whaty beyond that wall. He had assumed that he would find some sort of resolution upon entering A-Rank, but that, unfortunately, did not seem to be the case.

    <i>¡®Maybe it isn¡¯t a matter of rank.¡¯</i>

    Since he did not find a resolution or gain any realizations, Yu-Seong felt that there was no reason for him to remain in A-Rank for any extended period of time.

    <i>¡®I can quickly hit level 100 and move on to the S-Rank.¡¯</i>

    In any case, the higher rank he became, the more his physical and mana abilities would automatically improve. Moreover, to get used to his newly upgraded A-Rank skills, Yu-Seong felt the need to spend some time hunting.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to move as quietly as possible¡­¡¯</i>

    If In-Young on Earth noticed his return, there was a high chance that she would make things rather cumbersome for him.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s nice that I can enter dungeons without any party members thanks to the Special Admission ticket.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could see why Do-Jin desired a Solo y Ticket so much. Although Do-Jin would probably obtain one sooner orter, by that time, Yu-Seong would have alreadypleted most of the necessary preparations he had in mind.

    After organizing his thoughts, Yu-Seong''s mind was momentarily cleared. Just as concentration of one¡¯s consciousness was necessary for development, so was recovery.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s get a good night¡¯s sleep for now.¡¯?</i>

    Starting tomorrow, Yu-Seong would be busy.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll have to get up in the morning, summon Loki, and replicate and fuse the necessary skills right away. Also¡­¡¯</i>

    Although Yu-Seong had momentarily cleared his mind and was set on taking some rest, he could not stop the various thoughts and ideas from popping into his mind. He spent a little more time organizing his priorities.

    Then, as his mind was finally starting to clear, Yu-Seong felt exhausted, and his consciousness started drifting.

    <i>¡®Ah, whatever. Let¡¯s think about itter.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong quickly fell into a deep sleep.

    ***

    Early the next morning, Yu-Seong summoned Loki and replicated dozens of skills, and continuously fused them together. Although he had nned to only spend a morning, he ended up spending the entire day replicating and fusing skills.

    <i>¡®There are so many powerful skills.¡¯</i>

    Now that he had reached A-Rank, a bounty of powerful skills that he could not have even imagined using in the past were now readily avable to him. Moreover, all the skills had been carefully selected by Loki, a god, so Yu-Seong was naturally impressed by them.

    The only problem was that Yu-Seong had to choose the more efficient skills among all the avable ones.

    <i>¡®Thanks to being an All-Rounder, I can use most of the skills, but¡­¡¯</i>

    He had to carefully choose the best amongst them, as the best skills would produce the most optimum fused skills. Then, with the most optimum fused skills, Yu-Seong would be able to attain greater achievements and umte more Karma Points in the future.

    Only when the sun was going down did Yu-Seong finish his work. He had finally obtained a set of skills that he was satisfied with.

    <i>¡®Shadow Bind, Young Phoenix¡¯s Heart, Dual Operation.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had three new fused skills. He made a satisfied smile afterpleting the seemingly endless process of Replication and Fusion.

    Shadow Bind was a skill that used physical force to directly manipte shadows; Shadow Bind was more of a skill to keep an opponent in check rather than a direct attack.

    Young Phoenix¡¯s Heart was a skill that furtherplemented Yu-Seong¡¯s regenerative power, which had be one of his strong points. Since Yu-Seong highly valued his own survivability and considered his life to be the most important thing over all else, he was not going to pass up the opportunity of possessing skills that reinforced those principles.

    <i>¡®Above all, most of my other regenerative skills are recovery-based for external injuries¡­¡¯?</i>

    On the other hand, Young Phoenix¡¯s Heart allowed the user to quickly recover from dangerous internal organ injuries.<i>?</i>

    Now that he possessed skills that were a reliable insurance against external and internal injuries, Yu-Seong felt a sense offort in his heart.

    <i>¡®My body takes such a beating all the time.¡¯</i>

    No matter how well one dodged or fought, one would still often sustain injury. However, now that he had the Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Colorful essory Set and the Young Phoenix¡¯s Heart, Yu-Seong¡¯s fear of injury was significantly less than before.

    <i>¡®It¡¯ll also make it easier for me to counter opponents who think they¡¯ve seriously injured me.¡¯</i>

    Additionally, thest skill, Dual Operation, was an optimized skill that fit well with Yu-Seong¡¯s All-Rounder quality.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s like a fraudulent skill that makes it possible for me to operate two abilities at the same time!¡¯</i>

    In other words, Dual Operation made it possible for Yu-Seong to fight while summoning Green Wind Spirit Cat, abination that he had thought upst night, or use his Spearmanship and magic at the same time. Furthermore, being able to activate two skills at the same time meant that Yu-Seong could use special moves such as ¡®Lance Charge¡¯ much faster.

    <i>¡®The situation ispletely different if I can use two different skills at the same time versus using them sessively.¡¯</i>

    As it was now possible tobine more skills in the same amount of time, it was now possible for Yu-Seong to develop a more powerful finishing move than Lance Charge.

    <i>¡®Moreover, it¡¯ll help me better disguise my super special moves, like Storm of Destruction.¡¯</i>

    The more Yu-Seong¡¯s skills became known to the public, the greater public recognition and admiration he would receive. However, he was also aware that that enabled many others to thoroughly analyze his skills.

    This was why it was important for him to possess a hidden card; it may be an indispensable factor in his survival.

    While feeling quite satisfied with his newly acquired skills, Yu-Seong suddenly pped his forehead when a realization popped into his mind.

    <i>¡®Wait, I can use Dual Operation to train in both martial arts and magic at the same time, right?¡¯</i>

    Even though it was alreadyte into the night, Yu-Seong could not stop the flood of new development avenues that were rushing into his mind. In the end, with an excited heart, he immediately stepped outside to start training.

    The next day, he woke up early in the morning to train some more. This was how he ended up spending the next few days.

    While raising his experience level, Yu-Seong became convinced of one thing.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m not four times more powerful than when I was a B-Rank yer.¡¯?</i>

    When including the power of his new skills, Yu-Seong was now at least eight times more powerful. He began to understand why most yers focused so much on the strength of their skills rather than training in their skills.

    <i>¡®However, training has always been the firm foundation for my growth.¡¯</i>

    He did not forget about this fact.

    At this point, Yu-Seong became curious about something.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m actually looking forward to the day when Do-Jin finallyes out of the Tower of Heaven, aren¡¯t I?¡¯</i>

    There was a high probability that Do-Jin would also be in A-Rank and be significantly stronger upon emerging from the Tower. Moreover, there was another fact that Yu-Seong could not ignore.

    <i>¡®At this moment in time during the novel, Do-Jin was stronger than I am now.¡¯</i>

    Then, how much stronger would the Demon King be? Yu-Seong had recently gained a lot of power, but there were still many strong existences in this world. This was why Yu-Seong constantly pressed forward aggressively instead of taking a breather.

    ***

    Late at night, Min Young-Hoon, the Vice President of the Heaven Guild and an S-Rank level 60 yer, frowned upon receiving a phone call. He said, ¡°Choi In-Young, are you telling me to take care of that kid myself?¡±

    <i>- Please. Right now, I don¡¯t have the energy to take care of things outside of my own work.</i>

    In-Young had found out an hour ago that Yu-Seong had returned from the Tower of Heaven. Right after she had heard the news, she immediately called Young-Hoon and asked him to deal with Yu-Seong himself.

    After Mi-Na¡¯s appearance, Ji-Ho had suddenly reappeared, so it was difficult for In-Young herself to directly deal with Yu-Seong. Although neither Mi-Na nor Ji-Ho had made a move, the situation was vtile and could change at any moment. In preparation for any unexpected incidents, In-Young had to remain vignt as she awaited her siblings to make their moves.

    <i>- Well, can you do something about it or not?</i>

    Hearing an earnestness in In-Young¡¯s voice, Young-Hoon bit his lip. He knew all too well that this particr task was very dangerous. He didn¡¯t think that he would fail, but¡­ Even if he seeded, Woo-Jae would undoubtedly hound him down and stamp him out.

    Currently, the Comet Group had solidified its position as the No. 1pany in Korea; the Comet Group was a monstrous dinosaur, a colossal force to be reckoned with. The situation was markedly different from the past. Furthermore, Young-Hoon had also begun to realize just why many people were afraid of Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®There are more things hidden beneath the surface.¡¯</i>

    To get involved in Choi family matters was to be enemies with such an imposing person. No matter how he thought it over, Young-Hoon knew that dealing with Yu-Seong would be a stupid choice. Regardless of whether he seeded or failed, Young-Hoon was highly likely to be dead once the dust settled.

    ¡°Choi In-Young. This¡­¡±

    <i>- I know; I realize it¡¯s a great burden for you, but that kid has grown too much. I can¡¯t trust anyone else but you to get things done properly.</i>

    Nevertheless, Young-Hoon had trouble saying no to In-Young because of the earnestness he could hear in her voice. He could also picture her imploring eyes, which did not help him think rationally. Hence, it was difficult for him to reject her request.

    <i>- You said you wouldy down your life for me. Were you lying?</i>

    ¡°¡­No.¡±

    <i>- I love you, Min Young-Hoon. I¡¯ll somehow stop my father. So, please take care of Yu-Seong in whatever way you can. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m asking you to kill him. Kidnap him and bring him to me.</i>

    Inwardly, Young-Hoonughed.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s saying she loves me?¡¯</i>

    He knew that In-Young was lying. He also knew that he could not trust her to take care of Woo-Jae. If such a thing was possible, In-Young would have taken care of Yu-Seong herself.

    Young-Hoon knew all of this, but he could only let out a deep sigh in the end. He said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I¡¯d give up my life for you. In the past and even now, my heart hasn¡¯t changed, Choi In-Young.¡±

    <i>- Really?!?</i>

    Hearing In-Young¡¯s happy voice, Young-Hoon could not help but feel a sense of loathing. At the same time, he was filled with a sense of pleasure.

    Young-Hoon nodded while not understanding the reason behind it. He dered, ¡°I¡¯ll break that cheeky kid¡¯s neck and bring him to you.¡±

    <i>- Thank you, Min Young-Hoon! I won¡¯t forget your contribution to my cause.</i>

    In-Young would have to remember because, after this, Young-hoon would most likely disappear from the Republic of Korea. In fact, he would probably disappear from the face of this Earth.

    <i>- Then, when can you start?</i>

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to drag things out.¡±

    Young-Hoon looked at his watch; it was 3 PM. It would not be difficult to track down where Yu-Seong was once he obtained Yu-Seong¡¯s general location.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start immediately.¡±

    <i>- I love you. I really love you, Min Young-Hoon.</i>

    ¡°¡­and I as well.¡±

    With a bitter smile, Young-Hoon hung up the phone and looked out the window, where he could see the skyline of downtown Seoul at a nce. As the image of In-Young smiling brightly back at him through the window appeared in his mind, he felt an ache deep within him.

    ¡°That bitch.¡±

    Young-Hoon smiled as he juxtaposed his own face with the woman he imagined on the other side of the window.

    <i>¡®You fool.¡¯</i>

    However, there were things in the world that one had to do even if one had all the facts and knew it was a huge mistake. Young-Hoon decided that this was one of those times.

    With slow steps, Young-Hoon left the office that he had upied for a long time.

 Chapter 212

    <h4>Chapter 212 </h4>

    When he entered the Rank 6 dungeon alone, Yu-Seong could feel firsthand just how much he had grown.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s not difficult.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had been very strong even as a B-rank yer. Even back then, it would not have been impossible for him to hunt in a Rank 6 dungeon alone; however, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy. Back then, he would have needed at least ten minutes to hunt and defeat a single monster.

    <i>¡®Actually, it wasn¡¯t very efficient.¡¯</i>

    However, the situation was entirely different now. Yu-Seong was now able to defeat a Rank 6 dungeon monster within three minutes and gain themensurate experience points with rtive ease. Moreover, he did not have to try as hard as he had done when he had been a B-rank yer.

    <i>¡®I can adjust how much physical strength I exert and be able to hunt in moderation.¡¯</i>

    If he slightly exerted himself, he might even be able to solo y in a Rank 7 dungeon. However, he probably would not be able to contend against a Rank 7 dungeon¡¯s boss monster.

    <i>¡®Hmm, a solo raid¡­¡¯</i>

    Recalling the boss monster in the Rank 7 dungeon, Tyrant of the Swamp, Yu-Seong could not help but feel a trickle of sweat running down his back.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s probably still a bit too much to deal with something like that all by myself, right?¡¯</i>

    Of course, if Yu-Seong fought as if it was a life-or-death situation, the oue might be different. However, he currently did not feel the need to risk his life for such a result.

    Even while he had these various thoughts, Yu-Seong swung his spear and neatly pierced the heart of a Rank 6 monster, a Calvado, that stood in front of him.

    The Calvado, which resembled a rhinoceros, was a monster that used itsrge size and hard skin to recklessly rush its opponents in a melee attack.

    <i>¡®The problem is that a Calvado is about twice as big as the average rhinoceros, and it¡¯s more than three times faster.¡¯</i>

    Although the Calvado¡¯s main form of attack was a head-on melee rush, it also had the flexibility to quickly rotate its body and attack from other angles. Due to this reason, Yu-Seong had to be careful and maintain his focus when facing off against the Calvados.

    Even the slightest slip of concentration would open Yu-Seong up to be gored by the Calvado¡¯s thick and sharp horns as it recklessly charged at him; if he should be struck by those horns, he would immediately be on the next train to the underworld.

    However, even against such an enemy, Yu-Seong had the time to think about other matters. So, in essence, it was not very difficult for him to umte experience points.

    - Your level has risen.

    Yu-Seong easily leveled up. Moreover, thanks to his Star Factor, his speed in acquiring experience points was remarkably fast.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ve already reached Level 10 in the A-rank.¡¯</i>

    He had achieved this in less than a week after bing an A-rank yer. The speed of his leveling up was incredibly fast, especially when one considered how it was exponentially more difficult to level up as one¡¯s rank rose. If others knew of his leveling up speed, they would probably have rubbed their eyes in shock and amazement.

    <i>¡®Not bad.¡¯</i>

    Two days ago, Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk had contacted Yu-Seong to say that they had both sessfullypleted the promotion test and entered the B-rank. Moreover, they had also stated that they nned to immediately work on raising their levels to take the A-rank promotion test as soon as possible.

    <i>¡®Just like how I felt that there was no meaning for me to remain in the A-rank for an extended period of time, the two probably also think that it¡¯s unnecessary to stay in the B-rank for long.¡¯</i>

    Although some might say that the two were being impatient, Yu-Seong was not concerned about the two¡¯s rapid development because he personally knew Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk. In fact, ifparing only one¡¯s growth potential, the two probably had an advantage over Yu-Seong.

    As Yu-Seong was having this thought, he finished off thest of the Calvados. Afterward, he checked his dungeon timer while catching his breath.

    <i>¡®Five hours and thirty minutes.¡¯</i>

    He had entered the dungeon around 11:00 AM, so the time in the outside world was around 4:30 PM.

    <i>¡®Perhaps I should call it a day and wrap things up a little earlier than usual.¡¯?</i>

    While having this thought, Yu-Seong turned to head over to the dungeon gate.

    ¡°¡­?!¡±

    However, at that moment, Yu-Seong saw a pair of eyes gazing at him from a distance. It was a man with an impressive scar around his left eye, and from the man¡¯s appearance alone, Yu-Seong knew that the man was not staring at him out of simple curiosity.

    <i>¡®What? An ambush?¡¯</i>

    An ambush would not have been strange. By now, In-Young would have already noticed that Yu-Seong had returned to Earth. However, the issue was that the man exuded a considerable aura as he slowly approached Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    Being approached by the man who had clearly called out his name, Yu-Seong had no doubt about the other person¡¯s intentions. Hence, Yu-Seong smiled and said with a nod, ¡°Did my sister, Choi In-Young, send you?¡±

    Once Young-Hoon heard Yu-Seong¡¯s response, he shuddered. Even the scar on his left cheek twitched wildly. He muttered, ¡°¡­Perhaps. Anyway, I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯re quite talented, but I¡¯ve never heard about you being so smart. Is it some sort of special Choi family trait?¡±

    When Young-Hoon smiled and spread his palms, a wriggling brown energy soon solidified and formed a long rod in his hands.

    <i>¡®Materialization?¡¯</i>

    There were not many yers who specialized in materialization, such as Yu-Ri, in the whole of Korea. Moreover, the man had a long scar near the corner of his left eye. Thus, it was not difficult for Yu-Seong to guess who his opponent was.

    ¡°Min Young-Hoon of the Heaven Guild?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Silence could sometimes be an unspoken affirmation. The man, Young-Hoon, just smiled coldly as a strong sense of determination settled into his eyes.

    ¡°Since death will soone, there¡¯s no need for any borate introductions.¡±

    Although it was unclear who he was directing his words to, whether to Yu-Seong or himself, Young-Hoon quickly disappeared from sight.

    Yu-Seong became nervous, because he knew that Young-Hoon was not an ordinary S-Rank yer.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s an Irregr.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong knew that Young-Hoon was a yer with ovepping abilities from two skill attribute areas: Phenomenal and Projection.

    In addition, like Yu-Seong, Young-Hoon was famous for being a person who trained heavily. Although his official position was as the Vice President of the Heaven Guild, he could easily venture out on his own and create a Top 10 guild if he set his mind to it. And in terms of fighting style, Young-Hoon was incredibly fast.

    In the blink of an eye, Young-Hoon¡¯s weapon of choice, a rod, had precisely reached Yu-Seong¡¯s forehead area.

    Yu-Seong was clearly in a threatening situation, but he remained calm. His body moved reflexively and calmly.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    With a sharp crack, Young-Hoon¡¯s rod soared high into the air.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s able to block my attack? Didn¡¯t he just register as an A-rank hunter?¡¯?</i>

    Young-Hoon started to understand why In-Young was so wary of Yu-Seong. Although Young-Hoon himself had seen videos of the well-known Yu-Seong fighting on NewTube, Yu-Seong¡¯s fighting prowess was much better than what he had initially expected.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s myst fight, so I expect a challenge!¡±

    Young-Hoon¡¯s entire body exuded an explosive, ferocious energy as he had an angered expression on his face. At the same time, his deflected rod stretched out like a chain and was making its way to wrap around Yu-Seong¡¯s body.

    Yu-Seong used Wind Control to evade the chain-like rod that was wrapping around him. Then, he lunged at Young-Hoon with a spear stab move.

    At that moment, Young-Hoon screamed out, ¡°Ack-!¡±

    Along with that loud cry, a powerful energy emanated from Young-Hoon¡¯s mouth, like a Dragon¡¯s Breath, and struck Yu-Seong¡¯s body squarely.

    <i>Boom-!</i>

    <i>¡®He¡¯s expelling energy through his mouth?¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong was taken aback because he had never read about this type of attack in the original novel. He also hadn¡¯te across such information in his present life; Yu-Seong scoffed as he watched his chest area, which had been cut up due to the attack, quickly recover.

    <i>¡®If I was still at B-Rank, this sort of attack would have put me in a dangerous situation.¡¯</i>

    The effects of the Nine-headed Snake¡¯s rings and the Young Phoenix¡¯s Heart skill had activated simultaneously, which allowed Yu-Seong to quickly recover from his wounds and regain his original state.

    By the time the cloud of dust that had risen from Yu-Seong being mmed against the dungeon¡¯s walls had cleared away, Yu-Seong was already able to stand uppletely intact.

    ¡°¡­You¡¯re fine after being hit by that attack? You¡¯re much tougher than I thought.¡±

    While waiting for the cloud of dust to clear, Young-Hoon thought that he had dealt a fatal blow on Yu-Seong. However, he soon saw Yu-Seong scoffing while standing steadfast.

    After registering Yu-Seong¡¯s state, Young-Hoon stretched his hand out and quickly shot out sharp thorns that he had materialized from his palm.

    Yu-Seong could not help but be tongue-tied at his Irregr opponent¡¯s outrageous attack thatbined both Materialization and Projection. He swung his spear to deflect the oing thorns, took out his gun, and then fired magic bullets in session at Young-Hoon.

    ¡°Ah¡­ I see, you¡¯re a dual ability yer yourself. So, you¡¯re also an Irregr.¡± Young-Hoon showed a rather surprised expression as he materialized a defensive barrier to deflect Yu-Seong¡¯s magic bullets.

    Of course, the reality was that Yu-Seong was not a dual ability yer like Young-Hoon.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m just an All-Rounder type yer.¡¯</i>

    In a way, it was more urate to say that Yu-Seong was a multi-ability yer. It was the truth that the magic bullets that Yu-Seong had shot without much effort did not have much power behind them.

    <i>¡®But the threat of it is enough.¡¯</i>

    Above all, if he could wield a spear and a gun at the same time, Yu-Seong could deploy various strategies to keep his opponent on the back foot.

    <i>¡®And if I focus on shooting, I should be able to increase the power behind the magic bullets.¡¯</i>

    However, it was almost impossible to wield a spear with one hand while maintaining a mana circuit with the other to continually send out magic bullets. For this reason, Yu-Seong had previously used both his gun and spear alternately, but he had never used them at the same time.

    <i>¡®But¡­¡¯</i>

    Now, things were different. He was able to use Dual Operation, a new fused skill that allowed him to divide his focused consciousness into two areas; hence, Yu-Seong was able to rush at Young-Hoon while wielding his spear in one hand and firing off with his gun in the other.

    <i>Bam, Bam, Bam-!</i>

    The muzzle zed with fire at high speed. Focusing his mind on shooting out magic bullets, the power behind the bullets became much stronger than before.

    Young-Hoon, who quickly created another defensive barrier to block the new attack,ughed coldly before materializing several sharp, spear-like barbed thorns and firing them at Yu-Seong. His thick thorns could not be deflected by the magic bullets.

    Yu-Seong momentarily loosened his grip on his spear, extending it out so that his grasp was lower on the spear¡¯s shaft. Then, he rotated his body with force.

    The barbed spear-like thorns, which were imbued with Young-Hoon¡¯s mana, got caught up in Yu-Seong¡¯s whirling motion and were torn apart. Also, at the same time, the magic bullets that Yu-Seong had fired while making the whirling move quickly passed by Young-Hoon¡¯s ear.

    <i>¡®What¡­?¡¯?</i>

    Young-Hoon was thoroughly confused as to how Yu-Seong was able to shoot his magic bullets while wielding his spear.

    Whether he held his spear short or long, Yu-Seong¡¯s movements were natural and smooth.

    As Young-Hoon felt cold sweat running down his back after receiving histest, unexpected attack, Yu-Seong approached Young-Hoon and sent out a terrifying stab with his spear, which he now held much higher on the spear¡¯s shaft.

    Young-Hoon hurriedly tried to block and evade the oing attacks.

    <i>¡®I¡¯m at a disadvantage in closebat. Dragging out this fight won¡¯t be beneficial for me either.¡¯?</i>

    Although Young-Hoon knew that he was only going up against an A-rank yer, Yu-Seong¡¯s attacks were much too fierce and powerful to be categorized asing from an A-rank yer.

    <i>¡®Above all, this guy¡­hasn¡¯t even used his signature skill yet.¡¯</i>

    Young-Hoon was referring to Yu-Seong¡¯s Wind Thunder Dragon God Art skill, where lightning crackled around Yu-Seong¡¯s body following a flow of high-speed wind. Young-Hoon could not help but recognize that, <i>¡®Yu-Seong has already surpassed A-rank in terms of power¡¯.</i>

    Young-Hoon had to approach Yu-Seong as someone in the same rank as himself or even higher.

    <i>¡®Choi In-Young requested that I bring you back alive, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Regretfully, Young-Hoon understood that if he put any conditions or restrictions on himself, he would not be able to handle Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong had already be a powerful existence who was difficult to handle even for Young-Hoon himself, a powerful yer who prided himself on being ranked among the top 10 in Korea.

    <i>¡®Choi In-Young, in the end, you¡¯re clumsy and underprepared in regard to Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    It seemed that everyone was still underestimating Yu-Seong. Everyone saw Yu-Seong developing at a frighteningly quick pace, but that was all they saw.

    <i>¡®This guy will be a monster.¡¯</i>

    If Yu-Seong was not stopped here, it was clear for Young-Hoon that Yu-Seong would be a tremendous existence who would eventually eclipse Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a waste to kill off such a talent; however¡­¡¯</i>

    Young-Hoon did not forget what he needed to do.

    <i>¡®I promised that I¡¯d give up my own life for Choi In-Young¡­¡¯</i>

    As a man, he had no intention of going against his word. Young-Hoon was certain that he needed to finish Yu-Seong off before Yu-Seong had a chance to use any of his hidden skills.

    The killing intent in Young-Hoon¡¯s eyes became stronger as the inner mana within his body circted at a faster pace. He felt the sensation of his entire body being on fire when he drew out such arge amount of mana so quickly.

    He felt a shot of pain that was enough to be considered dangerous, but Young-Hoon, who had already prepared for death, did not concern himself with such pain.

 Chapter 213

    <h4>Chapter 213 </h4>

    <strong>Chapter 213</strong>

    Skillfully controlling one''s mana without letting it erupt was a crucial technique, and this was an area that Young-Hoon had confidence in.

    <i>¡®I''ll finish the match before he even gets the chance to use that skill.¡¯</i>

    With Young-Hoon¡¯s focus somewhat scattered, Yu-Seong''s attacks begannding effectively even though they were all being blocked or avoided.

    Despite the increasing injuries, Young-Hoon didn''t show much concern. Indeed, pain was just a fleeting sensation. After all, it would all be over if he died.

    Watching Young-Hoon, Yu-Seong had a small doubt.

    <i>¡®I feel like his movements have be slower...?¡¯</i>

    The change could simply be due to exhaustion, or Young-Hoon could possibly have some trick up his sleeve.

    However, releasing the tension he had just gained would be foolish. Yu-Seong chose to continue pouring out his attacks rather than retreating.

    Meanwhile, some of the rampaging mana around Young-Hoon leaked out as if it wanted to escape outside at any moment.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s time...!¡¯</i>

    Just as Young-Hoon recognized it was the opportune moment, Yu-Seong also saw the stream of mana. Just as he gave up his attack and tried to back away a bit, he heard a loud scream signaling the end.

    ¡°Thorns of Death!"

    Sharp thorn spears sprouted all over Young-Hoon''s body like that of a porcupine.

    Just as he grew long and thick spears all around him, Young-Hoon felt something from behind grip his neck tightly.

    <i>¡®A shadow?¡¯</i>

    In a desperate moment, Yu-Seong had activated his Shadow Bind Skill. However, the range of the thorn spears was too wide. Therge and sturdy thorn spears pierced and destroyed even the walls inside the room, causing the narrow passage to copse with a loud rumble.

    <i>Baaaang-!?</i>

    Even as debris fell around them, neither Young-Hoon nor Yu-Seong could afford to pay much attention to the damage done.

    <i>Buuubuk-!</i>

    The piercing sound of flesh being torn apart resonated in Yu-Seong''s ears. Soon, blood gushed out from all over his body, which had holes all over.

    "Kuaak-!" Yu-Seong screamed in pain. He shook violently as he was impaled by the sharp thorn spears. As Young-Hoon collected his mana, Yu-Seong copsed weakly to the ground.

    "Haa, haaak...!" Kneeling down on the ground, Young-Hoon let out rough groans while sweating profusely. He slumped down in ce once he could no longer endure it.

    With not a single ounce of strength left in his body, Young-Hoon looked down at the copsed Yu-Seong, who was bleeding profusely onto the ground.

    <i>¡®I''ve killed him¡­¡¯</i>

    Perhaps due to the sudden rise of a shadow that had grabbed Young-Hoon¡¯s neck, or perhaps because of his extraordinary reaction which had been caused by luck or skill at that moment, Yu-Seong had his vital areas like the brain and heart spared.

    However, despite that, he had sustained injuries that no ordinary person could survive. No, even without the injuries, no person could survive if they lost that much blood.

    <i>¡®Sorry it turned out like this.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Young-Hoon did not hold a grudge against Yu-Seong. If he had to pick someone to hate, it would be In-Young, who had asked him to kill Yu-Seong in the first ce. The nauseating taste of blood filled his mouth as he let out a solitary smile.

    "Kueeek-!"

    Blood poured out of his mouth like a waterfall, and he could not help but feel the damage he himself had caused by umting and releasing mana at an excessive level.

    Finally, as Young-Hoon copsed on the dungeon floor beside Yu-Seong, he caught an unusual phenomenon through his blurry vision. He became very suspicious.

    <i>¡®Green light?¡¯</i>

    Where did such a bright lighte from in this dark dungeon?

    <i>¡®No way... Could there be a healing-type yer hiding here?!¡¯</i>

    Young-Hoon was surprised, but he could not do anything about it. He had no strength left. Moreover, even the most extraordinary healing ability could not heal such severe injuries.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong is dead.¡¯</i>

    That was the immutable truth, after all. Thinking so, Young-Hoon closed his eyes, unable to hold on to his consciousness any longer.

    ***

    How much time had passed? Yu-Seong, who had be a gruesome sight with holes all over his body, seemed to gradually return to his original form. His hazy eyes suddenly became clear and sharp.

    "Argh-!" He immediately groaned in agony and shuddered. His body temperature dropped rapidly due to the loss of blood.

    Nevertheless, Yu-Seong quickly checked the dungeon timer.

    <i>¡®10 hours and 30 minutes.¡¯</i>

    Thest time Yu-Seong had checked the time was 5 hours and 30 minutes before meeting Young-Hoon. Thus, five hours had passed since then.

    Considering that the battle didn''tst very long, Yu-Seong realized that he had lost consciousness for at least four hours or more. Moreover, he had lost consciousness inside the dangerous dungeon. If Young-Hoon''sst attack had not created a wall that would have prevented monsters from approaching, both of them would have faced certain death by now.

    <i>¡®I was lucky in many ways.¡¯</i>

    He had tremendously improved his recovery ability before meeting Young-Hoon, the debris had formed a thick wall, and he hadn¡¯t even been crushed underneath the thick dirt wall! Certainly, there was simply no other way to describe the situation other than luck.

    Yu-Seong felt cold sweat dripping down his back. Then,ughing, he watched the Green Wind Spirit Cat, which was running around all over his body and poking him.

    <i>¡®If I hadn''t summoned it at thest moment, I would have been in big trouble.¡¯</i>

    What Yu-Seong had chosen in hisst moment before falling unconscious and sacrificing his life to Young-Hoon''s special move hadn¡¯t been a spear or a gun.

    <i>¡®If I had not used Shadow Bind Skill to interrupt the thorn spears¡­¡¯</i>

    If he hadn''t used Shadow Bind, his brain and heart would have been shattered by now, and he would have be a lifeless corpse. Even if he had disyed his divine power like the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, Young-Hoon''s suicidal attack would have been an unavoidable strike in the narrow confines of the dungeon.

    In fact, it was his instinctive sense trained alongside Bak Ok-Rye that had saved his life once again. Feeling his physical body gradually recovering, Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh and got up from the floor.

    "Ugh..." He couldn''t help but groan.

    Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have much difficulty in moving his body.

    Thest thing Yu-Seong remembered was the power of the thorn spear. After confirming that his arms and legs were still intact, he ran his hand over his face and let out a bitterugh. "At this rate, even if they called me an undead, not a troll, I wouldn''t have anything to say."

    Likely, he would be called a half-immortal.

    Above all, Yu-Seong, who valued survival above everything else, had obtained the ability he needed most to escape the death crisis that could reach him at any time.

    Then, Yu-Seong¡¯s gaze turned to Young-Hoon, who still hadn''t regained consciousness.

    <i>''I learned a lesson from you.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s original approach tobat had been to save his secret techniques for as long as possible. He believed that the sooner he could see through the opponent''s underlying motives, the easier it was to fight them. And in fact, this was true in most battles.

    <i>¡®But if the opponent risks their life¡­¡¯</i>

    Moreover, if there was not a significant difference in skill, the one who first used a technique that could instantly overpower the opponent''s life might have an advantage.

    <i>¡®Of course, if that attack is blocked, then the danger wille soon after¡­¡¯</i>

    It was often called ¡®burning one''s bridges¡¯.

    For those who had no ce to retreat and had to fight, they often believed that they should use their full power. After all, they had the thought that they had nothing to lose. In most cases, they would even push themselves and surpass their own capabilities. In fact, desperation could lead to a new transcendence.

    <i>¡®From now on, when I fight someone with that kind of look in their eyes, I should not drag it out.¡¯</i>

    Even if you were fully prepared, there might be tactics that were unavoidable. At times like this, the best defense was a good offense.

    Recalling the previous battle, Yu-Seong sat in front of Young-Hoon and summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat again.

    <i>Meow-!</i>

    Had it grown even more since then? Yu-Seong smiled contentedly as he listened to the small whimpering sounds emanating from the Green Wind Spirit Cat. Then, pointing to the unconscious Young-Hoon, he said, "Heal that person please.¡±

    The Green Wind Spirit Cat tilted its head curiously at Yu-Seong, but soon obeyed and jumped down onto Young-Hoon''s body. It began its healing by poking the man.

    As he watched Young-Hoon gradually recover, Yu-Seong fell deep in thought.

    <i>¡®Young-Hoon, the Witch''s underling.¡¯</i>

    Although he was a remarkable performer in Korea, the original novel portrayed him as someone who had been manipted by In-Young and had died a pitiful death. Indeed, it was a regretful end. Although the details were vague and only briefly mentioned in the original novel, Yu-Seong remembered an important point.

    <i>¡®If Young-Hoon hadn''t been under the influence of In-Young''s Charm Skill, perhaps his choice would have been different.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong had had this thought ever since he had first seen Young-Hoon in the dungeon.

    <i>¡®What if I undo the Charm Skill and use him as a sword to strike Choi In-Young from behind¡­?¡¯</i>

    In order to do so, Young-Hoon could not be killed. Yu-Seong also needed to find a way to control him somehow.

    The Nine-headed Snake¡¯s Ring, the Green Wind Spirit Cat, the Young Phoenix¡¯s Heart, and the powerful regeneration ability Yu-Seong had gained from the Tower or Heaven¡ªall of these abilities had been acquired so that he could challenge danger and almost resurrect himself like he had just experienced.

    Despite the slight danger he had faced, the opportunity he had been waiting for had arrived. Yu-Seong sat cross-legged with closed eyes, operating the God¡¯s Chakra.

    As time passed once again, a voice suddenly interrupted him by calling out, "...What are you doing, Choi Yu-Seong?"

    In the midst of concentrating on God¡¯s Chakra, Yu-Seong slowly opened his eyes to the sudden voice. He saw Young-Hoon, who was still unable to stand, looking at him with surprise in his eyes.

    Checking the dungeon timer for a moment, Yu-Seong nodded.

    ¡®<i>Two more hours have passed.¡¯</i>

    Now the Chakra, which had been emptied to aid Yu-Seong¡¯s regeneration, had fully recovered.

    While Yu-Seong nodded again with satisfaction, Young-Hoon asked, "If I''m not mistaken, this is not the underworld but the dungeon I remembering to."

    "That''s correct," replied Yu-Seong calmly.

    Young-Hoon slowly stood up, still trembling, with a bitter smile ying on his lips. He asked, "You didn''t die even after taking that attack earlier on?"

    "As you can see," replied Yu-Seong.

    "But I don¡¯t see a Heal-type yer here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Instead, I have a cat with healing powers." Yu-Seong then summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat onto his palm and grinned. It was a clever creature that had disappeared after healing Young-Hoon.

    ¡°A Heal-type pet? You have something unusual. No, but still¡­¡±

    Young-Hoon couldn''t help but grin at the sight of Yu-Seong''s now-healthy body, which waspletely different from the hole-ridden state he remembered. He then asked, "What are you, some kind of undead?"

    "I thought I could be called immortal, but being treated like an undead¡­ Isn''t that a bit too much?" Yu-Seong said.

    "How the hell are you alive?" Young-Hoon shouted.

    "Like I said, I have a healing ability at the level of an immortal," exined Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Then why did you save me?!" screamed Young-Hoon with genuine anger visible in his red eyes. He yelled, "You should have let me die! I was going to die anyway. Did you not even want to let me have thest bit of satisfaction in my heart?"

    Although he clenched his fist and tried to draw on his mana, all he could do was groan from the excruciating pain that ran through his body like burning fire.

    "I roughly checked, and your mana circuit has been severely damaged. You''ll need to rest for at least two weeks to use mana," said Yu-Seong calmly.

    ¡°So why did you¡­!¡± shouted Young-Hoon.

    ¡°Don''t you hate Choi In-Young?¡± Yu-Seong asked calmly, interrupting Young-Hoon''s outburst once again.

    Before he knew it, his Third Eye was now open on his forehead. Finally, his Third Eye was awake.

 Chapter 214

    <h4>Chapter 214 </h4>

    The Third Eye had three main abilities: analysis, prediction, and mental defense. In fact, the first two were almost inseparable.

    <i>¡®Third Eye can read an opponent''s habits, movements, and preferred skills during battle to predict their next move.¡®</i>

    However, there were instances when Third Eye couldn''t predict an opponent''s actions, such as when Young-Hoon had used his Thorns of Death Skill, which he had bet his life on. This was unsurprising, since it was not Future Foresight in the first ce.

    <i>¡®Still, having Third Eye makes a huge difference.¡¯</i>

    It read and analyzed the opponent''s movements during battle, transferring the data to the brain as it was. Additionally, it provided mental defense against mental attacks and, whenbined with other mind shield skills, could easily deflect fear and hypnosis.

    Mental fortitude was just as important as physical strength in battle, and since meeting Rachel two years ago, Yu-Seong had been training his mind relentlessly. It was thanks to this training that he had sessfully increased his mental strength and acquired an additional ability when the Third Eye had finally reached Rank A

    <i>¡®Hypnotism.¡¯</i>

    It was a surprising skill, but Yu-Seong wasn''t yet skilled enough to use it effectively in battle.

    <i>¡®Also, it doesn''t work well against opponents with strong mental fortitude.¡¯</i>

    In that sense, using Hypnotism during battle on an S-rank yer like Young-Hoon was impossible.

    <i>¡®And he was even prepared to die¡­¡¯</i>

    However, now things were different. Young-Hoon had lost the battle, and had a somewhat broken heart. He was feeling anxiety, hatred, and anger. Yu-Seong could use these emotions to increase the sess rate of Hypnotism through the Third Eye.

    "You know it too, don''t you? Choi In-Young only needs people for her purposes, to use them," Yu-Seong said calmly as he infused mana into his Third Eye.

    "Stop!" Young-Hoon shouted with a wavering gaze.

    If he had been in his normal state, he might haveughed and ignored Yu-Seong. However, he was certainly affected now.

    Yu-Seong calmly continued to talk, pushing mana into his Third Eye. He said, "Choi In-Young won''t need a man like you. Do you know how many men have already met their ends because of her? Well, I bet you already know¡­"

    "I don''t know," Young-Hoon replied.

    "You''re pretending not to know, aren''t you? Shall I list them out for you? Kim Do-Hoon, Lee Jin-Yong, Kwak Han-Cheol..."

    "Stop it!" Young-Hoon''s voice rose again. Gasping for breath, he said firmly, "Kill me.¡±

    "Why do you have to die?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "I failed the mission..."

    "You mean the mission that Choi In-Young gave you? Do you have to die because of failure?" Yu-Seong said with a smirk. "In truth, you''ll only die if you seed."

    "Choi Yu-Seong..."

    "Do you know? Choi In-Young is a witch, using her Charm Skill on you. Why do you think so many men have died because of her? Even those who were skillful and famous in some way."

    ¡°...¡± The wavering of Young-Hoon''s gaze began to intensify.

    "One more thing, even her maternal family are vampires," Yu-Seong said.

    In fact, this part wasn''t entirely confirmed yet. It was rather safe to say that they could be vampires. However, Yu-Seong had stated it with conviction.

    <i>¡®I need to speak firmly.¡¯</i>

    There was a saying¡ªfight poison with poison. Charm was a form of Hypnotism, so Yu-Seong also had to use Hypnotism to break through. The problem was that if the Charm Skill that In-Young had used on Young-Hoon was a skill thatbined the characteristics of a witch and a vampire, then even a wless Hypnotism would be hard to cause any damage.

    Indeed, Yu-Seong had to press on. Instead of giving Young-Hoon time to think, Yu-Seong had to make him reach a conclusion.

    "Vampires and witches are both a perfect match for Charm Skills. You would have believed that all this time Choi In-Young, who is only at A-rank, could never seed in any skill against someone like you, who is at S-Rank, right? But that''s not the case. Due to thebination of race and lineage traits, she can even ensnare an SS-rank hunter with her Charm Skill.¡±

    Of course, this was a story that could only be possible when there were many gaps in the mind.

    <i>¡®Or maybe he was infatuated by her appearance from the start.¡¯</i>

    Details like that could be revealedter. Regardless, it was true that Young-Hoon had been captivated by In-Young''s appearance from the very beginning.

    As Young-Hoon''s gaze began to shake heavily, Yu-Seong said, "Young-Hoon, the first ce you met Choi In-Young was in the underground bar of the Cheo Hotel in Myeong-dong, right?"

    "How do you know that...?"

    "In the bar, there were only you, the bartender, and Choi In-Young."

    The meeting seemed like destiny as they had met in a tranquil and serene space. At that moment, Young-Hoon hadn¡¯t been able to help but fall for In-Young''s charming smile.

    "Noo-nim had ordered me to do it, to Charm you. Oh, and by the way, she also charmed Kim Do-Hoon and Lee Jin-Yong in the same way," Yu-Seong calmly said.

    "You''re lying!" shouted Young-Hoon.

    It was partially true that Yu-Seong was telling a lie. After all, why would In-Young have needed to order Yu-Seong to rent the entire bar in the first ce? She could have easily employed one of her staff to do the job. However, at least Yu-Seong was certain that the ce where Young-Hoon thought of as their first meeting spot had been a prepared stage.

    <i>¡®That''s how it was described in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders. "Can''t you remember? You used to go there sometimes and had met Kim Do-Hoon. You both would awkwardly smile and keep your guard up.¡±

    Young-Hoon couldn''t deny it; he remembered those days when it had been hard to get in touch with In-Young.

    "Who do you think she was with during those times?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Arghhhhhh!" Young-Hoon screamed, grabbed his head, and began to roll on the ground from side to side.

    Noticing this show of weakness, Yu-Seong activated his Third Eye urgently and decided to drive a decisive wedge. He said, "She''s insane. She even has an incestuous rtionship with my older brother, Choi Seok-Young."

    "No way..."

    "You wouldn''t want to believe it, right? You saw with your own eyes that Choi Seok-Young and Choi In-Young went into the hotel together, but you thought that siblings wouldn''t do that kind of thing."

    At the same time, a powerful light burst out of Yu-Seong''s Third Eye.

    Young-Hoon began trembling uncontrobly as he stared at Yu-Seong with a dazed expression. Tears streamed down his cheeks. In front of him, right in his mind¡¯s eye, was the image of In-Young with her arms around Seok-Young''s waist and then entering the hotel.

    It was a virtual reality made with Hypnotism, but it was not difficult for Young-Hoon to recall that exact moment. After all, this was something that he had actually experienced.

    Young-Hoon was angry. Even though In-Young and Seok-Young were siblings, he had felt jealous of their rtionship. It wasn''t normal¡ªhis emotions, his doubts, and their rtionship were all strange.

    "That''s right. Wake up. Min Young-Hoon, you are not in a romantic rtionship with Choi In-Young. To her, you are just another one of her many tools," said Yu-Seong.

    The illusion that had been unfolding before Young-Hoon shattered like ss. He beganughing, even though it sounded more like a whimper. "Heh, Heehee..."

    Naturally, Yu-Seong''s gaze changed. He muttered, "No way, he didn''tpletely lose his mind from the sh between Hypnosis and Charm Skills, right?"

    Originally, mental type skills were bound to have some risk when demonstrating on the opponent. Moreover, since Young-Hoon was already under In-Young¡¯s Charm Skill, there was no way to ignore the worst-case scenario.

    "Hehehe... Hehehehe..."

    Young-Hoon, who had beenughing hysterically for quite some time, clenched his fist tightly and looked at Yu-Seong. At that moment, Yu-Seong could tell one fact.

    <i>''He''s definitely gone a little crazy.''?</i>

    The man¡¯s gaze was somewhat cloudy, as if something was off. However, it didn''t seem like he hadpletely lost his sanity.

    "Your words are right. I remember. Her red eyes, the ones that make people''s hearts race!" Young-Hoon recalled the mysterious glint in In-Young¡¯s eyes that he had seen many times before. He then screamed madly, "I was fooled! I was fooled! That damn woman ruined me. Damn it all! Aaaah!"

    Then, he slowly began to stand up with all his strength.

    ¡°You need to rest more¡­!¡± Yu-Seong hurriedly tried to stop Young-Hoon, whose body was still in a terrible state.

    It wasn''t good for Young-Hoon to move that violently. Nevertheless, surprisingly, he stood up straight, panting, and with a force that was hard to hold back. Looking Yu-Seong straight in the eye, he dered, "I''m going to kill Choi In-Young.¡±

    "..." Yu-Seong chose silence instead of giving the man an answer.

    "I won''t force you to help me. If it weren''t for you, I wouldn''t have even thought of this and would have died cluelessly. If I had learned this in hell, I would have strongly regretted it." Then, with a burning gaze, Young-Hoon turned his back to Yu-Seong. He said, "I''m grateful to you. I won¡¯t forget it.¡±

    "Are you going to do it alone?" Yu-Seong asked Young-Hoon from behind him.

    "Why? Would you do it alongside me if I asked you to join me?"

    Yu-Seong smiled bitterly. In fact, killing a person was not something that could be done easily. This was especially since In-Young was, in some way, his family.

    However, there was obviously no room for half measures now.

    <i>¡®It''s either kill or be killed.¡¯</i>

    That was the kind of world he lived in. Slowly, Yu-Seong turned his head toward Young-Hoon, who was looking at him. Then, he offered a smile as he reached out his hand to Young-Hoon. He said, "Let''s get the order straight. You''re the one helping me to kill Choi In-Young."

    Looking at Yu-Seong¡¯s cold smile, Young-Hoonughed awkwardly and shrugged his shoulders. "It seems like there isn''t a single sane person in the Choi family. Hahaha.¡±

    He then stumbled toward Yu-Seong and tightly grabbed his hand. He shouted, "Okay, give it a shot. Use me as a sword to strike her to your heart''s content, just like In-Young did. If you can kill her, I''ll do anything!"

    "Looking forward to it," Yu-Seong replied.

    And with that, he joined hands with Young-Hoon, who had been reborn as a vengeful spirit.

    ***

    Before leaving the dungeon, Yu-Seong had instructed Young-Hoon to hide and wait. He had even brought in the full force of the Hidden team to assist Young-Hoon.

    <i>¡®Young-Hoon is the final piece to pierce into In-Young''s heart.¡¯</i>

    The more cards hidden, the better. Yu-Seong then checked the missed calls on his phone, which he had stored in a locker in Dungeon Square. Then, he saw a familiar name.

    <i>¡®Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡¯</i>

    The freezing cold sensation that had taken over his heart with the intention of killing In-Young slowly melted away. Yu-Seong dialed the number and heard Ji-Ho''s voice before the second ring ended.

    - How have you been?

    ¡°I''m doing well, of course. And you, hyung-nim?" asked Yu-Seong.

    - I''m in Seoul right now.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    He was surprised that Ji-Ho, who was in retirement, had returned to Seoul.

    "Where are you now? I¡¯ll be there right away,¡± questioned Yu-Seong.

    - Come to the family home.

    Just then, a much colder and lower voice than Ji-Ho was heard¡ªit was the voice of Woo-Jae.

    "Father?"

    - I have something important to say. The whole family needs to gather before 10 a.m. tomorrow.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at the deration.

    <i>¡®The whole family?¡¯</i>

    Had there ever been a time when Woo-Jae had summoned not just one individual but everyone in the family? Yu-Seong was certain that this was an event that didn''t even exist in the original novel. And with Ji-Ho''s unexpected return, it only added to his suspicions.

    He could tell that something major was about to take ce.

    "Yes, Father," replied Yu-Seong, swallowing hard.

    A significant change was on the horizon.

 Chapter 215

    <h4>Chapter 215 </h4>

    Early the next morning, Yu-Seong set off for his family home after getting himself mentally prepared.

    <i>¡®Come to think of it, it''s my first time going to my family home alone.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong would always have someone apany him, preferably Do-Yoon or Yu-Ri, as their presence helped him push away the emotions he still harbored about Woo-Jae. However, he now felt okay even without them around.

    Having conquered his emotions on his own, he could walk toward his family''s home without any burden.

    <i>¡®Is it because I have sessfully navigated through many crises, or could it be the assistance of my acquired skills?¡¯</i>

    In fact, the reason behind this change did not matter. The important thing was that Yu-Seong was no longer weak either physically or mentally.

    As he arrived in front of the massive mansion, Yu-Seong''s eyes were drawn to the high wall. Ever since he had first seen it, the tall wall always reminded him of the image of a castle. In fact, this house was a fortress.

    CCTV cameras and security guard personnel were stationed throughout the area, ready to respond to any intruders with malicious intent. This was regardless of whichever direction the possible intruders might choose toe from.

    Perhaps it was this atmosphere that intimidated Yu-Seong, who instinctively shrank back just from looking at the tall wall from the outside.

    <i>¡®Today feels a bit different¡­¡¯</i>

    But why would it feel different today? Yu-Seong noticed that the castle walls looked quite sturdy, but not scary. Soon understanding the reason behind this change, he chuckled to himself.

    <i>¡®I now see it as within my reach.¡¯</i>

    The fortress, that sturdy and intimidating castle, hade close enough for Yu-Seong to reach. It was no longer beyond his grasp.

    <i>¡®I must survive.¡¯</i>

    This was Yu-Seong''s first goal, and he was proud that he had achieved it to a certain extent. Naturally, his second goal followed.

    <i>¡®If I survive, I might as well survive well.¡¯</i>

    Of course, he nned to do so to the best of his abilities. After all, greed could harm a person.

    Yu-Seong took his eyes off the castle walls that he wanted and headed into the house.

    ***

    There was a unique and somewhat acrid smell emanating from Woo-Jae''s office. It was like the scent of old wood and books that one might find in an attic. While some people might find the scent unpleasant, Yu-Seong didn¡¯t dislike it.

    <i>¡®Rather, I¡¯d say I like it.¡¯</i>

    But today, as soon as he entered the office, he couldn''t smell the familiar scent that he enjoyed. Instead, the strong scent of cosmetics and perfume pierced his nose.

    Yu-Seong''s gaze naturally turned to In-Young, who was sitting on a sofa in the office while being nked by Seok-Young and Jin-Woo. She had on heavy eye makeup and red lips.

    Their gazes met for a moment, and it felt like a sharp tension hung in the air. However, no onemitted a rash act. The office had a strange scent today, but the heavy atmosphere that usually pressed down on the surroundings remained the same.

    "Take a seat," said Woo-Jae, who was sittingzily behind the desk in the center of the office.

    "Yes, Father," replied Yu-Seong calmly as he sat on one of the spacious empty sofas.

    "Wait and have a chat. Everyone will be here soon," said Woo-Jae before he started flipping through the book that was on his desk.

    The ensuing silence was eventually broken by In-Young, the fifth oldest among the siblings, rather than the two eldest siblings, Jin-Woo and Seok-Young. She said, "How are you? You seem to be doing well.¡±

    "...Thanks to you," Yu-Seong answered with a slight smile.

    "I''m d. I was worried because I haven''t heard any newstely."

    "Haha..."

    In-Young was adopting a bold attitude for someone who had previously attempted to have him killed or kidnapped. Yu-Seong couldn''t help butugh at the ridiculous act.

    Tilting his head in amusement, Yu-Seong said, "By the way, I met the Vice President of the Heaven Guild.¡±

    "Oh, I didn¡¯t know you had a connection with him," answered In-Young.

    "Thanks to you, we have a pretty deep connection now," Yu-Seong replied.

    "I haven''t seen him in a while. How is he doing?" asked In-Young.

    "As you can see..." Yu-Seong shrugged and gestured to himself.

    What did he mean by that? For a moment, In-Young''s eyes narrowed sharply.

    <i>¡®Min Young-Hoon¡­ Is he dead?¡¯</i>

    Or maybe he had managed to escape from Yu-Seong and survive.

    <i>¡®It would be better if it were thetter. It would be too much of a waste to simply discard such a valuable asset.¡¯</i>

    In-Young clearly had no idea that Young-Hoon had woken up from her Charm Skill, so she still secretly wished for him to be alive.

    Just then, the closed door opened to reveal someone else entering the office.

    "What, did you tell me toe slower for this interaction to happen?" Mi-Na openly asked Woo-Jae with a coldugh.

    "Isn''t it interesting?" Woo-Jae smirked as he closed the book.

    After hearing his father¡¯sment, Yu-Seong felt a chill running down his spine.

    <i>¡®I knew something was off.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae had instructed them to gather at 10 am, but only four people hade early. It was usually expected for the Choi family to arrive at least 30 minutes early to any meeting. It was now revealed that this had all been a part of Woo-Jae''s n from the beginning.

    Amidst the hostile confrontation between the two, Woo-Jae had observed Yu-Seong and In-Young while listening in on their conversation. Although his eyes had remained fixed on the book, his senses had been fully attuned to his two children.

    <i>''Why the two of us?''?</i>

    As Yu-Seong was pondering, Mi-Na approached him and plopped down next to him. Then, she turned to In-Young and said coldly, "Watch your gaze, and lower your eyes.¡±

    After Mi-Na spoke so brazenly, In-Young furrowed her brows and said, "We''re in front of Father, sister. Don''t you need to be careful about what you say?"

    "Bullshit. Are you Father? Who are you to decide that?"

    Meanwhile, Woo-Jae seemed oblivious to the situation with his eyes fixed on his book. It was impossible to read his thoughts.

    Nevertheless, it worked out in Yu-Seong''s favor, as Mi-Na''s appearance was helping to partially keep In-Young in check.

    <i>¡®I seem to be riding on her coattails, but it¡¯s true that I¡¯m quite close to Mi-Na noo-nim, so.¡¯</i>

    Even this diversion of In-Young''s gaze was a refreshing change.

    Soon after, Min-Seok and Yeo-Reum also arrived at the office. Min-Seok, who huped and made aical expression upon seeing In-Young, eventually took a seat next to Yu-Seong. Naturally, In-Young''s gaze narrowed. Fortunately for her, Yeo-Reum took a seat next to Seok-Young.

    <i>¡®This is getting interesting.¡¯?</i>

    It felt like the siblings were taking sides in a fight. The already heavy atmosphere became even more oppressive.

    <i>Click</i>.

    Then, the door clicked open once again and, with the rolling of a wheelchair, announced the arrival of someone. Upon seeing the newly-arrived man¡¯s face, Jin-Woo couldn''t hide his emotions and furrowed his brow deeply.

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but show a broad smile of delight. "Ji-Ho hyung-nim!"

    "Long time no see," responded Ji-Ho.

    ¡°Everyone has arrived,¡± Woo-Jae said.

    Before they could exchange pleasantries any further, Woo-Jae spoke up loudly and closed his book. He stated, "I didn''t call the youngest here.¡±

    Woo-Jae didn''t want to force her into this harsh world, as she was still a student and simply wanted to live a normal life.

    <i>¡®She can take care of herself.¡¯?</i>

    As Woo-Jae briefly remembered the face of his youngest child, who had said she would give up everything to live her own life, his gaze turned toward Ji-Ho.

    Ji-Ho had arrived by rolling his electric wheelchair to stand next to Yu-Seong.

    Four and four, excluding the deceased Byung-Chan and the absent youngest, the number of people on each side was evenly matched. However, this made it ufortable for In-Young.

    <i>¡®How did ite to this?¡¯?</i>

    Woo-Jae, who inwardly clicked his tongue, put on a pleasant smile. Just as everyone''s attention was fixed on him, he dropped a bombshell that he had prepared. He announced loudly, ¡°I''ll enter the Tower of Heaven tomorrow.¡±

    Everyone, except for Ji-Ho, who already knew what Woo-Jae was going to say, was shocked by the unexpected news. The prospect of their father entering the Tower of Heaven couldn''t be taken lightly, as it wasn''t a simple matter of his own growth. It meant that the absolute authority figure of the household would disappear, and those who had previously been constrained by his presence could now freely pursue whatever they had failed to before. Furthermore, this gathering of siblings for scheming clearly indicated Woo-Jae''s intentions.

    <i>¡®He¡¯s trying to solidify the session scheme!¡¯?</i>

    Woo-Jae had been silently observing his children being inpetition with one another, but now he had decided to drive a wedge between In-Young and Yu-Seong, who were both at the center of it all.

    <i>¡®Why not Mi-Na noo-nim or Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡¯?</i>

    Although Yu-Seong had recently made significant progress, there were still many areas in which he wasckingpared to the other two. In-Young shared the same thoughts and looked at Woo-Jae.

    "I won''t go alone," said Woo-Jae as he leaned forward and continued his announcement. "Kim Secretary is going, and so is Mi-Na."

    This was an even more shocking statement than when Woo-Jae had dered that he was entering the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>¡®Mi-Na noo-nim is going too?¡¯</i>

    This turn of events would tilt the power bnce heavily. Although Yu-Seong trusted his somewhat overbearing hyung-nim and noona-nim, he couldn''t help but be bewildered.

    "...I''ve never heard of that," said Mi-Na, wearing a ridiculous expression.

    "This is not a suggestion, Mi-Na," Woo-Jae replied firmly.

    Mi-Na''s expression hardened. Despite being the only child known for standing up against Woo-Jae, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to rebel against him in this particr situation. After all, it was undeniable that the will of Woo-Jae held the greatest significance within the family.

    "We leave tomorrow morning. Anyments?" Woo-Jae asked.

    "No, sir," Yu-Seong replied.

    ¡°Me too,¡± said In-Young.

    ¡°...Sure,¡± Mi-Na responded.

    The rest of the siblings epted the situation without saying a word, knowing that the decision had already been made.

    Yu-Seong, as always, tried to think of the best way to handle the situation.

    <i>¡®If Mi-Na noo-nim isn''t there, then my only official support will be Ji-Ho hyung-nim¡­¡¯</i>

    In-Young, on the other hand, still had many people she could rely on. She tried to hide herughter as she thought about how Woo-Jae was supporting her.

    "Now, all of you, leave the room," Woo-Jaemanded.

    With that, In-Young and her group were the first to leave the office. Only when they were further away did Yu-Seong stand up from his seat. Although he couldn''t quite discern Woo-Jae''s thoughts, there wasn''t much time for preparation. He only had one day, after all. The time given was too short, and there was much to be done.

    "Then, I''ll take my leave as well," Yu-Seong said as he tried to leave quietly.

    As he was leaving, Woo-Jae''s voice followed him.

    "This is the final test," Woo-Jae said.

    What did that mean? Woo-Jae was giving In-Young an advantageous position while cheering Yu-Seong on.

    <i>¡®Yeah, that''s the kind of person he is.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae was a person who gave more rice cakes to the child he disliked. Perhaps even Yu-Seong''s thoughts were a part of Woo-Jae''s n. Nevertheless, it didn''t bother Yu-Seong, as Woo-Jae was a person who always kept his word.

    <i>¡®The final test.¡¯</i>

    With this, Yu-Seong could be the clear sessor of the Comet family. Perhaps this was something that had already been discussed with Mi-Na and Ji-Ho.

    After organizing his thoughts, Yu-Seong spoke while recalling the high fortress wall he had seen before entering his family home. He said with a wry smile, "I won''t disappoint you.¡±

    Then, with Woo-Jae¡¯s smirk and hand gesture, Yu-Seong left the room. Ji-Ho also followed behind Yu-Seong, bowing slightly toward Woo-Jae as he left.

    1. This Korean idiom implies that even though you may dislike someone, you should still treat them with kindness and generosity.

 Chapter 216

    <h4>Chapter 216 </h4>

    After leaving Woo-Jae''s mansion, Yu-Seong waited for Ji-Ho to emerge from the front entrance. And soon enough, his oldest brother opened the door and stepped outside, apanied by Baek Chul and Min-Seok.

    "You¡¯ve been waiting," said Ji-Ho.

    "Yeah, hyung-nim. It''s also been a while, Captain Baek," Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Baek Chul replied, nodding in response to Yu-Seong''s greeting.

    He looked a little embarrassed, perhaps because he remembered what had happened in the past.

    <i>¡®Perhaps it wouldn''t mean anything if I were to say not to mind the past.¡¯</i>

    Regardless, it might naturally resolve itself with more time and more encounters with each other in the future.

    "I suppose we need to talk," Ji-Ho said.

    "Yes. But what about Mi-Na noo-nim?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "She''s still inside. She seemed a little upset with Father," Ji-Ho replied.

    Given Mi-Na''s personality, she would resist hearing what she didn''t want to hear. Perhaps this situation would also be quite troublesome for Woo-Jae as well.

    "But he won''t change his mind, right?¡± Yu-Seong asked.

    "Of course not. Let''s discuss the details after we move elsewhere. This isn''t the best ce for it," Ji-Ho said before his gaze turned to Min-Seok, who was standing awkwardly next to him.

    "So¡­ I¡­ I..." Min-Seok stuttered.

    "I''ll let you know if I need anything else. Just wait at home,¡± Yu-Seong said firmly to the hesitant Min-Seok.

    Although Min-Seok still appeared somewhat repentant, Yu-Seong knew his true nature.

    <i>¡®A leopard can¡¯t change its spots.¡¯</i>

    Even if his actions may change, Yu-Seong couldn''t trust someone like Min-Seok, who had a fundamentally malicious and cowardly nature. Above all, the reason the man had chosen Yu-Seong''s side in Woo-Jae''s office earlier on was due to his own vulnerability. Perhaps, if the situation had been different, Min-Seok, who had counted the number of people on each side, would have sided with In-Young instead.

    "...Alright," Min-Seok said, looking a little indignant. Unable to refute Yu-Seong''s words, he nodded and left the group with a sullen expression.

    "Was it necessary to be that harsh?" Ji-Ho asked Yu-Seong as he looked at Min-Seok''s retreating back.

    "Hyung-nim, I''ve had to suffer more than once because of my carelessness. I won''t keep someone who I can''t trustpletely," Yu-Seong replied firmly.

    "Hmm..." Ji-Ho looked thoughtful for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his lips. He said, "Well, you have your own way of doing things.¡±

    In fact, Ji-Ho knew he was in no position to judge, having already failed himself.

    "I''m sorry if you were offended," Yu-Seong said.

    "No, not at all. I understand that this is your path to take, and I don''t want to interfere. Let''s find a better ce to talk. Where would you like to go?"

    With a bright smile to lighten the mood, Yu-Seong answered Ji-Ho''s question without hesitation, ¡°Shall we go to my house?¡±

    Of course, there was no safer ce than home.

    ***

    Yu-Seong returned to his ce with Ji-Ho and prepared tea. Although he could have asked the housekeeper who stayed in his house during the day, Yu-Seong had decided to prepare the tea himself. It was because he felt a sense of obligation to make the personal effort as a sign of gratitude toward Ji-Ho.

    It was his first time making tea, but it wasn''t as difficult as he had thought. He boiled the water, steeped the leaves, and poured it into the cups.

    Ji-Ho had been silent throughout the entire process, but as he picked up his cup, he smiled. Then, he asked, "I like the smell of this tea. Can I ask where you got it from?"

    "...Well, to be honest, I don''t know. It''s just the one we have at home."

    "Then, someone with good taste must have picked it out.¡±

    "Probably Yu-Ri. She''s not here now because she''s in the process of a promotion evaluation," responded Yu-Seong.

    At that moment, Ji-Ho trembled. He called out, "Yu-Ri¡­ Hmm, Yu-Seong.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Have you ever been curious about your mother?¡± asked Ji-Ho.

    Even the original Choi Yu-Seong from the novel did not have a <i>¡®mother¡¯</i>. Given his current situation of being possessed, certainly it was impossible for Yu-Seong to have a mother.

    "Of course, I am curious about her too. But she has already passed away," replied Yu-Seong calmly.

    However, Ji-Ho''s gaze seemed to waver with a momentary conflict as he looked at Yu-Seong.

    "Why did you ask that question?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "Well, this is something that would be better heard from Father at the appropriate time rather than from me," said Ji-Ho.

    Based on Ji-Ho''s reaction, Yu-Seong suspected that there might be a secret about his mother, Baek Yu-Ri, that he had never considered before.

    <i>¡®This also seems like a setting that wasn''t written in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    Due to the many unfriendly parts of the original novel, Yu-Seong found himself furrowing his brow once again. Of course, he had no intention of arguing with Ji-Ho about it. He simply said, "I see.¡±

    In fact, if it was something necessary for him to know, then Ji-Ho would have told it to him right away.

    ¡°Anyways, what is the reason for your sudden return?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "I guess being cooped up in the mountains all the time isn''t as enjoyable for a city person like me," Ji-Ho joked.

    ¡°...Are you serious?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "Of course, it''s a joke. But, actually, I''m only half joking," said Ji-Ho with a smirk as he ced his tea cup down. Then, he looked into Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes and continued, "Yu-Seong, I heard that you want to inherit Father''s position.¡±

    This time, Yu-Seong trembled. It was something he had said when he had still been as new to this world as a naive child. He had only expressed his determination to show his loyalty and not necessarily out of ambition. However, was it really true that he did not have any desires or ambitions for the position?

    After a moment of hesitation, Yu-Seong answered truthfully, "Yes, that''s right."

    In fact, when Yu-Seong had seen the imposing wall of Woo-Jae''s mansion this morning, he had a desire to acquire a fortress-like ce like that for himself. It wasn''t just a desire for a bigger house, but to have a ce where the owner of the Comet Group lived.

    "Do you mind if I ask why?" Ji-Ho inquired.

    Again, Yu-Seong took a moment to think before responding. In fact, he had to find an answer for himself.

    "If I''m in that position¡­ I think I''ll be able to stay safer."

    Ji-Ho tilted his head. "Safer? Isn''t it more dangerous?"

    "Of course, there will be more enemies. But if I have more power to protect myself, then that''s all that matters, right?" Yu-Seong answered.

    In fact, Woo-Jae was just like that. Among the figures in the Korean business world, there were few who liked the Comet Group. This was due to the overwhelming presence of Woo-Jae and the Comet Group¡¯s explosive growth, which made everything feel even more burdensome. However, Woo-Jae had never been defeated in all of the fights he had been in. He had always overwhelmed his opponents with greater force and more power.

    As Yu-Seong thought of the frighteningly strong Woo-Jae¡¯s face, a smile crept onto his lips. He said, "Above all else¡­ I thought I couldn''t cover the sky with one hand."

    "You mean you have a lot you want to protect now," said Ji-Ho.

    "That''s correct," answered Yu-Seong as he lifted the tea cup to his lips and nodded calmly.

    <i>''It¡¯s warm.''?</i>

    In some sense, the people around Yu-Seong right now had him wrapped up.

    He previously had to cling to his own survival no matter what. It had been somewhat inevitable because of his fate to die in the original novel. However, what about the current Yu-Seong? Indeed, a lot had changed. Even during the fight with Young-Hoon, Yu-Seong felt that he had enough insurance that he no longer had to worry about his own death as much.

    But what about the people around him? Of course, it was good to eat and live well alone. However, humans were social animals. Even if it meant living well alone, they still needed people around them. In this world where they faced much greater danger with the invasion of the demon tribe, was it the right choice to just hide and have someone else run around to protect everyone? Of course, it could be the right choice.

    <i>¡®But he won''t be able to do that.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin, the man who had already seen the end of the world, was the person who Yu-Seong¡ªessentially from the reader''s point of view¡ªliked the most. This was only natural since he was the protagonist.

    Although Yu-Seong was somewhat scared and hesitant due to his position in this world, he found it difficult to hate Do-Jin. In the end, the two of them became closer and they now clearly felt emotions that could be called friendship.

    <i>¡®It would be nice if Kim Do-Jin could handle it alone as written in the original novel, but¡­¡¯</i>

    However, one should never underestimate the butterfly effect of a changing world. It wasn''t just Do-Jin; there were also Bernard, Yu-Ri, Do-Yoon, Ye-Ryeong, Jin-Hyuk, and even Ji-Ho and Mi-Na who were right in front of Yu-Seong, not to mention Woo-Jae.

    In order to protect them all, Yu-Seong knew he may have to fight against Do-Jin again. After all, Yu-Seong was just an individual with so much to do. In fact, Ji-Ho was exactly right¡ªone could not cover the sky with one hand. That was why Yu-Seong wanted to be the Chairman of the Comet Group. It would mean being able to support many people with one hand and to cover the sky.

    After sorting out all his thoughts, Yu-Seong''s eyes had a firm gaze. Ji-Ho, who faced him, showed a gentle smile as he said, "I came here because I thought you would think so."

    "But, hyung-nim, you are..."

    "Yu-Seong, my life won''tst long."

    "That''s not true. You could live longer."

    With that potion, Elixir, Ji-Ho''s illness could be cured. However, Ji-Ho only shook his head firmly. He then said, "I know my destiny better than anyone else. The reaper ising soon.¡±

    "If the reaperes, I''ll stop him," Yu-Seong said.

    Ji-Ho nodded at Yu-Seong''s resolute voice. With a smirk, he said, "If that''s what you want, I''ll believe it.¡±

    "...I don''t really feel like you believe me."

    "That''s a misunderstanding."

    Yu-Seong no longer bothered to continue speaking. Neither of them had the intention to change their minds. After all, it was a sh between the stubborn Choi family. What more was there to say?

    "Anyway, did youe here just to make me the Chairman?"

    "You could say that," Ji-Ho said. He seemed to be hiding something else, but he made no mention of it.

    "Do you have any other thoughts to share?" asked Yu-Seong.

    This was different from the news pertaining to his deceased mother, Baek Yu-Ri.

    Even with Yu-Seong''s persistent question, Ji-Ho only shook his head.

    "That¡¯s good. Then, what about Father''s current decision...?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "As soon as hees out of the Tower of Heaven, he is scheduled for the SS-rank promotion evaluation,¡± responded Ji-Ho.

    "Pardon?"

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise. When did Woo-Jae, who seemed to just sit quietly in the Chairman''s office, grow so much? This was another situation that far exceeded the settings of the original novel.

    "Father thinks that the best time would be when the Comet Group jumps into the world. Before that, he wants to solve the problems within the family," borated Ji-Ho.

    Until now, Woo-Jae had actually watched his children argue and fight with one another. It was because he thought that thepetition between them would be the driving force of development.

    However, when they advanced into the world, internal fighting could be rather poisonous. Although Comet had overwhelming influence in South Korea, there were many more powerful groups in the world. Thus, it was now time to unite. And in order to do so, of course, they needed to firmly establish the session system.

    Finally, Yu-Seong could understand why Woo-Jae had left his seat and intensified the fight between the two siblings.

    "What about Mi-Na noo-nim...?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "You know her personality, don¡¯t you? She refused to take the Chairman position when Father offered it. If it was in the past, he would have pushed her anyway, but¡­" Ji-Ho responded.

    Now, the situation was different. Woo-Jae was thinking of Yu-Seong as a recement.

    "What about In-Young noo-nim...?"

    "That''s the mountain you have to ovee," Ji-Ho replied.

    Indeed, it was the final test. Finally, Yu-Seong was certain of the meaning of Woo-Jae''s words.

    <i>¡®Father already knows everything.¡¯</i>

    Woo-Jae likely already knew about the secrets of In-Yeong''s background regarding her maternal side of the family. However, he would have kept it hidden in order to strengthen the Choi family.

    And now, Woo-Jae had given the final test to Yu-Seong in order to solidify the Choi sessor internally. However, what if Yu-Seong failed the final test?

    <i>¡®Maybe he will look for the Elixir of Immortality like Qin Shi Huang.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled bitterly. It was his father, but the more Yu-Seong knew about him, the more fearful he became.

    1. Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of China who is known for unifying the country, building the Great Wall, and his obsession with achieving immortality.

 Chapter 217

    <h4>Chapter 217 </h4>

    The conclusion of the conversation with Ji-Ho was simple.

    <i>¡®At least, In-Young cannot pressure me with internal political issues.¡¯</i>

    As previously mentioned, Ji-Ho had a widework of support. Even after retiring from his position, many people still desired to follow him. As a result, the dissatisfaction toward Yu-Seong from those who expressed concerns about his position had decreased significantly with Ji-Ho''s endorsement.

    Needless to say, there was no need to be conscious regarding when he acted. With this, the only thing left was a full-scale war; a battle where he and In-Young would fight each other with their powers! In a way, it was the essence of a conglomerate, as Woo-Jae had often described corporate battles as wars.

    <i>¡®Hyung-nim said to call him whenever I needed his help, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had no intention of doing so.

    <i>¡®If he continues to strain himself, his illness could be really severe.¡¯</i>

    .

    Yu-Seong was determined to save Ji-Ho at all costs. In fact, he didn¡¯t want to lose anything in his life. With such a lofty goal, he had no intention of relying on Ji-Ho''s power at all.

    Then, just in time, both Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon returned from the promotion evaluation. They had finally reached the S-rank, a level that was considered somewhat absolute in the yer¡¯s world.

    After hearing Yu-Seong''s story, the Jin siblings both smiled confidently. Yu-Ri dered, "Full-scale war? Just leave it to us.¡±

    "I won¡¯t let them touch even a single strand of your hair, young master,¡± Do-Yoon added.

    Seeing their confident expressions, Yu-Seong could not help but feel relieved.

    Then, Jenny also returned from the Tower of Heaven.

    With a total of four people now, Yu-Seong assessed their military strength.

    <i>¡®Our side has two A-ranks and two S-ranks. If we include backup forces, we can have around three S-ranks.¡¯</i>

    And there was Young-Hoon, his new secret weapon.

    Although the number was small, Yu-Seong had a formidable group of elites. In other words, they were an elite minority. On the other hand, In-Young had arge number of supporters, including many Guild Presidents who were swayed by her.

    Yu-Seong sat and pondered. Based on the original novel, how would In-Young move?

    <i>¡®Choi In-Young has a cautious personality.¡¯</i>

    There was a high probability that the Guild Presidents would be moved first to help her avoid traps or dangers. Although it was a war where the number of troops was overwhelmingly in In-Young''s favor, Yu-Seong didn''t think he was in a bad situation.

    <i>¡®It would be disadvantageous if we really stood in a line on the in and fought, but¡­¡¯</i>

    In such a war, however, a small group would rather have an advantage.

    After weighing all the factors, Yu-Seong stood up. He had made his decision, announcing, "Let''s go to the Baekho Guild."

    The Baekho Guild might not be one of Korea''s Top 10 guilds, but it was apany that could be considered among the Top 20 guilds. Obviously, it was also a ce where people like In-Young''s subordinates had positions as the Guild President.

    "What''s our purpose?" asked Yu-Ri, who had read Yu-Seong''s mind.

    "Reconciliation or death. We have to choose one."

    "Is reconciliation possible?"

    "There is a way," said Yu-Seong confidently.

    Just as he had done to Young-Hoon before, Yu-Seong knew that he could break In-Young''s charm with his Third Eye. And in addition to that, he had another weapon.

    "Let''s go to my family home first," he said.

    "Why do we need to go there?" asked Yu-Ri.

    "There''s something there that could shake up all of Korea," Yu-Seong replied, thinking of Woo-Jae¡¯s office, which he had permission to ess at any time.

    The materials in there made Yu-Seong''s eyes glitter with excitement.

    ***

    Meanwhile, In-Young was moving as Yu-Seong had predicted.

    <i>¡®On the surface, my forces are much stronger. But for some reason, Father has forced us both to fight between us.¡¯</i>

    In fact, she was feeling wary of this fact.

    <i>¡®Also, thinking about Min Young-Hoon¡¯s defeat, there''s something else that Choi Yu-Seong is hiding.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, she decided to first move the Guild Presidents who were vulnerable to her charm skills. However, she received no good news from any of the guilds which had epted the request.

    "Also, Kim Do-Hoon of the Baekho Guild suddenly disappeared..."

    In addition, Lee Jin-Yong of the Jeok-Cheon Guild had refused to take on a mission, saying that it was an impossible mission to achieve.

    The person who surprised In-Young the most was Kwak Han-Cheol, the President of the Eoseureum Guild. He had fallen deeply under her Charm Skill, but for some reason, he had spewed insults at her and expressed his anger.

    At this point, even In-Young couldn''t help but realize that Yu-Seong had found a way to break her Charm Skill.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong has a way to break my Charm Skill!¡¯</i>

    A chill ran down her spine as she had that sudden realization. She could see herwork of rtionships crumbling at a rapid pace.

    <i>¡®Could the same thing be happening to Min Young-Hoon¡­?¡¯</i>

    In-Young shook her head.

    <i>¡®Even without the Charm Skill, he truly loved me.¡¯</i>

    There was almost no way to break her Charm Skill when it was mixed with genuine feelings.

    <i>¡®He would rather choose death than betrayal, but¡­¡¯</i>

    However, the ways of the world were unpredictable.

    In the wake of Yu-Seong''s attack, In-Young felt a faint sense of caution toward Young-Hoon. Either way, she felt a sense of loss from having lost part of the territory that she had personally built. It was a huge blow to her pride.

    <i>¡®I did think that the kid had grown up quite a bit, but¡­¡¯</i>

    She had never expected him to attack her so quickly.

    <i>¡®Fortunately, at least, most of what I lost is external power.¡¯</i>

    In other words, the fortifications at the estate''s border had copsed. Unfortunately for Yu-Seong, In-Young could ovee it again with having a strong foundation inside.

    After much contemtion, In-Young sat in her chair and rolled a single white go stone across her desk.

    <i>¡®Choi Jin-Woo. He said he¡¯d reach S-rank not too long ago.¡¯</i>

    Also, there were three others with him who had also reached S-rank.

    <i>¡®And then, there is Choi Yeo-Reum.¡¯</i>

    In-Young¡¯s eyes gleamed as she rolled another stone across her desk.

    <i>¡®There are at least two others among the fools following her who have reached S-rank.¡¯</i>

    Above all, the two of them were disposable pawns.

    <i>¡®Choi Jin-Woo is strong-willed and would still argue alot even if I became the Guild President, and Yeo-Reum... She''ll be consistently useless.¡¯</i>

    Finally, In-Young made a decision with a smirk.

    <i>¡®Let¡¯s make them fight.¡¯</i>

    It was a game of pitting them against Yu-Seong, and In-Young didn''t care which side emerged victorious, as long as they shed each other''s blood. In fact, all she had to do was sit back and wait for the opportune moment to strike.

    Of course, she had to be fully prepared for any unexpected situations.

    <i>¡®Since you never know.¡¯</i>

    In-Young pressed the button ¡®#1¡¯ on her phone.

    After a brief tone, a cold voice answered on the other end.

    - My niece. It''s been a while since you called.

    "I have a request," In-Young said.

    - Of course. If that''s not the situation, you would never reach out to me. Though, it''s impossible for now. The Godfather is keeping a close watch on us.

    The Godfather of the Demon King Worshipers¡ªthe unexpected title made In-Young frown deeply.

    In-Young''s maternal family were allied with the Demon King Worshipers, but their beliefs were significantly distinct. In the meantime, the frequent conflict was inevitable as the Godfather constantly attempted to subjugate her maternal family.

    <i>¡®...of all times, why now?¡¯</i>

    In-Young bit her lower lip in frustration, then spoke again in a more pleading tone. "Even so, please do help me. If we take over the Comet Group, it will increase our family''s power in Korea and give us an advantage when we fight against the Godfather, won''t it?"

    - Isn¡¯t that why your mother sent you to him?

    "Does my father know about this?"

    - It¡¯s impossible for him to be unaware about it. I still feel upset when I think about what he had received from us in exchange for sleeping with your mother.

    The person on the other end of the phone gritted his teeth, sighed once, and then continued to speak.

    - Anyway, to retrieve all of them, you''ll need to take control of the Comet Group. Although I may not be able to provide you with much, I''ll select a few valuable individuals to assist you.

    "When can you be ready?"

    - Within five days.

    In fact, by then, the fight between Yu-Seong and Jin-Woo would have been mostly settled. It was the perfect timing.

    "Okay. Thank you, Uncle," In-Young said, smiling as she hung up the phone.

    With the power of her maternal family added to her own, the fight was now in her favor. She felt quite assured.

    <i>¡®It seems that Choi Yu-Seong is steadily improving, but big walls don''t copse easily.¡¯</i>

    She could envision herself as the owner of the Comet Group in the near future. In-Young trembled with excitement.

    ***

    <i>¡®By now, she must have realized that her Charm Skill could be broken.¡¯</i>

    It was clear why Yu-Seong had taken action when there was a risk that In-Young might find out about Young-Hoon.

    <i>¡®There might be other characters involved who are unknown in the original novel.¡¯</i>

    If possible, Yu-Seong didn''t want to create any more significant variables. Moreover, this made it challenging for In-Young to manage the individuals under her Charm Skill and direct them to Yu-Seong. This was the biggest reason why Yu-Seong had revealed that there was a way for him to break In-Young¡¯s Charm Skill from the beginning, reducing the risk of a surprise attack.

    <i>¡®Now, In-Young will try to remove any unnecessary parts from her internal power.¡¯</i>

    At the same time, she would choose a way to reduce Yu-Seong¡¯s war power.

    <i>¡®She¡¯ll end up using Choi Jin-Woo. As for Choi Yeo-Reum¡­¡¯</i>

    In reality, to Yu-Seong, Yeo-Reum wasn''t much different from Min-Seok. She was an unremarkable piece that didn''t add much value to the situation.

    <i>¡®No, maybe she''s better than Choi Min-Seok.¡¯</i>

    Yeo-Reum was also a B-rank hunter, and her escort included multiple A-rank hunters. In a way, that made her a fairly useful force in full-scale battles.

    <i>¡®And Choi Jin-Woo has a strong sense of pride.¡¯</i>

    He also had a stronger sense of inferiority toward Ji-Ho than anyone else.

    Perhaps In-Young had asked Jin-Woo to carefully investigate Yu-Seong''s forces and then engage inbat after reporting back. But could Jin-Woo do that?

    <i>¡®Never.¡¯</i>

    In-Young was undoubtedly a yer with fierce determination and strong abilities. However, she was unaware that her arrogance and dictatorial nature were her weaknesses.

    <i>¡®She¡¯ll think that she''s ying with people''s minds.¡¯</i>

    In-Young would think that, although Jin-Woo was not exceptionally strong, being felled into her Charm Skill to some extent, he would ultimately follow hermands. Of course, that assumption was incorrect.

    After having those thoughts, Yu-Seong made a call to Jin-Woo. He said, "Hyung-nim, shedding blood unnecessarily wouldn''t be a good idea, would it?¡±

    Upon receiving the provocative remark, Jin-Woo''s breath became slightly rougher on the other end of the phone.

    - What did you say?

    "I mean, that¡¯s why you are always under Ji-Ho hyung-nim and Mi-Na noo-nim. It''s not just because of your age. If it was, then how do you think I¡¯ve gotten this far?¡±

    In fact, Jin-Woo was aware that Yu-Seong''s words were just a simple provocation. However, the sense of inferiority toward Ji-Ho and Mi-Na was too strong for him to ignore it.

    - Where are you?

    "At home."

    - Come to the location that I''m sending you in a message right now. I''ll straighten out your attitude.

    The call ended with Jin-Woo¡¯s angry voice. Soon after, Yu-Seong confirmed the location of the warehouse on Incheon''s coast through a text message that had flown in. He shrugged his shoulders.

    <i>¡®He''s behind the times¡­¡¯</i>

    Still, it wasn''t bad. Since it was a power-to-power match, Yu-Seong was confident in facing Jin-Woo.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll go and gently scratch him, relishing the victory like savoring honey.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was gradually growing stronger, exploiting the small crack in therge wall that In-Young had once proudly imed to be unbreakable.

 Chapter 218

    <h4>Chapter 218 </h4>

    Jin-Woo stood at the entrance of an abandoned factory near the Incheon waterfront, breathing in the brackish and salty air. He was surrounded by ten hunters who he trusted and valued the most; they were all at least A-rank, with even two S-ranks among them.

    With his reliable supporters standing behind him, he gazed at the sun setting on the horizon with a wavering gaze and exhaled rough breaths.

    This conflict between In-Young and Yu-Seong, which had culminated in their factional divide, was the final act in their internal power struggle that was intended by Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®This fight should have been between Choi In-Young and I.¡¯</i>

    Why had Jin-Woo expended so much effort and resources for so long? After Ji-Ho''s copse, he had wanted to prepare for any opportunities that might havee his way. However, neither Mi-Na nor Jin-Woo himself had been chosen as Woo-Jae''s final pick; it was Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®No matter how well the ninth kid has performedtely¡­! That''s not the point... Father has crossed the line.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Woo clenched his fists, suppressing his anger toward Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®How long have I made amitment to myself since that day¡­?¡¯</i>

    The day when Ji-Ho, who he had thought would unconditionally take over the Chairman position, copsed, Jin-Woo himself had been in the same dungeon.

    More precisely, Ji-Ho had jumped into the dungeon to save Jin-Woo. As for Jin-Woo, he had left behind his older brother, who he had so respected and followed until then, to run away alone and survive the crisis.

    It was a bitter past, a memory Jin-Woo didn''t want to recall. However, with Ji-Ho''s return and Yu-Seong standing by his side, all the memories returned like a recurring nightmare.

    <i>¡®It was my job to stand beside Ji-Ho hyung-nim!¡¯</i>

    Just as the fire burned fiercely in his eyes, Jin-Woo heard the loud noise of a car engine revving up from the nearby waterfront. Yu-Seong''s sedan, which he often rode in, then came into view.

    Jin-Woo turned his head and his eyebrows twitched again at the sight.

    <i>¡®Just one sedan?¡¯</i>

    Shouldn''t Yu-Seong have brought five or six vans to fight him?

    <i>¡®This guy, really...!¡¯</i>

    While Jin-Woo''s anger skyrocketed to the top of his head, the engine of the car stopped and the driver''s seat door opened. Jin-Woo naturally thought that Do-Yoon would get out of the car just then.

    <i>¡®Since that damn werewolf always follows Choi Yu-Seong like a puppy¡­¡¯</i>

    However, an unexpected sight greeted Jin-Woo instead. When the driver''s seat door opened, the person who confidently stepped out of the car was none other than Yu-Seong. No one else had followed him.

    "You...?" Bewildered, Jin-Woo stepped forward between his subordinates. He yelled at his younger brother, "Are you crazy? Don''t you care about your life?"

    "Is there anyone who doesn''t care about their life?" Yu-Seong tilted his head and replied, as if he didn''t understand what Jin-Woo was mad about.

    "But why did youe alone?"

    "Who said I came alone?" said Yu-Seong.

    He moved slowly and opened the car trunk as if he was dumbfounded by Jin-Woo¡¯s assumption.

    Spotting a partially folded electric wheelchair inside the trunk, Jin-Woo couldn''t help but be taken aback. He murmured, "No way..."

    "Your thoughts are exactly right.¡± Yu-Seong smirked and lifted Ji-Ho, who was sitting in the back seat.

    ¡°Oh my, it''s quite embarrassing to be carried like this even though I¡¯m your hyung-nim," said Ji-Ho.

    "I don¡¯t do this for just anyone. Enjoy it," responded Yu-Seong as he smirked.

    Yu-Seong ced Ji-Ho in the wheelchair before looking back at Jin-Woo, whose gaze wavered. Seeing the man think about the past, Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.

    <i>¡®I was worried about whether he had relieved himself of his own guilt, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had felt it during their brief meeting in Woo-Jae''s office. He noticed that Jin-Woo still found it difficult to face Ji-Ho.

    <i>¡®As it was written in the original novel, Jin-Woo was the one who cried the loudest at Ji-Ho''s funeral¡­¡¯</i>

    The description that the two were closer than anyone else before Ji-Ho had fallen seemed to be true.

    "Long time no see, Jin-Woo," said Ji-Ho.

    Listening to theposed greeting from Ji-Ho, Jin-Woo''s burning gaze immediately turned toward Yu-Seong. He seemingly didn¡¯t dare to respond to his older brother.

    "You¡­ What are you thinking, bringing hyung-nim here?" shouted Jin-Woo.

    "I said I woulde with him," replied Ji-Ho.

    "If you''re begging for your life and asking me to save face for hyung-nim¡­¡±

    "Jin-Woo, you still have lots of fears," Ji-Homented.

    Jin-Woo scowled and shouted, "Do you still see me as a child?!"

    It was only then that the two men''s gaze met in mid-air.

    <i>''Choi Jin-Woo is hot, and Ji-Ho hyung-nim is cold.''?</i>

    Perhaps that was why their gaze meeting in mid-air felt truly strange.

    "You finally meet my gaze," said Ji-Ho.

    ¡°Why, Hyung-nim¡­!¡± cried Jin-Woo.

    ¡°Are you asking me why I suddenly appeared and took Yu-Seong''s side?" Ji-Ho asked.

    "You seem to already know my reasons. Have you thought about what the cost would be?"

    ¡°Well¡­ I think I have already paid enough for what I have done," said Ji-Ho.

    "..."

    Seeing Jin-Woo speechless, Ji-Ho let out a deep sigh again. He said, "I know you don''t like In-Young very much, but you still decided to stand by her. You simply hate Yu-Seong even more than her.¡±

    "You''re mistaken, hyung-nim. I do like Choi In-Young," Jin-Woo said.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡±Jin-Woo said firmly, but his trembling gaze betrayed his words.

    In fact, Jin-Woo had always been this kind of person from the beginning.

    <i>¡®He can¡¯t be honest with himself and even has difficulty managing his emotions.¡¯</i>

    However, contrary to his cold exterior, the man possessed a considerable capacity for warmth and affection that he solely reserved for those closest to him. That was why he couldn''t forgive himself for having abandoned Ji-Ho and running away at thest moment.

    <i>¡®From now on, it can''t be solved just by conversation alone.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong thought it was time for him to step forward. He said, "Well, no matter the situation, I am the one fighting with you right now, am I not?"

    ¡°You know that, but still decided toe here alone?¡±

    "I said I¡¯m not alone, right? Why do you keep avoiding Ji-Ho hyung-nim?¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "Do you think hyung-nim can fight?" asked Jin-Woo.

    With a shrug of his shoulders, Yu-Seong said, ¡°I believe he will be stronger than you, since you only hide behind your subordinates and shout orders, hyung-nim.¡±

    ¡°Choi Yu-Seong!¡± shouted Jin-Woo.

    "Let''s not drag this out. You do understand the saying ¡®Let¡¯s not spill more blood than necessary,'' right? Despite that, seeing your subordinates following you one after another, it seems like you are quite afraid of your little brother," said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°You little brat¡­!¡±

    Jin-Woo exuded a fierce aura in a single breath, more intense than what Yu-Seong had imagined. For a moment, Yu-Seong felt like he couldn''t breathe, but it wasn¡¯t something that he couldn¡¯t bear. Rather, the situation was more favorable to him this way.

    <i>¡®The more excited he gets, the more weaknesses he will reveal.¡¯</i>

    In that sense, Jin-Woo was too emotional.

    "Let''s do a clean two-man duel match, just the two of us," said Yu-Seong.

    "Why should I? It would be easier to catch the one who came alone and seize your position," replied Jin-Woo.

    "If you want to do that, go ahead. There would be decent rumors that hyung-nim, who reached the S-rank, was scared of facing his younger brother, an A-rank. Even if I die, I at least have someone who would announce what happened, right?"

    "You..." said Jin-Woo, his lips curling up in a perplexed smile. "Alright, I¡¯ll let you off this time.¡±

    In fact, Jin-Woo knew that Yu-Seong was consistently trying to manipte his emotions. If Jin-Woo could just calm down a little more, he would find tons of easier solutions at hand. Despite that, Jin-Woo found himself unable to resist Yu-Seong''s provocations. It wasn''t just a simple matter of pride, after all.

    <i>¡®Ji-Ho hyung-nim, watch me.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Woo was confident that he was no longer the same Jin-Woo in the past. He was no longer a coward who would run away out of fear. Having reached his current position through all the pain and relentless effort, there was no way Yu-Seong could defeat him.

    "You may think you''re doing well these days, but there''s still a clear difference in our levels," said Jin-Woo.

    ¡°Instead of doing it here, how about doing it inside?" suggested Yu-Seong.

    "Why, are you afraid?" asked Jin-Woo.

    "Of course, look at your numbers. It''s just Ji-Ho hyung-nim and I against you, but you have close to ten men on your side, Jin-Woo hyung-nim," stated Yu-Seong.

    In response to Yu-Seong¡¯s taunts, one of the men guarding Jin-Woo growled, "Young master, the fact that you¡¯ve listened to his suggestions until now is more than enough¡­."

    "It¡¯s fine, Eun-Soo. If that''s what my little brother wants, I''ll oblige," said Jin-Woo, no longer able to hear anybody else¡¯s opinion.

    "Oh, is it okay to have Ji-Ho hyung-nim in the audience?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Of course. There''s nothing Ji-Ho hyung-nim can do anyway," replied Jin-Woo.

    In fact, Jin-Woo himself had been hoping for such a situation. He raised his head high and walked alone into therge warehouse. Immediately, Yu-Seong and Ji-Ho followed him.

    ***

    The three of them entered the spacious warehouse, which felt empty and hollow inside. Then, they firmly closed the door behind them. Even though the sun was about to set, none of them had any trouble seeing in the slightly dark space.

    Jin-Woo confidently walked to the center and turned around. He dered, "I''ll let you make the first move, Yu-Seong. Come at me."

    .

    "If you insist," Yu-Seong said.

    This was just as Yu-Seong had nned. Thinking so, he began to step forward.

    "No, Yu-Seong, you step back," said Ji-Ho, wheeling his electric wheelchair forward.

    ¡°What are you¡­?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Both Jin-Woo and Yu-Seong had no choice but to raise questions at Ji-Ho¡¯s sudden unexpected behavior.

    "It''s my job as the big brother to scold my foolish little brother," said Ji-Ho.

    "But, hyung-nim, when you asked toe along with me, you didn¡¯t say..." said Yu-Seong.

    He quickly moved to stop Ji-Ho, looking flustered. He was particrly concerned for his older brother, who was acting like this unexpectedly, due to his poor health.

    Looking at Yu-Seong with a concerned expression, Ji-Ho gently said with a smile, "Yu-Seong, give in to me this time. You''ve always won against me, haven''t you?"

    "But..." Yu-Seong hesitated.

    Ji-Ho gave him a warm smile and gently stroked Yu-Seong¡¯s head. He said, "You don''t have to carry such a heavy burden alone.¡±

    "It''s not that heavy for me. If you step forward like this¡­ It''s rather¡­¡± said Yu-Seong.

    "If I don''t step forward now, I don''t think I''ll ever be at peace even if I die. Is that not enough to convince you?" asked Ji-Ho.

    "..." Yu-Seong closed his eyes tightly, at a loss for words.

    <i>¡®Hyung-nim, you won''t die.¡¯?</i>

    No matter how much Yu-Seong thought of it, Ji-Ho was already preparing for his supposedly inevitable end. Yu-Seong couldn''t break that determination easily.

    "...Okay," replied Yu-Seong.

    In the end, he nodded and took a step back.

    Feeling incredulous at the unexpected situation, Jin-Woo demanded, "Choi Yu-Seong, are you really nning to hide behind hyung-nim''s back? Did you do all this for that particr reason?"

    Anger shot through Jin-Woo''s head. A red aura emanated from him as he seethed with heat.

    Ji-Ho, on the other hand, had warm air gathering around him. He looked at Jin-Woo calmly and said, "Did you not see? This is my choice, despite being stubborn."

    Then, Ji-Ho floated up into the air and said, "Don''t underestimate me. I was once considered the most talented person in the family.¡±

    "Choi Yu-Seong! Are you really going to do this?!" shouted Jin-Woo.

    "If you don''t listen, I''ll have to make you feel it," said Ji-Ho.

    With a wry smile, he held out his hand. Immediately after, a loud explosion erupted as a gust of wind shot forward.

 Chapter 219

    <h4>Chapter 219 </h4>

    During Ji-Ho''s prime, his nickname had been <i>¡®Pungbaek</i>,¡¯ which meant the Lord of the Wind. There were two skills that had earned him such a nickname.

    One was Wind Control, which Yu-Seong had also acquired. This technique allowed the yer to move ording to the flow of the wind, seemingly gliding through the air. It wasn''t shy, but it produced simple yet sharp movements. The second was the skill that Ji-Ho had just demonstrated.

    <i>¡®Palm Gust Strike!¡¯</i>

    One should not think of it as merely shooting wind with the palm of the hand. During Ji-Ho''s prime, the force contained in the wind he could shoot forward had weighed over three tons. Moreover, it rode on the wind and had an incredibly fast speed.

    <i>¡®In Ji-Ho hyung-nim''s prime, it exceeded 150 meters per second¡­¡¯</i>

    In other words, it was like a three-ton truck flying through the air at a speed of 500 kilometers per hour. It was also a move that didn¡¯t end in a single burst.

    <i>¡®Ji-Ho hyung-nim''s Palm Gust Strike rapid-fire speed was very well known.¡¯</i>

    He hadn¡¯t been called <i>''Pungbaek''</i>, the Lord of the Wind, and the future strongest yer of South Korea for nothing.

    As if to prove it, Ji-Ho unleashed a Palm Gust Strike that caused the solid iron floor to cave in and shatter with a loud noise. Without pausing for a moment, he fired consecutive Palm Gust Strikes at Jin-Woo, who was swiftly dodging every strike, within the warehouse.

    Ji-Ho even boldly approached Jin-Woo using Wind Control, hoping to settle the battle quickly.

    <i>¡®Although its power is tremendous, it can¡¯t possibly be as great as it was in his prime¡­¡¯</i>

    Ji-Ho must have chosen this method because he couldn''t fight for a long time. If Jin-Woo kept running away in this situation, buying time with the Fireball Projection skill he boasted about, there would be virtually no chance for Ji-Ho to win.

    <i>¡®But¡­¡¯</i>

    Jin-Woo would never have chosen such a method because he wanted to let Ji-Ho know that he had grown and was no longer a coward.

    As Ji-Ho approached, Jin-Woo looked for an opportunity and rushed forward with a shout. "I won''t go easy on you, hyung-nim!"

    Then, with one hand, Jin-Woo created arge me and swung it down from above.

    <i>Hwaak-!?</i>

    The wave of fire covered Ji-Ho, or at least, it appeared to be doing just that. Then, a sudden gust of wind split the wave of fire in two. From within it, Ji-Ho emerged and extended both hands at the same time.

    "Hmph!" Jin-Woo, who had been waiting for this moment, let out a snort as he swept the floor with his foot.

    With his kicking motion, the wall of fire rose high and reduced the power of Ji-Ho''s Palm Gust Strike. In the meantime, Jin-Woo himself disappeared.

    Missing Jin-Woo¡¯s movements, both Yu-Seong and Ji-Ho were momentarily confused.

    "It''s no longer your time, hyung-nim," said Jin-Woo.

    Using the explosion of me from his feet, he suddenly appeared next to Ji-Ho before extending both hands forward.

    "It''s time to take a break now!" shouted Jin-Woo as the mes from his hands shed and surged.

    Upon being struck, Ji-Ho, who was floating in the air, blurred and disappeared.

    <i>¡®A clone?¡¯</i>

    Surprised, Jin-Woo swung one hand around and formed a wide me defense shield. He was now on high alert as an attack coulde from anywhere.

    Suddenly, a voice came from above. Ji-Ho said, "Here, Jin-Woo."

    Looking up, Jin-Woo saw Ji-Ho with a white energy swirling around him. The man wasughing as he shot a Palm Gust Strike.

    <i>¡®Future foresight...! He was gauging my reaction.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Woo crossed his arms in an X shape and conjured mes, activating all of his defensive skills. Suddenly, his mind was filled with a buzzing sensation and a cacophony of sound.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    A deafening explosion followed, but Jin-Woo remained calm. He didn''t have Future Foresight like Ji-Ho, but his battle experience had sharpened his senses.

    <i>¡®At this point, hyung-nim would¡­¡¯</i>

    Ji-Ho would have no choice but to approach Jin-Woo to conclude the battle. His Palm Gust Strike wasn''t as powerful as before, so it couldn¡¯t possibly knock Jin-Woo down from a distance.

    In this case, Jin-Woo was absolutely right. There was a ripping sound on his left, followed by a dull energy. He spewed mes without even checking his surroundings, then saw Ji-Ho blurring and disappearing in the midst of the attack.

    <i>¡®Another clone?¡¯?</i>

    Jin-Woo clicked his tongue and fired the mes as his senses led him. His eyebrows furrowed as he was once again fooled by the clone. He muttered irritably, "Acting like a fly and dragging things out for so long isn''t my style, now just¡­!"

    Just then, his mana circuit began to radiate intense heat throughout his body. The heat began at his toes and quickly spread, engulfing his body and causing his muscles to tense up.

    <i>Fwoosh-!</i>

    With a sudden burst, mes sent sparks flying in all directions. In his transformed state as the me Spirit Man, Jin-Woo didn''t miss the sensation of the sparks making contact with something outside of him.

    <i>Pah-!?</i>

    In an instant, the mes flicked their tongues like a snake and swallowed Ji-Ho whole.

    Caught off guard, Yu-Seong was startled. He knew that, this time, it wasn¡¯t a clone. The fact that Ji-Ho didn''t appear anywhere after being engulfed by the mes was proof of that. He eximed, "What the...!"

    Just as Yu-Seong was about to rush out, Ji-Ho chuckled as the mes, which had risen ferociously, dissipated just as quickly. He then pinched Jin-Woo, who had transformed into a me Spirit Man, in the ribs.

    This was close-rangebat. No matter how powerful Jin-Woo was as an S-rank yer, he had to be prepared to break a few ribs if he was hit by Ji-Ho''s Palm Gust Strike.

    "Why did you extinguish the mes?" asked Ji-Ho.

    "...because there was no need to kill you," answered Jin-Woo.

    Ji-Ho chuckled, tapping his own head with Jin-Woo''s fist that hadnded on his temple. He said, ¡°And that¡¯s why you were scared to swing this.¡±

    ¡°I¡­!¡±

    Before Jin-Woo could speak up, Ji-Ho continued speaking. "What''s the big deal if you''re a little scared? I was scared too, thinking that I might have really died just now."

    "If you are scared, why did you evene out and fight? You''re in such a bad physical state!"

    "I know, hehe. <i>Cough, cough-!</i>"

    As Ji-Ho spat blood and fell to the ground, Jin-Woo quickly caught him and grumbled with a deep frown. He cried out, "Choi Yu-Seong!"

    Even before the urgent shout, Yu-Seong had already approached with a wheelchair. He swiftly picked up Ji-Ho, summoning his Green Wind Spirit Cat.

    "What is this...?" asked Ji-Ho, surprised.

    "It''s mainly used for treating external injuries, but it''s also useful for internal injuries. For now, let this guy poke and prod at you," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Hehe... What a cute skill," chuckled Ji-Ho. Looking back at Jin-Woo, he said, "Everyone faces their fears when fighting, and sometimes even despair. But don''t we all keep moving forward regardless?"

    "What are you trying to say?" asked Jin-Woo.

    "Even if you went easy on me, your level isparable with the level I had during my prime. You''ve grown very well, Jin-Woo. Excellent job."

    At that moment, Jin-Woo''s eyes flushed red and his expression distorted. Heined, "Do you still see me as a kid?"

    "Jin-Woo, I''ve never seen you as a kid, to begin with," answered Ji-Ho.

    "But why¡­!"

    "Because I see you as a younger brother," said Ji-Ho.

    ¡°...?!¡±

    "We have different mothers. Not just you, but most of us siblings are like that. But we have the same father and use the same surname."

    As the effects of the Green Wind Spirit Cat''s treatment gradually showed, Ji-Ho''splexion improved slightly and he continued speaking. "Jin-Woo, hyung can pretend to be a little more mature for his younger brother, right? I know it may seem childish to you, but conversely, the younger brother can also rely on his hyung a little bit. That''s not a bad thing."

    In fact, that was just how people lived.

    Taking a deep breath, Ji-Ho leaned back on the wheelchair with his shoulders. "My turn ends here. In the end, we each make our own decisions. But Jin-Woo, know that you don''t need to be scared anymore or demoralize yourself. You are my younger brother and a great adult¡­in the past, present, and future. "

    "Just because of those words, do you think I¡¯ll¡­" Jin-Woo''s tearful cheeks quivered as he spoke through gritted teeth.

    Yu-Seong calmly watched as he pushed Ji-Ho''s wheelchair and created some distance between them.

    There was a brief silence. After what might have been a long time, Jin-Woo raised his head and said, "There is no obligation for me to ept you, even if Father and hyung have approved of you."

    ¡°Well, that goes without saying¡­" said Yu-Seong.

    After all, wasn''t the current situation a result of that? However, something had changed. Jin-Woo''s momentum seemed different. If his anger toward Yu-Seong had filled him up before, he was now much colder, calm and collected.

    "Take up your weapon, Choi Yu-Seong. Let''s test your qualifications," Jin-Woo said firmly, shedding light on the meaning of his words.

    <i>''If I win this battle¡­''?</i>

    Jin-Woo, who had conserved his full war power, would then stand beside Yu-Seong.

    The problem was that Yu-Seong wasn''t as confident in his ability to win as he had initially thought.

    <i>''His gaze has changed too much.''?</i>

    Emotions such as anger, self-importance, and ego-driven confusion hadrgely been resolved in a short period of time. To be precise, Jin-Woo may not havepletely gotten rid of these emotions, but he had seeded in suppressing them at least for the time being.

    Right now, Jin-Woo was facing Yu-Seong with full determination. As Yu-Seong had already learned from his experience with Young-Hoon, opponents with such determination could not be easily defeated. However, that didn''t mean Yu-Seong was going to give up.

    <i>¡®I can¡¯t give up.¡¯</i>

    Excluding Min-Seok, who had reluctantly surrendered, Yu-Seong would finally gain the recognition of another sibling who had previously opposed him. Perhaps another precious person would appear by his side.

    "I''ll do my best, hyung-nim," said Yu-Seong with determination in his eyes.

    Unlike the beginning, he was now recognizing Jin-Woo as his family. Even though his gaze toward Jin-Woo was different from before, there was still some hesitation in it.

    "Come on, Choi Yu-Seong," said Jin-Woo.

    The sh of power between the two brothers resonated once again.

    ***

    In front of the logistics warehouse, Jin-Woo''s subordinates waited, listening to the sounds of fighting inside. When they saw the figure emerging from the warehouse, their eyes widened in surprise. "Choi Yu-Seong!"

    Although his skin was burnt, clothes were tattered, and hair was disheveled, he had no visible major injuries. Yu-Seong still had plenty of strength left as he walked. What could this mean?

    "No way¡­ Choi Yu-Seong, did you...defeat Jin-Woo young master?"

    Yu-Seong smiled and nodded. "I won. It wasn''t easy, but I did it.¡±

    ¡°What about Jin¡­ Jin-Woo young master?¡±

    Just before Jin-Woo''s subordinates could express their surprise and anger, they heard a somewhat exhausted voice from inside the warehouse. It was Jin-Woo¡¯s.

    "I¡¯m fine. Just let him go."

    "Young master!"

    Jin-Woo¡¯s shocked subordinates were about to rush inside, but Yu-Seong held them back with one hand. He said, "We''re having a family reunion inside after a long time, so it''s not very polite to disturb us.¡±

    Onlyter did the subordinates realize that Ji-Ho, who had entered the warehouse with Yu-Seong, was not with him when he emerged. Their eyes widened in shock. As they had been with Jin-Woo since Ji-Ho and Jin-Woo were close to each other, they understood the situation all too well.

    "Well then, I''ll be leaving. Take care of these two. See you soon." With a wave of his hand, Yu-Seong walked through the crowd and made his way to his parked car. His lips were curved into a bright smile.

    <i>¡®Thank you, Ji-Ho hyung-nim.¡¯</i>

    He was grateful for all he had gained from this unexpected day.

 Chapter 220

    <h4>Chapter 220 </h4>

    At that moment, there was another person who had safelypleted their A-rank promotion evaluation and returned to Earth.

    "At this rate... It seems like I''ve almost recovered my full strength," said Do-Jin with a strange smile on his face as he checked his physical condition.

    <i>¡®I purposely tried to match my pace with Yu-Seong, but it seems like this has actually helped with my growth.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin''s initial expectation was that he would fully recover all the power he had umted in the other world by the time he reached S-rank. However, he had already almost fully recovered that power at A-rank.

    Although not yetplete, he might be stronger by the time he reached S-rank and might even surpass the strength he had when he defeated the Demon King.

    ¡®<i>Should I go find Choi Yu-Seong right away and challenge him to a duel of retribution?¡¯</i>

    After some thought, Do-Jin shook his head. Although Yu-Seong was strong at his B-rank, he was not yetparable to Do-Jin himself, who had surpassed that rank and leapt over the walls multiple times to progress to A-rank.

    Should he give Yu-Seong more time to grow? After a moment of thought, Do-Jin shook his head again.

    <i>¡®I''ll defeat him when I''m more perfect.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin now clearly knew what his feelings were toward Yu-Seong¡ªthat of aplete rival. If he were to face such an opponent, he wanted to meet Yu-Seong in a state where Do-Jin himself could demonstrate his true ability. He did not want to battle in a state where he was not yet fully recovered.

    How much longer would Yu-Seong take to chase after him until then? Do-Jin smiled inwardly and picked up the phone. He said, ¡°Association Chairman, this is Kim Do-Jin. I have a request.¡±

    In fact, the best way to recover to his optimal condition as quickly as possible was through realbat or harsh training that was almost like realbat. With that thought, Do-Jin hade up with a great idea.

    "Yes, I want to fight all the hunters of S-rank and above who are affiliated with the Association. Yes, I think it would be a great help. And if possible, I also want to fight with the Sword Master..."

    Before he could finish his sentence, Do-Jin heard a startled and astonished voice on the other end of the line. It was only after receiving a calm response on the other end of the line did he reply, ¡°Could you kindly arrange this as soon as possible? Yes, thank you.¡±

    After giving a brief answer, Do-Jin hung up the phone, walked out of the room, and looked at a family photo hanging on one of the walls. In the photo were a middle-aged man and woman, his younger brother, and Do-Jin. Among them, the middle-aged man''s eyes looked empty, as if asking him a question.

    - There''s no way you''re going to be blinded by useless friendship and forget about revenge.

    A sudden voice echoed in his mind, causing Do-Jin''s gaze to quickly turn cold.

    <i>''...Of course not.''?</i>

    Regardless of his rivalry with Yu-Seong, Do-Jin was determined to seize the life of Woo-Jae at any cost. His original ns had changed and the scale of the Comet Group had grownrger, and he already had a newly established n. Revenge would be sessful in the end.

    <i>¡®The big day is just around the corner.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin would put a knife to Woo-Jae''s throat and demand retribution. Then, he would strike the man¡¯s neck in a single blow like the executioner on the guillotine. Do-Jin calmed his mind and thought of the fate that awaited him.

    <i>''When that timees... I''ll be free too.''</i>

    Do-Jin no longer wanted to be swayed by the vice that had been tormenting him.

    ***

    After returning home, Yu-Seong sat down in his room with a contented smile on his face.

    <i>¡®I can''t believe I was able to bring Choi Jin-Woo to my side.¡¯</i>

    When he had gone to fight with Jin-Woo, all Yu-Seong had wanted was for him to stay out of the session battle. After all, given Jin-Woo''s strong sense of pride, it was unlikely that he would side with someone much younger like Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®If it weren''t for Choi In-Young''s Charm Skill, it would have been almost impossible for her to convince Choi Jin-Woo.¡¯</i>

    Although, even with her Charm Skill, In-Young hadn''t been able topletely control Jin-Woo''s mind. The man was simply too prideful.

    However, Jin-Woo had changed his mind to help Yu-Sung with Ji-Ho''s persuasion. This was different from Min-Seok being on Yu-Seong¡¯s side, which was futile.

    <i>¡®In fact, it is safe to say that Jin-Woo''s power within the family is just below In-Young''s.¡¯?</i>

    Therefore, Yu-Seong¡¯s direct forces had rapidly strengthened. Furthermore, the amount of stocks that Jin-Woo and his followers possessed could not be ignored.

    <i>¡®In this situation, even if I just used a majority vote in thepany meeting, I might be able to gain the majority support.¡¯</i>

    Now, Yu-Seong had the option to use a scenario where he could even winpletely without shedding blood.

    Of course, considering In-Young''s personality, the chances of her consenting to such a n were low.

    <i>¡®Eventually, shedding blood is inevitable, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Still, the fact that he had gained an advantage in the in-house political battle was already a huge aplishment. Now, Yu-Seong would be able to lead the fight instead of being dragged along by In-Young.

    <i>¡®I need to change the n, but this is the first time I feel so happy about it.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong smiled as he checked his phone. At the top of his messages was one from Ji-Ho, saying that he had safely arrived home. Just below was a message from Jin-Woo.

    <i>¡®I''m counting on you from now on.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong was aware that the earlier incident had taken ce, but receiving a message directly from Jin-Woo made it all the more tangible.

    <i>¡®At this point, In-Young won''t be able to avoid using the power from her maternal family.¡¯</i>

    Ultimately, this would probably displease Woo-Jae. However, before moving on to the next battle, she had to win the internalpany fight first.

    <i>¡®Maybe she has already drawn them in.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong didn''t let his guard down. He went through all the possible scenarios in his head, making preparations for all that could happen.

    But this time, he didn''t need to be as aggressive as before. The wall that his opponent believed to be sturdy was now crumbling, with water pouring out. At this point, Yu-Seong certainly had no reason to hurry.

    <i>¡®In-Young''s side will contact me first.¡¯</i>

    Currently, reading In-Young¡¯s intentions was a top priority.

    After writing and erasing his ns on paper several times, Yu-Seong finally settled on the most ideal n and put down his pen. Then, he crammed more information into his head before tearing up the paper.

    <i>¡®That''s enough.¡¯</i>

    The only remaining task was for Yu-Seong himself to continue to steadily grow to the point where he could prepare for the worst-case scenario. Training and leveling up would be advantageous in achieving this goal.

    <i>¡®In addition to that¡­ I even got a new skill this time.¡¯</i>

    The fight between Ji-Ho and Jin-Woo was one of the best gifts that Yu-Seong could have received.

    <i>¡®Now that my level has risen, I can even copy Ji-Ho hyung-him¡¯s Palm Gust Strike.¡¯</i>

    Furthermore, after returning home, he hadbined the Palm Gust Strike and the Dancing Electric Doll Skills. This produced amazing results for him.

    ¡º Lightning Strike A.

    The power of the condensed lightning can be shot out like Palm Gust Strike.

    The power and shape will vary depending on the chosen martial technique.¡»

    It was a simple skill description, but acquiring the skill by his Fusion made Yu-Seong want to jump up and down in ecstasy. To put it simply, his new skill, Lightning Strike, was Palm Gust Strike mixed with lightning. Moreover, with the additional effects provided by the Fusion skill that had reached A-rank, it became an incredible force to be reckoned with.

    <i>¡®Unlike Palm Gust Strike, I can unleash the skill not only through my palms, but also through any weapon or tool I choose.¡¯</i>

    If he were to shoot it from a spear, for example, it would be the Magic Spear that Cu Chinn boasted.

    <i>¡®If Ibine it with a Raging Snake¡­¡¯</i>

    The attack would be an unstoppable force, extending to the full range of his lightning power.

    <i>¡®Of course, it''s not usually this easy to do both at the same time¡­¡¯</i>

    However, since Yu-Seong had the Split Mind Skill, this difficulty did not apply to him. With Lightning Strike in his arsenal, his spear skills had reached an unpredictable level that nobody could easily anticipate.

    <i>¡®And if I use a gun¡­¡¯</i>

    Unlike his spear skills, Yu-Seong''s gun abilities were stillcking at this stage. However, with the power of Lightning Strike, he could shoot out powerful magical bullets from his gun, just like Jenny.

    If he were to use a sniper rifle, he could even pierce through the armor of A-rank hunters, and perhaps even the heads of S-rank hunters from a long distance.

    <i>¡®What if I also use a cannon or a tank?¡¯</i>

    It wouldn¡¯t be as powerful as using the power of a god from summoning Loki, but it would allow Yu-Seong to directly unleash a considerably powerful attack.

    With all these thoughts in mind, it was impossible for Yu-Seong not to smile.

    <i>¡®Now, most of the space is under my control.¡¯</i>

    Having the ability to utilize more space in battle was certainly a boastful feat.

    Additionally, Yu-Seong had a Restoration skill and a Mental Defensive skill, as well as Resistance from Insignia of Protection.

    <i>¡®Thanks to that, the consumption of Chakra is really intense, but¡­¡¯</i>

    This was also mostly covered by the skill, God''s Chakra, which raised his mana to an astounding amount. With the power of the mana potions he had saved up in the Tower of Heaven, Yu-Seong could fight all day long.

    <i>¡®I feel like I''m bing a true All-Rounder.¡¯</i>

    With his directbat abilities alone, Yu-Seong could easily rank among the top fighters in the world.

    <i>¡®Perhaps the top 1%.¡¯</i>

    It was an incredible level, but he was still disappointed by one particr aspect.

    <i>¡®There are still more than a hundred people stronger than me.¡¯</i>

    .

    And there was Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®I wonder if he''se out of the Tower of Heaven by now?¡¯</i>

    Thepetitiveness in Yu-Seong''s eyes grew as he thought of his opponent.

    <i>¡®Considering the difference in growth rate from the original novel¡­ It would still be usible for him to regain all the strength he had when he defeated the Demon King within A-rank.¡¯</i>

    Although, at that time, Do-Jin had been armed with equipment with god¡¯s blessings, it was a fact that his skills were already exceptional to begin with.

    <i>¡®ording to the original novel, there were less than 30 beings with superior skills to Do-Jin. This was after he has fully recovered his strength.¡¯</i>

    And among them, there were only about five people who could single-handedly fight against the Demon King who had descended upon the earth.

    <i>¡®And somehow, the Demon King who descended upon the earth was said to be stronger than those in the other-world.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps it was because the authority of the gods who practically existed in another world had limited the Demon King¡¯s power.

    <i>¡®Moreover, in the original novel, the number of Demon Kings who descended upon the earth was only eight.¡¯</i>

    And only five people were capable of fighting against them. In addition, among them, three were actually those who had a well-suited disposition for the Demon King.

    In other words, the emphasis in the original novel was that Do-Jin had to fight and defeat all eleven of them who had the level of power of a Demon King. That was why, by the end of the first part of the original novel, Do-Jin was only able to defeat one Demon King.

    However, things were different now.

    <i>¡®There are at least two people, Kim Do-Jin and I.¡¯</i>

    Additionally, what if Bernard, who was also rapidly growing, and Ji-Ho, who had recovered through the Elixir, were added?

    <i>¡®I shouldn¡¯t forget about Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryeong too.¡¯</i>

    The number of people was starting to match the opponent¡¯s side to some extent. However, to achieve this, stability in their immediate environment was a priority.

    <i>¡®First, I¡¯d need topletely stabilize the Comet Group¡­¡¯</i>

    And if possible, Yu-Seong would have to remove any individuals who could be a liability before the Demon King descended.

    <i>¡®And of course, before that¡­¡¯</i>

    However, there was one more important thing left to deal with.

    <i>¡®I have to find a way to reconcile with Kim Do-Jin and Father¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, this was truly difficult. The situation was soplicated that it made the fight with In-Young seem easier. Therefore, Yu-Seong started investigating the situation.

    <i>¡®Since this world is pretty much different from the description in the original novel¡­¡¯</i>

    Perhaps there were facts that could be variables if he looked into it in detail.

    <i>¡®They must exist.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong no longer resented Woo-Jae. In the first ce, to Yu-Seong, who no longer thought of himself as an outsider in this world, Woo-Jae was a person who made him feel the love of family. This was unlike his previous life as an orphan.

    <i>¡®It won''t be easy, but I have to find a way to do it.¡¯</i>

    Indeed, that was Yu-Seong''s determination.

 Chapter 221

    <h4>Chapter 221 </h4>

    After Jin-Woo had joined Yu-Seong''s side, In-Young remained silent for a long time with no visible action being taken. Just like that, more than a week had passed. Yu-Seong considered this to be the calm before the storm. Therefore, rather than rushing into action, he focused on honing his own skills before making a move.

    While having breakfast, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he watched the morning news.

    - Kim Do-Jin, South Korea''s strongest rookie, challenges the Sword Master, setting his sight on the title of the best!

    It was news that Do-Jin and Sword Master had had an unofficial match. Although the results had not been officially announced, many spected that Sword Master had emerged victorious from this match.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin probably won.¡¯</i>

    Despite being called the best yer in South Korea, Sword Master was a somewhat overrated. In the original novel, Do-Jin had been aware of this fact from the very beginning and used it as an opportunity to boost his own reputation by defeating Sword Master once he regained his strength.

    <i>¡®That time hase sooner than I thought.¡¯</i>

    Although the results had not been made public, those in the know would inevitably spread the word of the match''s oue. Indeed, everything was progressing faster and faster.

    With such a feeling in his heart, Yu-Seong murmured to himself, "She''lle today."

    ¡°What?¡± Yu-Ri, who was watching the news from beside Yu-Seong, asked in surprise. ¡°No way¡­ Did you use future foresight?¡±

    It was more of intuition rather than future foresight, but Yu-Seong didn''t dismiss the feeling lightly. He replied, "It¡¯s not that¡­ It''s more of a gut feeling.¡±

    Calm days had passed, but a storm was brewing tonight. The preparations had already beenpleted, but unexpected variables could still arise. Even so, there would be no more futile defeats like in the past.

    As Yu-Seong steeled himself, Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon also hardened their expressions.

    When afternoon finally arrived, someone rang the doorbell of Yu-Seong''s house. Yu-Ri checked the visitor and turned to Yu-Seong with a surprised expression. She said, "It''s Choi In-Young.¡±

    The fact that In-Young had directlye to his house was unexpected. Yu-Seong was momentarily flustered, but he soon regained hisposure and calmly nodded.

    "Did shee alone?"

    "Yes," Yu-Ri replied.

    "Let her in," said Yu-Seong, who knew that he should not show fear when faced with a lone opponent.

    ***

    Soon, they were in the living room.

    Facing each other, In-Young smiled slyly and asked, "Wow, how did you manage to persuade even Jin-Woo oppa to your side? Do you have more charm than I do?"

    "I have no idea what you''re talking about. Did you have a conversation with Jin-Woo hyung-nim?" Yu-Seong replied with a smirk at the strange provocation.

    "Don''t pretend like you don¡¯t know anything. I already figured it all out. Where''s Min Young-Hoon?"

    "He''s dead."

    "Liar."

    "But it was you who sent him to die, wasn''t it, noo-nim?" Yu-Seong asked.

    With a fleeting nce, In-Young tried to read Yu-Seong''s expression. However, she only got a strange sensation when their gazes met.

    <i>''Is he bing more like Father?''</i>

    Aside from failing to read Yu-Seong''s thoughts in his gaze, In-Young also felt the heavy weight of his stare. In other words, Yu-Seong was using his gaze to suppress her. This fact alone made In-Young feel a strange mix of difort and interest.

    "I wonder if simply trying to take you down is really the best strategy," In-Youngmented.

    In fact, her approach wasn''t to go all-out in a frontal assault. Rather, she preferred to lure her opponents in and then make them yield at her feet, even if it meant taking a slightly roundabout path.

    "You know we can''t have the kind of rtionship that you want, right?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "You never know. Maybe we''ll surprise each other and get along better than we think possible," In-Young replied as her Charm Skill momentarily flickered.

    Yu-Seong smirked and activated his Third Eye, which allowed him to withstand the Charm Skill. He did, however, have to expend some mental strength.

    In-Young looked at the Third Eye appearing on Yu-Seong¡¯s forehead in surprise. Shemented, ¡°Oh, it looks like you have an interesting skill.¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have a choice when you use such strange tactics, noo-nim,¡± Yu-Seong replied.

    "What a shame. I''d love to capture you now that I have the chance," In-Young said, pouting and sighing deeply. ¡°Yu-Seong, I have to admit that you are doing well. To be honest, I am quite surprised.¡±

    ¡°If you know that, then you should just give up. The game is almost over,¡± Yu-Seong said.

    ¡°That''s what I want to say. You''ve done well so far, but there''s no guarantee you''ll keep doing well. Everyone has some hidden tricks up their sleeves, so don''t be mistaken in thinking that you have won already. Comcency could be fatal for you,¡± In-Young said.

    "That¡¯s exactly what I wanted to say to you,¡± Yu-Seong replied.

    In-Young''s eyes narrowed again at Yu-Seong¡¯s unyielding attitude.

    <i>¡®Tsk, I really want him.¡¯?</i>

    How could she have ignored such a great younger brother until now? If she had hugged him in her arms before he was all grown up, she wouldn''t have to do such useless things now.

    <i>¡®It''s a huge shame.¡¯?</i>

    They were enemies; the reality of her situation.

    In-Young nodded in resignation at the irreversible reality. "So, your choice is to witness bloodshed between your own siblings."

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you won''t regret your choice?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Yu-Seong replied, grinning brightly.

    In-Young''s calm gaze began to change sharply. She said, "I used to think you¡¯re a cute little brother. I wanted to save you at all costs.¡±

    "Thank you for saying so, even though you don''t mean it," Yu-Seong replied sarcastically.

    "I mean what I just said. If I didn''t, we wouldn''t be having this pointless conversation," In-Young retorted before handing over a piece of paper from her pocket.

    Yu-Seong took the piece of paper, then sighed. He said, ¡°There are many familiar names.¡±

    He could see the names of several executives and directors who had supported Ji-Ho and Jin-Woo. Most of them had signed an agreement to switch their allegiance to In-Young''s side.

    "Like you, I can do it too. With only a little encouragement, they¡¯ve signed the contract without hesitation. You see, that''s the thing. If you get careless and think you''ve won, you might end up choking yourself."

    "But why did you bothering all the way here to tell me this? Couldn¡¯t this have been resolved as an internal power struggle within thepany?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "I¡¯vee since you might have prepared something too?" In-Young replied.

    ¡°...Oh well, you caught me,¡± Yu-Seong admitted without bothering to hide the truth.

    Knowing that In-Young had the Charm Skill, it would be foolish not to predict that some would be swayed by her powers and betray him.

    "Who is it? Did Yeo-Reum also betray me? Or maybe even Eun-Yul?¡± asked In-Young.

    As she also called out the name of the youngest member of the Choi family, Eun-Yul, who wasn¡¯t even involved in the session fight, Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders and said nothing.

    "Well, alright, I didn''t think you would tell me. And even if we take over the organization by division vote, they won''t ept it modestly," In-Young said with a slight smile as she pulled out her phone to make a call.

    Nobody answered even as she waited for a while. After five rings, she hung up the phone as if the call didn¡¯t matter.

    "What have you done?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Well? What do you think?¡± In-Young threw a question back.

    That brief exchange left Yu-Seong feeling uneasy and a strange sensation coursed through his entire body. He had never felt such a sensation before, but he was well aware of it.

    "It''s a barrier," he said.

    "Correct," In-Young replied with a smirk.

    As she stood up, the vibration of the barrier caused the house and walls to crumble. She then said, "I''ve already surrounded your house with my troops. No one can help you now. You¡¯ve missed your chance.¡±

    Without warning, two dark figures appeared beside In-Young with red eyes and a strong odor of blood.

    Yu-Seong easily recognized them and said, ¡°Vampires.¡±

    The two men grinned. Then, one of the vampires said, "Hehe... In-Young, your little brother is quite perceptive.¡±

    "Did you get caught?" the other asked.

    "Perhaps he already knew," In-Young smirked, shrugging her shoulders.

    Yu-Seong could sense that the vampires were of S-rank level, but the problem was that they were not the only ones. He could tell that more than ten vampires, with a strong odor of blood, had revealed themselves beyond the entrance of the barrier.

    Silently observing the situation, Yu-Seong said calmly, "Now I understand. Vampires weaken during the day, but that doesn''t matter inside this barrier. That''s why you¡¯ve trapped me here and called these people over.¡±

    In-Young tilted her head and replied, "You''re mostly right. But the most important thing is that no one will know what we do inside the barrier.¡±

    "It must have been difficult to find a barrier master of this level. Your family must have put in quite an effort," Yu-Seong noted.

    "If you know that so well, why don¡¯t you start getting scared? I don¡¯t want to get bored while watching you.¡± In-Young chuckled and shrugged.

    "You said it, In-Young," Yu-Seong said with a cold smile. "Just when you think you''ve won, the crisis will strangle you.¡±

    "What?" In-Young asked, startled.

    "Don''t get ahead of yourself. You''re not the only one who can hire a barrier master," Yu-Seong said.

    As the barrier began to crack like shattering ss, In-Young and the vampires looked around in surprise.

    "I have someone who will soon be the world''s best barrier master," Yu-Seong dered.

    In fact, this was the moment why Yu-Seong had never publicly announced that Jin-Hyuk had the ability of barrier master.

    .

    ¡®<i>Of course, Jin-Hyuk would not be able to break through thisrge barrier alone.¡¯</i>

    Thus, he had put his best soldier on standby by Jin-Hyuk¡¯s side.

    <i>¡®Loki.¡¯</i>

    At Yu-Seong''s request, the mischievous purple dragon consumed arge amount of his mana and moved toward Jin-Hyuk to help break the barrier.

    As a result, the space that had been traversed using the barrier¡¯s power was starting to reveal the originalyout of Yu-Seong''s house. The vampires, who had used the power of the barrier to cross the space, began to disappear one by one.

    In-Young looked bewildered, having not expected this situation at all. In fact, her reaction was only natural. Typically, it took at least an hour on average for the barrier to be broken, so it was natural for her to show such an expression.

    "Well, it''s always carelessness that ruins everything," Yu-Seong said with a teasing smile.

    Annoyed by Yu-Seong¡¯s tone, In-Young shouted, "Capture Choi Yu-Seong!"

    After all, in chess or shogi, the game was over once the king was captured. Around them, there were still over ten S-rank vampires.

    Although In-Young admitted that her maternal family had provided her as much support as possible, it had actually caused more problems.

    Just when the vampires were about to attack Yu-Seong, Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri tried to block their attacks.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Suddenly, a man broke through the almost destroyed barrier with his strength. Revealing his huge build with a fierce and beast-like momentum, he greeted, "Hello, vampire friends. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Jackson¡­?¡±

    The SS-rank hunter and Hexagram master of the Demon King Worshipers, Beast King Jackson, had appeared. In fact, his appearance had been intended by Yu-Seong.

    <i>''Because at this moment, the Godfather is attempting to subjugate the vampires.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt relieved to see that the incident was unfolding as nned, despite his initial worries about the passage of time. After all, there was no reason not to use the information he had gained from reading the original novel.

    <i>¡®It''s a bit ufortable that he''s from the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯</i>

    However, there was no better way to deal with this situation. As the saying went, ''<i>y somebody off against somebody''</i>, this was the way to suppress the enemy with another enemy.

    Of course, this n came with a problem that Yu-Seong had to face.

    "So, you were the one who provided this valuable information? How interesting," Jackson said.

    The problem arose when Jackson, who had been looking down at the terrified vampires and In-Young, turned his gaze to Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 222

    <h4>Chapter 222 </h4>

    In fact, hunters at SS-rank or higher were very rare on Earth.

    <i>''At most, there may be about 30 of them?''?</i>

    In the demon world, SS-rank hunters could be considered to be at least as powerful as a duke. Even among the Demon King Worshipers¡¯ Hexagram Masters, Jackson, the Beast King, was one of the closest to the pinnacle.

    <i>¡®I was wondering who woulde, and it turned out to be the most extreme one¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong bit his lip, feeling cold sweat trickle down his back.

    Since the Godfather intended to subdue the vampires, Yu-Seong had predicted that the Demon King Worshipers would send a fairly strong individual to seize this opportunity to gain the upper hand. However, the actual monster that had arrived was much more formidable than Yu-Seong had expected.

    Moreover, as mentioned before, Jackson was somewhat of a radical. He was known to turn the entire surroundings into a mess if he felt like he was being obstructed, even if the obstruction was not necessarily his target.

    "Damn it, run away!"

    The desperate vampires were not running for nothing.

    <i>''The problem is that even if they run away...''?</i>

    Jackson was not a man one could just get away from.

    Jackson had been standing in front of Yu-Seong just moments ago, but now, he was smashing several vampires¡¯ heads in session. He stopped them from running away.

    Meanwhile, the surviving vampires had a thought. <i>¡®No matter how much of a monster he is, he won¡¯t be able to catch us all alone.''?</i>

    As if reading their minds Jackson, who was left alone in the copsing barrier, snickered. "You stupid idiots. If I wanted to catch all of you from the beginning, it would have already been done.¡±

    There was a reason why Jackson had let the vampires go. The vampires who had fled were frozen solid in mid-air before falling back to the ground like hail. They shattered into pieces and instantly died.

    Naturally, everyone''s gaze turned to the woman on a witch''s broom.

    Waving her hand lightly under the full moon in the night sky, the woman remarked, "If you hadn''t sent any, I would have been so disappointed.¡±

    "Talia-!" the vampires eximed.

    As another Hexagram Master, the Queen of Frigidity, had appeared, the vampires who were fleeing stopped in their tracks. In fact, they had already given up on life.

    "Didn''t the Boss tell you not to do anything stupid and toy low for a while? Why didn''t you listen?" Talia asked with a smile as she waved her hand in the air.

    Watching as all of the vampires on the ground turned into ice and floated into the air at Talia¡¯s wave, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel cold sweat running down his back.

    <i>¡®How much mana and precise control do you need to do something like that?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but shudder in fear.

    <i>¡®These are the Hexagram Masters.¡¯</i>

    They were practically the strongest people in this world.

    <i>¡®For now, It is impossible for me to deal with them.¡¯</i>

    What should he do if they decided to start a rampage? Yu-Seong started toe up with a n for emergencies.

    "Don''t be so afraid, Choi Yu-Seong. I was just surprised. I have no intention of doing anything to you," Jackson said, turning to smirk at Yu-Seong. He added, "Unfortunately, I''m not in a position to do anything to you right now. Someone even higher than me is watching over you from above.¡±

    In fact, there was only one person who was higher than a Hexagram Master in rank.

    <i>¡®The Godfather, Eveheim, who is the pinnacle of the Demon King Worshipers.¡¯</i>

    Although he called himself a Demon King Worshiper, Eveheim was a monster just as strong as the Demon King himself.

    Recalling the brief interaction he had with Eveheim, Yu-Seong sighed in relief.

    <i>¡®I knew he was someone who was clear with his favor and resentment, so did have some hope, but¡­¡¯</i>

    He never thought that his n would work so well.

    After eliminating all the vampires around them, Jackson and Talia started talking about In-Young, who looked pale.

    "What should we do with that girl?" asked Talia.

    "The Godfather didn¡¯t say anything about her, right?¡± responded Jackson.

    "He didn''t say anything, but that girl is from the Hrg family."

    "Does that matter? The Hrg family will disappear from this world after today."

    As the conversation between the two continued, In-Young''s face turned even paler.

    <i>¡®What? My family is going to disappear?¡¯</i>

    The Choi family was In-Young¡¯s paternal side of the family, but she had simply beenmanded to stay with the Chois by her maternal side of the family. Even though the Comet Group wasrge, the difference in scale between them and the Hrg family, a vampire n that owned one of the world''s top fivepanies, was big.

    However, Talia and Jackson were iming that such a powerful family like the Hrg family would disappear. It would have been a bad jokeing from anybody else, but these two were Hexagram Masters. Even if the strongest vampires of the Hrg family hade out, they wouldn''t be able to withstand the greatest powers of the Demon King Worshipers in a fight.

    "Well, if that''s the case, there''s nothing we can do but eliminate thest survivor ourselves," Jackson said with a smirk, banging his fist.

    "See, this is why you should have listened to the Godfather from the start." Talia shook her head, as if she was unable to understand the vampires.

    Jackson, who looked as if he was about to smash In-Young''s head with his fist, stopped and turned to look at Yu-Seong. He asked, "Hey, you. Do you want to save this woman?"

    ¡°...¡± Yu-Seong didn''t say anything. In truth, he didn¡¯t care if In-Young died. However, he didn''t want to let her fate be in Jackson''s hands.

    <i>¡®She should be judged by someone else.¡¯</i>

    The problem was, why had Jackson had even asked Yu-Seong such a question? Yu-Seong believed that things could be difficult if a powerful and scary monster like Jackson heard the answer to his question and threw a pointless tantrum.

    "Just answer honestly. I¡¯m asking because I want you to owe me one,¡± said Jackson.

    Yu-Seong slowly nodded at Jackson''s sly grin. "I''m not going to save her, but she doesn''t deserve to die like this.¡±

    Jackson chuckled, "You''re quite honest. If you said you wanted to save her, I would have smashed her head right away. Haha."

    After watching Jackson slowly drop his fist with a lightugh, Talia burst intoughter. "Since he¡¯s one of the Godfather''s chosen ones, you want to look good, don''t you?"

    Jackson shrugged his shoulders. "It wouldn''t hurt. You never know how our rtionship might change in the future.¡±

    Again, Talia burst intoughter at Jackson''s words.

    From Yu-Seong''s perspective, the statement was not an easy one to understand.

    <i>¡®What does it mean that Eveheim has chosen me? Why would that happen?¡¯</i>

    The original novel had a simr story.

    <i>¡®The Godfather''s sessor.¡¯</i>

    The basic plot was that the Demon King Worshipers would first cause chaos in the world by summoning the Demon King, with the ultimate goal of reigning supreme themselves. While considering the Godfather to be the ruler of this world, they also sought to find a sessor to him.

    However, in the original novel, the person Eveheim had targeted was not Yu-Seong but Do-Jin. Why had this suddenly changed?

    <i>¡®Is it a good or bad thing?¡¯</i>

    Feeling the sudden approach of people due to the barrier¡¯splete copse, Jackson asked, "So what are you going to do, Choi Yu-Seong? If you ept my offer¡­"

    "I''ll ept it," said Yu-Seong.

    "Good. We could be good friends," answered Jackson with a smile. Then, turning his gaze to Do-Yoon, he said, "And I also quite like you too.¡±

    As if he was already in his werewolf state, Do-Yoon''s fur stood on end. He could tell just how overwhelmingly powerful the man in front of him was.

    "See you again, my friends," said Jackson as he backed away.

    "Youdy, over there. You are mine. I''ll see you again," said Talia, waving to Yu-Ri before disappearing.

    After the two Hexagram Masters who had whipped up a storm around them had left, In-Young, who had stood rooted to the spot with a dumb expression, burst into a loudugh. "Ahaha, ahahahaha! How¡­ How embarrassing¡­¡±

    Everything she had believed in had crumbled in an instant, leaving her in such a pitiful state that she could do nothing butugh.

    "How could this happen? Do you know what I did to survive? Do you know what I endured?" screamed In-Young, who turned to look at Yu-Seong with her red eyes.

    Just as Do-Yoon stepped forward at that moment, Yu-Seong raised his hand to stop him. He said, "I''ll speak with her.¡±

    A brief silence ensued as the two siblings, who could have been ordinary siblings, looked at each other.

    "It''s really over now. I''d like to say I''ll spare you, but you''vemitted too many evil deeds."

    "You never know, your friends outside might be struggling. You''re too confident. Haha," said In-Young.

    "You can¡¯t be so clueless as to say that and mean it, right? You know that Choi Seok-Young and Choi Yeo-Reum can''t even handle Jin Woo hyung-nim alone."

    However, Yu-Seong also had the support of Min-Seok and Ji-Ho, as well as his own full power to rely on.

    "...They¡¯re probably already subdued from the beginning," said Yu-Seong.

    "I know!" shouted In-Young as she charged fiercely toward Yu-Seong. She yelled, "But it''s still not over yet, is it? Whether in Chess or in Janggi, you have to capture the King to end it.¡±

    Yu-Seong dodged In-Young¡¯s attack with ease, using minimal movements. He also managed to strike her abdomen with a strong kick.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    "Cough!" In-Young spat blood and was thrown into the air.

    <i>¡®A-rank, half-vampire.¡¯</i>

    Her physicalbat abilities were certainly impressive, and some S-rank hunters would struggle to keep up with her. However, her charging recklessly toward Yu-Seong was useless; he was skilled enough to be caught off guard by her and still win.

    <i>¡®I was certain after watching the Hexagram Masters earlier.¡¯</i>

    Talia and Jackson were both surprisingly strong, but Yu-Seong was confident that he could catch up to them soon. His growth rate was incredibly fast.

    Needless to say, In-Young was no match for him.

    "So give up," Yu-Seong said calmly.

    "Who said I''m giving up?!" In-Young retorted as a red energy swirled around her again.

    While Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri tensed up at In-Young¡¯s aggressive stance, Yu-Seong remained unfazed. He could see a ck shadow quickly escaping from within the red energy with his Third Eye.

    <i>¡®She¡¯s running away.¡¯</i>

    In fact, if he really wanted to catch In-Young, he could have chased after her and captured her no matter what. However, he didn''t do that hastily.

    <i>¡®If someone is to bring an end to her...¡¯?</i>

    It wasn''t him who had to judge In-Young. There was another person who had to do it.

    "Jin Yu-Ri, clean up the surrounding area and coordinate with the police if peoplee."

    "Yes, oppa," replied Yu-Ri.

    "Jin Do-Yoon, you can help Yu-Ri," Yu-Seongmanded.

    "Are you nning to go after Choi In-Young, young master?" asked Do-Jin.

    "Don''t worry. You know I can handle those situations on my own," replied Yu-Seong with confidence.

    Seeing Yu-Seong''s reliable and confident smile, the two siblings couldn''t say anything.

    <i>¡®Young master... already...¡¯?</i>

    <i>¡®Yu-Seong oppa has already been free from our grasp for a long time.¡¯</i>

    The more the Jin siblings thought about it, the more they realized it to be true. In the battle to take over the vast Comet Group corporation, they hadn''t done much. They had simply been following Yu-Seong''s orders and managing the people as needed.

    And yet, even with their limited roles, Yu-Seong was able to sessfully end this massive fight without any major issues. Their young master, who had once seemed small and insignificant, had surprisingly grown tremendously in a short amount of time.

 Chapter 223

    <h4>Chapter 223 </h4>

    The dark alleyway didn''t fit in with the morous city of Seoul, and even the streetlights were all out. After running aimlessly for a while, In-Young stopped and leaned against a cold wall to look up at the sky.

    <i>¡®It''s pitch ck.¡¯</i>

    Even without the streetlights to illuminate it, had she ever felt the night sky to be so indifferent and cold?

    In-Young shook her head with a smirk. Her sweaty skin was getting irritated from the hairs sticking to it. She slowly brushed her hair back before saying, "Come out. I know you''re there.¡±

    An answer soon came as a man emerged from the darkness.

    In-Young''s lips curved up into a smile as she saw the cold, ck eyes that shone through the long strands of hair covering the man¡¯s forehead. She said, ¡°Min Young-Hoon.¡±

    "Choi In-Young."

    As they called out each other''s names, the two ran toward each other. It looked like they were about to embrace each other, but what they actually exchanged were sharp nails and daggers.

    When crimson blood fell to the ground, In-Youngughed as she wiped away the blood from the wounds on her cheek. Shemented, ¡°It hurts.¡±

    ¡°Does that tiny wound hurt?¡± With a mocking smile on his face, Young-Hoon threw his dagger at In-Young.

    In-Young quickly dodged the dagger. With her eyes shing red, she asked, "Do we have to keep doing this between us?"

    Young-Hoon flinched at the question before letting out a snort. Then, he avoided In-Young¡¯s attack and lifted his foot to strike her neck with a powerful blow.

    <i>Thump-!?</i>

    Getting hit hard in the neck, In-Young fell back and writhed on the ground like a bug. Her throat was constricted by the weight of Young-Hoon¡¯s foot. ¡°Kk, keugh¡­!¡±

    "That damn red eye!" Young-Hoon cried.

    ring at In-Young angrily, he looked like he was about to crush her neck with his foot. If he thought about the years he had spent under her Charm Skill,pletely mesmerized by it, he couldn''t help but tremble with anger.

    However, he still managed to release the force he had gathered at the tip of his foot. He said, "It''s a waste to kill you like this.¡±

    In-Young tried to fight back, but the oue of this battle had been obvious from the very beginning. Young-Hoon was one of the top 10 strongest yers in South Korea, while In-Young herself didn¡¯t have thebat power to even rank within the top 100.

    What made In-Young a threat was her overwhelming obsession and her Charm Skill, which helped her trap even those who were stronger than her.

    Young-Hoon pushed In-Young¡¯s face to the side with his foot, seeing her partially dted eyes and limp expression. Hearing a strange noise, he asked with a frown, "You''reughing? You find this funny?"

    "Ahaha..." In-Young briefly chuckled.

    Her gaze was no longer fixed on Young-Hoon. She was looking up at the ck sky, devoid of any light, and slowly reached out her hand in that direction.

    <i>¡®Is it really over?¡¯</i>

    She was unwilling to believe in this oue. In fact, she couldn''t even believe it in the present moment. It was true that so much had happened and changed in a single day, just from afternoon to night, that she could hardly believe that this was her reality.

    In an instant, her maternal side of the family that she had put her faith in had perished, and all the power and authority she had had crumbled like shards of ss, scattering in all directions and bing difficult to even trace.

    Right now, she truly wished that when she opened her eyes and got up, everything would be like a dream and a new morning would shine upon her. She desperately wished for it, but the excruciating pain that shot up her arm sharply reminded her of the reality she was in.

    "Ack-!"

    "So, you''re deluding yourself into thinking you''re a pitiable woman now? You know very well what you''ve done up until now," Young-Hoon said.

    Reality was cruel and merciless, not giving anyone the chance to possibly erase the past. Knowing this for a fact, In-Youngughed again amidst the agony. "Pffft, hahaha, ahahaha-!"

    "Choi In-Young!" Young-Hoon, infuriated, created a ck thorn in one hand as if he couldn''t stand it anymore. He was going to end In-Young¡¯s life.

    At that moment, another presence was felt in the darkness.

    <i>Thump, thump.?</i>

    The footsteps drew the attention of both Young-Hoon and In-Young. The one walking toward them was soon revealed to be Yu-Seong.

    Young-Hoon was the first to react sensitively to Yu-Seong¡¯s unexpected appearance. He didn¡¯t think that the man would personallye here. He asked harshly, "You''re not going to speak nonsense like how she shouldn¡¯t die, are you?¡±

    ¡°Would you listen even if I said that?" replied Yu-Seong.

    ¡°No, if that¡¯s the case, either you or I would have to die,¡± growled Young-Hoon in a low voice.

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders at Young-Hoon. ¡°I don''t intend to do that. I¡¯ve onlye to watch her final moments.¡±

    ¡°...Do we have that kind of rtionship?¡± In-Young asked as sheid on the ground.

    Yu-Seong cocked his head. ¡°Of course not. We don¡¯t have any sort of a rtionship between us. If anything, I¡¯m here so I can see whether you really die or not. It¡¯s just to confirm things with my own eyes.¡±

    In-Young felt a chill run down her spine as she looked at the smiling Yu-Seong.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong.''?</i>

    She just realized that Yu-Seong was far scarier and more dangerous than she had thought. Unfortunately, this realization hade toote. That was why she had lost.

    ¡°I should have dealt with you before you became like this.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you try a few times already? You just failed to,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°I mean, I should have risked my life ande after you. Kuk,¡± In-Young said as she grimaced in pain. She then asked, ¡°What about Choi Seok-Yeong?¡±

    ¡°I haven''t confirmed it yet, but he''s probably dead,¡± Yu-Seong said as he had previously given thatmand.

    To be honest, Seok-Yeong''s life was no different from a living hell. After all, In-Young had sworn a ve oath on his soul. He was better off dead.

    ¡°...Well, thanks for letting me know. I won''t be lonely on the way.¡±

    Yu-Seong no longer spoke.

    Young-Hoon was going to be responsible for In-Young¡¯s death. After giving Yu-Seong a chance to have a brief conversation with In-Young without any interference, he said, ¡°I want to give this woman the most painful death possible.¡±

    ¡°You don''t have to think too hard, then. Right now will be the most painful for her,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Young-Hoon''s burning eyes were fixed on In-Young, whose eyes were empty and filled with despair.

    "Don''t even think about keeping me alive. If it''s not now, then you''lle back to tear my throat out at some point in the future."

    Indeed, In-Young was a dangerous and frightening woman. Since Young-Hoon had boasted of being closer to her than anyone else, he could read her heart well.

    ¡°Don''t you regret it?¡±

    "About what?"

    ¡°Your life... The choices you''ve made in your life...¡±

    ¡°Very much so. But Young-Hoon, I don''t regret seducing you,¡± In-Young said calmly as her eyes no longer shone red.

    ¡°Howe¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because there''s no better opportunity than using a man who has fallen for me when I don''t even love him,¡± said In-Young.

    ¡°...That''s enough of an answer,¡± said Young-Hoon.

    With his fist forming a ck de in the darkness, he pierced In-Young¡¯s neck with one swift and cold motion.

    "Gasp-!" In-Young felt hot blood spilling out of her mouth as her waist was bent by the strong impact. She could smell the strong odor or iron.

    In the moment of her death, she thought, <i>''...This feels really disgusting.''?</i>

    Young-Hoon sat weakly in front of In-Young''spletely lifeless body. He didn''t say anything for a long time. He didn''t even express any satisfaction of revenge or resentment. The only thing he did was to drop several tears.

    After some time, Young-Hoon looked back at Yu-Seong, who was trying to leave quietly. He said quietly, ¡°...You can contact me whenever you need me.¡±

    Yu-Seong stopped walking for a while, turned his head, and silently nodded.

    ¡°I''ll repay the debt somehow,¡± said Young-Hoon.

    Once Yu-Seong was no longer in sight, Young-Hoon cradled In-Young''s face in his arms. He knew he needed to get up and leave, but his body wouldn''t move. He simply stood there, frozen in ce for quite some time.

    ***

    Sword Master, Byuk Je-Ho, was an old man known as the best hunter in South Korea. He looked at the sword rising to the sky with a hopeless gaze.

    The sword, which had apanied him throughout his life and sacrificed its body for his journey, spun high up in the sky before stabbing into the ground. Finally, the sword was broken.

    "...Impressive," said Je-Ho after a long period of silence.

    His gaze was fixed on the handsome young man, Do-Jin, in front of him.

    Do-Jin appeared to be quite tired. He was soaked in sweat, and his torn clothes exposed many red wounds on his skin.

    However, it was Je-Ho himself who had dropped the sword. Do-Jin¡¯s sword was at his throat. If this had been a real fight, there was no doubt that he would be the one to die.

    <i>''Is it because of the difference in momentum?''?</i>

    Momentum in a fight could bring about unexpected results. This was also true for sports, where weaker teams could win against the stronger ones.

    Was the fight between him and Do-Jin simr to that? Je-Ho snorted and shook his head. No, it was a matter of skill. In fact, Do-Jin had calmly led the battle to have ite to such an end from the very beginning.

    Je-Ho hade to this battle to witness thatst moment. With pain in his heart and injuries on his body, he was certain of how he had lost the battle. He said to himself, ¡°Thest movement of the sword...was the best.¡±

    Of course, Do-Jin''s swordsmanship up until the end of the battle had been impressive and deserving of his reputation. However, his extraordinary swordsmanship still hadn¡¯t been enough to defeat Je-Ho, who had the somewhat overrated title of ¡®Sword Master¡¯. The important thing had been that one final move, the one where the sword had seemed to pierce through the world.

    If faced with the same attack again, Je-Ho had no confidence in stopping it. After all, Je-Ho himself had built a wall of effort and passion. On the other hand, he could see that Do-Jin had effort, passion, and brilliant talent.

    "...It was bound to happen someday," admitted Je-Ho calmly.

    Just then, Do-Jin took a step back and bowed his head slightly with a hint of respect in his eyes and expression. He dered, "Now, I''ll take the title of Sword Master."

    "Of course, you should," Je-Ho said with a chuckle before turning around.

    In fact, he felt no regret.

    <i>¡®The world is changing.¡¯</i>

    Many things that had remained ahead were being pushed out of the way by the rushing current.

    Watching Je-Ho''s back as the old man left, Do-Jin lowered his sword and thought, <i>¡®Finally¡­¡¯</i>

    After the fight with Je-Ho, Do-Jin knew that he had reached the level of swordsmanship that he had disyed before returning to Earth. If he could continue to show this level of swordsmanship, he wouldn''t be afraid even if his opponent was a Demon King.

    <i>''It''s really just around the corner.''</i>

    At this point, he had just defeated his best training opponent in Korea. If so, should he go abroad then?

    As he wiped his sweat away and sat down on the ground, he received a phone call. He looked at the name floating on the screen before answering the call, "What''s up?"

    His voice was cold, but still expressed his inexplicable excitement. The passion to jump in and fight immediately rose within him.

    However, the purpose of Yu-Seong''s call was not for them to battle each other.

    - Let''s go to Pyongyang.

    "What...?"

    - The person we owe our lives to is there, remember? You aren''t just pretending to not know, are you?

    Do-Jin''s face lit up with a slight smile as he listened to Yu-Seong''s words, and he shook his head in response. He said, "No, I didn''t mean it like that.¡±

    In fact, he would love to go to Pyongyang, which had probably be the stronghold of demons by now.

    "I¡¯ll go with you," said Do-Jin.

    And that was how their next journey was decided.

 Chapter 224

    <h4>Chapter 224 </h4>

    After In-Young¡¯s death, the previously tense atmosphere in the Comet Group quickly returned to its original state. This was partly due to the approved session struggle that had taken ce while Woo-Jae was still in good health. It was also because of the significant contributions made by Jin-Woo.

    <i>¡®I don''t have much to do.¡¯</i>

    With Jin-Woo standing by his side, someone who had once been a somewhat difficult opponent, Yu-Seong felt sturdy and reliable.

    "...Thank you very much."

    As Yu-Seong approached him to offer his respects, Ji-Ho gave a casual wave with a pleased smile on his face. He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. This is just a show of Jin-Woo¡¯s sincerity. Please forget about the past and get along with Jin-Woo.¡±

    "Of course." Yu-Seong smiled widely.

    Feeling satisfied by Yu-Seong¡¯s response, Ji-Ho said, "Now that Father is returning, you will be officially designated as the sessor. It was truly a long and difficult journey. I have done my part, so I''ll..."

    "I know you want to rest, but you have to rest in a healthy manner," Yu-Seong interrupted Ji-Ho before the man could finish his sentence.

    Then, before Ji-Ho could respond, Baek Chul spoke up from behind him. "I hope the same for you."

    Ji-Ho smiled wryly. "If that''s the will of heaven, then it will be so. But fate is always cruel..."

    "I know fate well, and it''s a friendlierpanion than you might think," Yu-Seong confidently reassured Ji-Ho with a hand on his chest. He then said, "As you know well, I wasn¡¯t the type of person who should be taking up such an important position.¡±

    "...Well," said Ji-Ho, feeling a strange mix of emotions.

    Come to think of it, in the future he had seen, Yu-Seong''s fate was to be followed by death. But what about Yu-Seong in front of him?

    <i>''Is it possible for the future to change?''?</i>

    Seeing the surging emotions in Ji-Ho''s eyes, Yu-Seong said with a smile, "Just wait for me, hyung-nim. I will definitely save you."

    Hope was a dangerous emotion to hold onto. However, Ji-Ho couldn''t help but smile as he gradually warmed up to that feeling in his heart.

    "...Then I¡¯ll believe my reliable little brother," Ji-Ho said with determination in his eyes.

    He truly believed that, if he could survive, he would be the best helper for his younger brother out of anyone else.

    ***

    In order to treat Ji-Ho, Yu-Seong needed to climb up to the 20th floor of the Tower of Heaven and obtain an Elixir.

    <i>¡®The minimum requirement to reach the 20th floor of the Tower of Heaven is to achieve an S-rank on the surface.¡¯</i>

    That was why Yu-Seong, who had returned to Earth, intended to achieve S-rank as quickly as possible.

    <i>¡®And I''m currently at level 40 of A-rank.¡¯</i>

    His growth rate was not bad, but he still needed quite a bit of time to reach max level. With that concern in mind, Yu-Seong hade up with a way to kill two birds with one stone.

    <i>¡®That way, I can level up quickly and also find opportunities to repay my debts¡­¡¯?</i>

    He had decided to go to Pyongyang, where he could gain experience by fighting the demon tribe, level up, and save Helen. If he seeded in doing all of that, then it would be the ultimate gain for him.

    <i>¡®In fact, I am trying to kill three birds with one stone.¡¯</i>

    Once he hade up with that n, he had immediately contacted Do-Jin and said that they should go to Pyongyang.

    However, there was always a risk that came with a good opportunity. Above all, rius, the Count of Demon, was located in Pyongyang.

    <i>¡®With my current abilities, I can handle the situation to some extent, but I can''t guarantee a definite victory.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, he had to consider the variables that woulde with spending a long time in Pyongyang. That was why he had called on Do-Jin for support.

    <i>¡®In the first ce, it''s Kim Do-Jin''s job to handle the demons in Pyongyang.¡¯</i>

    In order to gain approval to take on the demons in Pyongyang with only a small group of people, Yu-Seong needed to get special authority and this required the power of the Korean yer Association. If Do-Jin had won the title of Sword Master by now, obtaining special authority from the Association would be made a lot easier.

    <i>''Because he has proven his own strength and worth from that one battle.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong also had special authority which he had obtained with Woo-Jae¡¯s help, so the two of them could go to Pyongyang alone. The problem left was transportation, but that could be easily resolved.

    <i>''Since we''re on our way to take care of things anyway, the Korean yer Association will support us greatly.''?</i>

    Do-Jin, who had been granted permission to use one of the three stealth-coated transport nes that was difficult to locate by both monsters and demons in Korea, stood at the runway of Gimpo Airport.

    While waiting in front of the sleekly designed stealth ne, he noticed Yu-Seong approaching. Then, he made a strange expression. He could see that Bernard was walking with Yu-Seong right next to him.

    "...I thought that only the two of us were going?" asked Do-Jin.

    "I did think about it, but I thought it would be nice to have one more colleague who fits well with us," Yu-Seong exined.

    To be entirely honest, Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo were the ones who originally took care of the demons in Pyongyang.

    <i>¡®If you think about the flow of the original novel¡­¡¯</i>

    In any case, wouldn''t it be much more secure to have the two people who were originally supposed to handle the situation in Pyongyang together? Despite the butterfly effect, Yu-Seong believed that having a certain level of stability could be achieved by doing this.

    <i>¡®Plus, Bernard Yoo is the type who grows quickly with some support¡­¡¯</i>

    As Bernard was one of the talents who would eventually defeat the Demon King in the future, having him gain experience fighting demons together with them seemed like a good thing in many ways for him.

    Naturally, Do-Jin, who couldn''t possibly know about Yu-Seong''s thoughts, narrowed his eyes and looked at Bernard. He asked Yu-Seong, "Is it¡­really necessary?"

    "I don''t have any intention of being helpful to you either. I¡¯m here because Yu-Seong begged me so earnestly toe here," said Bernard with a snort.

    Do-Jin''s gaze shifted to Yu-Seong. He asked, "Is that true?"

    "What?" Yu-Seong said.

    "That you earnestly begged him."

    Seeing Do-Jin''s rather displeased expression, Yu-Seong looked at him like he was being ridiculous. He said, "Whether I begged him earnestly or not, the important thing is that I called him here.¡±

    "Do you think I''m not enough on my own?" said Do-Jin.

    Ignoring Do-Jin''s low growl, Yu-Seong walked by him and lightly tapped his shoulder. "It''s not that you''re not enough, but I thought it would be better if we had more support. I hope we can stop fighting each other sooner orter.¡±

    This would be good in many ways for fighting the Demon King in the future.

    Still unaware of Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he said, ¡°Injuries during the battle are just¡­"

    "I''m always taking that into consideration. Please just understand that I did this for us," said Yu-Seong.

    "For us¡­¡± Do-Jin made a strange expression and quickly walked into the stealth ne, passing by Yu-Seong. With furrowed brows, he said, "Do as you please. I already know he won''t listen to me.¡±

    "What a bad temper," said Yu-Seong. With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned to look at Bernard and said, "Even so, he doesn''t dislike you. You know that, right?"

    "Nope, I don¡¯t know," replied Bernard, showing his usual big smile with a casual shrug. "Well, it doesn''t really matter. He''s reliable in his own way."

    In fact, Bernard also didn''te to this ce without any thought. This was a mission to exterminate the demons in Pyongyang. Even with external justification, he knew that it was a dangerous task equivalent to raiding a dungeon of rank 8 or maybe even 9 ording to the country''s evaluation difficulty.

    Yu-Seong also knew just how difficult this task could be, so having a trustworthy colleague was definitely a good thing. It was regrettable that the maximum limit for this mission was three people, but he had also found this limit to be beneficial.

    <i>¡®Yoo Jin-Hyuk and Chae Ye-Ryeong are in the next rank promotion evaluation, and Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri are more efficient in training than actualbat for now.¡¯</i>

    As for Meghan, who usually supported Bernard, it was sad to say but she had already reached her limit of growth. Although it might be a somewhat dangerous journey, the fight would not end in Pyongyang. As there were still countless enemies, including the battle with the Demon King left, they couldn''t simply focus on safety without taking their growth into ount.

    Of course, there was also something they believed in.

    <i>¡®If Helen is still in Pyongyang¡­¡¯</i>

    The three of them would eventually be four.

    <i>¡®And really, if Rachel is also alive¡­¡¯</i>

    At least until they escaped Pyongyang, she could also y an active role as an ally.

    Despite the external justification, Yu-Seong''s main mission for this trip to Pyongyang was personnel rescue. In fact, the demon extermination was a mission that could fail. However, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as they gained experience and could leave.

    And what if they did end up killing off all the demons in Pyongyang?

    <i>¡®To put it into perspective, we would be equivalent to a three-member elite raid.¡¯</i>

    Upon aplishing the mission, there was nothing but expectations for how far the three of them could grow. They had already set their sights on at least an S-rank, but they would certainly continue to move forward with confidence to pass the promotion evaluation easily.

    "Let''s go."

    With Yu-Seong''s determined words, Bernard gave a nod and moved forward, releasing his tense shoulders.

    Exactly 30 minutester, the stealth ne took off into the sky from Gimpo Airport in South Korea.

    ***

    The underground tunnel was humid and dark, with an unpleasant odor permeating the air. The demon, boasting a height of around two meters and sharp thorns all over his body, halted his footsteps. He slowly turned his one and only eye to the left, toward a round tunnel that didn''t fit in with the rest of the underground space.

    The giant round tunnel wasrge enough for a human to pass through, let alone a demon of his size. With his head tilted at the tunnel, a wide smile spread across the demon''s lips as he sniffed the air.

    <i>¡®Human scent.¡¯</i>

    He licked his lips and stepped forward into the tunnel before the wide opening suddenly began to close shut as if it were a trap.

    After turning around in surprise, the demon snickered. Although he didn¡¯t know who had set the trap, he thought it was foolish of them to underestimate a demon noble''s power.

    <i>¡®I''ll let you experience just how terrifying the power of the Baron of Demon is.¡¯</i>

    The demon chuckled to himself and stepped further into the tunnel, but something suddenly flew at a rapid speed from deep within the tunnel. It shattered his head with a loud crack.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    The demon¡¯s body twisted and fell to the side, with his broken parts regenerating very quickly.

    A red-haired woman swiftly emerged from the other side of the tunnel and kicked the demon with her foot, snapping his spinepletely.

    <i>Whack-!</i>

    Then, she jumped onto the demon¡¯s back and began to swing her ax at him as if she were mincing beef.

    The demon''s body wriggled to fight back against the attack, but the woman''s movements with the ax were too fast for it to retaliate effectively. As a result, the demon''s body was about to be a well-tenderized lump of meat without having a chance to mount a decent counterattack.

    Meanwhile, a woman wearing a flipped robe slowly walked out of the tunnel on the other side. With a frown, she said, "Stop it, you crazy bitch. We won''t even have anything left to eat.¡±

    In her robe, Helen uttered unimaginable words to indicate that they were demon-eating people.

    At that moment, Rachel lightly licked the demon''s blood and flesh from her ax and tilted her head.

 Chapter 225

    <h4>Chapter 225 </h4>

    "The better the meat is tenderized, the more delicious it is, don''t you think?" Rachel said.

    "Hmph, even if you tenderize demon meat, it will still be tough and unpleasant to eat!" replied Helen.

    Rachel let out a lowugh as she swung her ax again, beheading the demon. When she heard Helen snorting, she said, "Are you not going to eat it? If you keep acting like that, I won''t give it to you!"

    ¡°Without my alchemy skills, you wouldn''t even be able to eat this demon meat,¡± Helen remarked.

    Despite their bantering, Rachel''s ax continued to rain down haphazardly on the demon''s body. She kept grinding the flesh until the demon''s regenerative abilities could no longer keep up. She continued doing that until the demon finally shuddered and died.

    The rest was Helen''s job. After summoning her mana, Helen began to extract the venom and magic remaining in the demon''s body. Then, she sprinkled them into the air before lighting a fire to cook the meat.

    As Helen worked, Rachel watched the flow of Helen¡¯s mana and licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. Shemented, "Your mana control is always impressive. I thought I''m pretty good at this too, but I can only take a step back when facing you, Grandma.¡±

    "If you know that, then shut up and watch," Helen replied.

    "Oh my, how fierce. You know I love your style, Grandma. You know, since our blood is already pumping, want to have a match with me?¡±

    "Your suggestion will only attract all the damn demons passing by. If you can''t control yourself in heat, go to the surface and catch some demons," said Helen.

    "Hehe... You¡¯ve got the potty mouth," said Rachel as she chuckled.

    Feeling rxed, Rachel watched Helen cook the meat before staring up at the ceiling with frustration. She muttered, "Should I really jump up to the surface like Grandma said and cause a scene?"

    Them being trapped in this underground space wasn''t due tock of strength. In fact, they often visited this underground area because it had the least amount of demon activity and was a good ce to rest. Furthermore, Helen''s sanctuary was just beyond this area.

    ¡°You could do that if you want. You and I could survive for a few days just by eating and running around," Helen said.

    "If we could just avoid that little guy," Rachel said with a sardonic smile on her lips.

    In her mind was the picture of a demon with an appearance simr to that of a young boy. Thinking of that particr demon, she asked, "He was so damn strong. Could he be a Demon King?"

    "At the very least, he must be a duke," Helen replied.

    They had not been idle in their attempts to escape from Pyongyang, but they had unfortunately failed each time. The problem wasn''t the demons in the city center. In fact, they had grown at an rming rate in this demon-filled world that they were now at the pinnacle of S-rank¡­ They were trapped in this ce because of a little demon that would suddenly appear whenever someone attempted to leave Pyongyang, rendering them powerless.

    Without saying a word, the strange being with white skin would simply stop those attempting to escape. He didn''t exude a strong presence like the giant stone statue in the center of the city, nor did he show off excessive mana. Regardless, he was certainly strong.

    <i>¡®At this point, if I pass the promotion assessment, I could probably take on Hexagram Masters now.¡¯</i>

    Rachel thought, feeling confident in her own growth.

    Helen had also grown just as strong. Yet, despite their strength, the two of them together could not defeat one small demon.

    Helen was guessing that the small demon was at least a Duke of Demon, but Rachel thought otherwise.

    <i>¡®He''s definitely a Demon King!¡¯</i>

    Despite not showing any destructive tendencies or rational movements, that demon¡¯s strength alone was undoubtedly on par with that of a Demon King.

    Although they had been left behind in Pyongyang together, it was only because of the little demon, the little Demon King, that they had formed a team. After all, they still growled at each other at the mere sight of the other person¡¯s face.

    "Okay, it''s done," said Helen.

    While Rachel was lost in thought, Helen tossed the fully cooked demon meat over to her. Rachel caught it with an ax in one hand and shoved it into her mouth, then narrowed her eyes in distaste. Sheined, "It''s thick, tasteless, and fishy."

    "If you don''t want it, just throw it away," said Helen.

    "Who said I¡¯ll throw it away? Our cute Gold Nugget is probably happily enjoying delicious meat by now. I hope he didn¡¯t forget my kindness," said Rachel.

    Looking at Rachel¡¯s mischievous grin, Helen let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "Yu-Seong and you probably won''t ever meet again."

    ¡°And how do you n to guarantee that?¡± Rachel asked sharply.

    "Because I''ll make it happen," Helen said.

    They were currently on the same team, but she knew that Rachel was truly a crazy woman. Thinking that her chances of being helpful to Yu-Seong were low, she had nned to get rid of Rachel somehow.

    <i>¡®If I can just kill her as soon as we escape from here¡­¡¯?</i>

    Rachel shivered slightly and shrugged her shoulders as she met Helen''s threatening gaze. Then, shing a bright smile, she looked up at the dark ceiling of the underground passage and said, "Ha¡­ Okay. Your enthusiasm is so low. But too bad, I think I''ll be able to meet our cute little Gold Nugget soon."

    "Don''t say such things..." Helen red at Rachel before getting up from her seat to head back to their hideout.

    Their rest time was over, and they could not afford to waste any time if they wanted to capture the little Demon King and escape Pyongyang. In this situation, it did not matter that they were famous yers throughout Earth.

    <i>¡®Don''t do anything unnecessary, and wait calmly, Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    Helen sincerely hoped that Yu-Seong would note to this dangerous ce known as Pyongyang.

    ***

    Ever since they were high up in the clouds, they had used the mana stone to activate their invisibility. Momentster, the stealth craft, which the demons could not easily sense, settled on the ground.

    A few flying demons that they had encountered on the way down had seemingly sensed the stealth craft¡¯s movements, but they had only been able to make a puzzled noise. After all, they couldn¡¯t pinpoint the stealth craft¡¯s exact location.

    Thanks to that, Do-Jin, Bernard, and Yu-Seong couldnd on the ground using the stealth craft.

    In the ruined city beneath a ck sky, Yu-Seong looked at the gray asphalt that had cracked and be rough. Heughed bitterly. "It''s like Apocalypse World.¡±

    In a world that had beenpletely destroyed, only demons were left to reign in many small cities. In fact, this would be the oue of the entire Earth if there were no main characters like Do-Jin in the original novel.

    <i>¡®Of course, it looks different now as the original novel¡¯s plot is being reflected in my reality.¡¯</i>

    As they looked at the city of Pyongyang, so different from the one they remembered, all of themughed bitterly.

    Then, the stealth craft floated back up into the sky.

    <i>Crash-!</i>

    However, it crashed into the sea with a loud explosion not even a minuteter.

    "How...?"

    Norge demon-like beings were visible around them, and there wasn¡¯t an ocean spirit that had jumped into the sky. In fact, the three of them couldn¡¯t sense any mana in the situation. However, the stealth craft had exploded without warning.

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin both activated their Third Eye and Insight respectively at the same time among the bewildered group.

    <i>¡®What is it?¡¯</i>

    At that moment, Yu-Seong saw a white blur moving quickly. He knew that something was there, but he couldn¡¯t confirm its shape or form. He muttered, "...a kid?"

    On the other hand, Do-Jin vaguely saw the identity of the white figure. However, even he couldn''t be sure.

    "Damn it..." Bernard let out his anger, clenching his fists.

    The stealth driver who had safely brought them to Pyongyang had now lost their life in a situation where they had only needed to return home. It was impossible not to be angry. Yu-Seong also felt a simr emotion to Bernard, but Do-Jin''s reaction was somewhat different.

    "It¡¯s unfortunate, but he probably expected such a death," said Do-Jin coldly.

    Bernard raised his eyebrows and said, "Just because he was prepared for it doesn''t mean he weed the idea of dying.¡±

    "And what¡¯s going to change if we grieve and get angry?" Do-Jin asked calmly.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­!¡± Bernard shouted.

    Yu-Seong quickly stepped in front of Bernard and pursed his lips. Then, he said, ¡°Nothing will change. However, as humans, we can¡¯t help but have emotions and grieve. Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    ¡°Grieve¡­¡± Do-Jin smiled coldly, trembling as a sharp energy emanated from him. He growled, ¡°At least you shouldn¡¯t say such a thing¡­ You shouldn¡¯t, Choi family¡­¡±

    The intense atmosphere went away only a momentter. Do-Jin frowned, as if confused by his own words. He shook his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s enough. Our goal is to take down the big guy standing in the middle anyway.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Nodding, Yu-Seong understood Do-Jin''s state of mind and inwardly sighed. The scene of the deste city and the sudden death of someone had created a small crack in their morale, but they couldn''t afford to be swayed by it.

    <i>¡®This confirms that Kim Do-Jin still harbors resentment toward Father, and the Comet group.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong, who was thinking of the future more than the present, looked at the giant Count of Demon standing in the middle of Pyongyang. He muttered, "It won''t be easy to go back.¡±

    It was true that they probably had to deal with excessive demons and the demon realm.

    ¡°I''ll take the lead,¡± Bernard volunteered.

    In the first ce, he had the highest defense among the three and was the most suitable for the position.

    No one expressed anyints, and Yu-Seong naturally led the group. He suggested, ¡°Then let me take the middle, and Kim Do-Jin can take the rear.¡±

    After determining their respective positions, the three of them ran forward in silence. There was no discord or difort, and even their breathing was in perfect unison.

    <i>¡®Isn''t this also a somewhat sad situation?¡¯</i>

    Just as Yu-Seong couldn''t stop but to show a bitter smile on his face, Bernard let out a scream as he swung his fist and smashed the head of a demon in front of him.

    "Aaaaaaaah-!"

    With that cry, demonic creatures began to pour out from all directions.

    <i>¡®There are no demons among them.¡¯</i>

    Demons were closer to human form, with the only distinctive feature being the horns that sprouted from their heads.

    Yu-Seong calmly assessed the situation and began to swing his spear. Do-Jin also cleanly cut off the enemies he was chasing and tidied up the rear. However, Bernard was being motivated by somewhat different emotions. He seemed deeply shaken by the earlier death of the stealth driver and was pouring out his strength with an angry scream that seemed toe from a vengeful avenger.

    <i>¡®While Kim Do-Jin''s coldness might be a concern, I also sense some danger from Bernard. Perhaps he needs to calm down.¡¯</i>

    With that in mind, Yu-Seong approached Bernard to talk to him and try to calm him down.

    At that moment, a demon with four arms and horns protruding from its head appeared before them.

    <i>¡®With Bernard''s current state, it''s dangerous¡­¡¯</i>

    Although it was uncertain which title of nobility the demon was, Yu-Seong was aware that most demons were strong. Just as Yu-Seong was about to get in front of Bernard, there was a loud explosion.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    Shockwaves emanated from Bernard''s fist, which turned into a shape resembling arge horn, and shattered the demon''s entire body.

    Yu-Seong and even Do-Jin were both taken aback by Bernard¡¯s unexpected disy of power.

    With a sense of pride as one of the original novel¡¯s strongest characters, Bernard spread his shoulders wide as if shaking off his pent-up emotions. He eximed, "Ahhh-! That was refreshing. Let''s go, my friends! I''ll crush anyone who shows up in front of me!"

    At this moment, both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin found themselves unable to resist a slight smile. They had to acknowledge that they had both underestimated Bernard to some extent.

 Chapter 226

    <h4>Chapter 226 </h4>

    Bernard''s actions were so prominent at the forefront that there was practically nothing for Yu-Seong and Do-Jin to do.

    <i>¡®Bernard wasn''t simply wasting time.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps Yu-Seong¡¯s appearance, which was not as the original novel had been written, and Do-Jin¡¯s rapid growth had served as stimuli for Bernard.

    <i>¡®I predicted it to some extent, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Even Bernard''s current level of growth was showing remarkable progress, going beyond expectations.

    Although it was unknown what Bernard had been doing in America, it was clear that he was now one of the top three A-rank yers by current standards.

    <i>¡®I previously would have said the best A-rank yer, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin and Yu-Seong himself were also in A-rank, so it couldn''t be said that Bernard was the best A-rank yer.

    <i>¡®Anyway, if Bernard keeps up with that strength¡­ all Do-Jin and I have to worry about are the big guys over there.¡¯</i>

    The Count of Demon, rius, was as solid as a rock. It moved slowly and began adopting a protective stance only when the three of them approached.

    In truth, there were some doubts in Yu-Seong''s mind about rius.

    <i>¡®That guy¡­ What is he protecting?¡¯</i>

    They weren¡¯t being called ¡®<i>guard monsters</i>¡¯ for no good reason. There had to be something that rius was protecting for it to not move from that spot.

    It could simply be the Philosopher''s Stone.

    <i>¡®If that power is used properly, you could even summon the Demon King¡­¡¯</i>

    But what if it was not the Philosopher''s Stone?

    "Maybe it''s already there..." Yu-Seong muttered to himself, lost in thought.

    Do-Jin, who had repelled most of the demons with his Chain Lightning, approached Yu-Seong and tried to initiate a conversation in a hoarse voice. He said, "Yu-Seong, I don''t usually say this kind of thing, but I¡¯ll tell you in advance.¡±

    "Yeah...?"

    "It''s ominous and chilly. but the one out there isn''t the problem. The white one we saw earlier..." said Do-Jin. As the image of the white being that had detonated their stealth ne came to mind, his expression twisted in frustration as he clenched his jaw. "If we can''t stop that thing with our own strength..."

    If they had no way of stopping it, they would lose. With this thought crossing his mind, frustration and anger shed across Do-Jin¡¯s face.

    Seeing Do-Jin''s frustration, Yu-Seong nodded in agreement and said, "I know. If it gets to the point where it''s impossible for us to win, I''ll escape even if I have to abandon you.¡±

    Do-Jin found Yu-Seong¡¯s deration to be absurd. With a wry smile, he said, ¡°I was going to say that you should be the bait.¡±

    "Normally, the bait is someone stronger. You''re the one doing it," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Someone stronger¡­?" Do-Jin''s eyebrows twitched and his lips curled into a smile. He said, "I remember you winning in our sparring match.¡±

    "That was just luck. If we fought now, Kim Do-Jin, you would win," said Yu-Seong as he instinctively knew what level Do-Jin had reached.

    Do-Jin was likely at a level where he could fight the Demon King and produce decent results, assuming he put his life on the line.

    <i>¡®He has almost regained all of his power from before his return.¡¯</i>

    In other words, he had reached a level of skill equivalent to that of hunters who had reached the pinnacle of most S-ranks.

    <i>¡®And he''ll probably break through the next wall too.¡¯</i>

    There was no way Yu-Seong would abandon Do-Jin. In fact, even back in Seoul, Yu-Seong had anticipated such a worst-case scenario to some extent.

    <i>¡®If the opponent is really the Demon King, then this level ofbat is worth a try.¡¯</i>

    Of course, it would not be easy, and there might be more demon nobles they would need to defeat along the way. However, if they could ovee all those obstacles and plunge their swords into the Demon King''s throat and heart, then they could all cross the wall together at once.

    The memory of his encounter with Jackson, the Hexagram Master, shed through Yu-Seong''s mind. Yu-Seong thought that he had be strong enough, but facing such transcendent power reminded him of an experience he never wanted to relive.

    Obviously, there were also risks involved.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin could be my enemy in the end.¡¯</i>

    However, this world needed a hero like Do-Jin. No, even beyond that, Yu-Seong himself could no longer think of Do-Jin as someone to be abandoned.

    "So if it doesn''t work out, you die. We''re friends, aren''t we?" Yu-Seong said casually.

    Do-Jin¡¯s eyes widened as he murmured, "Friends..."

    "Yeah, you and me. And Bernard Yoo over there," said Yu-Seong.

    "I''m not sure if I want to admit that,¡± Do-Jin said.

    "Then, why are you smirking?"

    "Don''t lie, I¡¯m not¡­!"

    "Anyway..."

    If it really got dangerous, Do-Jin should be the one to run away. Unlike others, Yu-Seong had already thought of various scenarios in his head.

    Before Yu-Seong could finish speaking, Do-Jin interrupted with a snort. "Well, anyway, it seems like you''re aware of your own position. We don¡¯t have much choice. If a dangerous situation arises, run away. I''ll be bait, as I''m the one with the best skills."

    ¡°...Whatever,¡± replied Yu-Seong with a smirk and a nod.

    However, all of that was just for the worst-case scenario n.

    "Let''s start with n A for now."

    "n A?" Do-Jin asked.

    Yu-Seong, who had two handguns instead of a spear, continued speaking. "We''ll fight as noisily and disorderly as possible."

    "...And why is that?"

    Instead of answering Do-Jin''s question, Yu-Seong began firing the two handguns wildly in different directions. As his Lightning Strike thundered all over the ce, he finally said, "To draw attention.¡±

    Noticing Yu-Seong''s Star Factor after his ratherte response, Do-Jin clicked his tongue.

    "You''re crazy," Do-Jin muttered, but he continued to fight the demons with a shy and noisy skill that he had not shown before.

    <i>¡®You don''t want to lose, huh?¡¯</i>

    That was when Yu-Seong chuckled to himself.

    Bernard, who was fighting more splendidly than anyone else on the front line, turned around and raised his voice. "Friends, you guys are spicy-!"

    Feeling the power of Bernard¡¯s enthusiastic cheer, Yu-Seong fired both guns in all directions and thought to himself.

    <i>¡®We are trying our best, so pleasee and help us quickly, Helen.¡¯</i>

    If those two supporters arrived, they could work toward the best possible oue even in the worst-case scenario.

    ***

    Helen, who was resting with her eyes closed in the underground bunker she had built herself, opened her eyes slightly. She sensed a single presenceing toward her door. She asked, "What is it, Rachel?"

    Had this crazy womane to fight again out of restlessness?

    "Hehe, hehehehe...!"

    Hearing that the response from the other side of the door was madughter, Helen sighed naturally and said in an annoyed voice, "I''m asking what you''re doing right now.¡±

    "Don''t you hear it?" asked Rachel.

    "What nonsense..."

    Suddenly, Helen''s mind cleared. Her hearing was not as sensitive as Rachel''s, who was standing in front of the door. However, Helen prided herself on being able to sense the flow of mana faster than anyone else.

    <i>¡®Someone has entered Pyongyang. The number is...three or four?¡¯?</i>

    It was not easy for Helen to determine the exact number as the waves of strong mana were continuously urring.

    "Who the hell is there¡­? Are they Demon King Worshipers?" Helen wondered aloud.

    Were they deploying troops to retrieve the Philosopher''s Stone? If they had this level of mana power, they were at least within the top 30 in the rankings among the Demon King Worshipers.

    With Rachel''s excitement andughter finally making sense to her now, Helenmented, ¡°So you''re excited because you have your allies now."

    "Allies? Oh my, Grandma, you must be mistaken. Isn''t this voice familiar? It''s that child. He hase looking for me!"

    "That child...?"

    "Aaah, our cute little Gold Nugget is calling for me. He is also looking for you, Grandma. How long will you stay huddled up in this narrow room?" said Rachel cheekily.

    "No way...!" Helen, surprised, jumped up from her seat.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong?¡¯</i>

    Was this powerful mana that she had sensed really the young boy she had been thinking of?

    Rachel, who sensed Helen¡¯s surprise, burst outughing again. "Didn''t I say we would meet sooner than you thought? I can''t wait to see our little Gold Nugget. I told you, Grandma, out of loyalty, so now I''ll go ahead. See youter!"

    With those words, Rachel banged on the wall with a loud noise and disappeared.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    <i>¡®Oh my...!¡¯</i>

    Helen quickly prepared herself, feeling perplexed.

    <i>¡®She was calm for a while, but now she''s gone mad again!"¡¯</i>

    Rachel''s madness was dangerous. It could pose a threat to Yu-Seong, who hade all the way to this dangerous ce. After all, Helen couldn¡¯t predict just which side Rachel would choose to be on.

    <i>¡®This foolish boy¡­ Why did youe to such a dangerous ce?!¡¯</i>

    Helen let out a deep sigh and quickly mmed the door to follow Rachel.

    ***

    As the three of them openly fought with all their might, the demonic creatures began to swarm around them like crazy. They often encountered the demons as well. However, there was one direct advantage that the three had gained from this situation.

    <i>¡®Level up!¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s level had already reached level 70 in A-rank, even though they had arrived in Pyongyang less than a day ago. If he could defeat even the Count of Demon, he would soon be able to hit A-rank max.

    <i>¡®If I have time, should I aim for S-rank while we''re in Pyongyang?¡¯</i>

    In fact, the growth one could achieve through training within A-rank was almost at its limit, so it might be better to aim for S-rank at this point.

    While Yu-Seong was contemting such thoughts with inner happiness, the Count of Demon, rius, who had been frozen in the center of Pyongyang, began to move.

    "Oh, did we finally enter his territory?" Bernard gulped and slowly turned away.

    rius spoke with shining red eyes.

    - Bringing your own death. Foolish humans.

    With shining red eyes, rius continued to speak as if delivering a message to the humans. The momentum of the Count of Demon, which spread around him, was as heavy as the wet weather. It weighed the trio down.

    Despite feeling the immense pressure, a smile spread across Yu-Seong''s face.

    <i>¡®Just a few months ago, I wouldn''t have been able to move a finger here¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong could feel the threat, but he no longer had any restrictions on his movements. Would Do-Jin feel the same way as him?

    Bernard also had a slightly excited expression as he asked, "How much experience points do you think we can get from that?"

    "Well, I don¡¯t know. We''ll find out when we catch him,"mented Yu-Seong.

    In fact, it would definitely give them more experience points than any of the previous demons they had defeated.

    Bernard created an attack that produced energy in the shape of a sharp horn. As the attack exploded with a massive shockwave, he dashed toward rius, the Count of Demon.

    The demon sustained a significant injury, with arge hole appearing in the center of his body. However, his regenerative ability was remarkable as a high-ranking demon. If Bernard had been alone, he would have found it difficult to take the demon down after using such a powerful technique.

    <i>¡®But there are three of us.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin jumped into the sky, with ck mes wrapped around his entire body. He wielded his sword in all directions.

    rius¡¯ regeneration speed noticeably slowed down wherever the mes touched him.

    Do-Jin slowly descended from the air as he conveyed his determination to Yu-Seong through Insight.

    <i>¡®I leave the finishing blow to you.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong found the request to be favorable. He put away his guns and, with the Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice, created a giant spear. Its size was enough to equal that of a five-story building. The immense weight pressed down on Yu-Seong''s shoulders, but his body had grown strong enough to easily withstand it.

    After heavily tilting back the giant spear to face the giant, the air split apart with a sharp sound.

    <i>Whizz-!</i>

    Then, with all his might, Yu-Seong unleashed the power of lightning on the spear and threw it forward

    <i>Zzwi-eek-!</i>

    Apanied by a sound simr to that of tearing paper, mes burst into the air like a streak of light. The sh of white lightning and red mes merged, cutting through the night sky of Pyongyang. The gigantic meteor-like spear smashed through the Count of Demon''s body and head at the same time.

 Chapter 227

    <h4>Chapter 227 </h4>

    The Meteor Spear was a new special move that Yu-Seong hade up with after much contemtion sinceing to Pyongyang. Its purpose was undoubtedly to take down the giant Count of Demon, rius, that had established himself in the city.

    <i>¡®I thought I needed a special move that could match up against big guys like him.¡¯</i>

    Having gained power, he was now able to handle and shoot weights that had previously been unimaginable to him. The power he wielded was undeniable; he had inflicted a massive and indelible wound on a once-formidable enemy, who just a few months ago had been so fearsome that he had been forced to flee.

    "Wow, it''s even hotter than my Buffalo Boom skill!" eximed Bernard.

    Meanwhile, Do-Jin showed a strange smile.

    <i>¡®He seems¡­somehow satisfied.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong trembled slightly and felt a sense of unease under Do-Jin''s unpredictable gaze.

    "Don''t let your guard down. He''s not dead yet!"

    Yu-Seong''s attack had sted rius''s head and body apart, resulting in a devastating injury. How could it still be alive?

    Despite the fact that regeneration was one of the basic attributes of the demon race, and that high-ranking nobles like rius had reached the level of super regeneration, it was hard to believe that the Count of Demon was still regenerating.

    Bernard felt a sense of frustration as he looked down at rius. Hemented, "Is that really regenerating? Seriously, this is absurd.¡±

    While the massive hole in rius''s body slowly closed up, returning to its original shape despite still burning from Do-Jin''s ck me, Do-Jin did not look perturbed. He had fought demons before, including the Demon King, so he had predicted this very situation.

    He said nonchntly, "It''s something that will take a lot of time anyway. We just need to chop it up while we wait.¡±

    "Oh, is it really that easy? How simple," said Bernard skeptically.

    "I''m quite used to pulverizing weakened demons. Do you think I haven''t done so before?" Do-Jin replied with a snort and twinkling eyes.

    ¡°What a big ego¡­¡± muttered Bernard.

    Before Bernard could finish his sentence, Do-Jin suddenly had an urgent expression on his face. He threw himself at rius with his sword.

    At that moment, a dimensional space next to rius split open and a massive arm swung out with a loud crash.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    Do-Jin, who had been pushed back while defending himself with his sword, clicked his tongue.

    Yu-Seong also frowned at the unexpected situation. He muttered, "Again...?"

    Emerging from the portal was a new demon with a simr appearance to rius, the demon they had just defeated. Like rius, it had a massive grayish body resembling a stone statue, but its hair was noticeably shorter.

    "It''s rius, the Count of Demon and the twin of rius," mumbled Yu-Seong.

    Along with rius, rius was known as one of the two Guardian Demons of the Demon World.

    <i>¡®I can''t feel any indication that the Philosopher''s Stone is activating.¡¯</i>

    Who the hell had summoned that giant second demon? As he had just exhausted his full strength using his special moves to defeat rius, Yu-Seong did not wee the arrival of rius.

    <i>¡®Of course, if the three of us work together, we can knock him down somehow, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Moreover, there was a high probability that rius would resurrect from his Super Regeneration soon. Surely, there was a way to deal with rius.

    <i>¡®If I summon Loki here, I could y rius with a single strike.¡¯?</i>

    However, that would require him to reveal all of his cards¡­ While he contemted this, Yu-Seong turned to nce at Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin had a calm and cold look in his eyes as he watched rius, his determination to fight burning bright.

    <i>¡®Should I trust him a bit more?¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong continued to ponder deeply, Bernard ran toward rius and used his newly developed special move, Buffalo Dash, once again. Although the Buffalo Dash was less powerful than Yu-Seong¡¯s Mentor Spear, it could be used more frequently and rapidly.

    <i>''But this is already the fourth time.¡¯</i>

    Despite being less costly than the Meteor Spear, the Buffalo Dash was not a technique that could be used ten times. This was made clear when the fourth attack proved weaker, with smaller horns and less power than the previous ones.

    rius evenughed and took the attack head-on, staring at Bernard. If the attack had been simr to the previous ones, it might have been strong enough to pierce through its entire knee.

    "Tch,¡± Bernard muttered as rius''s fist fell over his head.

    Thinking that he had no time left to waste, Yu-Seong leapt forward and wrapped his arms around Bernard before rolling with him on the ground.

    <i>Thump-!?</i>

    With a loud noise, the ground beneath Bernard''s feet crumbled and copsed.

    "Wow, Yu-Seong. If I was squashed, I''d have be a pancake," Bernard said.

    "Are you joking at a time like this?" Yu-Seong replied.

    "Anyway, hardening your expression won''t change the situation," Bernard said.

    Just as the two of them exchanged jokes and fakeughter, Do-Jin, who had been motionless until then, dashed forward and swung his sword to unleash arge-scale magic circle. What shot out of the magic circle was a massive snowstorm that swept through the streets of Pyongyang and covered rius''s entire body with sharp snowkes.

    Despite its high defense and attack power, rius seemed to have difficulty dodging the attack due to itsrge size. Furthermore, with the added snowstorm, its movements were significantly slowed down and it became even more visible to the naked eye.

    Moreover, Do-Jin had more attacks up his sleeve. He jumped over the space where the Blizzard was raging, and plunged his hand, adorned with another magic circle, into rius''s ankle and hit it hard. Then, a giant ice column began to shoot up and freeze rius''s body.

    Startled, rius tried to jump up and escape. However, Do-Jin had alreadynded back in his original spot, having crossed the space.

    Yu-Seong could only gasp in amazement at Do-Jin''s incredible attack.

    <i>¡®Did that crazy guy even master the Freezing spell?¡¯</i>

    Lightning and Thunder were closely rted to each other, while Fire and Ice were clearly opposites. Therefore, it was rare for a wizard to use two elements, Fire and Ice, simultaneously. Moreover, it was difficult to find someone who could unleash such powerful magic as Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®And that guy... He had even beaten the Sword Master using only his swordsmanship, didn¡¯t he?¡¯</i>

    Clearly, Do-Jin had reached the pinnacle of sword fighting as a Sword Master. Nevertheless, he didn''t reveal his Sword Aura during this battle. In fact, Do-Jin intended to conceal a special move as backup, just like Yu-Seong had.

    <i>¡®I should also reach the realm of Sword Aura quickly.¡¯</i>

    Would it be possible once he reached S-rank?

    While Yu-Seong had such thoughts, rius was almostpletely frozen in the midst of the raging Blizzard. In that case, it was obvious what Yu-Seong and Bernard needed to do before rius could move again.

    <i>¡®We need to finish rius before he moves again!¡¯</i>

    The two made their decision and ran forward.

    Amidst the sound of wind being ripped apart, an ax flew from somewhere and precisely struck rius on the forehead. The impact was so strong that the giant rius, who had been frozen, could no longer resist and fell back.

    Feeling shocked, Yu-Seong, Bernard, and Do-Jin turned to the woman with red hair who flew by like the wind. She passed by Yu-Seong in a fleeting moment and eximed, "Kyahaha! It''s been ages, my dear Gold Nugget! Let''s deal with that first and then catch up properly!"

    At the same time, Rachel, the woman with red hair, jumped up from the ground and swung her ax to ruthlessly cut rius''s head that had fallen on the ground.

    <i>Crack, crack, crunch-!</i>

    With a dull thud, rius''s giant head was split in half, with blood and flesh scattering in all directions.

    Rachel paid no attention to the Blizzard raging around her or the frigid energy being unleashed by Do-Jin. She simply wielded her overwhelming violence to strike the enemy.

    "What, what the hell is that?" Bernard eximed, staring at Rachel in astonishment.

    Furrowing his brows, Do-Jin hardened his face as well. Rachel had managed to dispel his magic, even though he had used his full power, simply through the force of her own energy.

    Rachel, indiscriminately using violence against a powerful enemy even like a Count of Demon, rendered even Yu-Seong speechless.

    <i>¡®The ughter Queen¡­ She has be even stronger.¡¯</i>

    Contrary to Yu-Seong¡¯s belief that Rachel would not develop properly while trapped in Pyongyang, her power was much more intense than he had expected. Yu-Seong thought he himself had be much stronger in a short amount of time, but Rachel''s growth was also somewhat incredibly rapid.

    <i>¡®Everything in this world is flowing faster than I knew.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, Yu-Seong noticed that Rachel was the only one who had appeared in front of him. As this realization dawned on him, he panicked and jumped forward. Even though Do-Jin¡¯s sharp Blizzard swept over his entire body, he had no time to care about such things.

    Do-Jin quickly withdrew his Blizzard magic in surprise. After all, rius was already dying from Rachel''s ax strike, its headpletely in pieces. He didn¡¯t have to keep using his magic.

    "Kyahaha-!"

    Rachel was swinging her ax like a madwoman when Yu-Seong reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder. He asked urgently, "Helen, what about Helen? What happened to her?"

    Rachel stopped swinging her ax and tilted her head. She asked, "Helen?¡±

    Then, she gave Yu-Seong a chilling smile as she stood up. ¡°You''re not trying to ask about that worthless grandma and bothering me, are you, Gold Nugget?"

    As she spoke, the violent and rough aura initially directed at rius began to pour down on Yu-Seong, who felt chills all over his body.

    In the past, Yu-Seong would have copsed in his spot without being able to withstand this. However, he had also grown, perhaps even more than Rachel, allowing him to stand on both feet.

    ¡°Shut up, and just answer. Where is Helen?¡± Yu-Seong asked as he confidently addressed her.

    "What if I killed her?" Rachel snickered, twirling her ax before swiftly throwing it toward Yu-Seong''s head.

    Yu-Seong used his Wind Control to dodge the hand ax. Then, he quickly pulled out his gun from his pocket, firing the mana bullet at Rachel using Lightning Strike.

    <i>Kwarrang-!?</i>

    Rachel blocked the Lightning Strike head-on, then smiled brightly at her arm which had turned ck like coal from the impact. She remarked, "Gold Nugget, you''ve really grown a lot.¡±

    "Answer me, Rachel. Where is Helen?" Yu-Seong repeated.

    "The answer is..."

    Rachel didn''t even finish her sentence before Yu-Seong suddenly lowered his head, avoiding a sharp ax that had just grazed his scalp.

    Just as Rachel proceeded to leap at Yu-Seong with her ax in hand, Bernard jumped in and unleashed a massive explosion with his fist.

    "Fast, but too linear..." said Rachel as she avoided Bernard''s attacks with a light twist of her head and a smile.

    Her expression froze when Do-Jin''s sword stopped right below her neck. He asked, "Have you heard of fishing, you crazy yangban?"

    Bernard shrugged his shoulders after Do-Jin had easily subdued Rachel for a moment.

    "Ahaha! This is really fun." Rachelughed once again.

 Chapter 228

    <h4>Chapter 228 </h4>

    Yu-Seong stared at Rachel with cold, sunken eyes and asked, ¡°This is yourst chance to answer. Did you really kill Helen?¡±

    Rachel smiled mischievously and tilted her head. ¡°Maybe?¡±

    ¡°I see that you don''t understand my words.¡±

    The voice that followed belonged to Do-Jin, who extended his sword. His weapon gently pierced Rachel''s white neck, staining her skin with blood.

    ¡°Wow¡­ If you kill me now, you''ll regret it. Gold Nugget, you haven''t forgotten my kindness, have you?¡± said Rachel with a smile that reached her eyes.

    Yu-Seong frowned deeply. When the demons first descended upon Pyongyang, she had let Yu-Seong and Do-Jin escape the city.

    ¡°Don''t waver, Yu-Seong. Just think about what''s important right now,¡± said Do-Jin.

    ¡°I know. That''s why I won¡¯t kill her,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Just as Yu-Seong tilted his head slightly and slowly approached Rachel¡­

    ¡°You kids!¡±

    Someone quickly approached from behind with an urgent voice.

    Helen, showing off her ck cape and purple hair, grabbed Yu-Seong''s shoulder and yelled, ¡°Why did youe all the way here?!¡±

    ¡°Helen?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    "Ahaha!" Rachel burst outughing as the two met in a somewhat bewildering reunion.

    ¡°Do you even know where you are, you idiot!¡± said Helen to Yu-Seong.

    "I know. That''s why I came. I''m relieved to see that you don''t seem to be hurt anywhere," said Yu-Seong.

    Helen scolded him while Yu-Seong smiled and nodded in relief.

    ¡°What happened here?¡± asked Bernard as he tilted his head in confusion at the situation.

    Meanwhile, Do-Jin briefly clicked his tongue and pushed the tip of his sword deeper into Rachel¡¯s neck. He growled, ¡°It means that she¡¯s just ying with us.¡±

    ¡°It was just a joke. Gold Nugget¡¯s friend, I believe you don¡¯t really intend to kill me with this,¡± said Rachel.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I am someone whocks gratitude. I also enjoy betraying trust,¡± said Do-Jin.

    ¡°...What a pity,¡± said Rachel with a wide grin.

    She looked over at Helen, who was sharing the joy of their reunion with Yu-Seong. Then, she asked, ¡°Hey, Grandma, these guys are trying to kill me. Can you help?"

    ¡°Just die,¡± replied Helen.

    "No camaraderie here, huh, Grandma?" Rachel retorted, her expression souring at Helen¡¯s response that had returned without any hesitation.

    Just before Rachel was about to continue her conversation with Helen¡­

    <i>Thuuud-!</i>

    With a loud rumble, the two Counts of Demon finished their regeneration and began to rise from their resting ces. In that situation, Do-Jin coolly clicked his tongue and sheathed his sword.

    ¡°Oh, now you want me to help?¡± asked Rachel.

    ¡°Even if you just want to leave here, you¡¯ll have to help,¡± said Do-Jin.

    In fact, from the beginning, Do-Jin had no intention of killing Rachel who also knew his intention well. There had only been one thing Do-Jin wanted to say from the beginning.

    ¡°Stop thinking about useless things. If I want to kill you, I can do it anytime,¡± said Do-Jin.

    "Oh, how scary," Rachel said with a smirk. Shrugging her shoulders, she then raised her hand ax high and asked, ¡°So, can I go and smash these guys'' heads now?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Yu-Seong, having just finished a brief reunion with Helen. He also stepped forward onto the battlefield.

    Finally, in addition to the original three members, Helen and Rachel were finally added.

    <i>¡®Even if there are two Counts of Demon....¡¯</i>

    There was nothing to be afraid of. The situation waspletely different from the past, where he had to turn and run away in fear at the appearance of demons.

    "Let''s deal with them swiftly and calmly," said Yu-Seong casually.

    In the end, they took less than 30 minutes topletely defeat the two Counts of Demon.

    ***

    After arriving in Pyongyang and having defeated countless demonic creatures and demons, including the two Demon Counts, Yu-Seong had achieved level 80 of A-rank. This meant he only needed to level up 20 more times to reach S-rank!

    <i>¡®I was expecting this, but the experience point gains are really hitting the jackpot here.¡¯</i>

    As he conversed with Do-Jin and Bernard, Yu-Seong noticed that the two were also in simr situations. Although he was happy that he had achieved his goal of having his colleagues rapidly develop to prepare for the future, he knew that there were still some problems.

    Despite having defeated the two demons known as the Counts of Demon, who had been as strong as a Marquis, they all knew that a greater monster still remained in Pyongyang.

    ¡°So...that white demon is the real problem, after all,¡± said Yu-Seong. While remembering the small white demon that had destroyed the stealth ne, he nodded.

    Inside the secret alchemy-made hideout, Helen smiled wryly as she faced Yu-Seong. She said, ¡°This ce is much more dangerous than you think, Yu-Seong. Rachel and I have already surpassed S-rank, but¡­ That little kid is impossible to defeat.¡±

    Rachel grinned and winked at Yu-Seong. ¡°Now that things have turned out this way, should we just live here like a normal family, Gold Nugget?¡±

    ¡°I refuse,¡± replied Yu-Seong.

    He couldn''t even manage a normal rtionship, so how was he to be family with Rachel, the epitome of a crazy woman? Indeed, it was a terrible thing that he didn''t even want to imagine.

    ¡°Ah... That''s too bad. Is it because of the lover next to you?¡± asked Rachel.

    ¡°Lover? Who?¡± asked Yu-Seong.

    With a sharp gaze, he turned to look at Do-Jin, whose expression had hardened in an instant. He then said to Rachel, ¡°We should joke around in moderation.¡±

    "We should have just killed her," said Do-Jin.

    Just as the two of them simultaneously stood up and drew their weapons, Helen stepped forward to calm them down. ¡°Let''s calm down. Even if all five of usbine our strength, it may not be enough to defeat that little guy together. For now, let''s endure her.¡±

    Rachelughed loudly and held her stomach as if she found the situation amusing. Yu-Seong sighed and approached her, but Rachel easily dodged his kick by twisting her body. Standing up from her spot in the corner with an excited expression, she said, ¡°Didn''t you hear what Helen just said?¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to kick you because you¡¯re annoying,¡± said Yu-Seong. Then, he clicked his tongue in disappointment and sat back down.

    Finally, Yu-Seong began to reveal the most important story that came to mind afterwards. He said, "Alright, let''s get serious. There''s something I haven''t shared with you all yet. I have the ability of future foresight.¡±

    ¡°What...?¡± eximed Helen, her eyes widening in surprise at Yu-Seong''s unexpected words.

    ¡°Future foresight¡­.¡± mumbled Do-Jin with a strange expression. He clicked his tongue, because he already knew that Yu-Seong''s words were false.

    However, Yu-Seong had a pretty clear reason for bringing up this story. He went on to say, ¡°Thanks to that¡­ I found out who that little Demon King is.¡±

    It was information from the original novel. Although he couldn''t recall it at first just by looking at the white demon, Yu-Seong had nowpletely remembered who the little Demon King was after hearing Helen''s exnation.

    Naturally, everyone''s ears perked up.

    ¡°For now, as you two predicted, he is indeed the Demon King,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    However, it was just that the Demon King wasn¡¯t fully awakened yet.

    ¡°The Demon King¡­!¡± eximed Helen.

    ¡°My goodness,¡± said Bernard in surprise.

    Although they had anticipated it beforehand, the actual realization of the fact felt different. On the other hand, Do-Jin''s gaze became even sharper. In fact, Yu-Seong found it easy to guess just what the man was feeling.

    <i>¡®He probably thinks of this as the second Demon King hunt.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong also felt a creepy feeling in his heart as he recalled the identity of the little Demon King. However, now that he was telling the story to the others, his heart was bing more and more calm.

    <i>¡®It''s as if this was fate from the beginning¡­.¡¯</i>

    In a way, it was a strange event from the very beginning. It was strange that even though the power of the Philosopher''s Stone had been activated, only the Counts of Demon had been summoned.

    The Count of Demon, rius, had considerable power, but there was still too much power left in the Philosopher''s Stone. Moreover, there were too many sacrifices in this summoning.

    <i>¡®Since it consumed the blood of the entire Pyongyang¡­.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, Yu-Seong should have thought of it from such a perspective since the beginning.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t the Count of Demons that was summoned from the beginning,¡± continued Yu-Seong.

    In fact, rius had been a Guardian Demon. The appearance of a Guardian Demon meant that there was something to be protected. In the original novel, there was only one existence that the twin Guardian Demons protected.

    ¡°The Demon King of Sloth, Acedia,¡± stated Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Is that the name of the Little Demon King?¡± asked Rachel with twinkling eyes.

    ¡°In the first ce, he''s not just a Little Demon King. What you two saw was probably...his avatar,¡± continued Yu-Seong.

    As Yu-Seong calmly continued his story, both Helen and Rachel trembled.

    ¡°That was just his avatar?¡± Helen asked in a quavering voice.

    She was shocked that the small being, whom even the two who believed themselves to have surpassed S-rank were unable to defeat, was not the real Demon King but merely his avatar. She could even feel shivers running down her spine.

    ¡°Yes. Acedia is known as the Demon King of Sloth. That¡¯s why he isn¡¯t moving around much,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°So, Gold Nugget, you mean you found all this out through your future foresight, right?¡± said Rachel.

    ¡°To be precise, I realized it while listening to Helen''s story,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong''s calm gaze now slowly moved past Do-Jin and toward Rachel.

    Honestly, Yu-Seong was scared. The Demon King was truly powerful, but the reason that he thought there was still a way was simple.

    <i>¡®Do-Jin is originally the yer of the Demon King.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin was the warrior who had fought and won against the powerful Demon King. In truth, if he wasn''t here with them, it would have been even more difficult to guarantee victory. Moreover, this situation was one of the worst assumptions that Yu-Seong had already considered from the beginning. However, as he had said, this situation was like fate.

    <i>¡®Of all the Demon Kings, it had to be Acedia¡­¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong''s gaze passed Do-Jin andnded on Rachel, whose eyes glinted red under that strange gaze.

    ¡°What''s wrong? Gold Nugget, what''s with that look in your eyes?¡±

    Previously, whenever Yu-Seong looked at Rachel, his gaze conveyed only fear and anger. However, this time, it was different. There was a sense of anticipation mixed with a strange disy of unease in his eyes.

    ¡°...Everything is on you, ughter Queen,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°In my future foresight, it is none other than you who will defeat the Demon King of Sloth,¡± he added.

    The entire gathering''s attention shifted to Rachel at Yu-Seong¡¯s unexpected statement.

    Rachel, with her red hair swaying, giggled as she pointed to herself with her index finger. She said, "Me? Well, I''ve always dreamed of battling a Demon King.¡±

    She trembled from a potent mixture of excitement and curiosity, and she made no effort to conceal it. She then asked, ¡°So, you mean that I am the destined one to kill the Demon King?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Hm, should I believe you...?¡±

    It was evident to Rachel that Yu-Seong''s gaze was too unwavering for this to simply be a baiting tactic.

    In fact, it was true that Yu-Seong did not speak falsely.

    <i>¡®Because...¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, Rachel had defeated the Demon King and died herself. And in that situation, the target had been none other than the Demon King of Sloth, Acedia. In other words, this fight was like a predetermined fate.

    <i>¡®Rachel, you will defeat the Demon King and die together.¡¯</i>

    Rachel smiled strangely and nodded as she looked into Yu-Seong''s eyes. ¡°It''s a pretty cool destiny. I like it, Prophet Gold Nugget.¡±

    Afterwards, she began to loosen up her body without hesitation. She dered, ¡°If the future is like that, there''s no reason to wait. Let''s leave right away without dragging it out. I''ll show you how hot-headed I can be. Hahaha!¡±

    If fate was certain, why did one part of Yu-Seong¡¯s heart feel uneasy for no reason?

    <i>¡®...Is it because of gratitude?¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong absent-mindedly thought of the idea of gratitude, Do-Jin grabbed his shoulder.

    <i>¡®Don''t be swayed by emotions.¡¯</i>

    Facing Do-Jin¡¯s cold gaze that seemed to say so, Yu-Seong nodded his head.

    <i>¡®I know.¡¯</i>

    He understood well enough.

 Chapter 229

    <h4>Chapter 229 </h4>

    Despite Rachel''s desire to immediately start rampaging, Yu-Seong''s opinion was to dy the fight against the Demon King of Sloth for three more days. He knew that they needed time to best condition themselves to the new battle conditions and for himself, Do-Jin, and Bernard to adapt to their level of growth. This was in case of any emergency.

    Sitting alone in the empty room that Helen had created through alchemy, Yu-Seong checked the time on his hunter-specific digital watch before slowly getting up from his seat.

    <i>¡®They should be asleep by now.¡¯</i>

    Then, he walked out of the room and knocked on Helen''s door after passing through a short hallway.

    "Come in," came the quiet reply.

    Yu-Seong cautiously opened the door and walked inside. He remarked, "I didn''t realize earlier on since everyone was gathered together, but your room is quite spacious.¡±

    "Why? Is your room too small for you to stay, young master?" she asked.

    "No, it''s just a temporary stay, so it doesn''t matter," he replied with a smirk.

    With a casual shrug, he nced at Helen and wondered how he should start the conversation.

    While he was wondering and feeling some hesitation, Helen spoke up. "Tell me honestly, do you really have future foresight?"

    "Is it so hard to believe?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "It feels strange. It doesn''t seem like a lie, but at the same time, it''s hard to believe it as the truth,¡± she replied.

    Perhaps deceiving Helen was impossible, given her extensive experience. Yu-Seong smiled and nodded. He then exined, "To be honest, it''s not future foresight. It''s just a different way of seeing the future.¡±

    "It''s contradictory to say you don''t have future foresight but can still see the future," Helen remarked.

    "Haha, is it? It might be a long story. Can I sit down?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Perhaps it was because he had to face a truly dangerous fight. He decided that it would be okay for him to reveal some truths to Helen at this moment.

    "You don''t need permission for something like that," Helen replied with a smirk, waving her hand.

    Suddenly, the ground beneath Yu-Seong shifted and transformed into a chair.

    ¡°You want me to make you something like this, huh?¡± said Helen.

    "I didn''t mean that at all¡­but thank you," Yu-Seong said appreciatively.

    "You sit down so naturally for someone who rejected my kind offer," Helen replied.

    "Haha... It''s impolite to refuse a favor."

    Helen sat across from Yu-Seong with crossed legs. Her gentle smile reached her eyes as she asked, "So, what do you want to talk about?"

    "It''s about a reader of a novel," Yu-Seong replied with a smile.

    "A novel?" Helen asked with a puzzled expression.

    Yu-Seong continued to speak, sharing his truth with her. Whether or not she believed him was up to her.

    Despite having shortened the story, he still shared extensively. After all, he had so many details to convey. Eventually, he took over an hour to finish what he wanted to say.

    Finally shutting his mouth, Yu-Seong looked at Helen. It was clear that Do-Jin had taken his truth as a joke, so he had to wonder just how Helen would react.

    Helen stared into Yu-Seong''s ck eyes before lightly clicking her tongue. She asked, "So, you''re Choi Yu-Seong, but also not Choi Yu-Seong?"

    "I''m not sure. At first, I did take on that perspective, but¡­¡± Yu-Seong trailed off, thinking about the deep sense of oneness and the natural world.

    Were the two of them really different beings?

    "Hmm, there''s a story about parallel worlds on my list of research topics. It''s possible that the you in another world saw something that the current you have perceived," Helen said.

    "Like a dream?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Exactly," she replied.

    Yu-Seong quickly held back the words that came to mind.

    <i>¡®Maybe this is all just a dream?¡¯</i>

    Was it because this was the first time he had shared his truth and received a positive response without any pushback? Yu-Seong''s gaze trembled involuntarily as he looked at Helen, who offered him a strange smile.

    "Don''t worry. As you''ve said in your story, this is your reality that you can no longer doubt," Helen said.

    "You''re right," Yu-Seong agreed.

    "Right, kiddo. If it was really a big deal, you would have felt it already. You know the saying, most of our worries are unnecessary anxiety," Helen reassured him.

    "Haha, I didn''t know I would getfort from you, Helen," Yu-Seong said.

    Helen smiled, then reached out and ruffled Yu-Seong''s hair. "I don''t know what you''re thinking, but you don''t need to carry such a heavy burden on your own. You''re someone worthy, and you have many days ahead. Do you understand what I mean?"

    "Thank you, Helen," Yu-Seong said.

    "Don''t mention it."

    After that reply, Helen smiled warmly once again and ruffled Yu-Seong¡¯s hair. Then, she continued speaking as if she had suddenly remembered something. "That guy, Kim Do-Jin, you said he¡¯s the protagonist of the novel you read?"

    "Yes, originally, he¡¯s fated to kill my father and myself," Yu-Seong exined.

    "...And how about now?" Helen asked.

    "I think he still hates my father," Yu-Seong replied.

    "That puts you in a difficult position. You''ve be friends with him, but that fate is still intertwined," Helen said.

    "Friend... Do you think he feels the same way?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Undoubtedly. He must feel the same way," Helen replied. She rubbed her chin and looked at Yu-Seong with a gleam in her eye. "Okay, when this is all over and we go back to Seoul, I''ll show you another miracle.¡±

    .

    "Pardon?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Did you forget my nickname?" Helen reminded him with a smile.

    She was Helen, the Miraculous Alchemist. Although she sported a young appearance, she had lived for many years and was known by such a name.

    "I¡¯ll try to find a way to connect you and that friend somehow. The price for my help is you saving me and bringing me back to Seoul," Helen said.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at the unexpected offer. In fact, his story was a story that no one believed or cared about until now. And Helen was showing him such kindness.

    How could he express this moment of gratitude? Overwhelmed with emotion, Yu-Seong''s gaze trembled and he couldn''t bring himself to meet Helen''s gaze.

    <i>¡®It would be great¡­ If we can all return to Seoul together,¡¯?</i>Yu-Seong thought to himself, clenching his fists.

    "Thank you, Helen. And for that, there is one more thing I want to ask you," he said.

    "So you came to me with a hidden agenda from the very beginning?" Helen said.

    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Yu-Seong couldn''t help but let out a softugh, feeling a warmth reminiscent of being with his own mother.

    With a determined grip, he turned to Helen and pulled out something he had hidden in his embrace.

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Helen said as she stared at the blue mana stone, which was worth billions.

    It was ssified as the highest grade, excluding navy and violet.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s a reward I¡¯ve obtained for clearing the Swamp Emperor.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong had deliberately kept the reward a secret, knowing that it could be useful in situations like this.

    "There''s something I want you to make with this," Yu-Seong said.

    Next, he revealed a secret alchemy recipe to Helen that he had learned from reading the original novel. It was a highly advanced technique, but he was confident that Helen, with her current skills, could manage it.

    As he expected, Helen nodded without hesitation. She said with an ambiguous look, "I will need about two days, but I think I can do it. I just didn''t quite understand what you were nning to do with it.¡±

    When Yu-Seong shrugged as his eyes crinkled with a smile, Helen looked at him and asked, "Don''t tell me¡­ You don''t have a hidden agenda, do you?"

    "Of course not. Trust me, Helen. We both need to survive Pyongyang so we can witness miracles together, right?" said Yu-Seong.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Helen pondered.

    ¡°Helen, you''ve heard my story. I don¡¯t want to die any more than anyone else, so please don¡¯t worry. But if you''re still anxious¡­ Okay, I''ll be honest with you. What I asked you to make is a kind of seal stone," said Yu-Seong.

    "A seal stone?" Helen repeated.

    "Yes. It''s to trap a being as powerful as a Demon King in another dimension for about a year. This prevents them from returning to this world for a period of time.¡±

    In fact, a year should be enough time to deal with the Demon King and return safely from Pyongyang.

    "But we have to use it very carefully, because it''s a one-time use," Yu-Seong cautioned.

    "Okay, I trust your word," Helen replied with a nod, clicking her tongue. Shemented, "So that''s why you said you needed three days. You clever kid.¡±

    ¡°Haha¡­¡±

    "Okay then, go take care of yourself. Like you said, you''ll need to manage your condition," Helen said, turning her back to Yu-Seong and waving her hand.

    "Thank you for believing in me, Helen," Yu-Seong said just as Helen turned her back.

    ncing at her reliable back, he got up from his seat and walked out of the room.

    <i>¡®With this, I''ve prepared the ultimatest resort for the worst-case scenario. I''m sorry for lying to you, Helen.¡¯</i>

    Meanwhile, Helen didn''t even turn to look at Yu-Seong¡¯s retreating back. Her eyes held a deep determination.

    ***

    Three days passed in the blink of an eye, during which the group had worked on leveling up and taking care of their conditions whenever they had the time. Finally, they gathered together and stepped out onto the surface, leaving the underground tunnels behind.

    Yu-Seong gazed upon Juseok Pce in the distance, which had once been splendid but had nowpletely copsed.

    <i>¡®Acedia, the Demon King of Sloth is there.¡¯</i>

    Indeed, this would be the first Demon King raid in this world, but the media and even the drones couldn''t keep up with their movements. Thus, there was no one to record this epic battle.

    "Still, it''ll be a legendary battle that everyone will remember," Bernard, who was standing right beside Yu-Seong, said as if reading his thoughts.

    "But legends have to be told by someone, right? It''s better to just focus on staying alive for now. If we all die here, no one will remember us."

    Helen was the one who gave that reply. She had spent thest few days researching the new alchemy recipe that Yu-Seong had given her and carefully carving it onto the mana stone. Despite her diligent work, herplexion remained as fine as ever.

    "...That''s a bitter story," Bernard said, letting out a bitterugh in response to Helen¡¯s words.

    Then, he turned to look at Yu-Seong and said, "Hey, prophet friend. You must have some kind of n, right? We''re dealing with a Demon King, and I can barely stand the thought of it. Say something that can reassure us.¡±

    "Well, I don''t have a specific n... But if I had to say something, it would be to deal with him while he''s not in theplete form," Yu-Seong said calmly.

    Rachel was the one who unexpectedly brightened up at Yu-Seong''s nonchnt lie. She quickly said, "If he''s not at full power now, how cool will he be at full power? Are you saying I can take down someone like that?"

    "Don''t think unnecessary thoughts. Future foresight doesn''t necessarily flow ording to a predetermined fate," Yu-Seong answered.

    "Haha¡­ Of course. I''m just happy," Rachel replied with a smirk.

    Fortunately, Rachel seemed to have no objections and was easily epting Yu-Seong''s words.

    <i>¡®If she could be a truthful ally, there would be no one more reliable than her. Unfortunately¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Rachel was someone they would likely face again after this battle, given their past encounters.

    After taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Yu-Seong approached Helen and asked in a quiet voice, "Helen, what I asked for..."

    "I have it," she replied immediately.

    "Please give it to me. Since it''s a one-time use item, it should be given to someone who can use it effectively..." said Yu-Seong.

    Without even listening to the end of Yu-Seong''s request, Helen swiftly walked away.

    "Helen?" he called after her.

    "I already know how to use it. You won''t get a chance. I''ll do it," she dered confidently.

    Yu-Seong''s face showed a mix of emotions before he quicklyposed himself and the expression disappeared.

 Chapter 230

    <h4>Chapter 230 </h4>

    <i>¡®Is there a way to stop her?¡¯</i>

    If Yu-Seong were to force himself and take action now, it would only deepen Helen''s suspicions.

    <i>¡®...Besides, she would not know the full extent of how to use it anyway.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong decided it would be best to confiscate it and prevent any potential tensions. With his mind made up, he nodded and said, "I understand. I trust you, Helen.¡±

    "I hope you don''t have any strange ulterior motives," Helen replied with narrowed eyes.

    Yu-Seong gave a wry smile in response and shrugged his shoulders.

    <i>Swoosh-!</i>

    As they walked through the alleyways, demonic creatures and demons began to emerge one by one from between the streets.

    "The Guardian Demon may have fallen, but the path to the boss room is still blocked," Bernard remarked with a smirk while swinging his arm. "As always, the vanguard will be me..."

    Before he could finish his sentence, an ax flew through the air and obliterated the head of a demon that was standing in the front line.

    "Huh?" Bernard looked dumbfounded as he saw Rachel, with her red hair fluttering in the wind, charging into battle and swinging her hand ax randomly.

    "Gyahahaha!" Rachelughed maniacally.

    Blood and flesh flew in all directions as she fought against the demonic creatures. Ironically, it was the demons who were cowering in fear and hiding from her fierce onught.

    "...I can''t even tell who exactly is the demon here.¡± With a dryugh, Bernard turned to Yu-Seong and asked, "Can we really trust that woman?"

    "At least until we defeat the Demon King?" Yu-Seong replied, drawing his spear.

    "If she makes any sudden moves, I''ll kill her immediately," Do-Jin dered, unsheathing his sword and joining the fray.

    "Well, that''s a reassuring thought." Bernard shrugged as he followed suit, and the three of them charged forward to join Rachel in battle.

    Then, Bernard raised his eyebrows in surprise as he unexpectedly lost his lead. "Huh?"

    "Everyone, take cover! Commence firing!"

    Suddenly, following Helen''s order to fire, bullets were shot everywhere on the battlefield from the Homunculus unit she had created behind them.

    <i>Baaaang-!</i>

    Amidst the chaos, Rachel found herself surrounded by bullets and sparks. Her eyes glowed red as she tilted her head back. She eximed, "Ahaha, this is so exhrating, Grandma Helen!"

    "Unfortunately, you haven''t died," Helen replied.

    As the bullets flew past them, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin found themselves facing each other. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a strange sensation while listening to the conversation between the two women.

    <i>¡®At least we''re better than those two.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin nodded in agreement with Yu-Seong''s unspoken thoughts.

    In fact, the level of the women¡¯s craziness surpassed that of a normal fight.

    ***

    In the end, Helen took the lead, leaving Bernard with no chance to step forward. It was because her Homunculus unit was already in action, using their guns and gunpowder to melt away the demonic creatures that attempted to approach them.

    <i>¡®Originally, ordinary guns wouldn''t work against demonic creatures nor demons, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Surprisingly, the Homunculus unit handled by Helen could shoot bullets with mana. The group couldn''t help but admire how Helen was able to calmly coordinate such arge-scale unit while holding her own.

    "Grandma Helen, you truly have a crazy amount of mana," Rachel praised.

    Even Rachel, who was usually insane and battle crazed, had retreated from the battlefield. She realized that she would only get in the way.

    Thanks to this, it didn''t take the group long to reach the copsed Juseok Pce where the Demon King of Sloth, Acedia, was located.

    <i>¡®The problem is that there are more demons in there.¡¯</i>

    This problem was also easily solved with Helen at hand.

    "Buy me some time," she ordered as she handed over the attacking demons and demonic creatures to the group.

    She then recited a spell, causing her scattered Homunculus unit to reunite and float in the air as one. In a short amount of time, it writhed like a liquid monster before solidifying into a form that was strangely familiar to modern people.

    "A missile?" Yu-Seong muttered to himself as he looked up at the sky.

    "Correct. Everyone, step back," Helen replied lightly, gesturing from above to the others below.

    <i>Thuuuuuud-!?</i>

    Just as the group stepped back, they were freaked out by the heavy weight that subsequently fell from the air to the ground. A loud impact reverberated throughout Juseok Pce as the missilended at its center, causing a massive mana explosion.

    <i>Thuud!</i>

    The resulting mushroom cloud of distinct blue-green mana rose up in front of the group, and the ruins that were once called Juseok Pce disappeared without a trace in the wind and dust clouds.

    Rachel, who had furrowed her brow at the sight of the wind and dust clouds,ughed heartily and apuded. She eximed, "Wow, Grandma Helen! Why did you hold back for so long when you have such a hot technique? It''s so cool!"

    As the mushroom cloud disappeared, something began to wriggle from beneath the now-destroyed Juseok Pce.

    Helen, who had be visibly tense, stepped back and said, "I shouldn¡¯t waste too much mana on these small fries, since I of course need to rest for a while. Please take care of the rest.¡±

    Once Helen was done speaking, something white sprang up from the ground and attacked her. Rachel was the one who stood in front of her and blocked the attack with a small fist and hand ax.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    It was an unreal fight that caused a deafening noise. The two shed before Rachel, who had never backed down from any enemy until then, flew up in the air. A white demon the size of a five-year-old child floated toward her in the air, trying to kick her chin.

    What blocked the demon¡¯s way was a mana circle that had suddenly been created in the air.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    The demon, who was struck by the impact of his own kick due to the mana circle, mmed onto the ground. His fall raised arge cloud of dust.

    ¡°Little Demon King! This is so thrilling!¡± Rachel shouted, taking advantage of the gap to barely regain her posture.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Demon King of Sloth, Acedia,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    He ran forward without missing the opportunity, stretched out his spear, and created lightning and wind around his body.

    The Demon King of Sloth, Acedia, who was trying to stand up and dodge, stiffened and grabbed the approaching spear with both hands.

    <i>Crack-!</i>

    With determined eyes that seemed to suggest that he wouldn¡¯t lose in a power struggle, Acedia looked at Yu-Seong, who was surrounded by sparks of lightning. After making that direct eye contact, Yu-Seong felt his strength gradually diminishing. He was shocked, because this was what he had seen through the future with his Third Eye.

    Bernard¡¯s fist, wrapped in a burning me, hit Acedia''s chin hard.

    <i>Crash-!</i>

    Once again, raising a cloud of dust, Rachel''s hand ax flew toward Acedia who was just mmed onto the ground. And as Acedia turned his head to avoid the hand ax, Do-Jin''s sword touched his neck.

    <i>sh-!</i>

    His cut neck immediately regenerated, but Acedia had a deep frown on his face. A part of his chin had been cut off.

    However, that wasn''t the end. Helen, who had recovered her stamina quickly, jumped into the battlefield and extended a giant armored palm.

    <i>Thuuud-!</i>

    Acedia''s teeth chattered as he extended his arms to withstand the renewed power struggle.

    ¡°Now''s the time! Kiddos!" Helen shouted.

    Do-Jin and Rachel attacked from the sides, while Bernard struck from the front and Yu-Seong from behind. All of them delivered powerful blows. Do-Jin''s sword and Rachel''s hand ax severed one of Acedia''s arms that was being held back, and Bernard''s fist punched arge hole in his chest. As for Yu-Seong''s spear, it pierced through Acedia''s swaying head.

    This entirely urred within a single breath of time. Helen then summoned a giant palm that fell disastrously over Acedia''spletely subdued head.

    <i>Crunch-!</i>

    Acedia''s body cracked as he was ttened to the ground like a pancake.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s easier than¡­I thought...?¡¯</i>

    All five of them had fought with the Demon King together, so it was not a one-on-one battle. Perhaps it was because they were aware that their opponent was a Demon King, so they had fought with all their might and best efforts.

    Even though it was an iplete attack, the group had managed to overpower the Demon King of Sloth, Acedia, who struggled to regenerate after their assault for a long time.

    ¡°Whoa...¡± Bernard approached Yu-Seong, who had stepped back to catch his breath, and spoke with narrowed eyes. He asked, ¡°Did we get him?¡±

    ¡°Hey, that''s...!¡±

    Indeed, Bernard''s words were dangerous.

    Before Yu-Seong could finish speaking, Acedia, who was wriggling like a well-kneaded pancake, stopped moving.

    <i>¡®Did he really die just from this?¡¯</i>

    However, there was not even a level-up message to confirm that they had defeated the Demon King. Everyone in the group was looking at the milky white liquid with tense eyes when¡­

    - ...Those bugs are so annoying.

    As a voice echoed in their minds, the pure white liquid began to turn pitch ck.

    The desperate group tried to rush forward, but their bodies suddenly froze in ce. They felt trapped in a lie. To be precise, their movements had be incredibly slow, like a scene in a slow-motion movie.

    The ck liquid flickered in everyone''s eyes, slowly taking shape and growing like a tree. It soon formed a figure with ck skin instead of pure white and ck eyes that seemed to swallow an even darker darkness. The figure also had two horns above the head.

    Acedia, who had looked like a mere five-year-old child, suddenly grew into a young adult. He slowly looked around at the group.

    <i>¡®Finally...!¡¯</i>

    An rm went off in Yu-Seong''s mind. He knew that there was only one meaning to the change in the Demon King of Sloth¡¯s appearance.

    <i>¡®His consciousness haspletely awakened.¡¯</i>

    Up until now, Acedia had been acting roughly, like swatting away annoying bugs, without any real purpose. As his nickname suggested, the Demon King of Sloth hated anything that was bothersome and didn''t even like using his own strength directly.

    However, having been bombarded with attacks that he could not handle, his consciousness that was once asleep had awakenedpletely.

    <i>¡®I thought it would be better to knock him down in a way that he wouldn''t even realize it...¡¯</i>

    This happening was not just because of Bernard¡¯s slip of the tongue.

    <i>¡®It was too big of a hope from the start.¡¯</i>

    As the group was shocked and tense, Acedia, who seemed to have regained full consciousness, smiled fiercely and spoke with a glint in his ck eyes.

    - You insignificant bugs. It would be best if you all just died quietly.

    Then, Acedia, who casually stretched his neck as if warming up, took slow steps toward Do-Jin.

    - You. You have been quite annoying since the earlier battle. You can die first.

    Just as Acedia slowly raised his arms, sharp thorns shot out from them like a sword.

    ¡°Lo...¡±

    Yu-Seong''s lips, which had been trying to move since the moment Acedia reflected his will, let out an urgent voice.

    ¡°Ki......!¡±

    Could a small voice and not a shout be heard? The question was answered as a purple lightning bolt rained down from the sky like a thunderbolt and struck Acedia on the head.

    ¡°Tada! I! Have! Arrived!¡±

    Yu-Seong''s secret weapon, the purple dragon Loki, had joined the battlefield.

 Chapter 231

    <h4>Chapter 231 </h4>

    As Loki¡¯s lightning bolt fell upon Acedia''s head and touched the ground, the party''s previously slow movements elerated. Simultaneously, the thorns wielded by Acedia seemed to have pierced through Do-Jin''s head.

    When Do-Jin''s figure faded like a mirage and disappeared, Acedia frowned and turned his gaze toward Yu-Seong and Loki, who both stood before him.

    - You are...?

    "Shh. If you say it carelessly, I might get really angry, you know? Then, you would die," said Loki as her ominous smile reached her eyes.

    Acedia''s mouth twitched andmented, "Interesting. I thought they were quite decent for being bugs, but they have certainly exceeded my expectations.¡±

    "Well then, shall we start ying?"

    The group, as if they were waiting for the flow of time to return to normal, simultaneously attacked Acedia from all directions. Swords, spears, axes, fists, and mana bullets seemed to leave holes all over Acedia''s body in an instant.

    - You''re still slow.

    However, amidst the faintly scattered figures, Acedia, who appeared in the air, yawned leisurely before disying a smile. At the same time, thorns were sprouting out from his entire body once again.

    "Would you like to take a moment to look here?"

    Acedia turned his gaze toward the small voice as his eyes widened. He could see that Loki''s mouth was wide open, with violet lightning crackling in all directions. In that moment, what crossed Acedia''s mind were not the petty threats of mere humans. Then, he swiftly turned his body and shot all the thorns he had prepared at Loki.

    In an instant, Loki''s figure, swiftly engulfing the lingering lightning bolt around her mouth, vanished into thin air. It was as if it had been an illusion.

    -...?!

    Acedia came to the realization that he had been deceived. As soon as this realization hit him, Helen''s Homunculus Fist tightly gripped Acedia while Rachel''s ax descended upon his head, aiming to shatter it.

    <i>ng-!?</i>

    Gritting his teeth, Acedia swung his horns to block Rachel''s attack. He then exerted all his strength as his thorns wildly shot out toward Helen''s fist.

    - How dare you toy with me?

    "Ughhh! Now''s the time, kiddos!" shouted Helen.

    Blood streaked from the corner of her mouth as she smiled and took a step back.

    "Buffalo Dash!" Bernard shouted loudly as his fist was thrust forward.

    This time, instead of mere horns, the form of a charging buffalo emerged and crashed into Acedia in an instant. With both hands pouring out his full power, Acedia raised his head and threw the charging buffalo into the air.

    Then, Yu-Seong, stepping on the air and ascending, shouted as lightning bolts crackled in all directions, ¡°Meteor Spear!¡±

    After the Buffalo Dash, a spear, which had grown enormous like a missile, blocked Acedia and pushed him back. However, that was all. It failed to inflict any significant damage on him, and he even managed to evade the Meteor Spear.

    - Is this all you''ve got?!

    Right beside Acedia, who smirked with wild eyes, dozens of magic circles surrounded Do-Jin who appeared in the space with a fierce stance.

    "Antareus," called Do-Jin.

    In response to the ongoing summoning, a ck dragon emerged from the air and threw itself into the magic circles surrounding Do-Jin. Immediately, Do-Jin''s appearance underwent a change.

    <i>¡®That''s...?¡¯</i>

    Horns sprouted from Do-Jin¡¯s head while his eyes sharpened like those of a reptile. Even his arm, which held the swinging sword, transformed into that of a mighty dragon. A thick aura of mana generated above his sword as Do-Jin swung it swiftly.

    None could see Do-Jin¡¯s movements, not Yu-Seong or Bernard, let alone Rachel and Helen. Even Acedia himself couldn''t keep up with the lightning speed of his sword, which sliced through him hundreds of times in the blink of an eye.

    - Krraaah-!

    Acedia screamed as he was torn apart and scattered into the air.

    "What the heck, Gold Nugget? Your friend... What was that just now...?" Rachel asked Yu-Seong.

    Even Loki stared wide-eyed at Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®I don''t know either! That... That technique, or appearance, was never in the original novel!¡¯</i>

    It was as if Do-Jin had transformed into a different species at that moment. If one had to call it something, it could only be called a dragonkin.

    Do-Jin, who disyed swordsmanship far surpassing his rank, was pale. Stepping back, he said, "Finish it, Choi Yu-Seong. Now might be the perfect opportunity.¡±

    <i>''Although I originally intended to be cautious in using Loki to conserve mana, but¡­''?</i>

    The fragmented form of Acedia, which was already in the process of regeneration, was gradually returning to its original shape.

    "Just a little more time..."

    Before Yu-Seong could finish his sentence, Bernard¡¯s Buffalo Dash erupted once again with great force.

    "I guess this is the end for me too..." Bernard kneeled and copsed in ce.

    Just as Acedia''s head, in the midst of regeneration, expressed surprise while blocking the attacks, Rachel''s ax flew toward him.

    <i>Thunk-!?</i>

    Helen formed a giant fist to catch the moment Acedia''s head exploded. She said, "If there''s anything, now is thest chance, Choi Yu-Seong.¡±

    It might be possible to achieve victory without using the seal stone. Yu-Seong, with an anxious expression, looked at Loki who gathered purplish energy at the corner of her mouth. As the purplish energy rapidly condensed, the mana that filled Yu-Seong''s entire body fell to the ground like fuel being poured into a high-speed engine.

    <i>''It doesn''t matter. Go ahead and take all of my mana.''</i>

    In fact, this was the opportunity that Do-Jin had made by unleashing his hidden secret technique that hadn''t even appeared in the original novel.

    Gripping this very chance tightly, Yu-Seong squeezed out everyst drop of mana and poured it all into Loki. Blood trickled from his mouth.

    <i>¡®Please, Loki.¡¯</i>

    This time, it was not a joke.

    Yu-Seong shouted with all his might, "Storm of Destruction!"

    Loki, with a satisfied smile curling up at the corner of her mouth, released a long, purplish beam of light that gathered around her mouth in response to that shout.

    <i>Crackle-!?</i>

    Thanks to Yu-Seong''s mana infused within it, the lightning that emerged scattered in all directions. It overwhelmed Acedia''s entire body and dug into the ground.

    <i>Booooom-!?</i>

    A tremendous roar erupted nearby and extended far into the distance, gradually fading away. At its conclusion, Loki, having unleashed all the energy from her mouth, fell to the ground in a powerless state instead of dissipating into the air. She then said to Yu-Seong, "Ah, hey. Sorry... I fell a bit short..."

    "What...?" eximed Yu-Seong.

    Loki closed her eyes, and her figure became transparent as she was sucked back into Yu-Seong''s subspace.

    It happened in an instant, apanied by a sharp, piercing sound that seemed to tear through the air. Four kilometers away, sparks began to bloom, but it was already toote to react. Right in front of Yu-Seong, Acedia, who had regenerated at some undisclosed moment, emitted a dark and furious aura in all directions. With an angry re, he extended his sharp thorns past Yu-Seong''s forehead.

    "Ah..."

    Guided by Helen grabbing the nape of his neck, the trembling Yu-Seong was thrown outside the battlefield. He couldn¡¯t stop shaking.

    <i>¡®My mana is¡­¡¯</i>

    With almost no mana left, Yu-Seong felt sudden symptoms of exhaustion to ovee him.

    - I¡¯ll kill you, and obliterate you all forever. You worthless vermin!

    Consumed by anger, Acedia''s next target was Helen. However, once again, someone with fluttering red hair stood in his way.

    Rachel extended her ax, swinging it relentlessly like a raging tempest. She collided fiercely with Acedia''s fists in the air.

    <i>Booooom-!?</i>

    Amidst the sessive explosions, a bright smile spread across Rachel¡¯s face. The many wounds spreading across her body did not dampen her mood. She eximed, "You''re amazing, Demon King! Truly amazing! I will kill you. Since that''s my destiny! Ahaha!"

    - Arrogant woman.

    Along with a deep voice that suppressed a loudughter, thorns sprouted from Acedia''s knee and pierced through Rachel''s abdomen.

    "Cough-!"

    With a sputtering sound, Rachel spewed blood. She swayed but refused to stop, continuing to swing her ax at Acedia.

    -... What?

    Already consumed by madness, Rachel seemed to have forgotten pain as she relentlessly swung her ax. However, unexpectedly, it was Acedia who began to falter under her relentless assault.

    "Die, die, die! Aha, ahaha-!"

    Was it truly her destined fate? Rachel charged toward death. As for Acedia, he grew tired of Rachel¡¯s relentless determination and unknowingly took a step back. It was as if they were approaching thepletion of the original novel.

    Just as Rachel''s ax struck Acedia''s neck, sending him flying, ck light poured out from Acedia''s eyes and cascaded over Rachel''s head.

    This time, it truly felt as if time had stopped. Rachel''s rigid gaze, with her body frozen, briefly nced at the sky. A ck darkness descended upon her forehead.

    <i>¡®Huh? Am I...dying?¡¯</i>

    Before the thought could evenplete itself, someone forcefully pushed her body.

    <i>Crashhh-!</i>

    Time, which had been flowing slowly, suddenly sped up as Rachel copsed to the ground. She clutched her abdomen, blood spilling out.

    "Ueeek-!"

    Then, her gaze shifted to the man who had taken the hit from the ck beam in her ce.

    "Gold Nugget...?"

    After retrieving a mana potion from his subspace, Yu-Seong had regained his strength before rushing forward. He was the one who had pushed Rachel aside. As a result, his arm was torn and bleeding.

    <i>¡®Why did I do that...?¡¯</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong was certain that it would have been better for Rachel to die in this battle. However, when faced with the situation before his eyes, he couldn''t bring himself to witness that sight.

    Acedia''s foot came crashing down over Yu-Seong''s head as he let out a bitter smile.

    - You''re constantly getting in the way!

    This time, it was Do-Jin who threw himself forward and unfurled a magical barrier.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    Amidst the thunderous sound, Do-Jin, with blood spilling from his mouth, raised his hands and expanded the magic circle while staggering.

    - Both of you... Really...!

    Withstanding Acedia''s attacks that were full of frustration, Do-Jin, gasping for breath, shifted his gaze. He said, "Choi...Yu-Seong...!"

    Yu-Seong, receiving treatment from the summoned Green Wind Spirit Cat for his partially torn arm, clenched his fists tightly. He knew that Do-Jin had also reached his limit.

    <i>¡®There''s no other way now.¡¯</i>

    The time hade to use what he had considered to be hisst resort. Just as Yu-Seong made a decision, he turned his gaze toward Helen.

    Behind Acedia, Helen took out the seal stone and looked at Yu-Seong. She said, "Kiddo, you remember how I said that you wouldn''t have a chance, right?"

    Then, a burst of light erupted from the seal stone in her hand to envelope Acedia''s body.

    Acedia''s eyes widened as he tried to shake off the power using his usual strength, but it proved to be more stable than he expected.

    - And what the heck is this?"

    Surprised by the unexpectedly stable activation, Helen tilted her head in surprise.

    "I will bind your time..."

    Before she could finish her sentence, Yu-Seong dashed forward and thrust his spear into Acedia''s shoulder, which was just in front of Do-Jin''s magic barrier.

    Unfortunately, Helen only partially knew about the seal stone.

    <i>¡®You¡¯re right about the method of activating the seal stone, but you¡¯re still unaware of the additional sacrifice required.¡¯</i>

    With a secret action known only to Yu-Seong, in anguage iprehensible to anyone, an artificial stillness spread throughout the surroundings.

    At that moment, Yu-Seong turned back and nced at hispanions. With his lips curled into a determined smile, he said, "Don''t worry. I won''t..."

    Yu-Seong''s words were left unfinished, because a bright white light started to spread widely starting from the surroundings of Acedia. Then, an explosive burst of seven-color light surged from the ground to seemingly devour them whole.

    "What... What just happened?" Helen eximed, taken aback by the unexpected turn of events.

    In a state of confusion, she rushed toward the cascading beams of light that resembled a waterfall. However, her efforts were in vain.

    <i>Thund-!?</i>

    Helen, as if hitting a wall, was stopped by the barrier of seven-color light. As she tumbled to the ground, she shook her head vigorously and questioned, "Why...? How...?"

    The energy of the seal stone had intertwined with the power contained within the Philosopher''s Stone. Startled by the situation that she had created herself but couldn''tprehend, Helen quickly tried to leap forward again, but the oue remained unchanged.

    "Choi Yu-Seong¡­?!" Do-Jin yelled.

    "Gold Nugget!" shouted Rachel.

    "This crazy¡­!" eximed Bernard.

    Do-Jin, Rachel, and Bernard all joined Helen, pointlessly attempting to break through the barrier of seven-color light. However, no matter how fiercely they attacked, the light stood firm, gradually solidifying and transforming into an imprable form.

    Before the final barrier of seven-color light soared up like an ice pir in Antarctica, the group helplessly sank to their knees and let out sighs of despair. "Ha..."

    Indeed, it was the day when Yu-Seong and Acedia, the Demon King, had been sealed together for the first time.

    ***

    - What have you done, human?!

    As Acedia gave a horrified scream, Yu-Seong removed the spear that was embedded in the Demon King¡¯s shoulder. He looked at the shapeless world of seven colors all around him.

    "...Did it work?"

    Yu-Seong breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming the sight.

    - I asked, what on earth have you done? If you don''t want to experience pain worse than death, speak up!

    Acedia growled like a beast, giving threats in a low voice.

    With a yful smile, Yu-Seong replied, "Here? Well, it has various names, but..."

    Feeling a serene sensation emanating from somewhere within the barrier of seven-color light that illuminated their surroundings, Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled as he trembled. He revealed, "Usually, it''s called the sanctuary of the transcendent beings."

 Chapter 232

    <h4>Chapter 232 </h4>

    True to its name, the sanctuary of the transcendent beings was where those who transcended humanity, whose power touched or surpassed that of gods, found respite. Due to its nature, several mysticalws applied within its confines.

    - You arrogant brat!

    First, beings other than the transcendent ones could not harness mana within this ce. Even Demon Kings were no exception to this rule. Despite Acedia''s anger, his attempts to release mana were in vain.

    In fact, the same applied to Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It''s not just mana... Even the system doesn''t operate here.¡¯</i>

    Second, none of the yers¡¯ abilities, which were no different from divine blessings, worked this sanctuary of the transcendent beings. Even ranks held no meaning within this space. It was for this reason that Yu-Seong had deliberated at length before entering this space with Acedia.

    <i>¡®The transcendent beings are monsters that surpass even the system ranks.¡¯</i>

    And now, an outsider had entered their sanctuary. Although they could not possibly reach a favorable oue under these circumstances, Acedia continued to groan, seemingly unable to believe the current situation, as he focused on his concentration. He sought even the tiniest glimmer of hope that perhaps even a speck of mana could be moved.

    "Come on, act like a Demon King. What are you even hoping for? Seriously, give up. Why do you keep groaning like that?"

    -...How dare you insult me?!

    When Yu-Seong shrugged dismissively, Acedia rushed at Yu-Seong, this time swinging his fist hard. Even without mana, the physical abilities of a demon far surpassed those of an ordinary human. However, Yu-Seong had trained his physical capabilities for quite a long time.

    <i>''I should be able to somehow dodge this...''?</i>

    However, could he deal with the next strike as well? As Yu-Seong pondered, tilting his head and evading the punch, his side was struck viciously by Acedia''s shin.

    ¡°Ugh-!¡±

    After flying through the air and crashing into the ground, Yu-Seong rolled over the floor with blood pouring from his mouth.

    The Demon King, Acedia, approached immediately to deliver a series of wild punches. The sessive waves of excessive violence brought unbearable pain to every part of Yu-Seong, whose eyes gradually closed. His breath ceased.

    Acedia finally halted his fist. He straightened his back and revealed a smile.

    -You arrogant human, do you think the name of Demon King loses its meaning just because my mana is sealed?

    Then, as he turned around and intended to find a way to escape, he suddenly shivered.

    - ...What the? I just confirmed that he died.

    Right behind Acedia was Yu-Seong, who Acedia thought had just breathed hisst. In spite of the pitiful state he had been in just moments before, he lookedpletely unharmed.

    Standing up from where he had fallen, Yu-Seong exined, "The secondw of the sanctuary. Unless a transcendent being allows it, one cannot die here."

    - ...Immortality is a realm untouched even by the Demon Kings, except for the Absolute Ones. Who do you think you are to say that to me?

    Acedia swung his fist at Yu-Seong''s head once again. The fierce force shattered the man¡¯s skull.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    Amidst the thunderous sound, pale brain matter and crimson blood burst out, sttering in all directions. Acedia clicked his tongue, casting a gaze at the lifeless body of the copsed Yu-Seong in front of him.

    This time, Acedia was sure that Yu-Seong had truly died. There was no doubt about the perfect execution of the murder.

    However, Yu-Seong''s head, which had burst open, was suddenly restored, appearing as if he was regenerating just like a demon. The next moment, he jerked upright, enveloped in a green light.

    When Acedia tried to interfere with the recovery, he was forcefully pushed away by the intense green light and was unable to even approach Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong blinked in surprise at his miraculous and instantaneous resurrection. He tilted his head with a twinkle in his eyes, murmuring, "How refreshing. I feel like I lost consciousness but then regained it right away."

    - What on earth is this¡­?

    "As I said, it''s useless, so stop and give up. We are not the ones to decide whether to live or die here anyway,¡± said Yu-Seong.

    - ¡­

    Acedia''s arms dropped and his expression turned bitter. After all, as the Demon King of Sloth, he had no inclination to waste any effort on fruitless tasks.

    - Human, exin the current situation in detail. If you fail to convince me, you will experience the torment of never-ending death.

    The Demon King¡¯s question sounded as if he was considering a more reasonable approach. Yu-Seong responded with a subtle smile, "Didn''t you hear me? That¡¯s not your choice. All will within this sanctuary¡ª"

    "Is determined by us, the transcendent beings."

    Before Yu-Seong could finish speaking, seven pirs of light of different colors rose around them and seven simrly colored doors appeared. From the blue door, a man came out, and it was he who finished Yu-Seong''s sentence. Yu-Seong shivered at the sight of the blue-haired, blue-eyed man with fair skin.

    <i>''That man is Gabriel....''?</i>

    In the original novel, Gabriel briefly appeared at the end of Book 1, so Yu-Seong didn''t know his exact personality. However, he could deduce that Gabriel was quite an arrogant guy from just a few lines of dialogue.

    <i>''He''s not in the highest position.''?</i>

    The sanctuary of transcendent beings was originally inessible to any being other than the transcendent ones.

    Yu-Seong''s entry into this sanctuary had only been made possible by using the blue mana stone that Helen had created. This stone had stimted the Philosopher''s Stone and set the coordinates for teleportation to this ce. From the transcendent beings¡¯ perspective, it could be considered that an unauthorized outsider had entered the sanctuary.

    Therefore, it was naturally challenging for Yu-Seong to make a good impression on the transcendent beings. That was also why he had hoped that the first transcendent being he could meet would be someone he knew.

    <i>¡®It would be best if the master came.¡¯</i>

    However, of all the transcendent beings, Gabriel, who had an arrogant and cold personality, had happened to be the first to sense something amiss and arrive at this ce.

    Acedia trembled upon sensing Gabriel''s presence, and he fell silent.

    <i>''In fact, not even most of the Demon Kings could match the transcendent beings.''?</i>

    Moreover, Acedia, the Demon King of Sloth, was among the weakest Demon Kings.

    <i>''If we were topare, he would be like the weakest among the Four Heavenly Kings.''?</i>

    From Gabriel''s perspective as a transcendent being, Acedia was nothing but an ant.

    "One human, one Demon King. It''s an oddbination. Did youe here by coincidence or with some intention?" Gabriel''s narrowed eyes pierce through Yu-Seong and Acedia as if seeing through them.

    Yu-Seong gulped.

    <i>''It''s okay. Gabriel can''t read thoughts.''?</i>

    Gabriel''s eyebrows furrowed as he gazed at Yu-Seong. He murmured, "...Baek Yu-Ri?"

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at his remark. He asked, "Pardon...?"

    "And I can even sense the energy of Bak Ok-Rye here." Gabriel lightly clicked his tongue and sighed. "So it''s you. You deliberately led that filthy thing into this ce.¡±

    Acedia shivered and his expression changed at Gabriel¡¯s harsh words. However, he dared not respond.

    <i>¡®At least he knows his ce.¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong looked on, dumbfounded, Gabriel, who had been observing him, rubbed his chin. After a brief silence, Gabriel nodded decisively. He said, "Seems like you know everything and still came here willingly. In that case, you wouldn''t expect any mercy from me, would you?"

    Gabriel''s index finger emitted a dot of blue energy from its tip. Although it was small in size, Acedia could sense the power contained within it.

    - W-Wait! As you said, I was forcibly brought here by that human!

    "So what?" Gabriel replied.

    - W-What?

    "You''re a Demon King. You''re wicked beings who tear humans apart with the excuse they¡¯re weak." Gabriel smirked coldly. "We have decided not to interfere in human affairs, so we can only step back and observe. But that doesn¡¯t mean that we like you."

    - W-Wait, if you just let me leave this ce, I¡¯ll quietly return to the demon realm...!

    Before Acedia could even finish speaking, a faint thread of energy flowed from Gabriel''s fingertip and pierced through the center of Acedia''s head. It did not seem like anything much, but upon contact, Acedia''s formidable body, with its strong physicality and regenerative abilities, disintegrated into dust and scattered in all directions.

    "..."

    Yu-Seong could only gulp down his saliva as he witnessed the scene.

    <i>''No matter how weak he is, and even if his mana is sealed...''?</i>

    The Demon King, whom Do-Jin and his party members had struggled against, had beenpletely annihted with just a simple attack. Indeed, one could only tremble in the face of a transcendent beings¡¯ overwhelming power.

    The gaze of Gabriel, the transcendent being in question, turned toward Yu-Seong. With a simr blue glow at the tip of his finger, he looked at Yu-Seong with a cold gaze and said, "You understand everything and have willingly stepped into this realm, hoping for the demise of the Demon King. Now that I have granted your wish, you must be prepared to ept death, correct?"

    "...Not at all." Yu-Seong confidently shook his head.

    In fact, the reason he hade this far was because he didn''t want to die. How could he truly be prepared to ept death?

    "Do not expect mercy. Your unfortunate fate is inevitable, but it is the path you have chosen for yourself..." said Gabriel.

    No, he could not die. Yu-Seong had meticulously nned and prepared for even the worst-case scenarios¡ªincluding this situation. Thus, with a trembling body, a firm stance, and a gaze filled with determination, he addressed Gabriel.

    "Eveheim," said Yu-Seong.

    "What...?" Gabriel''s eyes showed a hint of his bewilderment.

    "He¡¯s one who rejected transcendence and chose the path of the demon.¡±

    ¡°How do you know about him? Did Bak Ok-Rye tell you...?"

    Before Gabriel could finish speaking, a figure emerged from beyond the yellow door and said, "I haven''t said a word."

    Bak Ok-Rye, dressed in a floral pattern reminiscent of a countryside grandmother, clicked her tongue as she looked at Yu-Seong. She asked, "How on earth did you manage toe this far?"

    "...Haha," Yu-Seongughed awkwardly.

    Ok-Rye''s eyes narrowed even further as she asked, "How did you even know that Eveheim was originally a transcendent being?"

    "To exin everything, it would be quite a long story," replied Yu-Seong.

    After sharing a look with Ok-Rye, Gabriel remarked, "We must kill him. No matter how deep the connection, one who has not yet transcended entering this realm is a vition of thews.¡±

    "Oh, don¡¯t be inflexible, Gabriel. There''s no need to kill him, is there? I don''t know how he knows that fact, but from what I''ve heard, my disciple''s idea doesn''t seem bad," said Ok-Rye.

    "You think he can kill Eveheim? Don''t you find it impossible?" said Gabriel.

    "Before talking about possibilities, it is clear that he has the qualifications. As you know, he is Baek Yu-Ri''s son."

    At the mention of ''Baek Yu-Ri''s son,'' Gabriel''s gaze trembled once again.

    Just then, another presence appeared beyond the green door andmented, "I''ve been quietly listening, wondering what''s going on. But it''s quite an interesting situation, isn''t it?"

    A small boy holding a smartphone in one hand shed between Gabriel and Bak Ok-Rye to have a better look at Yu-Seong. "Baek Yu-Ri''s son, seeking revenge by killing Eveheim?¡±

    ¡°Seeking revenge?"

    This time, Yu-Seong expressed his confusion about the current situation.

    "Well, he certainly has the qualifications. However, despite giving up transcendence, Eveheim was originally the owner of the purple door. It might be more prudent to find someone else for the job..." said Gabriel.

    "As you said, how could that ¡®someone else¡¯ stop Eveheim, who was the original owner of the purple door?" Ok-Rye pressed for an answer.

    "That¡­¡±

    Finally, Gabriel firmly closed his mouth. Come to think of it, it was reasonable to believe that there was no one capable of defeating Eveheim, who had bound himself to the mortal realm by breaking his seal.

    "I''m on Granny Bak¡¯s side. Even though I don''t know much, it seems interesting," the small boy chimed in.

    As a result, two of the three transcendent beings sided with Yu-Seong. The situation was now uncertain. However, the idea of Yu-Seong defeating Eveheim, who was originally a transcendent being, seemed imusible no matter how many times one thought about it.

    As silence fell upon everyone, Yu-Seong, as if he had been waiting for this moment, raised his hand and asked, "If I can inherit and pick up some skills and techniques from all three of you, wouldn''t my chances of sess increase?"

    "What...?"

    Gabriel¡¯s eyebrow shot up in ridicule at the unexpected statement. On the other hand, Bak Ok-Rye''s eyes sparkled with a rather favorable light.

    "Well, that''s true. If we don''t do much, it will be difficult to stop Eveheim," she acknowledged.

    "A co-disciple of the three of us? That sounds interesting, doesn''t it? Let''s do it, let''s do it!"

    In response to the words of Green, the boy with green hair, Gabriel rxed his perplexed expression. He soon sighed and nodded. "...It''s an absurd story, but indeed, it seems to be the closest to the correct answer.¡±

 Chapter 233

    <h4>Chapter 233 </h4>

    Gabriel dispelled the blue energy on his fingertips and looked at Yu-Seong with narrowed eyes. Sensing the piercing stare, Yu-Seong involuntarily tensed up and swallowed hard.

    "You nned this from the beginning, didn¡¯t you?" Gabriel said.

    "...I can''t deny it. Haha," Yu-Seong said with a nod as he sheepishly scratched his cheek.

    In fact, since lying wouldn¡¯t work in this situation, it was better for him to confront it sincerely.

    "To be honest, this is my worst-case scenario. Given that I¡¯ve broken the rules, I never anticipated that my master would support me, and... Truth be told, I tend to get easily frightened," Yu-Seong exined.

    "I don''t want to die!" Green yelled out, then grinned. ¡°I can hear the whispers of your heart. That¡¯s why you had no intention of confronting Eveheim inbat, didn¡¯t you?"

    Although he appeared to be a boy on the surface, Green was a monster who had lived for over a thousand years.

    <i>''He even seems to be able to read thoughts to some extent...''?</i>

    ording to the original novel, there was such a character among the transcendent beings, and it seemed to be Green.

    "But still, I try not to delve as much as I can. Otherwise, it would torment both of us," Green said.

    "...You''re very considerate," said Yu-Seong.

    "I think so too,¡± Green said with a smile.

    Yu-Seong inwardly nodded before Green continued, "Bing amon disciple of the three of us is undoubtedly a remarkable event, a situation that won''t ur again in the human world. However, even if you were to truly reach the realm of transcendence, fighting against Eveheim would present an absolute life-or-death situation.¡±

    "...I know."

    In fact, that was why Yu-Seong considered this situation to be the worst. Great power came with great responsibility¡ªa line from the Spider-Man cartoon that Yu-Seong quite liked, and it perfectly encapsted the current situation.

    "Still, I don''t think it¡¯spletely impossible. In any case, I am choosing to confront Eveheim in order to survive here, and thanks to that, I¡¯d have the opportunity to train under all three of you. However...the problem is that the time given to me is at most one year," Yu-Seong said.

    He only had a year to surpass the S-rank and reach the realm of transcendence¡ªa daunting task within such a short time. In fact, the task appeared to be logically impossible.

    "In one year, it''s impossible for you to even get close to Eveheim¡¯s level. Your talent is decent, but Eveheim is the first one among us who entered the realm of transcendence." Ok-Rye, who had taught Yu-Seong once, calmly assessed the situation.

    Then, she smiled and looked at Gabriel. She added, "But that doesn''t mean that this task is entirely impossible.¡±

    "I know. Now that we''ve made the decision to teach him, we must ensure that we do it properly..." said Gabriel as he stared at Yu-Seong directly with his blue eyes. "Now that you have understood and epted your fate, I will dedicate myself to assisting your growth. What I mean is¡ª"

    Before Gabriel could finish speaking, Green popped out between the two and interjected, "There''s no need to say it! That kid already knows everything.¡±

    "What...?" Gabriel narrowed his eyes and red at Ok-Rye.

    "No, I didn''t say anything," Ok-Rye said as she waved her hand and shook her head once again.

    "The situation is a bit unique, but there''s no reason to doubt it. I''ll guarantee it!" Green said.

    Gabriel, who had been full of suspicion, let out a sigh and nodded in response to Green''s words. He said, "Fine. Since we don''t have much time, we can discuss the detailster.¡±

    "You are about to initiate Time Dtion right away, right? How much can you extend it? May I inquire about that?"

    "First, let me put it more realistically. One year is not enough. We need at least three years," Gabriel stated.

    Both Ok-Rye and Green nodded in agreement.

    Indeed, no matter how far Time Dtion was pushed, there was a limit.

    "...I mentioned about a year to my party, but if the three of you are in agreement, I will follow your suggestions," Yu-Seong nodded and agreed.

    After all, it was much better to train for a longer period and grow steadily rather than risking death through haphazard training.

    <i>¡®Actually, the most concerning thing is the variables that may arise while I¡¯m away¡­¡¯</i>

    However, since Yu-Seong had already ended up in the worst-case scenario, there was no way around it.

    "Alright. My disciple has agreed. Then, Gabriel, if we have three years, how much can you extend it?" Ok-Rye asked.

    "If it''s within this sanctuary, I can extend it to a maximum of five hundred years," Gabriel replied.

    Yu-Seong, who had read the original novel and had a rough idea of what transcendent beings were, was still greatly surprised by Gabriel¡¯s words.

    <i>¡®He can extend three years to five hundred?!¡¯</i>

    Even though it was only possible because they were within the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, which essentially served as a gathering spot for energy and also the point from which mana stones spread across the world, the scale of this ability was still beyondprehension. Yu-Seong now understood why the achievements of transcendent beings were not revealed until thepletion of the first chapter of the original novel.

    <i>¡®Thispletely throws off the bnce, doesn''t it?¡¯</i>

    On the other hand, he couldn''t help but think that it made perfect sense for Superbia, the sole surviving Demon King of Pride, and Eveheim to be selected as the ultimate bosses of Chapter 2.

    <i>¡®There are beings who would not step up at this stage.¡¯</i>

    They were monsters who had reached an entirely different level. Even though Do-Jin had gone back in time, he had not reached the same realm as the transcendent beings.

    <i>¡®Perhaps in Book 2, he eventually reached the level of a transcendent.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong gasped, feeling the distinct and significant difference in scale. Gabriel, noticing his reaction, said with a frown, "Of course, that''s just the maximum. When it''s my turn, I would have to train you and maintain the Time Dtion simultaneously¡­so the limit would be around 250 years.¡±

    "That''s still incredible," Yu-Seong remarked.

    Could a skill that allowed for the extension of 3 years to 250 years be considered mere magic? Yu-Seong thought that it would be more appropriate to call it a miracle or an extraordinary transcendental power

    Meanwhile, Ok-Rye and Green, seemingly unsurprised by this revtion, nodded in agreement. The three transcendent beings thus engaged in a discussion among themselves regarding the allocation of time.

    "It''s definitely better to divide the training time rather than doing it all at once," Greenmented.

    Gabriel nodded. "Even though he is the son of Baek Yu-Ri and has considerable talent, we must be cautious not to administer too much at once. Otherwise, it could cause him to copse instead..."

    "If that''s the case, I''ll take on the initial training. In terms of establishing the foundation, I can handle it with about fifty years of training," Ok-Rye said as she stepped forward.

    "Then, can I have a hundred years?" Green raised his hand with an excited expression.

    "Make it seventy-five. Even a century is too short to showcase my abilities," Gabriel said.

    "Ehh, Gabriel, you''re so greedy."

    "Hmph..."

    Ignoring Green''s grumbling and letting out a snort, Gabriel approached the blue door that belonged to him, took a seat, and focused his concentration. Within less than a minute, the surrounding space began to ripple and shift with a short echo.

    ¡°The Time Dtion has started. Well then, shall we get started, my disciple?¡± asked Ok-Rye.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be out! It''s boring just watching anyway. See you in fifty years, my disciple!" said Green enthusiastically.

    Just as Ok-Rye rotated her arms and casually cracked her neck to warm herself up, Green yawned and waved goodbye. He headed toward the green door to exit the sanctuary.

    "Oh, wait. Green."

    As if something had suddenly urred to her, Ok-Rye grabbed Green.

    "Yeah, what''s up?" asked Green.

    "Now that I think about it, that guy who died in this ce earlier seems to be of some use,¡± said Ok-Rye.

    "Oh, you mean the Demon King?" Green said.

    ¡°Can you bring him back to life?" asked Ok-Rye.

    "I can''t fully resurrect him because Gabrielpletely annihted him. If it''s only his physical abilities...it might be somewhat possible. But it won''t have any sense of self or consciousness," Green exined.

    "Please," Ok-Rye requested.

    "It''s for the sake of the disciple, so it''s no big deal," answered Green, smiling and nodding.

    Afterwards, he waved his hand and the green energy in front of the green door began to gather into the form of a living being. Half an hourter, Acedia, who had beenpletely annihted, appeared before Yu-Seong with a vacant expression in his eyes.

    "Oh my..." Yu-Seong eximed, unable to contain his astonishment at the truly remarkable sight.

    Just as Yu-Seong was captivated by what he was witnessing, Green rubbed his nose and waved his hand again. He said, "Then, really, I''ll see you in fifty years!"

    Fifty years was a span of time far surpassing Yu-Seong''s entire life thus far. Although he couldn''t fullyprehend its magnitude, Yu-Seong understood that such a significant amount of time would indeed pse. It appeared as if there was an abundance of leisure, but in reality, that wasn''t the case.

    As if to prove that very point, Ok-Rye, touched Green¡¯s Acedia in a few ces and then smiled in satisfaction. She said, "Training your body to this extent should ensure that nothing can hurt you. Now, it''s your first trial.¡±

    The motionless Acedia''s body then creaked as it began to move forward.

    "I''ll adjust the strength appropriately, so fight as much as you can. You can¡¯t die here anyway. I won''t release the mana seal, so you''ll have to rely solely on your physical strength," Ok-Rye instructed.

    It was a simple and crude training, but Yu-Seong didn''t doubt Ok-Rye''s method.

    <i>¡®She has always favored this kind of approach.¡¯</i>

    Above all, there was no room for doubt. Acedia¡¯s fist sliced through the air, appearing in front of Yu-Seong¡¯s face in the blink of an eye.

    <i>¡®Ah!¡¯</i>

    In fact, it wasn''t due to Yu-Seong''s own will that he had evaded the attack. Ok-Rye had suddenly appeared behind him, gripped his cor, and thrust his arm forward.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise as Acedia was forcefully pushed back. He hadn¡¯t actually moved of his own will; instead, he was being manipted like a puppet by his teacher.

    "Rx your body and clear your mind. This is beyond the realm where your consciousness can respond. I''ll engrave the movements I teach you into your very being. This is the first step," Ok-Rye exined.

    "I will...!"

    Before Yu-Seong could offer aplete reply, Acedia''s kick came rushing toward him. Under Ok-Rye¡¯s control, he was forced to avoid it as cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

    <i>¡®In this state, for fifty years¡­¡¯</i>

    Even though it was the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, where he wouldn''t age or die, it was by no means an easy task. However, Yu-Seong would endure and continue moving forward. Eventually he would reach transcendence. After that, he would return to the world where he rightfully belonged.

    Indeed, the path ahead was already determined. As he made this promise, Yu-Seong was now destined to protect the world and was unable to withdraw anymore.

    <i>¡®Please wait for me, everyone.¡¯</i>

    He made a firm resolution in his heart, and a zing determination surged within him.

    ***

    In front of a logistics warehouse in Incheon, Eveheim''s eyes sparkled with interest as he gazed at the setting sun with a somewhat rxed expression.

    "This is an earlier visit than I expected," he remarked calmly, turning his gaze to the sword pointed at his neck.

    "I heard that you''re the leader of the Demon King Worshipers," Do-Jin said to him with a cold gaze.

    "...Well, I do hold such a position," Eveheim replied.

    "Let me get to the point. Bring the Demon King of Sloth here," Do-Jin said.

    "Well, that''s an...interesting demand. If I could bring him, wouldn''t I have already done so? I mean, I am the leader of the Demon King Worshipers, you know?¡±

    "There must be a way. Bring him back, no matter where he is. I''ll kill him," Do-Jin said.

    "That doesn''t sound like something you should tell me." Eveheim smirked and shrugged at the rough threat.

    At that moment, Do-Jin''s sword flew from his grip.

    Taken aback by the unexpected development, since he hadn¡¯t even sensed any mana, Do-Jin attempted to reach for his sword. However, before he could grasp it, Eveheim''s hand swiftly shot forward and seized him by the throat.

 Chapter 234

    <h4>Chapter 234 </h4>

    "Keog...!"

    Purplish energy swirled in Eveheim''s eyes as he pushed Do-Jin toward the warehouse¡¯s closed iron doors with determination. Do-Jin groaned in pain.

    "Kim Do-Jin, how do you think you could figure out where I was? Do you believe it''s merely a simple coincidence? Like some astonishing stroke of luck... Oh, I see."

    Eveheim nodded as he gazed into Do-Jin''s fiery eyes. Sensing the man was overwhelmed with emotions, hemented, ¡°It¡¯s your unwavering self-confidence. You appear to believe that you''ve reached here solely through your own abilities.¡±

    "Shut...up!" Do-Jin shouted, his voice echoing within the warehouse.

    In response, two magic circles simultaneously formed around Eveheim, unleashing mes and lightning bolts.

    Eveheim released Do-Jin''s throat and took a couple of steps back. A glimmer of curiosity flickered in his eyes.

    <i>''Silent Incantation?''?</i>

    Eveheim knew Do-Jin to be an excellent swordsman.

    <i>¡®I did expect him to have some level of knowledge in using magic, but¡­¡¯</i>

    However, he had never expected that Do-Jin would be a wizard capable of using magic without any sound or movement. Moreover, the man wasn''t triggering just one, but two spells simultaneously.

    <i>¡®Beyond being a wizard, he has reached the realm of a sorcerer.¡¯</i>

    Moreover, the sword swinging at him exuded a formidable aura that was akin to a surging light.

    <i>''An Aura Master and a sorcerer... Isn''t that a typical example of a hero?¡¯</i>

    In truth, Eveheim''s interest in Do-Jin had waned somewhat since discovering Yu-Seong. There were many reasons for that.

    <i>¡®Yu-Seong¡¯s the son of Baek Yu-Ri. He also possesses remarkable talents and exudes an aura of mystery, appearing to conceal something¡­¡¯</i>

    There were numerous factors that made Yu-Seong appear considerably more intriguing. However, now that Eveheim was face to face with Do-Jin, he knew that underestimating him was out of the question. Particrly when it came to talents, Do-Jin undeniably surpassed Yu-Seong. Above all, the waning emotions that had previously caused Eveheim to lose interest in Do-Jin appeared to have resurfaced.

    Seeing the emotions reflected in Do-Jin¡¯s eyes, Eveheim murmured, "Anger, resentment, hatred."

    As he evaded the pouring magic and the precise and elegant sword strike, Eveheim''s lips curled into a smile. Do-Jin''s gaze was the only thing he focused on.

    Gradually, dozens of magic circles unfolded around Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®Even as he strikes with his sword, he seems to still be chanting. Is he nning to unleash this spell?¡¯</i>

    Eveheim felt a sense of anticipation. He hoped that Do-Jin wouldn''t disappoint him, if possible.

    As if in response to his wish, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes widened in determination.

    "Antareus-!"

    A ck dragon suddenly appeared from behind him. It leapt into the magic circle. Human and dragon then merged together, bing one.

    "Oooh...!"

    A brilliant white light shed before Eveheim''s eyes as he witnessed the astonishing appearance of a dragonkin.

    <i>¡®Blood?¡¯</i>

    Immediately after, blood trickled from Do-Jin''s chest.

    A smile crept upon Eveheim''s lips as hemented, "Isn¡¯t this quite something?"

    Although engulfed by the surrounding ck mes that pursued him as if to devour him, he felt no fear. In fact, even though he had relinquished his transcendent status, he had once been the owner of the purple door, a being at the pinnacle of this world.

    Once again, a bright smile formed on Eveheim''s lips as he tightly grasped Do-Jin''s sword, which was enveloped in swirling ck mes, with his bare hand. He said, "I''ve made up my mind, Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    "Shut...up!" yelled Do-Jin.

    "For now, let''s first calm your mind a little."

    As a momentary purple light shed in Eveheim''s eyes, Do-Jin floated helplessly in the air. He hadn¡¯t caught sight of that at all.

    <i>¡®What the...?¡¯</i>

    Without even realizing what attack had hit him, Do-Jin fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

    Eveheim leisurely approached the unconscious Do-Jin and grabbed his limp head with one hand. He said calmly, ¡°Within a span of five years, I will bestow transcendence upon you as a gift.¡±

    Slowly lifting Do-Jin up, Eveheim looked at the stubborn face in his grip as a bright smile slowly bloomed on his face.

    ***

    The ones who had conveyed the news of Yu-Seong being sealed with the Demon King in Pyongyang were none other than Helen and Bernard. Upon their return to Korea, the two of them had been summoned to the Special Police Force for questioning. This had caused a further dy of two days before they had finally been able to meet Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon.

    During that period of time, it seemed like the Jin siblings had already received some information and organized their thoughts.

    Yu-Ri was trying to restrain her emotions, but her expression was still visibly tense. She turned to Helen. "...Was there truly no alternative?"

    "To be honest, it was an unexpected turn of events," said Helen.

    ¡°I heard it was a sealing. In that case, the young master''s life is¡­¡±

    "That is something I am not sure about/cannot confirm. I am¡­deeply sorry," Helen replied as she shook her head lightly and lowered her gaze.

    Yu-Ri''s gaze then shifted toward Bernard, who stood beside Helen, and noticed his unusual silence.

    "...I am sorry,¡± Bernard said.

    "It was Yu-Seong oppa who suggested going to Pyongyang. You two don''t need to apologize. But what I''m curious about is...where is Kim Do-Jin?" Yu-Ri asked.

    As far as Yu-Ri knew, there were only two individuals who had gone to Pyongyang with Yu-Seong: Do-Jin and Bernard. However, one of them had returned with him, while the other was nowhere in sight. Moreover, it was mentioned that the missing person hadn''t even attended the investigation, which naturally raised concerns.

    "I don''t know. As soon as we got off the ne, he said he had something to take care of and disappeared. Now, even the Special Police Force can''t find him." Bernard let out a sigh and began exining the situation.

    Yu-Ri''s sharp gaze intensified. Gritting her teeth in frustration, she murmured, "Why does it seem to me as if he has run away?"

    "He didn''t give off that impression. Rather, it was more like he was chasing after something..." said Helen.

    When Helen''s perplexing words trailed off, Bernard took over.

    "In my opinion, it seemed more like he was being pursued. It was as if he couldn¡¯t afford to just do nothing¡­¡±

    "It''s a confusing statement."

    "I agree."

    Bernard forced a smile and nodded in response to Yu-Ri''sment. With his fist clenched, he reassured her, "However, my gut feeling tells me that Choi Yu-Seong will be safe. He said it himself: without a doubt, he will survive.¡±

    "It''s something that the young master has said himself?" Do-Yoon inquired. When Bernard nodded in reply with a firm and resolute gaze, Do-Yoon said, "Then I suppose we have to believe it.¡±

    In fact, there was no other choice. However, the path they had to tread had be clear. Do-Yoon turned away, as if to indicate that further conversation was unnecessary.

    ¡°Oppa?" Yu-Ri called out.

    Do-Yoon slightly turned his head and said, "I''m going to enter the Tower of Heaven. After that, I''ll continue exploring dungeons.¡±

    With those words, he left without ncing back.

    Yu-Ri could empathize with Do-Yoon''s emotions, as she also felt the anguish at losing Yu-Seong and being unable to protect him. She clenched her fist and lowered her head, walking toward the opposite direction of Do-Yoon.

    In her heart, she yearned to immediately chase after Do-Yoon. However, that was not a viable option for her right now.

    <i>¡®There are many things I need to sort out.¡¯</i>

    First and foremost, she had to notify certain individuals about what had transpired¡ªJin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong, in particr. It was possible that they too would then feel the urge to rush to Pyongyang immediately, and she would have to¡­

    <i>¡®I should talk them out of it.¡¯</i>

    In that case, there was a strong likelihood of them following in Do-Yoon''s footsteps. They would most likely train so that, once Yu-Seong returned, they wouldn''t lose him like this again.

    <i>¡®I¡¯ll also have to inform the Chairman and the First Young Lady as well¡­¡¯</i>

    Additionally, she would need to inform Ji-Ho, as well as Jin-Woo, who was currently handling thepany affairs in Yu-Seong''s absence.

    <i>¡®And...I have to inform Jenny and the Hidden Team too.¡¯</i>

    Lost in her thoughts, Yu-Ri walked on while contemting each task she had to fulfill. Before she realized it, her legs gave in, and she dropped to the ground on the side of the road. She eximed, ¡°Howe¡­!"

    Why hadn''t they been brought along? Was it because they were considered unnecessary? Were they deemed not strong enough? As Yu-Seong kept growing stronger, Yu-Ri had at some point found herself looking up to him.

    As she was overwhelmed by self-contempt and anger, tears streamed down her face uncontrobly. She cried, "Yu-Seong oppa..."

    If Yu-Seong were to return, she would never let him go like this again. Determined, Yu-Ri mustered strength in her knees and rose from the ground. She moved forward, her gaze fixed on a distant ce, filled with unwavering determination.

    ***

    "Now, what are you going to do?" Helen asked Bernard, who stood next to her, as they watched the backs of the departing Yu-Ri and Do-Yoon.

    "I am going to visit my grandfather," Bernard said.

    "Come to think of it, you mentioned being Chairman Yoo''s grandson. What do you intend to do when you meet him?" Helen asked.

    "With my current abilities, there are limitations. I n to ask my grandfather for help and grow as quickly as possible. Enough to be able to personally strike down the Demon King," said Bernard.

    "But didn''t you say that your grandfather dislikes you? That''s what I recall hearing."

    "Well, he was certainly angry. It''s because I didn''t listen to him," said Bernard with a wry smile. Scratching his cheek sheepishly, he added, "But it is what it is. I still need assistance... The one who requires help should give in.¡±

    "You don''t necessarily have to do that," Helen said.

    "What do you mean?"

    "You may not know this, but I actually have more money than your grandfather."

    "Ah...?"

    It was widely known that Helen, also known as the Miracle Alchemist, received support from the wealthiest individuals in the world. Therefore, her confidence was understandable.

    "But even for you, Helen, it could be a burden. I require a significant amount of money..."

    "It''s not a burden. I have far more money than you can imagine. To put it on a global scale... I would definitely be within the top 100."

    At that level, Helen clearly didn''t need to rely on support from the wealthiest individuals; instead, she had attained the status of a wealthy individual herself.

    "My goodness, how did you...?"

    "I made various investments with the money I received and managed a fewpanies. That''s how things turned out. If we consider just personal funds, then not even your grandfather couldpare. By the way, this is a secret that no one else in the world knows."

    "Ah, yes... But why would you tell me such a thing?" asked Bernard.

    "Choi Yu-Seong sacrificed himself for all of us. If someone can help save his life, then it''s worth the investment. And we must also retrieve the Philosopher''s Stone." After mentioning their first goal, Helen grumbled slightly and furrowed her brow. "By the way, I wonder what we should do about Rachel.¡±

    Rachel was currently a globally wanted criminal. As a result, upon her return to Korea, she had immediately been apprehended by the Special Police Force for investigation. If the legal process followed its course, there was a strong likelihood that she would be sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison after her abilities were sealed.

    "Come to think of it, it was quite surprising how she cooperated without much resistance. I thought she would put up more of a fight..." said Bernard.

    "Well, she knows there''s no escape from that predicament. She''s a cunning woman, and as Choi Yu-Seong said, she was also destined to y the Demon King..."

    In other words, in terms of raw power, Rachel was undeniably formidable. However, her personality and the current circumstances were the key concerns.

    "In my opinion, it might be best to give up on Rachel..."

    Bernard believed that aligning with a notorious criminal would yield no benefits. At that very moment, before he could express his honest thoughts, a voice rang out.

    "Oh, my, look at you. Did you think you could just abandon me and leave? Do you want me to break your head?"

    "Eekkk-!" shouted Bernard.

    Suddenly, Rachel materialized behind them, delivering a forceful p on Bernard''s shoulder and causing him to jump back in rm. Twirling an ax in her hand, she wore a disturbingly bright smile that radiated unwavering madness.

    As he observed Rachel, Bernard stood frozen like a mouse caught before a cat. His lips trembled.

 Chapter 235

    <h4>Chapter 235 </h4>

    "Teehee-! No need to be frightened. Luckily for you, I''m not particrly interested in seeing what your brain looks like."

    Helen''s eyes narrowed as she observed Rachel mock Bernard with a boisterousugh. She asked, "How on earth did you escape, you criminal?"

    "Well, you know, I used my beauty. It worked out nicely, huh?¡± responded Rachel.

    "...You killed someone again," said Helen, scrunching her nose.

    With a cold smile spreading across her lips, Rachel retorted, ¡°Are you trying to tell me that you haven''t killed anyone? Spare me your hypocrisy. Above all, you know it, don''t you?"

    "You''re a viin," Helen said.

    "That''s right, ahaha! Viin. That word suits me so well," Rachel said to Helen, feeling that it fit her perfectly. She added, "Help the viin just this once. I beg you.¡±

    ¡°The Special Police Force won''t remain still."

    "Sure there are some difficult characters over there. But, well, you''ll hide me well, won''t you?"

    "Why should I?"

    "Well... Because we''rerades?"

    "That''s bullshit," said Helen, clicking her tongue.

    Looking into Helen¡¯s eyes, which were filled with deep contemtion, Rachel said, "As you know, revenge is something I will exact no matter the cost. Tenfold, if necessary. And, though it may be hard to believe, I am also capable of repaying favors. Helen, I am that kind of person.¡±

    "So, what you''re saying, you viinous woman, is that¡­ If I help you, you''ll repay me regardless of the consequences," said Helen.

    "Yes. That''s why I''m here. This time, I owe a debt to my Gold Nugget," Rachel said as her eyes sparkled with an odd light.

    In fact, she had not forgotten.

    "That guy clearly wished for my death. Why? Because he was afraid of me."

    And yet, Yu-Seong had saved her¡ªsacrificing himself and leaving her behind. At the most important moment, he had made the choice to seal himself with the Demon King. Just the thought of it made Rachel tremble, sending shivers down her spine.

    ¡°I''m dying to see what''s inside his brain, but I have no right to do so. No justification. How could I dare to take his life and be left with this debt?" Rachel said.

    "You crazy woman..."

    "That''s right. That''s why I''m intrigued by Choi Yu-Seong. He''s one of the few individuals I''ve encountered who is just as mad as me!" Rachel eximed.

    Now, Helen didn''t feel inclined to refute Rachel''s words. In fact, it was truly unimaginable that Yu-Seong had saved Rachel. She mused quietly, "There seems to be some kind of attraction between madmen..."

    "So, help me," Rachel shamelessly requested.

    When Helen eventually nodded, Rachel shouted, "Kyaaah-! You''re the best, Grandma!"

    "But there are two conditions," Helen added.

    "Tell me."

    "First, you must leave the cult of the Demon King Worshipers. In any case, the ce is¡­¡±

    "I will leave." Rachel smiled gleefully.

    Rachel agreed to distance herself from the massive organization more easily than Helen had expected.

    "I was merely seeking amusement, whether it was with the Demon King or the Godfather. However, being with Choi Yu-Seong is much more enjoyable," Rachel confessed.

    "Secondly, promise me that you won''t kill Choi Yu-Seong no matter what happens," Helen said.

    "Oh, that¡¯s..." Rachel twirled her fiery red hair with her index finger and furrowed her brow in deep contemtion.

    "It seems like the Special Police Force is starting to move," Helen said, sensing the approaching presence from a distance.

    Despite that, Rachel let out a deep sigh. Still showing no signs of urgency, she said, "I''m usually good at making promises that I can''t keep, but this situation does make me hesitate a little, since I''m the one seeking help.¡±

    "If you can''t promise that, then piss off," Helen responded firmly.

    "Ah... Really... I guess there''s no other choice. Fine," Rachel finally said.

    "I¡¯ll believe you,¡± Helen said.

    "Believe me. Despite being a liar and a viin, at this moment, I am sincere," Rachel added.

    Indeed, Rachel would never kill Yu-Seong; that was certain. However, she knew that achieving her goals didn''t always necessitate taking lives. Deep down, Rachel hoped for one thing.

    <i>''I hope my Gold Nugget doesn''t be too strong.''?</i>

    As Rachel thought about Yu-Seong, someone she could engage with and have a bit of fun, she unconsciously licked her lips.

    Suddenly, a group of Homunculi emerged from Helen''s hands, coalescing into a sizable mass that seemed intent on engulfing Rachel in a single gulp.

    "Huh...?"

    "Endure it. It might be stifling, but there''s no better way than this to secretly escape," Helen advised.

    "Thank you, Grandma," Rachel said with a smile.

    Helen neatly folded the package containing Rachel and put it in her pocket. Then, she turned to Bernard and said, ¡°Let''s go now. If one stays in there for too long, they typically end up dying.¡±

    "...You didn''t exin that to her," Bernard said.

    "That''s something she¡¯ll have to endure," Helen replied.

    With a determined gaze, Helen walked briskly ahead.

    <i>¡®Choi Yu-Seong, I will believe that you are alive.¡¯</i>

    The task at hand was clear until then.

    <i>¡®When you return, I will find a way to repay you, kiddo.¡¯</i>

    In fact, Rachel wasn''t the only one indebted.

    ***

    In the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, there stood seven brilliantly shining doors of different colors.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled as he looked at Acedia. The approaching zombie¡¯s shirt was so tattered that it could barely be called a piece of garment.

    In the past, Acedia''s speed had been too fast for him toprehend. However, he could now clearly perceive his movements.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s even slow.¡¯</i>

    With slight exaggeration, the zombie Acedia was sluggish enough for Yu-Seong to yawn. There was no need to use his spear. With ease, he skillfully evaded the iing fist and delivered a powerful elbow blow to Acedia¡¯s head.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    With a resounding thud, Acedia¡¯s head burst apart, showering everything around him with blood. As Acedia¡¯s body attempted to regenerate, Yu-Seong rapidly punched it all over, making sure that didn¡¯t happen.

    Thus, approximately thirty minutes of fighting passed. Even though Demon King Acedia had been transformed into a zombie devoid of mana, regenerative abilities, and coherent thoughts, he was still a foe that Yu-Seong couldn¡¯t have imagined fighting just a while back. However, Yu-Seong managed to beat Acedia to a pulp, and now he wore a contented expression.

    As he gazed at Bak Ok-Rye, who was standing behind him, he said, "What do you think? I think this is good enough. It''s about thirty minutes shorter thanst time.¡±

    "Of course, it''s only natural since I personally taught you the Beast King''s Instinct. If I had directly intervened, it wouldn''t have taken even five minutes to crush that creature," Ok-Rye responded.

    "...It''s a bit unfair topare it to you, master," Yu-Seong remarked.

    Upon hearing that reply, Ok-Rye clenched her fist, snorted, and stood in front of Yu-Seong. "I¡¯m talking about when I just use my fists, without relying on any mana. Surely, you don''t believe that a true Demon King can bepared to this mere zombie, do you?"

    "Of course not," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Especially when considering Eveheim, the previous owner of the purple door, there is no room forcency, my disciple!" Ok-Rye emphasized before disappearing.

    Something whistled through the air, grazing Yu-Seong¡¯s cheek and staining his ear with blood. Just like when he had first faced Acedia, he had been unable to see the attack just now.

    <i>¡®But I managed to dodge it.¡¯</i>

    The Beast King''s instinct, which could be considered the foundation of Ok-Rye''sbat skills, was an ability that reached deep into the subconscious rather than involving conscious thought.

    "You don''t need to see it with your eyes. Your instinct will be faster than your hands," Ok-Rye said.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    Yu-Seong was pushed back. He had raised both arms to block, but the impact made his arms scream with pain.

    <i>¡®I knew it¡­¡¯</i>

    In other words, one could nitpick that Yu-Seong''s Beast King instinct was only halfplete. On the contrary, Ok-Rye possessed a fully perfectedbat instinct as the Beast King. From the beginning, their instincts'' efficiency differed greatly. How could he possibly keep up until the end?

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Finally, Ok-Rye¡¯s kick made contact with Yu-Seong¡¯s waist, making him bend over and lose his bnce. Ok-Rye seemed to have aimed for that exact moment, because she followed up with a punch that made Yu-Seong crumble down in pain.

    "It''s about the realm of the unconscious, not conscious thought! Clear your mind! If you let your body move naturally, without thinking about it, you will reach a higher state!"

    Ok-Rye''s voice echoed even though it was not audibly discernible. Yu-Seong understood what she was saying.

    <i>¡®I''ve heard those words for a few decades.¡¯</i>

    These words had been hammered into his mind by sheer power of repetition..

    In fact, even though he couldn¡¯t hold his stance anymore and had fallen to the ground, Yu-Seong continued to retreat even if it meant scooting backward with a pained expression. He partially evaded Ok-Rye''s attacks.

    Of course, he couldn''t avoid them all. Ok-Rye¡¯s strikes poured down relentlessly, and more than half made contact. Eventually, Yu-Seong lost consciousness, and his body began to regenerate once again.

    The sanctuary of the transcendent beings was a realm where one would not age or perish, and they used such advantages to the fullest extent.

    "Hmm, 10 minutes and 18 seconds. That''s 20 seconds longer thanst time," Ok-Rye remarked, nodding as she checked the time.

    Indeed, considering the rate of improvement alone, it was quite impressive.

    "We''ve passed the halfway mark from the initial goal of twenty minutes."

    "...how many years did you say have passed?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "Thirty years."

    "Then we only have twenty years remaining. Will it be possible?"

    "It''s certainly doable. Awakening your instincts is always the most challenging part. Besides, if you continue to endure blows until the moment of your death, there won''t be an opportunity for the instincts to wane. Moreover, as you approach the brink of death, you might even experience a panoramic recollection of your lifetime, don''t you think?" Ok-Rye replied.

    In the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, death did note in the conventional sense. However, the sensation of dying was undeniably present. And every time, this feeling was apanied by a recollection of one¡¯s lifetime..

    "Yes..." Yu-Seong responded.

    "Each time, it''s like reviewing your life, revisiting what you''ve learned. It''s inevitable that it will umte. Can''t you sense the eleration?" Ok-Rye asked.

    "...Yes," Yu-Seong agreed.

    Ok-Rye¡¯s words were certainly true, but it was such a simplistic and unsophisticated method of training. Without the illusory training space of the transcendent sanctuary, it would have been an impossible feat from the start.

    Suddenly, Yu-Seong imagined what he would be when hepleted this training and let out a hollowugh inwardly.

    <i>¡®I might end up not much different from those so-called monsters¡­¡¯</i>

    As Yu-Seong''s thoughts drifted, Ok-Rye gently lifted his chin and adjusted his posture. At the same time, she prepared herself to unleash a powerful strike with her fists and said, "Now, even though I said that, there''s no time to rest. You must continue to diligently pursue the Beast King''s instinct until it reaches at least the 7th stage."

    There was no time to rest¡ªYu-Seong had heard those words countless times during the previous recollection, his body trembling involuntarily as he inadvertently red at Ok-Rye.

    <i>¡®I never expected it to be an easy task from the start, anyway.¡¯</i>

    If he could guarantee absolute safety in this perilous world bypleting this training, he would get up and keep moving forward no matter how many times he fell.

    <i>¡®I don''t want to be relying on or indebted to anyone anymore.¡¯</i>

    Just like his friends outside, Yu-Seong also fortified his resolve.

    ***

    Twenty yearster, Yu-Seong was finally able to remain standing after enduring Ok-Rye¡¯s blows.

    Ok-Rye burst intoughter and stepped back. She praised, "Thirty minutes! Congrattions on surpassing the record. Well done, as expected of my disciple! Hahaha!"

    Yu-Seong had surpassed the initial goal of twenty minutes by an additional ten. As he experienced the exhration of his remarkable growth, Yu-Seong came to the realization that even his Beast King''sbat instinct had reached an astonishing level, the 9th stage. It was a moment of pure thrill, akin to the rapid eleration of a car.

    Then, Green emerged from beyond the green door with a broad smile. He eximed, "Yay! Finally, it''s my turn, right?"

    There was always another mountain to climb. Facing his next teacher, Green, Yu-Seong said with a nod, "I look forward to working with you."

    "Same here."

    This moment marked themencement of another phase of Yu-Seong¡¯s journey of ascension.

 Chapter 236

    <h4>Chapter 236 </h4>

    In the outside world, only three years had psed, but the incredibly lengthy period of 250 years had passed for Yu-Seong. It was a period of time difficult to grasp within the context of a human lifespan. However, due to his unwavering dedication to his training, Yu-Seong seemed oblivious to the magnitude of those years.

    "...Time''s up."

    "Already?"

    In response to Gabriel''s tone, which had never changed since the beginning, Yu-Seong unconsciously chuckled and scratched the back of his head. He muttered, "Yeah, that does sound a bit strange. It was a whole 250 years..."

    As he was inside the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, Yu-Seong''s appearance had hardly changed over the years. His hair hadn''t grown, and there were no visible signs of aging on his face. The only noticeable difference was the slightly worn-out clothes, which he had actually repaired several times.

    "Time is indeed a peculiar thing. When you''re eagerly awaiting something, it feels unbearably slow. However, when you reflect on the past, it seems to have flown by in the blink of an eye¡­ It gains a rtive value.¡±

    Gabriel, the only transcendent being out of the three who could manipte time, spoke in a manner befitting his ability. Casually flicking his finger, he continued, "The extension of time hase to an end.¡±

    "Wow... So, from now on, time will flow like..." Yu-Seong said.

    "That''s right. It will flow just like normal."

    "It''s difficult to fullyprehend the reality of it.¡±

    "As time passes and your physical body ages, you will naturallye to understand things that you once wished to remain ignorant of. Well... But considering your current state, even though you will age, it won''t make much of a difference," Gabriel said.

    Yu-Seong smiled with confidence as he gazed down at his hands, which were adorned with calluses. In truth, Gabriel''s words were indeed urate. Entering the sanctuary of the transcendent beings in the first ce was a choice he had made, having assumed the worst-case scenario.

    The weight of facing Eveheim, the Godfather of the Demon King Worshipers and the ultimate antagonist of the original novel, was indescribable. However, Yu-Seong¡¯s thoughts had changed slightly.

    "Perhaps it''s because I''ve been so well-trained by the three masters... I feel like even Eveheim won''t be a problem."

    "Don''t get too conceited. While it''s true that your talent has surpassed expectations, Eveheim is an abnormal monster with thousands of years of knowledge and wisdom. Comcency will only bring about your demise," Gabriel warned.

    With a wide smile, Yu-Seong nodded. "I will keep that in mind, master. So now, I should return to where I originally was¡­"

    "Ah, before that, there are a few things that need to be addressed. First, it''s about your secret," Gabriel replied.

    Yu-Seong had only one secret: he was originally a reader of the novel who had transmigrated into the story as a character, eventually reaching this very point.

    From Yu-Seong''s perspective, the hundred years he had spent with Gabriel was the longest he had spent with someone. Yu-Seong also respected, trusted, and followed Gabriel as his master. There was no reason to keep the secret, and Gabriel had given it serious thought over the past time and reached a certain conclusion.

    "It''s not entirely impossible. The universe is vast, and there are countless ces simr to the world we know. In such cases, when two souls recognize each othere into contact, there is a possibility of fusion."

    "Two souls aware of each other?" Yu-Seong questioned as his eyes widened in surprise at Gabriel''s unexpected words.

    "It''s something I''ve heard from Green. There is a supreme god, one of the top deities in the universe, who presents stories to individuals with the same soul. Through these stories, the god stimtes and inspires their souls, potentially leading to the fusion of their souls," Gabriel exined.

    "Oh my... Are you saying¡­?"

    "You said you¡¯ve heard about doppelgangers before, didn''t you?¡± asked Gabriel.

    "Yes, I''ve read about them in novels. However, when I look at myself and this Choi Yu-Seong, we look so different..."

    "Don''t think that doppelgangers are merely defined by physical resemnce. It is the twin souls that truly make them doppelgangers. In fact, the true doppelgangers are those whose souls arepletely identical," Gabriel rified.

    "Twin souls..."

    In other words, it meant that the initial cowardly Yu-Seong and the current Yu-Seong were not fundamentally different beings.

    "I havee to realize this while teaching you, and I can say with absolute certainty that you are Baek Yu-Ri''s son. And you are Choi Yu-Seong," Gabriel dered.

    "...I understand," Yu-Seong replied, finally understanding why Gabriel had brought up this topic first.

    After all, Yu-Seong had thought he had suddenly transmigrated into the novel and became apletely different person. He would have been lying to himself if he said that he didn''t experience any confusion about his identity in this situation. Even if it wasn''t apparent at the moment, such wavering could eventually be a small crack that would lead to a significant turning point.

    "If we put it in simpler terms, I suppose I''ve awakened the memories of a different world," Yu-Seong mused.

    "As expected of my disciple, you have goodprehension," Gabriel said with a satisfied smile as he nodded vigorously.

    It was a bright smile, the kind that Yu-Seong had never seen from Gabriel.

    "It seems you can smile like that too, master. It''s the first time I''ve seen it," Yu-Seong remarked.

    "...Hmm, hmm," Gabriel cleared his throat, appearing somewhat awkward.

    His gaze, which had been warm, turned cold again. Then, he continued, "The second topic we need to discuss... It pertains to your birth and the feud.¡±

    "Oh, that part has already been exined by master Green," Yu-Seong mentioned.

    "...Huh?" Gabriel''s eyes widened.

    Evidently, there was something the transcendent beings had agreed not to discuss with Yu-Seong.

    "I was supposed to tell you about it once all your training wasplete..."

    "I was so curious that I couldn''t help but plead with him. As you know, Master Green is somewhat soft-hearted," Yu-Seong exined.

    "...He simply enjoys chatting," Gabriel replied with a sigh, rubbing his forehead. "In that case, I don''t have to talk about this story."

    "Yes, it''s truly like fate... I never imagined that my mother was a disciple of yours, Master Gabriel," Yu-Seong eximed, his astonishment evident in his voice.

    "...If that traitor hadn''t taken her life, I''m certain that your mother would have be the owner of the red door," Gabriel stated.

    In a way, Baek Yu-Ri had been one of the uing transcendent beings. And Woo-Jae, without knowing this fact, had genuinely fallen in love with her and had believed her to be an ordinary woman. Indeed, it was something unimaginable not only in the past but also in the present for him.

    However, it was evident that the two of them had deeply loved each other during that brief period, and as a result, Yu-Seong had been conceived in Baek Yu-Ri''s womb¡ªan unforeseen twist of fate.

    Instead of considering this incident as his own mistake, Woo-Jae had regarded it as a symbol of their love. He had also made a promise to Baek Yu-Ri¡ªto never abandon Yu-Seong and to trust him until the end.

    <i>¡®So, that''s why, even in the original novel, Choi Woo-Jae believed in Choi Yu-Seong until the end.¡¯</i>

    It was because of this promise that Do-Jin ended up assassinating Woo-Jae. Yu-Seong''s death was not Woo-Jae''s intention after all.

    <i>¡®So he kept his promise until the very end.¡¯</i>

    Upon learning this truth, Yu-Seong fully understood the excessive protectiveness of Woo-Jae that had been somewhat iprehensible before.

    <i>¡®And moved by his words, my mother, with master''s permission, revealed the story of the transcendent beings to him¡­¡¯</i>

    In fact, Woo-Jae had been shocked to learn about the new world.

    <i>¡®Despite that, he never stopped pursuing his path.¡¯</i>

    Truly, he was not an ordinary ambitious man.

    "He wasn''t someone I particrly liked. He had multiple women besides your mother and was driven by his own desires. However, despite all that, I trusted him. With his ambition and sharp mind, I believed he would be capable of safeguarding that child... I was arrogant."

    Of course, the oue had been inevitable given that his opponent was Eveheim. However, even with that in mind, her death was still too heartbreaking to even think about.

    "And when you dered that you would kill Eveheim, I couldn''t help but sense your fate," Gabriel stated.

    "But originally, you intended to kill me, right?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "...An outsider entering the sanctuary of the transcendent beings is against the rules. This kind of variable should never happen again. You, too, came to this ce because of your knowledge of the world you¡¯ve read in another world. It''s impossible for someone else to replicate the same thing. And even if the same situation were to ur, my choice would be no different," Gabriel exined.

    "Master, I already know you''re the obstinate kind," Yu-Seong replied with a bright smile as he looked into Gabriel''s firm blue eyes.

    It was indeed Yu-Seong who had initially broken the rules. Surviving and reaching this point was a fortunate sequence of events that could only be described as fate.

    <i>¡®If I hadn''t been my mother''s son¡­¡¯</i>

    However, Baek Yu-Ri had been a student of the transcendent beings, and Eveheim had been her enemy. In many ways, everything was a good fit.

    <i>¡®I have a feeling I know why that bastard looked at me with such eyes.¡¯?</i>

    Perhaps it was because he had embraced his true self as Yu-Seong entirely. Naturally, anger toward Eveheim, the one who had murdered his mother, had taken hold in his heart.

    "Well then, there is only one more story I need to share with you. However, before I do, I want you to make a promise," Gabriel said.

    "A promise?" Yu-Seong questioned.

    "Yes. It is my hope¡ªno, it is <i>our?</i>hope that once you have taken revenge on all your enemies, you will return to this ce and serve as the owner of one of the doors," Gabriel exined.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in surprise at Gabriel''s unexpected proposition. With only one thing that his master¡¯s words could mean, he asked, "You... Are you granting me the qualification of a transcendent being?"

    Gabriel nodded heavily in response to Yu-Seong''s question. He proceeded to exin, "Your growth over the past 250 years has been remarkable, surpassing all of our expectations. To be frank, you have not only exceeded our predictions but have also demonstrated the qualifications to be one of the owners of the doors purely through your strength alone.¡±

    .

    "I don''t think I''m quite at that level," Yu-Seong replied, scratching his cheek with a perplexed expression.

    It was true that he had gained a considerable amount of confidence in his own abilities. If he were to venture into the outside world, he would likely be pointed at andbeled as a monster. However, whenpared to the three transcendent masters who immediately came to mind, he couldn''t help but feel significantly inadequate inparison.

    "Though you stillck some experience, time will resolve those aspects. So, how will you respond to our proposal?" Gabriel asked.

    After a moment of contemtion, Yu-Seong tightly closed his eyes and shook his head. He replied, "I''m sorry. I know that I have to ept your proposal, whiches from the masters, no matter what, but¡­"

    "Are you concerned for your acquaintances on Earth?" Gabriel asked.

    "...you¡¯re right," Yu-Seong honestly confessed.

    Gabriel let out a shortugh, then asked, "I was a bit hasty. Let me correct myself. Yu-Seong, after you have enjoyed your life as a human, would you be able to return here and take ownership of a door?"

    The life of a transcendent being was close to infinite, but the life of a human was finite. Having already lived for a long time, there was no reason why the transcendent beings who still had eons to live couldn''t wait for a century or so.

    "After I finish my life as a human..."

    Would theree a time when he no longer harbored any attachments to the world? Yu-Seong couldn''t envision that moment clearly yet. However, if such a time were toe, he felt he could answer without hesitation.

    "I will do that. When that timees, I will return to this ce and be with you, Master," Yu-Seong dered.

    "Thank you," Gabriel responded, a faint smile appearing on his face once again.

 Chapter 237

    <h4>Chapter 237 </h4>

    In fact, Gabriel''s story wasn''t over yet. He went on to say, "Now that you have made a promise, I can tell you about the secret of these seven colored doors, a secret known only to us transcendent beings.¡±

    A secret exclusive to transcendent beings¡ªupon hearing these words, Yu-Seong''s eyes sparkled without him even realizing it, and he involuntarily gulped.

    "As you know, Yu-Seong, each door represents the transcendent being''s color," Gabriel exined.

    "It''s the same as the colors of the mana stones, right?" Yu-Seong remarked. When Gabriel nodded with a smile, he continued, "If we think of it in terms of mana stones... The strength of the owner should increase as the doors progress from red to purple, but I don''t think that applies in this case.¡±

    "In terms ofbat power, you are correct. However, the first color, red, and thest color, purple, hold symbolic meanings," Gabriel said.

    As Yu-Seong leaned in, listening intently to his story, Gabriel said, "The owner of the red door represents all transcendent beings and holds the greatest authority, which alsoes with the greatest voting power. Do you remember when you first arrived here, and Granny Bak, Green, and I cast our votes?"

    "Yes, I do," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Voting is quite a reasonable method. Although it has the drawback of suppressing minority opinions, it is rare to find a peaceful method of reaching a consensus among each other. That''s why the owner of the red door is special."

    "Because of the voting power?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "That''s correct. To put it simply, unlike the others, the owner of the red door can exercise two votes."

    "Wow," eximed Yu-Seong.

    In other words, transcendent beings determined their course of action through voting, and the power of two votes from the red color could determine the direction they ended up taking. It was a formidable power that could dominate the powerful group of transcendent beings. Yu-Seong could easily sense the distinctiveness of the red door.

    "On the other hand, the owner of the purple door doesn''t differ much from other transcendent beings in typical situations. However, if it feels that red is forcing their opinion upon the rest of us..."

    .

    "They can make an objection," Yu-Seong interjected.

    "Indeed, you are clever. That''s precisely it. The owner of the purple door is the only one who has the ability to nullify the votes of the red transcendent being."

    No matter how remarkable a transcendent being might be, they could not always make the right choices. In such situations, the power held by the owner of the red door became excessively strong and a means of restraining it was required.

    "It''s quite...democratically designed," Yu-Seong said.

    "It''s astonishing, especially when you consider the origins of the one who created this space," Gabriel replied.

    "If we''re talking about the person who created this space...could it be Eveheim?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "No way. It''s undeniable that Eveheim was a special figure among transcendent beings. However, he wasn''t powerful enough to create a space like this."

    Until now, Yu-Seong had believed that the sanctuary of the transcendent beings was created by thebined efforts of many transcendent beings. But now, it seemed that the one who had created this space was someone else. He couldn''t guess who that might be.

    "The Deity of Transcendence."

    "...The Deity of Transcendence?"

    Just hearing the title offered no clue to their identity.

    Gabriel smiled faintly and nodded. "Yes. When we fill all seven doors of this resting ce for transcendent beings, we will be able to meet the Deity of Transcendence directly.¡±

    Transcendent beings were those who had surpassed the limits of humanity solely through their pure strength. However, why were they still bound to mortality and not revered as gods? Yu-Seong suddenly had the feeling that he was starting to understand what the whole thing was about.

    "So, it was all for the sake of the Deity of Transcendence," Yu-Seong assumed.

    "I hope you won''t feel too disheartened. The Deity does not impose their path upon you. Additionally, in order to protect the world that had been ravaged by mutations, the Deity directly sought the assistance of another great god and borrowed a tool called the system, implementing it here on Earth," exined Gabriel.

    "So the system and the awakening were created by the Deity of Transcendence?" Yu-Seong inquired, his eyes widening with curiosity at the revtion of another secret about the world.

    "No, as I said, I heard that they had the help of another great god. However, I don''t know the exact details," Gabriel replied.

    This was as far as Gabriel''s story could go. His gaze conveyed that there were more secrets, but he couldn''t share them with Yu-Seong at the moment.

    "Understood," Yu-Seong said, suppressing the burgeoning curiosity within him.

    "Don''t delve too deeply into it. After all, it will still take hundreds of years, even after your arrival, to fill all seven doors. When that timees, naturally, you wille to know everything," Gabriel advised.

    "It feels like I''ll have to endure for an incredibly long time, but eventually, the time wille when we forget and move on," Yu-Seong mused.

    "This marks the conclusion of all the stories to be told. As I mentioned before, even if you were to be a transcendent being, it is not obligatory for you to abide by the Deity''s will. The choice ultimately rests in your hands..." Gabriel remarked.

    "You mean I should take my time and carefully contemte until the right moment arrives, correct?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "It''s trulyfortable to have such an intelligent disciple," Gabriel said.

    "Haha..." Yu-Seong forced a slightly awkwardugh.

    Gently resting his hand on Yu-Seong¡¯s shoulder, Gabriel said, "Yu-Seong, as I mentioned earlier, you have far exceeded our expectations. However, the burden ced upon you is equally significant, and I am concerned about that..."

    His hand then emitted a blue light, enveloping Yu-Seong entirely.

    Without resistance, Yu-Seong epted the power, floating into the air as his body was pushed backward. He whispered, "Master..."

    "I believe in you, Yu-Seong. You are our disciple."

    Before Yu-Seong knew it, Ok-Rye and Green, who had entered through their respective doors, waved their hands at him.

    "Even if you defeat Eveheim, you won''t be able to find us."

    Yu-Seong''s eyes widened at Gabriel''s unexpected words.

    "We¡¯ve also put in a considerable amount of effort to train you," Ok-Rye remarked as she scratched her cheek.

    Indeed, extending three years into 250 years had been no easy choice. The feat could be considered tough even for beings so close to divinity.

    "We n to recuperate and cultivate our strength within this ce for a while. So, until we meet again..."

    Before Green could finish speaking, Yu-Seong suddenly collided with the purple door as he was propelled by Gabriel''s power.

    "But if I return to this ce, I''ll still be able to meet you anytime, right?!" Yu-Seong eximed urgently as the three pairs of eyes bid him farewell with gentle smiles.

    "Of course," came Gabriel''s response.

    "I will wait." Green''s voice followed suit.

    "See you again, my disciple."

    With Ok-Rye''s voice as the final sound, Yu-Seong waspletely drawn into the realm beyond the purple door. The interior space was a dazzling passage where the seven colors shimmered from all directions.

    There, Yu-Seong failed to articte any definite will. He simply drifted through space like flowing water for a considerable amount of time before eventually descending into a dimly lit world.

    Yu-Seong immediately surveyed his surroundings.

    <i>¡®It''s nighttime.¡¯</i>

    The ce where Yu-Seong had stepped foot was a solid stone floor. Judging from the height of his line of sight, it appeared to be a rather tall building. A peculiar scent filled the air¡ªan amalgamation of gunpowder and oil. As Yu-Seong turned his head to assess his surroundings, his eyes glistened with excitement.

    <i>¡®Lights. It''s a military base.''?</i>

    Although the military base was located at a considerable distance from Yu-Seong, the darkness no longer obstructed his vision. Thanks to that, he could easily determine where he was at the moment.

    <i>''That is...''?</i>

    Beyond the illuminated military base, a towering, rainbow-colored seal stone rose high like a building of over thirty floors.

    <i>''It''s Pyongyang!''?</i>

    And where he had fallen was a partially distant, copsed building within that Pyongyang fortress.

    The moment Yu-Seongprehended the entire situation, a sticky liquid suddenly covered his head from behind.

    Having been observing the situation calmly until then, Yu-Seong lightly stepped forward and punched back. Beyond the sticky barrier that had spread behind him, demons wereunching a surprise attack, but their heads suddenly burst apart and they copsed to the ground, twitching. There was no time for them to regenerate, as Yu-Seong stepped forward to trample on the fallen bodies until they exploded and scattered all over the ce.

    "Hmm... It seems there are still a few demons left."

    Yu-Seong, who only had a vague sense of the substantial changes that had taken ce during that notably long span of three years, took a look at the sizable stone known as the seal stone. Now, perhaps due to the nearingpletion of its purpose, cracks were slowly forming on the seal stone, as if signifying its role had been fulfilled.

    <i>''It''s going to copse soon.¡¯</i>

    However, if it were to break, the soldiers who encircled it might be harmed.

    <i>''But that mustn''t happen.''?</i>

    The likelihood was high that the army that had been dispatched to rescue him was present. Of course, Yu-Seong was reluctant to cause any harm to them.

    Extending his right hand, Yu-Seong summoned a green energy that materialized into a door, spacious enough for a single person to pass through. With leisurely steps, he crossed through it, and in an instant, he found himself high in the sky above the ce where the army was located.

    While floating in mid-air, once again, Yu-Seong released green energy, activating his magic. Then, he cleared his throat and shouted, "It''s copsing!"

    A thunderous voice echoed through the sky and the earth, reaching everyone. At that moment, the soldiers who had witnessed the cracks in the seal stone began to move urgently. They didn''t know who informed them, but the thought of avoiding an imminent threat prompted them to take action. Yu-Seong watched their movements from above the sky, humming a light tune to himself.

    <i>¡®This should be a fairlyfortable evacuation. There''s no need to exert any more effort.¡¯</i>

    Truly, the convenience of magic could not be underestimated. If Do-Jin hadid the foundation for Yu-Seong''s magical abilities, Green had perfected them. Currently, Yu-Seong''s mastery of magic far surpassed that of Do-Jin during their battle with Acedia.

    <i>¡®Master Green, thank you. Thanks to you, I can handle things sofortably. Now, the only task to be done here is¡­¡¯</i>

    This time, Yu-Seong''s gaze shifted beyond the crumbling seal stone, toward the underground. A Third Eye appeared on his forehead, glowing with a blue light. The third eye delved deep into spaces not normally visible, easily revealing the intricate paths and troop arrangements in the underground.

    <i>¡®The Philosopher''s Stone. It¡¯s still there.¡¯</i>

    Although its power may have waned due to summoning the Demon King and establishing a connection to the sanctuary of transcendent beings, the Philosopher''s Stone itself could be regenerated and utilized once more at any given time.

    <i>¡®I''ll have to collect it.¡¯</i>

    That item belonged to Helen, as agreed. Yu-Seong once again traversed the space and descended toward the Philosopher''s Stone. The soldiers and yers who had been guarding the Philosopher''s Stone in case of an emergency failed to perceive Yu-Seong''s movement. In fact, the reason was quite simple.

    <i>¡®Time Dtion.¡¯</i>

    It was one of the skills taught by Gabriel, thest of the three masters, who had control over time. Within this space time passed roughly twice as slowly for everyone but Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®It''s such a powerful ability that even maintaining it for thirty seconds is difficult, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Thirty seconds was more than enough. Yu-Seong made up his mind, concealing his presence. After grasping the Philosopher''s Stone in his hand, it took less than a second for him to escape.

 Chapter 238

    <h4>Chapter 238 </h4>

    Inside the quiet office, a figure sat in the chair with sunlight streaming through the spacious window behind him. The brooding Woo-Jae ended the call with a sneer on his face. Rubbing his forehead, he swore. "Damn fools.¡±

    "What''s the matter?" Pil-Doo asked cautiously, having observed Woo-Jae''s changing expression in real-time.

    "The seal stone in Pyongyang has copsed. They say they found nothing," Woo-Jae replied.

    "What about the young master, Yu-Seong¡­?" asked Pil-Doo.

    ¡°He wentpletely missing, and we have no idea whether he¡¯s dead or alive. Damn it,¡± Woo-Jae replied. He repeatedly clicked his tongue, pounding his chest in frustration. "Furthermore, the Philosopher''s Stone that was connected to the seal stone in the underground was also stolen, and they have no idea who the culprit is.¡±

    "That¡¯s a mind-boggling situation." Pil-Doo frowned with a click of his tongue. He then asked, "The Philosopher''s Stone was promised to be handed over to the Miraculous Alchemist, right?"

    "It''s not for free. In exchange, she was going to help the Comet Group secure exclusive contracts with the recently emerged artifact creators," Woo-Jae exined.

    Recently, Helen was referred to as the mother of all artifact creators. It was because she had established apany to support the manufacturer type yers who had long been overlooked until the appearance of the Tower of Heaven. After this fact became known, many figures in the industry sought her assistance.

    However, among them, the one Helen chose was the Comet Group of South Korea, and in return, she demanded the Philosopher''s Stone. Since Woo-Jae wanted to grow hispany and had no reason to refuse, the contract was signed.

    In truth, Woo-Jae was left in the dark about Helen¡¯s true motivation. She believed that she was acting with great kindness toward the Comet Group, which would eventually be Yu-Seong''spany. In fact, thanks to the promise with Yu-Seong, the Philosopher''s Stone practically belonged to her already.

    "I''ve lost so much. When I had entered the Tower of Heaven, I never imagined things would turn out like this," said Woo-Jae.

    Despite reaching the SS-rank, which could be counted as one of the top powerhouses in the world, losing Yu-Seong, the chosen sessor, meant the losses were multiplied several times over. Moreover, considering the promise with Yu-Seong''s mother, Baek Yu-Ri, that still weighed heavily on Woo-Jae¡¯s heart, he was in an unbearable situation.

    "This is frustrating."

    Just as Woo-Jae uttered these seldom-heard words, a shadow seemed to cast over Pil-Doo''s face. Woo-Jae¡¯s expression suddenly stiffened. He rose from his seat and grabbed the long spear he had concealed behind the curtain near the window.

    In an instant, Yu-Seong, who had traversed space by opening a portal from within Woo-Jae''s office, widened his eyes as he saw the spear aimed at his forehead. The close proximity was highly dangerous, as a slight miscalction could result in the spear piercing through his head to lead him toward instant death.

    However, before such an unfortunate event could ur, Yu-Seong moved on instinct. Naturally, as he looked at the spear that had reached in front of his eyes, Yu-Seong slightly bent his body and extended his arm to catch the spear that was tearing through the air.

    <i>Woong-woong!?</i>

    A heavy vacuum sound echoed throughout the entire office.

    "...Choi Yu-Seong?" Woo-Jae said with a quavering voice.

    Yu-Seong, who was gripping the spear, shifted his gaze toward his father and offered him an awkward smile. "Ha, haha... I''m sorry. You must have been surprised when I showed up without warning. I acted in haste because I was in a hurry..."

    "It''s okay," Woo-Jae replied.

    "Pardon?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "As long as you''re safe. That alone is enough," Woo-Jae said.

    Upon seeing Yu-Seong, Woo-Jae''s mouth curved into a smile as he exhaled a sigh of relief and took a seat.

    Yu-Seong, taken aback by the sight of his father''s expression of undeniable astonishment for the first time, could only look at him with a slightly trembling gaze in response.

    <i>''He was genuinely worried about me.''?</i>

    Sometimes, a person''s actions, expressions, and words alone couldmunicate their sincerity. Experiencing such emotions from Woo-Jae, who always appeared intimidating, felt strangely touching.

    An awkward silence descended between the two, father and son. Pil-Doo, who was a bit uneasy in the situation, cautiously opened his mouth to ask, "...Should I leave you two alone?"

    Woo-Jae nodded silently, and Pil-Doo, offering a slight bow to Yu-Seong, said, "I''ll see youter, Vice President.¡±

    "...Excuse me?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Taken aback by the unfamiliar title, Yu-Seong observed Pil-Doo as he departed the room. As silence permeated the space once again, Yu-Seong was the first to break it. He said, "You must have been very surprised. If you''re wondering what happened during thest three years..."

    "You met the transcendent beings, didn''t you?" Woo-Jae said.

    "Yes."

    As expected, Woo-Jae, who already knew about the existence of the transcendent beings through Baek Yu-Ri, followed the story at a brisk pace.

    "It''s fortunate that you''ve grown much stronger. I came dangerously close to taking the life of my own child with my own hand just now," Woo-Jae said.

    "Haha..."

    In the first ce, the issue might have been that Yu-Seong had attempted to teleport into Woo-Jae¡¯s space without uttering a word.

    "Well, you must have the qualifications. Now that you have embarked on the path of a transcendent being, you will encounter numerous challenges. It is a realm that even I dare not venture into..." said Woo-Jae.

    It appeared that he was indeed aware of Yu-Seong''s status as a trainee transcendent being. In fact, it was not at all surprising.

    <i>''Since it''s only been three years on Earth.''?</i>

    No matter how diligently Yu-Seong tried within that limited time, achieving the realm of a transcendent being would be impossible.

    <i>''Unless there''s a huge variable, it absolutely can''t happen.''?</i>

    Most importantly, once someone truly became a transcendent being, they were bound by the rule of not being able to freely interfere with the affairs of this world.

    Deep in contemtion of these thoughts, Yu-Seong, who was graduallying to ept his circumstances, noticed the attentive gaze of Woo-Jae fixed upon him.

    "You look better now," Woo-Jaemented.

    "Do I?"

    "You seem more rxed since you''ve gotten stronger.¡±

    Yu-Seong smiled awkwardly and nodded. "I can''t deny that."

    In the past, he was always tormented by the thought of when he might die, constantly feeling chased by something. However, it was different now.

    <i>''The only person in this world who could kill me now would be...''?</i>

    It was likely only Eveheim, since the six Hexagram masters following him were no longer a threat to Yu-Seong.

    "Well... Well, well."

    Watching Yu-Seong sittingfortably, Woo-Jae clicked his tongue just as he had done when he had heard unpleasant news. However, there was something different from before. His lips and eyes were naturally full of smiles. Consequently, Yu-Seong had no choice but to ask.

    "What''s so enjoyable?"

    "It''s the first time I''ve experienced the feeling of having a reliable child, that''s why," Woo-Jae replied.

    "...Pardon?"

    "I never anticipated having this sensation, which is why it brings me joy. Hehe..." Woo-Jae, who let out a peculiarugh, asked, "Have you contacted Mi-Na and Ji-Ho yet?"

    "Not yet. I was actually about to ask about Ji-Ho hyung-nim..."

    "The guy who always said he''d die when his time came, is clenching his teeth and holding on to life. He ns to do just that until you returned. He''s holding up well," Woo-Jae said.

    "Then, how is his health?"

    "He''s reached a stage where he can''t utilize most of his abilities, but he''s still alive. I''ve heard that he made a promise to you."

    "Yes," Yu-Seong said as he nodded with a smile.

    On his way here, he had stopped by the Tower of Heaven. It had happened just a few minutes ago, but recalling the experience now brought forth hollowughter.

    <i>''Even though most of my physical abilities were reset in the Tower of Heaven... it wasn''t a problem at all.''?</i>

    The Beast King''s Instinct, which he had inherited from Ok-Rye, had been a great help. From the start, his body had reacted on its own, and despite being slightly less powerful, he had ended up fighting incredibly well.

    Thanks to this, he had managed to break through the 20th floor in half a day, just as the term ¡®unstoppable¡¯ suggested. In addition, he had also made sure to collect Elixir on his way out. In many ways, he had naturally kept his cool and achieved whatever he had set out to do.

    ¡°I have something to give him. I wanted to contact hyung-nim and noo-nim, but my phone waspletely dead," Yu-Seong said as he held up his phone, which didn''t light up on the ck screen.

    "I''ll make the calls. I want to see their surprised faces anyway... hehe," Woo-Jae said.

    Upon hearing that, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but be taken aback once again. Today truly was a day where he saw many previously unseen aspects of Woo-Jae. The sight of his father, smiling like a mischievous child while making calls to his other children, was something Yu-Seong couldn''t have imagined.

    After a few rings on the phone, Woo-Jae, his voice returning to its usual heavy timbre, said, "Come home. There''s something I need to discuss with you. Yes, right now.¡±

    He then looked at Yu-Seong again, a smile still on his face. It was only then that Yu-Seong could read the emotion in Woo-Jae''s expression.

    <i>''Ah... He''s finally letting go of some burdens.''?</i>

    The old man had started showing his true self, partially shedding the weighty responsibility he had been shouldering as the head of therge group, Comet.

    <i>''He could never be considered ordinary, but...''?</i>

    Couldn''t he rejoice for the same reasons as others? The gazes of Woo-Jae and Yu-Seong, each smiling awkwardly toward each other, gradually warmed.

    <i>''It would be really nice if we could live like an ordinary family from now on, even if we haven''t until now.''?</i>

    Of course, there was something they needed to fight through for that to happen. Yu-Seong, who had naturally settled into a chair, was thinking about another name.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin...''?</i>

    Now, Yu-Seong had no choice but to stop Do-Jin with all his might.

    ***

    Inside a dark cave, surrounded byplex magic circles drawn all around, Eveheim, who had spent three years in this inessible space, smiled and called out to the man in front of him.

    "Red."

    A man, characterized by his ck hair and red eyes, turned toward Eveheim as he heard the call. He was wearing a red devil mask that obscured his identity, making him unrecognizable. Holding a single sword, he responded to the call, emitting a low growl like a beast that had lost the ability to use humannguage.

    "My disciple, you seem to be hungry still," Eveheim remarked, his gaze drifting toward the center of the cave where devil corpsesid brutally dismembered. Hemented, "Even after indulging in all of that, your insatiable greed remains unabated. Truly, it was fitting to burden you with the sin of gluttony."

    Eveheim chuckled ominously, stroking his chin in thought. "What should we do now... You''ve already devoured everything that could be gleaned from demons. Moving forward, summoning a Demon King-level entity is the bare minimum requirement..."

    Eveheim smacked his lips, seemingly disappointed. ¡°Considering the situation, it is highly probable that the Demon King of Sloth, Acedia, met his demise at the hands of your formerrades. As for Choi Yu-Seong¡­¡±

    "Keughh!"

    At the mention of the name Yu-Seong, Red reacted quite violently. His eyes shone with a desire to charge at Eveheim.

    "Ah, my mistake. Woah, woah, I¡¯ll be careful with that name." Eveheim smirked, shaking his head as though there was nothing he could do about it.

    "Given that you stillck sufficient strength to summon and apprehend the Demon King of Pride, Supeoreubia, I am left with no alternative. It seems I must sacrifice the outside world."

    Eveheim''s smile turned seductive, his fingers pointing toward the entrance of the cave. Hemanded, "Red, go outside, eat to your heart''s content, and indulge in blood. Then, another power wille to you..."

    Before he could finish his sentence, Red, seemingly having been waiting for themand, dashed toward the entrance of the cave. His figure disappeared beyond sight at a rapid pace.

 Chapter 239

    <h4>Chapter 239 </h4>

    "Oh, well... Perhaps I''ve diminished his reasoning too much. It feels quite peculiar how he dashed off instantly at the mere mention of a feast," Eveheim smirked while scratching his cheek.

    With his hands nonchntly ced behind his back, he proceeded to advance at a leisurely pace. After three years, a period that felt neither short nor long, Eveheim could easily predict exactly where Red, whom he had diligently nurtured, would inevitably journey.

    <i>¡®He will go to Seoul. It is highly likely that he will consume the one named Comet first.¡¯</i>

    It was evident what the creature with nothing but his instincts remaining would despise the most.

    "Fate can be quite wicked," Eveheim murmured with a seductive smile adorning his lips as he reminisced about the memories and information he had uncovered when he had first delved into Do-Jin''s mind.

    "The poor fool doesn''t even know who his real enemy is. How amusing, haha..."

    That was why Eveheim had initially wanted Yu-Seong to be the next Red. How electrifying it would have been to watch him being tamed like a beast under the one who had killed his mother? It would have surely sent chills of excitement beyond imagination. However, regretfully, Yu-Seong had been sealed with the Demon King.

    <i>''To be precise, he has entered the sanctuary of the transcendent beings.''?</i>

    Although, how did Yu-Seonge to know about the existence of the transcendent beings? It was a mystery, but Eveheim didn''t consider it significant.

    <i>''Baek Yu-Ri must have left some sort of trace or something.''?</i>

    He chuckled inwardly, shrugging his shoulders. Regardless, since Yu-Seong had entered the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, there were only two possible oues.

    <i>''If he''s unlucky, he would have died on the spot...''?</i>

    However, what if he survived?

    "He would be my nemesis sent by the heavens."

    In fact, this wouldn''t be too bad either.

    ¡°If I can ovee my destiny and ascend to the heavens,¡± Eveheim mumbled, a grand ambition burning in his eyes as he wore a slight smile. ¡°Then, I would truly be the ultimate ruler.''¡±

    ***

    The long-awaited family gathering concluded quietly and was filled with warmth. The most significant gain was that Ji-Ho had taken the Elixir.

    <i>''Given his serious injuries, he mentioned not feeling any immediate changes...''?</i>

    However, he should be able to recover and restore all of his mana within a few days. This marked the return of Ji-Ho, who had once been hailed as South Korea''s most promising talent.

    <i>''Meanwhile, Mi-Na noo-nim has be even stronger.''?</i>

    While Woo-Jae had been in the Tower of Heaven, Mi-Na also seemed to have made considerable progress regarding her own power.

    <i>''It''s a relief that everyone is reliably strong without me needing to worry.''?</i>

    Having finished the first family meeting, the next people Yu-Seong sought out were naturally the Jin siblings, Ye-Ryeong, and Jin-Hyuk.

    <i>''I wonder how these four are doing?''?</i>

    Returning home via spatial movement, with a fluttering heart, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but be surprised. He asked the housemaid, "No one''s here?"

    "Yes... By the way, young master, are you really okay?"

    The housemaid, who had been working at the house for a long time, asked with wide eyes. She couldn''t help but be startled by Yu-Seong''s sudden return home.

    "Of course. Don''t I look healthy?"

    It felt like time had been strangely misaligned. Feeling disappointed with this discovery, Yu-Seong wore a regretful expression and said to the housemaid, "Now that my phone is working again, please let me know if anyonees back."

    "I will. But will you be going out again?" asked the housemaid.

    "I have another friend to wait for."

    Yu-Seong, smiling gently, waved his hand in the air. He stepped once more through a portal in space.

    <i>''I have many ces to visit.''?</i>

    Today was likely going to be quite busy.

    ***

    While Yu-Seong was busy searching for his acquaintances, all eyes and ears in the United States were focused on an event that had started the night before. The capital of Arizona, Phoenix, was surrounded by thick fog which cut off allmunication and made it impossible to ascertain the situation within.

    The first to respond had been the military and yers stationed in the nearby cities. In anticipation of a possible threat, it was only natural to dispatch individuals capable of wielding actual power.

    However, the real problem had arisen here. Of the military and the yers who had left at dawn, only one returned by the time the morning sun rose. The man returned horrifically maimed, as if a zombie had torn the flesh from his body. Just before dropping dead on the spot, he spread a terrifying message that a devil had appeared. There were no other survivors.

    Naturally, the entire United States was thrown into chaos. If the identity of the massive fog that had swallowed an entire capital was truly a demon, it meant there was a possibility that a demon of at least Marquis rank, possibly even Duke rank, had appeared.

    A powerful demon had appeared on the maind of the United States! The government could not ignore the fact that the form of the fog might change in unforeseen ways. As a result, substantial forces were assembled in less than a day. Five S-rank yers, representing the United States, along with other powerful yers, took their positions at the forefront. Special forces were also dispatched into the fog of Phoenix, prepared for possiblebat and survivor rescues.

    Given the considerable forces dispatched, capable of returning with adequate information even in an emergency, no one had thought of the possibility of failure for this mission. However, about three hours after entering the fog, one of the S-rank yers representing the United States, Liam, couldn''t help but despair as thoughts of mission failure filled his mind.

    The bodies of his colleagues, who had only been reliable ever since setting off together, had been roughly torn apart. Their blood spilt all over the asphalt road. Among them were as many as four S-rank yers, like Liam.

    The ones who had in them all were the mere three individuals standing before Liam. More precisely, it was the deed of one among the three.

    <i>''It''s not a demon.</i>''

    Indeed, there was no demon concealed within the mist. Instead, there lurked only individuals more deranged than any demon.

    "You ursed Demon King Worshipers...!" Liam, whose arms had been forcefully ripped from his body and was trembling all over, shouted at the three people.

    The young man positioned in the center, his hair a striking shade of pale white, responded to Liam''s words with a peculiar smile. He said calmly, "ursed, you say? We are merely fulfilling our original objectives.¡±

    "Truly... Are you carrying out such a widespread massacre just to summon a Demon King?!"

    "Correct!" Noah, the white-haired man, cheerfully replied to Liam¡¯s horrified response. Slightly kneeling down to meet Liam¡¯s gaze, Noah added, "You''re aware of the situation in Pyongyang three years ago, right?"

    "What...?"

    "A Demon King was summoned then. It consumed a great deal of blood and sacrifices," Noah said.

    "You, surely you don''t intend to engage in such madness to replicate that event, do you?"

    "Of course, back then, there was also the power of the Philosopher''s Stone. Hence, we have dedicated extensive research to discover ways of creating something akin to it."

    As Noah flicked his finger lightly, a woman standing to his left handed him a ck stone. Noah, epting the stone, grinned at Liam and asked, "Do you see this?"

    "What... What is that ominous object?" Liam said.

    "It¡¯s the subpar version of the Philosopher''s Stone, or to be more precise, something akin to a Demon King summoning stone," Noah replied with a grin, nonchntly throwing the ck stone amongst the brutally torn bodies.

    As the stone loftily floated among the corpses, tendrils that were as dark as midnight sprung forth to rapidly engulf the nearby bodies. They appeared to be devouring the bodies. The sight was so horrendously ghastly that Liam had to swallow hard, fear and fury simultaneously shing in his eyes.

    "What¡­ What on earth is this...?" Liam cried.

    Even before Liam finished his speech, the ck stone began to tremble violently while emitting an eerie and spine-chilling sound.

    <i>Heeheehee-!?</i>

    Upon hearing that sinister and wickedughter, Noah''s gaze shifted. He remarked, "Oh, this reaction seems different somehow?"

    Noah, with a smile that seemed almost joyful, grasped the neck of Liam, who was still barely alive.

    Having lost his power, let alone the ability to move his body, the only resistance Liam could muster was his words. He asked desperately, "What are you trying to do?"

    "I have conducted several experiments, and it appears that the living subjects were more effective than the deceased," Noah remarked.

    "You, you don¡¯t mean..."

    With a smile on his face, Noah lifted Liam by the neck and approached the ck stone.

    <i>Heeheehee-!?</i>

    As the stone, flickering its hideous ck tendrils like a tongue, emitted a horrific sound, it came into contact with Liam''s back.

    "Wouldn''t an S-rank yer like you make a suitable sacrifice?"

    "No, no¡­ Urgh!"

    Liam could not finish speaking. The tendrils that sprung from the ck stone wrapped around his entire body in an instant, swallowing him whole. As his body was torn apart while he was still alive, Liam''s eyes widened in unimaginable pain. With a tearing sound that sliced through the air, his pain abruptly ceased.

    Liam, who had fallen to the ground with a thud, screamed in pain. "AAARGH!"

    The pain he had momentarily forgotten then surged back in full force. However, his scream was short-lived. A kick from somewhere struck Liam''s head with a strong force, knocking him unconscious.

    "Ugh-!"

    In front of the unconscious Liam, a woman with mboyant red hair and captivating red eyes made her grand entrance. She furrowed her brow in disgust as she cast a disdainful gaze toward Noah, who held the Demon King summoning stone.

    "Ahaha! What on earth is the Hexagram Master doing, cradling such a grotesque thing like a baby? Are you going to feed it milk? Hahaha!" she clicked her tongue and burst into madughter at Noah.

    Herughter, filled with ridicule, caused Noah''s already thin eyes to narrow further. He muttered, "I thought I was mistaken... You''re alive, Rachel,"

    Rachel, the woman with fiery red hair, nodded and extended her hand. She said cheekily, "I''ve been waiting to split open the head of the bastard like you. That''s why I''m still alive."

    "Crazy bitch."

    Noah spat out an insult and turned his head to the side. Just at that moment, a cold ax de swished past right next to his neck.

    "Wow, nice hunch. But can you dodge this too?"

    Laughing loudly, Rachel drew out two hand axes from her waist and hurled them at Noah.

    "You''re kidding me..." Noah clicked his tongue lightly and his figure shifted to the left.

    At that moment, a man appeared next to Noah like a lightning bolt. His red cloak fluttered as he threw a punch and spoke in a low voice, "Buffalo Dash."

    <i>BOOM-!?</i>

    With an exploding sound, Noah, struck by the gigantic horns of the charging bull, spat out blood and was thrown into the air.

    "Nice, Bernard."

    At the sound of Rachel''s pping, Bernard, who had his cloak pulled over his head, smiled awkwardly and shook his head. He said, "By the way, did you really have to knock that man out that hard?"

    "I didn''t kill him, did I?" Rachel responded.

    "Isn''t there a gentler way to knock someone out?"

    "That''s not my style, so..." Rachel shrugged her shoulders with a smile.

    Bernard was about to click his tongue when Noah, who had been thrown high into the air and then fell to the ground, began to let out a heartyugh.

    "Hehe, hahaha... How funny that you look down on me!"

    Then, a powerful blue energy, simr to a sword formed through the Shapeshift skill, began to take shape around Noah, who was now floating in mid-air.

    Noah, the man with the moniker of <i>''Infinite Bombardment</i>'', lived up to his name as thousands of swords materialized around him.

    "There''s no escape. All will be killed and offered as sacrifices for the summoning of the Demon King."

    Just as Noah¡¯s cold voice rang out as he prepared tounch his attack toward Bernard and Rachel on the ground, Bernard pointed toward the sky with his index finger and said calmly, "It''s no use making a fuss..."

    Then, the strange sound that reached his ears was unexpectedly heavy for meremotion. Naturally curious, Noah looked up and saw a colossal ck missile, resembling a meteor, hurtling from above. He murmured under his breath, "...Fuck."

 Chapter 240

    <h4>Chapter 240 </h4>

    No one knew better than Noah himself just how powerful the umted mana within that ck missile was.

    <i>''It would probably take me at least 10 minutes of concentration to create something like that.''?</i>

    Noah, known as the ''Infinite Bombardment'' and recognized as the most powerful Projection skill type yer among the Hexagram Masters, found the mass of mana before him to be truly daunting. He had no immediate way to deflect it.

    <i>''I need to lessen the power...''?</i>

    Noah''s gaze fell upon a man and a woman who seemed lost amidst the suddenbat situation. The pair looked unsure when to barge in.

    The man and woman were powerful in their own right, ranked within the top 30 among the Demon King Worshipers, but they were no match for Rachel, who once belonged to the Twelve Dark Kings, or for Bernard who had appeared alongside her. They couldn''t even keep up with the pace of the fight and simply stood there, clearly indicating their struggle toprehend the situation.

    <i>''It can''t be helped.''?</i>

    Noah, who had alreadyunched all of his mana weapons toward the falling missile, quickly moved behind the man and woman standing idly. Hemented, "You''ll have to die instead."

    Their eyes widened. Before they could respond, Noah grabbed them by their cors and threw them into the air. Then, he made and fired dozens of mana weapons at Rachel and Bernard, who were both charging toward him.

    He looked up at the sky.

    <i>Boom!?</i>

    The man and women had both desperately poured out their mana, but the missile swallowed them. It exploded, causing a st wave to sweep across the area.

    Naturally pushed back by the st, Noah gained some distance, and Rachel and Bernard followed him.

    With an angry expression on his face, Bernard once again unleashed his Buffalo Dash. "You vicious bastard!"

    "Ha...!"

    Noah snorted and managed to evade the attack by soaring high into the sky. Rachel''s ax chased him, slicing through the air, but it was to no use either. The speed and height at which he had ascended into the sky were of an entirely different magnitude from before. Seemingly without end, Noah soared beyond the clouds where his existence could barely be guessed from an ordinary human''s field of vision. Then, a blue light flickered in his eyes.

    <i>''Two on the ground.''?</i>

    Rachel and Bernard momentarily seemed to lose track of Noah''s movements. Then, Noah observed them as they looked around the sky above.

    <i>''So it¡¯s that woman.''?</i>

    A cold smile formed on Noah''s lips when he spotted Helen on a hill approximately two kilometers away. She was quickly setting up a barrier of Homunculus to conceal herself.

    <i>''So you dare to embarrass, eh?''?</i>

    In addition to the unlimited levitation with virtually no mana consumption, the expanded field of view, known as the Thousand Mile Eye, and the ability to summon mana weapons based on massive mana, were the foundation of Noah¡¯s nickname, ''<i>Infinite Bombardment.''</i>

    <i>''The number of mana weapons I can pour out in 10 minutes is precisely one million.''?</i>

    Dodging a downpour of mana weapons, akin to a rain shower, would definitely not be an easy task.

    "Die and be a magnificent sacrifice for the Demon King."

    The sky resounded with a deafening noise as an abundance of mana weapons, infused with a brilliant blue light, were summoned before swiftly descending to the ground.

    Normally, mana, not being a physical substance, wouldn''t be affected by eleration. However, Noah, as a Hexagram Master, could also make the form of mana somewhat physical, thus enabling it to exert a form of physical force.

    The result was incredible. A lone mana weapon descended from the lofty sky, culminating in a substantial explosion that engulfed the surroundings in fierce mes. Naturally, the range of their evasion further diminished. Bernard and Rachel, scanning for Noah on the ground, appeared confused and unsure about what steps to take next.

    ¡°Haha! How audacious of the three of you, daring to challenge me without an ounce of fear.¡±

    Noah, still enraged, turned his attention to Helen, who was on the hill.

    <i>''She''s disappeared.''?</i>

    Noah once again smiled as his blue eyes shone while searching for Helen, who had hidden herself in the meantime. Hemented loudly, ¡°What¡¯s the point of joining them when they¡¯re running away in terror?

    Helen sprinted toward the site of the bombing, where Rachel and Bernard were located. From Noah''s point of view, the situation was leaning in his favor. Indeed, he held no concern whatsoever regarding the approach the three of them would take to engage him in battle.

    <i>''There''s no way they could reach me here when I¡¯m this high up...''?</i>

    All he needed to do, as always, was ruthlessly trample his enemies from thefort of the high sky.

    <i>''Perfect.''?</i>

    Noah silently reveled in his imminent victory when an unexpected turn of events unfolded. It was Helen who instigated the first transformation among the trio. With a peculiar violet stone in hand, she hurled it forward and a rampart instantaneously materialized in mid-air.

    <i>''A barrier? Ah, I see. That woman, she''s the Miraculous Alchemist.''?</i>

    Noah''s eyes narrowed as he recognized Helen''s true identity. He muttered to himself, "How impressive that she managed to thwart my bombardment with just that."

    However, he snorted inwardly, fully aware that the variables necessary for his victory would not arise. Indeed, what they were doing was simply dying his victory.

    Just as Noah was lost in thought, the second change unfolded before his very eyes. Beyond the crumbled wall, another massive object appeared.

    <i>''That is...''?</i>

    It was a peculiar structure, bearing a resemnce to what could be described as a missileunch pad. Positioned in front of it stood a rocket-like structure that wasn¡¯t very big.

    <i>''Are they going tounch that?''?</i>

    Indeed, if they used such a method, they could reach the sky.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    In fact, a rocket was fired into the sky at high speed. Despite this, Noah was still able to smile.

    <i>''It would have been a bit scary if it was as close as before, but...''?</i>

    Wasn''t it only natural for the rocket to sumb to destruction when subjected to bombardment? After all, it was beingunched from such a distance.

    <i>Baaaang-!</i>

    The rocket scattered with an explosion even before approaching Noah.

    "Idiots." Noah sneered, readying himself to unleash yet another merciless bombardment upon the ground.

    Suddenly, the lid of the rocket swung open to reveal Bernard, who utilized the rocket''s mana as a springboard to propel himself into the sky.

    "Ahhhhh-! Take this, Ascending Buffalo Rush of Justice!"

    With a strange cry and his fist extended, a wave of red energy spread wide from Bernard''s fingertips. Then, not one but dozens of buffalo charged into the sky.

    "What the...!"

    In fact, this unforeseen variable caught Noah off guard. Startled by the sight of a man bursting forth from the rocket and charging with tremendous mana power, Noah swiftly attempted to divide his bombardment once again.

    <i>Whooo-!?</i>

    Another rocket soared high into the sky from the opposite side. It was identical in appearance to the previous one.

    <i>''So there''s not just one... but two...''?</i>

    Then, it was quite clear who would be inside that one.

    <i>''Rachel!''?</i>

    Dividing his bombardment into three parts would be the solution, but there was a problem. The force of Bernard''s Buffalo Rush, the advanced version of Buffalo Dash, was far too dangerous to disregard. Having never encountered such a perilous situation before, the self-proimed wless Noah felt a chill creeping up his spine.

    <i>''If this doesn''t go well... I might be in trouble¡­¡¯</i>

    No, he was already in trouble.

    Rachel, soaring into the sky, opened the lid of the rocket that had reached just in front of Noah, who had poured all of his mana weapons to block the imminent Buffalo Rush. She raised her ax high, her red eyes shining.

    "Checkmate."

    "...Gah-!"

    Four axes whistled through the air, striking Noah in four different ces¡ªhis shoulders, abdomen, and left thigh. They would have probably ripped apart his heart or sted his head into pieces, but he was able able to avoid a fatal blow thanks to his quick reaction.

    However, that wasn''t the end of it. His mana weapons all vanished, and he started to fall to the ground. Just as his consciousness was blurring from the pain, the herd of ascending red buffaloes charged right into Noah.

    <i>Crash-!</i>

    Noah''s spine broke. He stared up with wide eyes. Amidst the excruciating pain that made his head dizzy, he had a single thought.

    <i>''I''m going to die.''</i>

    Indeed, the conclusion had been reached. Astonishingly, the Hexagram Master, known as one of the strongest in the world, had been defeated. However, his options were not exhausted yet. He tightly sped the ck stone he held in his hand, a stone infused with the power of gluttony.

    "Eat... me..."

    And with that power, he summoned a new cmity upon the earth. With thatmand, ck tentacles flowed out from the ck stone and started ripping Noah into pieces, eating him alive.

    <i>''This is my end... not bad.''?</i>

    Noah, convinced that his demise befitted the noble image of a devout Demon King Worshiper, embraced his death amidst the pain.

    ***

    Thanks to Helen''s aid, Bernard and Rachel ascended into the sky. With further assistance, they were equipped with parachutes on their backs, allowing them to safely descend andnd on the ground once again. No one was injured, and they had knocked down the Hexagram Master.

    Their first goal was to gain power within three years, which proved to be enough to hunt the Demon King. They had achieved their first goal, but the three of them couldn''t bepletely happy. The ck stone, which fell to the ground along with Noah, started to expand and morph into a huge, grotesque, ck egg.

    "That..."

    Anyone could see that it was far from ordinary. To be more precise, it was ominous. The three of them, their faces tense, immediately attacked with all their remaining strength.

    However, apart from causing minor cracks on the egg''s surface, there was no significant change. Would delivering a final, fatal blow bring about a different oue? The thought crossed their minds, but the reality was that they were in a hopeless situation.

    "I don''t have enough mana left to perform another Buffalo Rush," said Bernard.

    "My prepared Homunculus has reached its end, too," Helen added.

    "...And it seems my ultimate skill won''t work on that thing," said Rachel.

    The three looked at one another with furrowed brows.

    "We might have to retreat..."

    Bernard, looking hesitant, didn''t even get to finish his sentence.

    <i>Crack-!?</i>

    The sound of the egg, which had rooted itself to the ground, breaking echoed through the air. The trio¡¯s gaze naturally turned toward the inside of the egg.

    <i>Krrrrr-!</i>

    From within, apanied by a low growl reminiscent of a beast, a being the size of an ordinary man slowly walked out. Its distinguishing features were the horns symbolizing a demon protruding from its head and the sharp, porcupine-like spikes jutting out from its back. And its face was eerily simr to the deceased Noah.

    In the brief silence, the same thought urred to all three of them, <i>''The Demon King.''?</i>An unpleasant aura, simr to what they felt when they had first encountered Acedia, surrounded them.

    If they fled, leaving this being alone, immense damage would be caused in the surrounding area. More people than they could imagine might die. The situation had changed from before the egg had hatched.

    "We always seem to face one mountain after another, don''t we?" Helen remarked, a hollowugh escaping her lips.

    Bernard nodded in agreement.

    Rachel tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face. She asked, "You''re not seriously thinking of fighting that thing in our current condition, are you?"

    "And if we don''t fight..."

    Helen''s irritated question was interrupted.

    [Do you believe you can get away?]

    A voice echoed in their minds. The problem was that the voice sounded ufortably familiar.

    "Noah?"

    Bernard, who vividly recalled the Hexagram Master he had in, widened his eyes in utter disbelief.

    [Yes. My name is Noah. Thanks to you, I remember now. Ah, yes. This must be what the Godfather meant, the process of bing one with the Demon King. This is the union as aplete devotee.]

    "What are you talking about? Combining the Demon King and a human?" Helen asked, confusion evident on her face.

    Noah, with a somewhat rxed expression, sauntered forward.

    [Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. This is the power and authority of the Demon King!]

    In response to Noah¡¯s chilling presence, the three of them instinctively began to gather their mana. However, their expressions froze in a state of unease.

    "The mana is..." Helen began to speak.

    ncing over at Helen along with Bernard, Rachel asked, ¡°You too, Grandma?¡±

    "So it wasn''t just me who couldn''t gather mana?" Bernard asked.

    In fact, it wasn''t just the three of them. To be precise, all the surrounding mana had disappeared.

    [Didn''t I tell you? This is the power of the Demon King! I, Noah, no... The great power of Avaritia, the Demon King of Greed!]

    For an ordinary yer, the disappearance of mana meant bing no different from an ordinary person. Of course, the situation was somewhat different for the three of them.

    Thanks to Yu-Seong''s guidance, they had engaged in relentless physical training and had honed their bodies to surpass the capabilities of an average person. However, the problem was that their movements couldn''t match those of the demon race, especially the Demon King.

    [With this power, even Godfather would kneel before me. Yes, this is what it means to be a real Demon King. To tread upon this world and be its absolute ruler. Mwahahaha!]

    At the madughter of the being that had once been Noah, now Avaritia, the earth and the sky greatly trembled. Simultaneously, he lunged forward, grabbing Helen''s throat in one swift move.

    "Guh-!"

    Watching Helen, whose appearance was gradually aging as her mana disappeared, Avaritia''s lips curled into a wicked smile.

    [Old woman. You were the most bothersome of all. You should die first. How? Let''s start by ripping out that cunning and dog-like tongue of yours. Second, your eyes; next, your arms, oh, but you mustn''t die¡­]

    Hearing Noah''s gruesome intentions, Bernard and Rachel lunged forward but were flung away. The two were unable to block even a casual swipe of his whip-like leg.

    "Cough-!"

    "Damn it...!"

    Looking at the two who fell powerless, Avaritia wore a satisfied smile as he gazed at the sky.

    [Ah, perfection. My existence is¡­]

    As he chuckled coldly and tore Helen''s lips apart with his fingers, Avaritia¡¯s face was suddenly, violently contorted on the right side.

    [Huh?]

    Confusion was his first response to the shockingly fast strike, which was followed quickly by pain.

    [Arghh-!]

    With a resounding scream, Avaritia spun through the air several times before crashing onto the ground. His view of the sky was now obscured. Standing above him, firmly nting his foot on Avaritia''s face, was a man with ck hair who had appeared out of nowhere.

    It was Yu-Seong, with his face contorted in anger.

 Chapter 241

    <h4>Chapter 241 </h4>

    "Avaritia, Demon King of Greed. You really are troublesome, sucking up all the mana around and making it your own," Yu-Seongmented.

    [Who... Who are you?]

    "What do you mean who? I''m a person who had to run all the way here because of you."

    Yu-Seong, chuckling, forcefully stomped on Avaritia''s head to stop the angry Demon King from trying to rise. He then looked around.

    Bernard, Helen, and Rachel stared at Yu-Seong. They were unable to hide their surprise.

    "Is that really...the Choi Yu-Seong I know...?"

    The first to pose the question was Bernard.

    Hearing Bernard¡¯s voice, Yu-Seong smiled lightly and, as if kicking a ball, powerfully booted Avaritia''s head. With a nod, he said, "It''s been a while, Bernard."

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    Avaritia, who had been sent flying a great distance, crashed into the ground. He stirred up clouds of dust as he screamed. "Arghh-!"

    "But how did you¡­?" asked Helen as she looked at Yu-Seong in disbelief.

    Due to Avaritia''s ability to drain all mana, the three of them, who were quite powerful on Earth, couldn''t move and had been at his mercy. Yet, Yu-Seong, who had been presumed sealed with no new information about him for three years, was treating the Demon King like a toy.

    Indeed, a furious Avaritia madly lunged with a punch, but Yu-Seong easily dodged the rough attack by merely turning his head. He then grabbed Avaritia''s wrist and hooked his ankle around Avaritia¡¯s, tripping him.

    "It appears that I haven''t kicked you enough just yet."

    He lifted Avaritia, kicked him high into the air, spun in ce, andnded what wasmonly referred to as an overhead kick powerfully onto his head.

    <i>Thud!</i>

    With a loud noise, Avaritia''s head burst open, and his body began to regenerate while shaking violently.

    As he witnessed the regeneration process, Yu-Seong clicked his tongue briefly. He muttered, "As expected, it''s hard to kill him in one shot without mana. Seriously troublesome."

    "Are you really...the Gold Nugget I know?" Rachel, who had been sitting with a disdainful expression until that moment, wiped the blood trickling from her mouth and asked.

    "Why? Are you upset that you can''t torment me anymore?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Yeah. Originally, it was my wish to take a look inside your head when we met next time," Rachel replied cheerfully as if it was nothing.

    As Yu-Seong witnessed Rachel¡¯s genuinely radiant smile, a shiver coursed down his spine despite his extraordinary strength, which was nearly on par with that of transcendent beings.

    <i>''That madness is too fundamental.''?</i>

    Regardless of how strong or weak Yu-Seong was, it seemed like Rachel was even more curious about what was inside his head now. It was enough to give someone goosebumps.

    "But I''ll have to give up. It would be a significant loss if you were to die in the process of me trying to delve into your mind," Rachel remarked. With a sly smile, she shrugged her shoulders.

    At that moment, Avaritia, who hadpleted regenerating, got up and stood hunched over.

    "Well, let''s deal with that first before going into detailed discussion."

    "Go for it, my handsome Gold Nugget."

    Just as Rachel cheerfully waved her hand with an innocent child-like smile, Avaritia, who had spikes protruding from his back like a porcupine, roared once again.

    [You insignificant creatures dare to underestimate me?! I''ll kill you all!]

    Was it because it was Noah, the Infinite Bombardment, who had fused into the Demon King? Instantly, the entire world became adorned with spikes erupting from Avaritia''s back. Truly, there was no escape in this world now engulfed by spikes. The sudden onught left everyone with expressions of dread and determination.

    Yu-Seong caused afterimages as he indiscriminately caught the spikes shooting toward hispanions. It seemed like time had stopped and only he moved at an elerated pace. The moment his movement ceased¡­

    <i>Craaaash-!?</i>

    The spikes disappeared precisely in the shape where they were sitting or standing,. That unbelievable movement left everyone with their mouths gaping wide.

    "My goodness... What did I just see?" Bernard, who had proudly be a top-tier S-rank yer after three years of bone-crushing training, asked as he shook his head in disbelief.

    Bernard was not the only one to react in shock. Helen and Rachel, who had surpassed the S-rank to be SS-rank, were also wearing vacant smiles as they watched the back of Yu-Seong, who stood firmly in front of them.

    [Im..impossible... How can a mere human with no mana...!]

    Even Avaritia, the Demon King himself, was left gasping in shock.

    Instead of responding, Yu-Seong returned the spikes grasped tightly in his hands to Avaritia.

    <i>Swoosh-!?</i>

    Tearing through the atmosphere, the spikes ignited, trailing a long stream of fire that pierced through the body of Avaritia who was trying to flee in panic.

    [Argh-!]

    Avaritia had sharp spikes embedded all over him and was riddled with holes. He moaned as he repeatedly regenerated.

    Yu-Seong calmly approached the Demon King and raised his hand. He said, "I heard from my masters. Avaritia, Demon King of Greed¡ªJust like Acedia, you are a mere weakling who gained your position with trivial abilities. Those words seem fitting.¡±

    With a cold smile, Yu-Seong, whose hand was shaped like a de, suddenly tilted his head. He thenmented, "Or perhaps, I''ve just be too strong."

    Yu-Seong¡¯s hand moved from mid-air to the ground like a bolt of lightning. No one present could track the strike of that hand as it precisely cleaved Avaritia¡¯s body in half. The moment they thought Yu-Seong had raised his hand, it was already descending toward the ground.

    Following this, a sound like a thunderp echoed.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    <i>''Divine Punishment.''?</i>

    Ok-Rye, the most physically inclined among the three masters, had proudly proimed that this technique had the potential to obliterate a mere Demon King, even without the utilization of mana, as long as it struck with pinpoint uracy.

    Indeed, it turned out she was right. With a single strike of Yu-Seong¡¯s hand, Avaritia was split into two and he fell lifelessly to the ground. Then, he started to disintegrate into dust. It had been such a swift attack that not even a single scream was left behind. Following this, the mana swallowed by the Demon King quickly returned.

    After aplishing that astonishing feat nonchntly, Yu-Seong took a short breath before looking at his hand. He could see the deep gashes, burnt-like traces, and the blood visible between them. It signified that despite believing he had executed it well, he had still made some mistakes.

    "...It seems I''m more ustomed to wielding weapons, and I''m not good enough barehanded," Yu-Seong muttered to himself upon evaluation.

    "Is it really over?"

    "The Demon King died just like that?"

    Bernard and Helen asked with their eyes wide open.

    Then, without hesitation, Rachel charged at Yu-Seong. She spread her arms wide as if to engulf him. She shouted, "You awesome Golden Nugget!"

    Yu-Seong sidestepped swiftly, dodging Rachel''s attack.

    In the end, Rachel simply smacked her forehead hard against the wall. She let out a short scream. "Argh-!"

    Nevertheless, Rachel immediately stood up from her spot without bothering to wipe off the blood streaming down from her forehead. She asked, "Could you let me see your brain, just once?"

    "Please shut up."

    "...Tsk. You''ve be pricier, Gold Nugget."

    Completely ignoring Rachel, Yu-Seong turned his gaze to Helen.

    "You''re not hurt anywhere, yes? Are you alright?" Helen asked.

    "Yes, I am."

    "That Demon King..."

    "He''s dead."

    "Is it really...you?"

    Helen''s hand was trembling as she asked the same question several times. How much had she med and tormented herself after losing Yu-Seong that day? When the agreed-upon time of one year had passed, she felt as if she was going mad. However, she had faith in Yu-Seong. She never forgot his promise that he would return safely.

    "I am indeed Choi Yu-Seong. And, I''m sorry for making you wait so long."

    Looking at Yu-Seong, who slightly but sincerely bowed his head, Helen smiled fondly and gave a nod. She said gently, "Then it¡¯s all good."

    It was enough. As Helen disyed a relieved andfortable smile, Bernard tookrge strides toward them. He asked, "Is it my turn now?"

    Yu-Seong asked in response, "Do we need long talks?"

    "No."

    Bernard shook his head decisively and spread his arms wide to embrace Yu-Seong. Unlike when Rachel charged at him, Yu-Seong didn''t avoid this gesture.

    "Dude, wee back," Bernard said.

    While maintaining a suitable distance, Bernard¡¯s arms that wrapped around Yu-Seong gave a firm pat on his broad back. He said again sincerely, ¡°Seriously, wee back.¡±

    "Thanks." Yu-Seong nodded slightly and smiled at the simple but fervent emotions present in Bernard¡¯s voice.

    It was a bitte, but seeing his friends reassured him greatly.

    <i>''I really dide back.''?</i>

    His heart swelled with a euphoric sensation.

    ***

    The aftermath of the battlefield was brief, but there was a lot to be done. The sudden appearance of the Demon King Worshipers had caused significant damage to Phoenix City and the United States, so there was a need to exin the situation.

    Moreover, since Yu-Seong had teleported to the United States, he was technically an illegal immigrant. In the midst of this potentially awkward situation, a few phone calls made by Helen had managed to resolve thisplex matter in less than three hours.

    "I''ve informed them about the descent of the Demon King as well. The Demon King Worshipers will be hunted more thoroughly from now on."

    Listening to the formidable words of Helen, who had returned after handling all matters, Rachel, who was sitting in one corner of the room drinking beer, shrugged and let out a chuckle. "Wow, I made a good choice getting out quickly."

    "Technically speaking, Helen is a lifesaver," said Yu-Seong.

    "That''s a bit..."

    Caught up in the yful banter between Bernard and himself, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but be carried away by a wave of emotions.

    <i>''Time really did pass.''?</i>

    For him, it had been an incredibly long period. Yet, in some ways, it felt like the stagnant time had changed so much. If it had been three years ago, he wouldn''t have dared to entertain the thought of sharing a room with Bernard and the formidable ughter Queen, muchless engaging in conversation over drinks and exchanging jokes.

    "Earlier, you said you''d tell meter. So, how did Rachel end up here?"

    Unable to suppress his curiosity, Yu-Seong posed the question.

    Helen, who was just about to sit on another chair in the room, chuckled and headed toward the refrigerator. She said, "It could be a long story. Besides, there are a lot of things I''m curious about you too.¡±

    Pulling out a bottle of beer from the fridge, she tossed it to him and asked, "Who should start the storytelling, you or me?"

    "Either is fine," Yu-Seong said.

    "Our side of the story might not be that interesting," Helen answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

    When the other two nodded in agreement, Yu-Seong said, "Then I''ll go first. Because there''s probably not much on my end.¡±

    Yu-Seong uncapped his beer with a small smile and brought it to his lips. The sharp taste of alcohol coated his tongue while the cool fizziness filled his chest. The story might not be long, but it spanned a substantial 250 years.

    <i>''And I can''t talk about the transcendent beings.''?</i>

    Rather, it might be a bit tricky to tell them the story. Despite that, once Yu-Seong began, the events of the past flowed out of him smoothly. He talked about meeting a powerful master instead of a transcendent being, and how he had be much stronger due to his opportune training under them.

    "Just in three years?" asked Helen.

    "...Thanks to my masters, I trained for about 250 years," responded Yu-Seong.

    "Does that even make sense?" Bernard asked.

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders at their questions. ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    "Can I meet your masters too?" Rachel asked with a greedy look.

    Yu-Seong, with a slight smirk, shook his head. "Impossible. Do you truly believe I would introduce you to them before anyone else?"

    "That''s a pity," Rachel said.

    As she sighed in disappointment, Helen, who had been silent, nodded and said, "I think I''ve heard something like that before. That there are people in this world who have transcended beyond our understanding."

    Seeming to have some knowledge about the transcendent beings, Helen didn''t ask any further questions. If Yu-Seong, who had shared countless secrets with them before, chose not to speak, she thought there must be a reason.

    "Now, let us begin our story," said Helen.

    And the conversation naturally flowed into the next story.

 Chapter 242

    <h4>Chapter 242 </h4>

    In a way, the story of how the three of them had lived over the past three years wasn''t all that different from Yu-Seong''s.

    "So, you kept entering dungeons to raise levels and rank, as well as to gather money?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "It wasn''t exactly money we needed, but dungeon by-products," Rachel replied with a grin as she twirled her blonde hair.

    "So, you''re saying you were selling those by-products to make money?" Yu-Seong asked again.

    "It¡¯s the opposite. We were collecting these by-products and mana stones to prepare to build something. The research was taking more time and resources than we thought, and we were struggling...due to repeated failures," Helen said.

    "I see. May I ask what kind of research it is?"

    At Yu-Seong''s question, Helen leaned back in her chair with a faint smile. She said, "It''s a training facility equipped with a mana amplification field.¡±

    "A mana amplification field?" Yu-Seong asked as he blinked in surprise.

    "We, the yers, live in an era where rank and level are defined by a standard. No matter how talented the yer is, they can never exceed the limits of rank. Everyone says that, but...." Helen looked at Yu-Seong with her eyes slightly narrowed. "You, Kim Do-Jin, and this guy next to me, Bernard Yoo, showed that rank is just a number."

    Yu-Seong was secretly amazed. In fact, it took the entirety of Part 1 in the original novel to reach this conclusion. Until then, the world measured the yer¡¯s strength predominantly by ''rank¡¯ and ''level.''

    The first person to shatter that idea was Do-Jin. And with Yu-Seong, Bernard, and even Rachel added into the mix, Helen''s thinking had clearly changed.

    "I became more convinced after experiencing the Tower of Heaven. If we can put more effort into training through the mana amplification field, we might be able to transcend rank. No, we could even produce transcendent skills," Helen remarked.

    Yu-Seong nodded. "That''s a valid point. I, too, think the potential is high. But, I didn''t expect that you would have pondered over this for such a long time, Helen.¡±

    "However, I didn''t want the effect to be simply limited to mana amplification. Additionally, I thought it would be better if it could cause some temporal rift with the external world," Helen said.

    "So, you need to make it possible to have more time within the mana amplification field, right?" Yu-Seong asked.

    This bore some resemnce to Gabriel''s Time Dtion. In essence, Helen''s research was simr to scientists'' long-desired development of a time machine.

    "The difficulty is high. I was also scared of its possibility, so I have been putting it off and focusing on other things. But after hearing your story, I¡¯ve now gained confidence," Helen said.

    "So, if it''s not impossible, does your alchemy have the ability to control time?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "It''s not my alchemy. I''ve scouted all the talented scientists, magicians, and artifact researchers for various experiments...." Helen replied.

    "But there must be a reason for the continuous failures, right?"

    "The mana amplification field isn''t the problem. No mana stone could withstand the penalty for time adjustment and would simply copse. That''s what we need, in the end," Helen said. "The Philosopher''s Stone."

    It seemed about time as Yu-Seong took out the treasure that Helen had been desperately searching for from his possession.

    "That is....!" Helen eximed.

    "Of course I brought it. It''s yours, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    "Oh my goodness!" Helen''s eyes shone brightly as she quickly received the Philosopher''s Stone with an admiring expression. She said, "With this... it''s possible enough.¡±

    Helen was a thorough researcher. To rify, the reason she wanted the Philosopher''s Stone was literally to reach the ''ultimate'' in alchemy. Needless to say, the Philosopher''s Stone was the treasure that would allow her to reach the end of that research.

    "I''ve finally kept a long promise," Yu-Seong said.

    It was indeed a promise that had taken a long time to fulfill. Helen looked at Yu-Seong with a contented expression, nodded, and then spoke with sparkling eyes.

    "We''ve put in a lot of effort over the past three years, but we haven''t been able to help you, who had grown this much. But if this training field ispleted... the situation will be very different."

    The eyes of Rachel and Bernard, who had both been struggling for a long time alongside Helen, also shone brightly.

    "I appreciate your thinking of me that way."

    Seeing the three people who were strengthening their firm will made Yu-Seong feel reassured.

    <i>''I need to go through the Twelve Dark Kings and Hexagram Masters to fight Eveheim.''?</i>

    And even after defeating all of them, there was no guarantee of victory when meeting Eveheim. Yu-Seong had obtained a power close to a transcendent being, but he was not yet aplete entity on his own.

    That was how it was for humans. Since primitive times, humans had formed societies; inevitably, a time woulde when they would need each other''s strength. How reassuring wouldrades like the three people in front of Yu-Seong be in such times?

    <i>''Ah, excluding Rachel.''?</i>

    After nodding inwardly, Yu-Seong asked a question as if he had suddenly remembered something. "I have one more question. I''ve heard about the others, but I still have no idea about one guy.¡±

    "Are you talking about Kim Do-Jin?" Bernard stepped forward as if he had been waiting for the question.

    "Yeah. He hasn''t been active at all for the past three years... He couldn''t possibly have died, right? Haha."

    Yu-Seong''sughter, filled with jest, gradually awkwardly disappeared. It was because the vibe of the three people in front of him became unusually heavy. He muttered, "No way...?"

    It seemed impossible. Wasn''t Do-Jin the protagonist of the original novel that Yu-Seong had read?

    Observing Yu-Seong''s perplexed expression, Bernard pressed on with his words and said, "I don¡¯t know whether he''s alive or dead.¡±

    "You mean all three of you have no news of Kim Do-Jin?"

    "It''s not just us three. No one knows. He disappeared after returning from Pyongyang and hasn''t appeared since."

    "...But Kim Do-Jin should be fine, right?"

    Despite his somewhat anxious heart, Yu-Seong spoke with a hopefulness.

    Bernard, with his usual cool expression, nodded with a smile. "He should be. Granted, he maye off as a bit self-assured, but there''s no denying his strength, right?"

    Indeed, Do-Jin should be okay. Despite this, Yu-Seong couldn''t understand why the smile on Bernard¡¯s face seemed awkward.

    <i>''I have a bad feeling about this...''?</i>

    Shaking off his emotions, Yu-Seong sent a text message to Jenny, whom he had met in Korea before heading to the United States.

    ~

    [First and foremost, find out about Kim Do-Jin''s whereabouts. It''s very important, so contact me urgently whenever you get information.]

    ~

    ***

    Two people sat across from each other at a table positioned in one corner of arge room. They were sipping tea. The man among them, Ji-Ho, checked a message on his suddenly ringing cell phone.

    "I''ve received a message from Yu-Seong," Ji-Ho said.

    "I got one too."

    The woman seated across, Mi-Na, let a bewildered smile creep onto her face. She eximed, "He''s asking for help to find Kim Do-Jin?"

    "Same here."

    "Is this all about finding some man who has suddenly disappeared? It''s not like he''s searching for a lover or something," said Mi-Na with a smirk.

    Ji-Ho gave a gentle smile as he replied, "If it''s someone truly dear to him, he might.¡±

    "I still don''t understand. What sort of creepy thing are these men doing together, ugh...!" Mi-Na said with a shiver. Then, turning to Ji-Ho with a suddenly enlightened expression, she asked, "Right. Didn''t you say you saw Kim Do-Jinst night?"

    "...I didn''t actually see him directly. It was just my future foresight kicking in," Ji-Ho exined.

    "Either way, you saw him. How about passing that on? Your cute little brother is making such a fuss trying to find his lover," Mi-Na said.

    "I think Yu-Seong might get mad if he hears that, you know," Ji-Ho said.

    "Anyway, what did you see?"

    As Ji-Ho furrowed his brows, Mi-Na tilted her head at his thoughtful appearance. She asked, "Is it a story that needs that much consideration?"

    "It''s not that, but the problem is it wasn''t very clear. What I saw was¡­just a red mask resembling a demon, a ck uniform, and corpses scattered around."

    "That sounds ominous. It might be better not to share it, after all." Mi-Na clicked her tongue and tilted her head. "But how do you know that was Kim Do-Jin? You said he was wearing a mask?"

    "It was thanks to his face briefly appearing at the end of the premonition when he took off the mask. I was wondering why I wanted to tell you this today...."

    There was a clear reason why Ji-Ho had invited Mi-Na to his house: Do-Jin and his terrible appearance. In front of the manid countless fallen bodies, among which Ji-Ho thought he saw a quite familiar face.

    Initially unsure, Ji-Ho grew more certain as he continued to converse with Mi-Na.

    "...I''m not certain, but among the bodies near Kim Do-Jin, I think I saw yours."

    "What? Hahaha!" Mi-Na burst out into a bigugh. "Do you think I''d die that easily?"

    In fact, Ji-Ho knew that Mi-Na was not someone who would perish easily. However, he couldn''t be certain that even she could escape the clutches of the Grim Reaper.

    "I''ll think carefully about it since you told me, oppa. But, you know, right? I don''t believe in any predetermined fate," Mi-Na said. Her determined eyes shone as she lifted her teacup once more.

    Just then, a call came in on the screen of the cell phone lying in front of Mi-Na. Looking over at the lit up screen, Ji-Ho asked, "Ja(×Ó)¡­ Is it a person within the Special Police Force?¡±

    "Yeah. Seems like there''s some incident?"

    Mi-Na picked up the phone with an excited face and nodded. "What''s up? You need me? Uh, yes. ¡­What?"

    Mi-Na''s face turned stiff at her slightly surprised utterance. She answered quickly, "Sul(Ðç) and Oo(Îç) were attacked? Got it. I''ll go right away.¡±

    Then, she quickly hung up the phone and stood up abruptly from her seat. She said to Ji-Ho, "As you can see, it seems like a big event, so I''m going to go."

    "Don''t forget what we just talked about."

    ¡°Another nagging¡­¡±

    Mi-Na, with a chuckle, spoke confidently as she headed toward the door. "Don''t worry. I''m Choi Mi-Na. I won''t die easily."

    With those final words, she left the room and began to run with a focused gaze.

    <i>''I''m relieved, though. If I were to die, at least it seems there''s someone who would genuinely grieve for me.''?</i>

    As she moved through the darkness that flickered with red lights, a smile unknowingly graced Mi-Na''s lips.

    ***

    Even within the yer Association of South Korea, the Special Police Force was renowned for its formidable influence and strength. Only the most skilled individuals were able to join this organization. In fact, it was quitemon for members to get injured or die while carrying out special tasks.

    Indeed, the current Leader of the Special Police Force, Kim Seo-Jun, had inherited his position from his deceased predecessor. However, it was unprecedented for five members to be attacked in less than an hour.

    <i>''Strangely, none of them are dead...''?</i>

    A strange monster wearing a red mask was wreaking havoc on the entire Special Police Force. Moreover, there were reports of people being attacked by the monster in various parts of Seoul. Indeed, it was a strange incident.

    ording to information provided by thest of the Zodiac signs, Hae, the monster seemed to behave like a mindless animal.

    <i>''Such a creature seems likely to go on a killing spree...''?</i>

    Yet, strangely enough, there had been no reported murders thus far. Likewise, based on ounts from Oo, the horse-masked individual who had sustained injuries and withdrew from the front line, it appeared as if the monster was engaged in a disjointed battle with its own consciousness and kept muttering to itself.

 Chapter 243

    <h4>Chapter 243 </h4>

    <i>Was he brainwashed or something?''?</i>

    If so, the opponent might not be entirely a viin. That was why Seo-Jun was hesitating to kill the opponent.

    <i>''If I call Myo, the opponent will die.''?</i>

    The woman who wore the rabbit mask was the strongest in the Special Police Force and was famous for herck of mercy toward those identified as viins.

    What if the opponent was an ordinary yer whose reasoning had been partially disrupted by a mental type skill?

    <i>¡®Then it could potentially result in yet another unfortunate sacrifice.¡¯</i>

    However, it was difficult to regard the opponent as a mere ordinary yer, considering the fact that they had targeted and attacked five members of the Special Police Force: Jung, Chug, Jin, Sa, Yu, and Sul.

    Considering the unprecedented situation caused by this individual, it was reasonable to assume they possessed a powerful ability. But even so, Seo-Jun couldn''t imagine Myo, better known as Mi-Na, losing.

    <i>''She is one of the strongest yers I know in South Korea. She¡¯s strong enough to face five others.''?</i>

    For that reason, he had requested that she try to restrain the opponent if possible. However, it was uncertain whether Mi-Na would heed his request.

    "My head hurts."

    Seo-Jun, who had forwarded thest received location of the monster to Mi-Na, held his forehead.

    This was a huge incident and couldn¡¯t be determined just based on this. IIf a formidable yer like this monster could have their mind controlled, the question arose: how dangerous was the viin responsible for such maniption?

    Frankly, it was a prospect he didn''t even want to entertain.

    "I hope Choi Mi-Na can really restrain them quietly."

    Even when considering the necessity of extracting information from the opponent, taking their life would not be a favorable course of action. Seo-Jun, deciding to emphasize his request once more, was about to pick up his phone when a message arrived.

    [Myo has just encountered the monster with the red mask.]

    The message was sent by Hae, the pig, who had been watching the situation from the farthest distance.

    "...It''s already toote," Seo-Jun said.

    At this point, it would be unreasonable to hope that Mi-Na would see the message. Seo-Jun''s only option was to fervently hope that she had heard his initial request and would not kill the opponent.

    ***

    Along a dark alleyway in Seoul, where the city''s bright lights were notably absent, Mi-Na tilted her head as she locked eyes with a man who was ring at her with a body half-bent like a beast.

    "Viin, the Red Mask?" Mi-Na asked.

    "Grrrr..."

    The response that came back sounded like a wolf''s growl.

    "Can''t you spea¡­?!"

    Before Mi-Na could finish her question, the fist of the monster, the Red Mask, whizzed toward her. A part of the rabbit mask tore, blood spattering into thin air.

    <i>''What¡­?''?</i>

    Mi-Na ducked and was barely able to avoid the Red Mask¡¯s attack. She clicked her tongue; it had been much faster than she had excepted. Using the ground for leverage, she spun to create some distance between them. At the same time, she attempted to kick at her opponent¡¯s jaw, but unfortunately missed.

    "Tsk."

    Mi-Na clicked her tongue, drew the long sword from her back, and struck at the Red Mask who was charging again. The Red Mask, who had been charging like a beast, was hit squarely by Mi-Na''s swing, which resembled a baseball bat.

    The Red Mask soared high into the air and crashed into a building, causing a cloud of dust.

    <i>Thuuud-!</i>

    While feeling vibrations akin to an earthquake, a voice came to Mi-Na''s ear.

    - Myo, you haven''t forgotten themander''s request not to kill the opponent, right?

    Mid-rangemunication was an ability truly befitting Hae, who was skilled in information collection and analysis.

    "Quiet, Hae," Mi-Na replied coldly, narrowing her eyes to peer into the ruined interior of the first floor of the building.

    All she saw was a darkness where nothing could be felt. The tranquil silence might have suggested that the opponent had been subdued, but Mi-Na was certain that the Red Mask was unscathed.

    <i>¡®I had initially nned to split him into two.¡¯</i>

    However, a red aura had surged from the monster¡¯s arm and dulled the sharpness of her sword. Because of that Mi-Na had no choice but to push back with force.

    <i>¡®He even blocked that.¡¯</i>

    In fact, she was aware of the request from Seo-Jun, the leader of the Special Police Force, for her not to kill the Red Mask. It was true that he was a person of uncertain viin status, who had not killed anyone yet.

    Indeed, there was only one thing Mi-Na had thought when she first heard that.

    <i>''The judgment is ultimately up to me anyways.''?</i>

    When had she ever listened to Seo-Jun''s instructions? And now, right before her eyes, as the Red Mask, who ran through the darkness like a madman, stretched out his fist once more, Mi-Na was certain.

    "I have to kill this one."

    Why? Because Seo-Jun, leader of the Special Police Force, had underestimated the opponent. Subduing was only possible when Mi-Na¡¯s skills were overwhelmingly superior. In contrast, right now, she was in a situation where if she didn''t kill, she would be the one to die.

    The long sword swung roughly, shing with the fist. It condensed mana in the air and shot up toward the sky.

    <i>Baang-!?</i>

    To minimize the damage to the city, Mi-Na forcibly redirected the force. Her fingertips tingled and shook.

    <i>¡®Fighting in this way is dangerous.''?</i>

    After bing an SS-rank yer, Mi-Na thought she could count her rivals on one hand even if she searched the entire world. In fact, her assumption wasn''t far off.

    <i>''I just didn''t expect that this bizarre creature in front of me would be one of those few.''?</i>

    Mi-Na pped away the jaw of the Red Mask, who was gaping like a beast and trying to bite her. Then, with arge swing of her long sword, she forcibly created distance.

    With a wry smile on her face, she said, "This damned bastard is subtly dodging while pretending to get hit.¡±

    Despite seemingly striking the target, there was no sensation of impact on her hand or sword. This indicated that the opponent was engaging in a back-and-forth exchange of attacks and defenses, almost as if to taunt Mi-Na.

    "Hae, it''s not a good idea to fight this guy here. Can you tell me the nearest location with no people or buildings around?"

    - Pardon?!

    Upon understanding the meaning of Mi-Na''s words, Hae¡¯s startled voice hurriedly reached her.

    - You have to move at least 30 km southeast. The exact coordinates are¡­

    Listening to Hae''s voice, Mi-Na, who had parried the charging Red Mask''s attack several times, nodded and thenunched high into the air.

    "Hey, Red Mask. Try following me if you dare," she said as she started to run at high speed along the outer wall of the building.

    <i>''That beast-like creature is driven by instinct. If I run away like this, he certainly will...''?</i>

    Mi-Na expected him to chase after her, but the beast-like figure, who was still half-bent over, just stared nkly at her. Noticing that strange reaction, she eventually stopped running and asked, "...What are you doing?"

    "Grrrrr..."

    A low growling sound followed before the Red Mask jumped high into the sky. The direction was the exact opposite of the southeast path Mi-Na had been taking¡ªit was to the northwest.

    "...What the?!" cried Mi-Na.

    Involuntarily swearing, she pulled her rabbit mask tighter and began chasing after him.

    "Hey, stop there!"

    It was the start of a tag game, contrary to what she had wanted.

    ***

    In the tag game thatsted all night, the Special Police Force ultimately lost track of the Red Mask.

    "Is this even possible?! Can no one find any trace of him?"

    As Mi-Na yelled and pulled off her rabbit mask, Seo-Jun, a man wearing a rat mask seated across from her, nodded. He said, "Not only the Special Police Force but also all from the Korea yer Association are moving. Despite this, there''s no sign of him anywhere. He either has an aplice or is using an exceptional ability to hide his presence.¡±

    "Could it be that some sort of magic-like power has been activated?"

    "Barrier masters and wizards are already on a manhunt."

    "When will they be avable?" Mi-Na asked.

    "By dawn tomorrow, at the earliest..." said Seo-Jun.

    "That¡¯s ridiculous. Who knows what kind of ident he might cause in the meantime?"

    At her words, Seo-Jun pursed his lips and nodded. Although the Red Mask hadn''t killed anyone yet, he had seriously injured too many people. And considering his beast-like demeanor, it wouldn''t be strange for his sanity to copse at any moment.

    <i>''I didn''t expect that he would be a strong enough opponent for Choi Mi-Na to fail to stop....''?</i>

    What would happen if such a powerful individual lost his mind in the middle of Seoul? It would be a relief if the death toll ended in the tens.

    <i>''I should expect at least three figures.''</i>

    In an instant, Seoul would be a city of death. Even the thought was already making Seo-Jun¡¯s head spin.

    "Find him. We must find him, understand?" Mi-Na insisted.

    Seo-Jun nodded. "I know. That''s precisely why we''ve involved the public authorities."

    "But if we still haven''t found any traces after two hours..." Mi-Na said in frustration.

    After some deep thought, she bit her lower lip and said, "Contact my father."

    "What?"

    "If we inform him of the danger of the current situation and ask for help, he''ll intervene."

    "Do you really think the Chairman of the Comet Group would personally....?"

    "If Seoul copses, it means that the reputation of Comet is also threatened. Trust me and give it a try. We''ve got nothing to lose, right?"

    Mi-Na was indeed right that there was nothing to lose.

    <i>''And the payoff would be huge if we seed.''</i>

    With the approval of Woo-Jae, if Mi-Na¡ªonce Comet Guild¡¯s President¡ªstarted moving, it would provide a justification for the other top ten guilds in South Korea to also participate. With potentially hundreds of lives at stake, there was no room for being selective.

    At Mi-Na''s astonishing calction, Seo-Jun''s eyes widened. He nodded as he thought, <i>''I¡¯ve always felt it, but she truly is amazing.''?</i>

    Although she seemed to act without thinking, her actions were often underpinned by very sound judgment. That was an urate description of the majority of Mi-Na¡¯s actions.

    "Thanks," Seo-Jun responded briefly as he was inwardly filled with admiration.

    "When we report this to the higher-ups, there will certainly be some fellows opposing and worrying about the aftermath."

    From the politics that Mi-Na and Seo-Jun had experienced, there were always those types among businessmen and politicians.

    "I know. Let''s proceed discreetly."

    "Good. I trust you, Leader."

    With those words, Mi-Na left the room. She wasn''t simply going to back off after discussing it; she had intentions to personally pursue and search for any traces of the Red Mask. Having informed Seo-Jun, she was not too concerned about any aftermath that might ur.

    Indeed, Seo-Jun wasn''t exactly a yer of extraordinary ability. However, he had more than enough qualifications to be the leader of the Twelve Chinese Zodiac Special Police Force.

    <i>''At least he''s a man of unyielding righteousness who acts in consideration of the country and its people.''?</i>

    After making her decision, Mi-Na suddenly recalled the Red Mask she had seenst night.

    <i>''Red mask, red eyes, ck uniform, sword at his waist... Why does this story sound familiar?''?</i>

    Mi-Na, who was clicking her tongue inwardly, narrowed her eyes. She muttered, "No way¡­ Could it be Kim Do-Jin?"

    And Ji-Ho saw the fate of Mi-Na dying at the hands of Do-Jin. In fact, it wasn''t an impossible story. Despite the somewhat evenly matched fight, the Red Mask didn''t even draw his sword against her. Thinking up to this point, Mi-Na once again chuckled in disbelief and clicked her tongue.

    "Come to think of it; he didn''t use his sword when fighting with others either."

    Unlike a fist, a sword had the potential to deliver a deadly blow with a single misguided thrust. What if the individual who restrained themselves from wielding their weapon, even in moments of lost rationality, was truly Do-Jin?

    <i>''...It''s tricky. I don''t have the confidence to suppress him without killing him.''?</i>

    Mi-Na, who had stopped moving for a moment, raised her cell phone and opened the message window. Her quite handsome younger brother Yu-Seong''s face appeared on the screen. The message from Yu-Seong, who was desperately looking for Do-Jin, was the first thing that caught her eye.

    <i>''How should I tell him?''?</i>

    After much contemtion, Mi-Na, who scratched the back of her head, decided to keep things simple.

    <i>''I can just send him a message that I might have found Kim Do-Jin, or something.''?</i>

    With this, her responsibility would be fulfilled.

 Chapter 244

    <h4>Chapter 244 </h4>

    At a 20-story high apartment redevelopment site, a ce nobody would visit at night, a man sat hunched. Spreading a magic circle around him, he held his forehead and let out a long groan. "Ugh¡­ Ahhhh...¡±

    His pupils alternately shed with returning sanity and a possessed craze.

    ¡°Stupid¡­¡± Do-Jin, the man cursing at himself, gripped the red mask covering his face with one hand. He yelled, "Get...off!"

    <i>Crackle-!?</i>

    With a sound like flesh being torn, the red mask began to peel off from his face. Droplets of dark blood began to fall on the cold and hard cement floor.

    A purple light erupted from the eyes of the red mask as it moved away from Do-Jin''s face.

    - Kim Do-Jin, my son. Surely you''re not going to give up on revenge?

    The voice that momentarily assaulted Do-Jin¡¯s mind caused his hand, which had been pulling at the mask, to tremble violently.

    <i>''Ah, ahhh......!''?</i>

    The red mask, not missing that brief gap, quickly reattached itself to his face.

    <i>Drip, drip.?</i>

    Blood trickling down between the mask and Do-Jin¡¯s eyes fell onto his palms.

    <i>''Blood, corpses, binge eating.''?</i>

    To be stronger, he would have to destroy everything and consume without restraint.

    <i>''More power than now.''?</i>

    He had to be more violent and allow this instinct for revenge to bring everyone to their knees! Whenever this crazed emotion tried to overwhelm his mind, a single name tore through his thoughts.

    "Choi Yu-Seong... Choi Yu-Seong..." Do-Jin, whose voice was barely audible as he called the name, was about to clench his blood-filled fist again.

    - Don''t forget your revenge! The Comet! Kill Choi Woo-Jae!

    Once again, a purple aura flowed out from the mask and assaulted Do-Jin''s head.

    "Revenge!" Do-Jin finally cried out.

    With that word on his lips, he abruptly rose from his seat and looked out toward the construction site. The dark night, already burdened with heavy clouds, appeared to sink into deeper darkness.

    Before long, a chilling and rmingly heavy downpourmenced.

    <i>Thud-thud-thud-!?</i>

    The sound of rain hitting the ground resembled the rapid-fire of a machine gun. Following it was the rumbling sound of thunder.

    With his red eyes shing, Do-Jin ran out of the construction site. He had decided to forget everything else. Right now, only one thing was important to Do-Jin, or rather, to the viin known as Red Mask.

    <i>''Revenge!''?</i>

    Once he could shake off the leash of fate that seemingly bound him, he could be free. When that time came, there would be no need to live with any burden on his shoulders.

    With hatred in his eyes and freedom in his heart, Do-Jin, carrying the ancient evil spirit on his back, cut across the night of Seoul as he was buried in darkness.

    ***

    "Hm?"

    Sitting alone in his office out of habit, quietly reading a book, Woo-Jae turned his head with a short groan at the sudden sound of heavy rain hitting the window behind him.

    "Hmm¡­"

    Could it be due to the cold wind seeping through the gaps with the rainwater? A strangely chilly sensation enveloped his entire body, causing goosebumps to rise up his back. With a shudder, he reached out to pull the ck curtain at the end of the window.

    Just then, the shallow silence broke and a loud rumbling began.

    <i>Boom-boom-boom-!</i>

    The sound of someone rushing around inside the house was heard.

    "Who''s causing thismotion¡­?"

    Feeling slightly irritated and apprehensive, Woo-Jae gripped the long spear he had set next to his chair with narrowed eyes. The office door, which had been closed, flung open, revealing the faces of two very familiar people.

    "Chairman!"

    "Father!"

    Seeing the somewhat pale faces of both Pil-Doo and Jin-Woo, Woo-Jae let go of the spear in his hand. His face contorted ufortably as he asked, "What is this suddenmotion all about?¡±

    "Didn''t you receive the call?"

    At Pil-Doo''s question, Woo-Jae turned over his phone, which had been tucked under the book he had just stopped reading. He saw the notifications of more than ten missed calls.

    Typically, he would set it to silent mode with no light when he desired to concentrate on a book.

    Having been unaware of the missed calls, he furrowed his brow as he unlocked his phone screen and checked the call history. Tilting his head in slight confusion, he murmured, "What on earth is going on¡­?"

    His mouth mped shut when he recognized the name of the person who had called him five times at the start.

    <i>''Choi Ji-Ho.''?</i>

    It was his first-born son, who possessed extraordinary precognitive abilities that were rare even worldwide.

    With those sudden calls and now the urgent arrival of these two men, Woo-Jae had to wonder just what did all this mean. However, for someone like him, finding the answer with just these small hints alone wasn¡¯t a difficult task.

    Slowly turning his head to look out the window, Woo-Jae muttered to himself in a barely audible voice, "Am I¡­going to die?"

    At the same time, the surrounding world turned white. For a brief two to three seconds, a bolt of lightning that fell from the sky had swallowed his sight entirely.

    <i>Squeak-!?</i>

    The sound of the window opening reached Woo-Jae''s sharp senses. The instant it happened, he roughly swung the spear that he had slightly rxed his grip on.

    The sound of the surrounding atmosphere being torn apart and sparks flying could be heard. The once white world returned to its normal state in a sh, and the surroundings were covered in darkness.

    Noticing that it wasn¡¯t due to the failure of their eyes to adjust to the sudden sh of light, Jin-Woo cried out urgently, "The light bulb broke!"

    In fact, both Pil-Doo and Woo-Jae had noticed the same thing.

    Cold rain and wind were pouring in through the open window.

    <i>''This is....''</i>

    With his intuition telling him that the situation wasn¡¯t good, Woo-Jae bowed his head deeply.

    Quickly apanying the red eyes that floated in the darkness, a sharp silver sword light cut through the ce where Woo-Jae''s neck had been just a moment before.

    As Woo-Jae swung the spear behind him, he gripped the desk and pushed down. All of a sudden, a battle suit sprang up from the floor and wrapped around Woo-Jae''s entire body in an instant.

    Meanwhile, the sh of the sword and spear urred several times, with red sparks shing and flying in all directions.

    <i>''I''m being pushed back.''?</i>

    He was being pushed back in every aspect¡ªstrength, speed, and skill. Woo-Jae felt a chill in his chest as he recognized his own shorings.

    "Father, dodge!"

    With Jin-Woo''s voice, arge me sprouted and enveloped the opponent who was wearing a red mask.

    <i>Ssh-!?</i>

    At that moment, crimson blood sprayed into the air.

    <i>''What...?''?</i>

    Woo-Jae, who bent his waist deeply to dodge a nearly fatal attack, opened his eyes wide. He hadn''t seen where or how thest sword strike hade at him. He had only perceived a red sh before instinctively dodging the attack. If he had been just one secondte, his entire body would have been cut along with his battle suit and clothes.

    In that brief time, Pil-Doo, who had noticed the opponent''s movements through the mes, charged abruptly and overwhelmed the red-masked opponent with his body.

    For a moment, perhaps thanks to the mesunched by Jin-Woo, the sprinkler system exploded in a burst of water, the emergency sirens sounded, and the room was plunged into utter chaos.

    "Intruder!"

    "It''s the Chairman''s room!"

    The bodyguards who had been stationed in the mansion rushed in a momentte, raising a fuss. In the meantime, arge scream burst from Pil-Doo, who was brawling with the red-masked intruder.

    "Arghhh-!" he cried.

    Seeing Pil-Doo, with one arm severed and spouting blood like a fountain, Woo-Jae''s eyes widened. He shouted, "Kim Pil-Doo!"

    "Chairman, please seek refuge!"

    Startled, Woo-Jae turned to Pil-Doo, who raised his remaining arm to block the red masked man''s attack. Throwing himself forward, Pil-Doo shouted, "You have to live! Chairman, you must¡­!"

    Ignoring Pil-Doo''s desperate plea, the red intruder brushed past him like a shadow and stood in front of Woo-Jae.

    "What the...!"

    Just as the startled Pil-Doo tried to turn around again, a flurry of dozens of blows quickly transpired, and Woo-Jae came to realize one thing.

    <i>''This guy...''?</i>

    The intruder was not going all out. From beneath the mask, Woo-Jae could feel a derisive smirk in the intruder¡¯s eyes, and amidst it all, he felt a peculiar question rise up in his mind.

    <i>''Surely, I''ve seen these eyes somewhere before?''?</i>

    He found the eyes to be quite familiar.

    While Woo-Jae¡¯s questions piled up, another attack from Jin-Woo, following Pil-Doo¡¯s, once again engulfed the red-masked man. Within the billowing ck smoke that rose as a result, Woo-Jae''s eyes widened as an image of a young boy screaming at him, filled with resentment and anger, suddenly appeared in his mind.

    "You... You can''t be...!"

    "So you''ve finally recognized me. Then you must know why you must die, right?"

    The opponent finally spoke up for the first time, and his voice was deep and eerily distorted.

    While Woo-Jae recognized the red-masked individual as the child from apany that had merged with the Comet Group, he failed to realize that it was the grown-up Do-Jin.

    Do-Jin, noticing this fact, did not particrly care about it. What mattered to him was revenge. Erasing the tormenting voice in his own head would be enough.

    <i>''With this, it ends...''?</i>

    Without hesitation, he brought down his sword like a lightning bolt directly above Woo-Jae''s head, symbolizing his determination to break free from the bonds of destiny.

    The situation had now changed from before. It was as if Woo-Jae had been given a second of respite earlier on. As he watched the sword strike that fell like light itself, Woo-Jae could only let out a hollowugh.

    <i>''Death... I knew it coulde at any time.''?</i>

    However, he did not expect it to be like this. Still, he felt no regrets.

    <i>''Even if I die... My bloodline will remain.''?</i>

    Woo-Jae felt he had achieved all his goals in life. Just as he calmly epted his impending death, a new voice rang out.

    "Who says you can...!"

    A somewhat low but definitely female voice echoed as Do-Jin''s sword, which had been falling like lightning, was thrown into the air. Remaining in his copsed position, Woo-Jae sat back on his haunches and addressed the woman standing before him.

    "What''s with that bizarre look, Mi-Na?" asked Woo-Jae.

    She was wearing a rabbit mask along with a battle suit that clung to her body. Although the look was somewhat awkward, it wasn''t beyond recognition for Woo-Jae.

    "...I''m not Choi Mi-Na," said Mi-Na.

    ¡°It¡¯s obviously you, my daughter.¡±

    "You''re mistaken. I''m meeting you for the first time, elderly gentleman."

    "You unfilial..."

    Just as their conversation was nearing its end, over thirty security personnel yers rushed into Woo-Jae''s office and swiftly turned on the lights.

    "Chairman!"

    "Are you alright?"

    "Call the hospital immediately!"

    Amidst the chaotic mor, mes erupted sporadically, the sprinklers unleashed a torrential spray, rain poured outside the window, and Pil-Doo, losing consciousness, was bleeding profusely. Caught in a moment of surreal oddity, Woo-Jae and Mi-Na could only be overwhelmed in an immense sense of bewilderment.

    "Did Kim Do-Jin disappear?"

    "The Red Mask is gone... Wait, you''re saying that guy was Kim Do-Jin?" After asking Mi-Na that question in surprise, Woo-Jae then burst out into a deep, heartyugh. "Puhuhu, Puhaha, Puhahaha! What a fate!"

    "Father... I mean, elderly gentleman?" Mi-Na asked.

    Woo-Jae, however, was already looking out of the window. Ignoring Mi-Na, he said loudly, "So it¡¯s you, Kim Do-Jin! The foolish child who hase to take revenge on me!"

    Above, the sky was covered by a pouring rainstorm. Do-Jin, who had summoned a ck dragon with arge magic circle drawn behind him, was looking down at the mansion with his sword raised.

    Passing Do-Jin, the ck me wrapped around the tip of his sword rose like a ck sun. It zed fiercely, seemingly impossible to extinguish, and blew away even the pouring rain.

    "My, my God!"

    The bodyguards who had rushed out after Woo-Jae were aghast.

    "That... We can''t avoid it. So this is what Choi Ji-Ho meant when he saw our destiny to die here, isn''t it?" Woo-Jae said.

    Mi-Na let out a sarcastic chuckle as she scratched her cheek. Even Jin-Woo, who boasted himself as one of the top talents among me-type yers, found himself kneeling in astonishment and his mouth hanging open.

    "How could...this¡­?" Jin-Woo murmured.

    Indeed, it was the end. As the sword whirled around, a colossal fireball descended from above, carrying the potential for a global cataclysm. In that moment, a sense of despair consumed everyone.

    Once more, a brilliant white sh overwhelmed the world. Following it was a thunderous roar that seemed to foretell disaster, apanied by the crackling sound of lightning that pierced through the heart of the ck sun and propelled it into the sky. It was a miraculous moment when the seemingly unquenchable and unstoppable ck me soared into the clouds and erupted with a mighty explosion.

    In front of the startled family, Yu-Seong emerged from a green space and shouted up at the sky, "Kim Do-Jin-!"

 Chapter 245

    <h4>Chapter 245 </h4>

    Yu-Seong received a message from Mi-Na, followed by a phone call. The call was from Ji-Ho, who mentioned that he had seen a future where all of their family members had died.

    After this revtion, Ji-Ho made a request. He knew that, interestingly, Yu-Seong had already altered the future once before. After acknowledging that it might seem audacious, he asked Yu-Seong to assist once again.

    <i>¡®Of course.¡¯</i>

    In fact, this was not a request that needed to be made in the first ce. After all, this situation was not someone else¡¯s matter but his own family¡¯s. Moreover, Yu-Seong could no longer consider them as strangers.

    Above all, as Ji-Ho said, Yu-Seong had the power to change the future. What was the evidence? The entire world, which had already deviated significantly from the original novel, served as proof. Ji-Ho''s continued existence, Woo-Jae''s gradual return to humanity, and Do-Jin''s transformation into a friend of Yu-Seong, who was no longer a rascal, were all indications of this change. What more was there to say?

    <i>¡®Regardless of the reason, if I can change the future and bring about happiness¡­¡¯</i>

    Indeed, he was ready to twist fate time and time again. With that thought, Yu-Seong, leaving the Philosopher''s Stone next to the sleeping Helen, attempted to teleport multiple times and quickly arrived in Seoul. Then, he had an immediate realization.

    <i>¡®...An explosive rage.¡¯</i>

    He was quick to notice the anger, hotter than the pouring rain, that was engulfing the entire city. Quickly rushing out, he confirmed the ck sun which validated his understanding of the rage.

    Then, he appeared in front of his family and saw the man in the red mask. All of the thoughts in his head vanished in an instant.

    <i>¡®That guy¡­¡¯</i>

    Although the man¡¯s face was covered, it was impossible for Yu-Seong not to recognize him.

    "Kim Do-Jin-!"

    With a loud yell, Yu-Seong reached out his hand, and the spear that had pierced the ck sun returned to his grip. Checking the condition of his family and the surroundings, he breathed a sigh of relief.

    <i>¡®No one is dead yet.¡¯</i>

    He had once again twisted the future that Ji-Ho had foreseen. With that realization, a sigh of relief escaped him and his lips curved into a wry smile.

    <i>¡®Thank goodness¡­</i> <i>It''s as if I''m the protagonist, showing up just in time.¡¯</i>

    Under the age-old rule that the protagonist must appear at thest moment, the family was all showing expressions of surprise and joy at Yu-Seong''s timely appearance during a critical moment.

    The feeling of carrying everyone''s expectations on his shoulders would have been burdensome in the past, but the situation was different now. Holding his spear, Yu-Seong red at Do-Jin as he hovered in the sky.

    Also hovering in the sky, Do-Jin trembled alone after Yu-Seong''s sudden appearance.

    Yu-Seong looked at Do-Jin, whose appearance was noticeably different from what he remembered.

    <i>¡®That guy¡­¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin¡¯s mumbling prated the rhythm of the pouring rain, hitting Yu-Seong''s ears precisely. "Choi Yu-Seong, why now¡­? Choi Yu-Seong... What should I do... Kill? Spare? But..."

    Looking at the man¡¯s bizarre appearance, Yu-Seong slightly narrowed his eyes and said, "That guy seems to be in an odd state, doesn''t he?"

    "It''s not just odd, it''s weird. Do you want me to support you?" Mi-Na confirmed, standing next to Yu-Seong.

    "No. He''s more likely to target Father, so noo-nim, it would be best if you watch over there."

    Stealing a nce at Woo-Jae, Mi-Na said with a perplexed expression, "...Who''s your sister?"

    ¡°You can stop pretending, I already know everything," Woo-Jae said.

    Perhaps it was because Yu-Seong''s appearance had brought clear hope, the family was having a somewhat leisurely conversation.

    Just then, Do-Jin suddenly let out a strange cry. He jumped to the ground and was swinging his sword. "Ahhhhhhhh-!"

    <i>''The target is...''?</i>

    It wasn''t Woo-Jae, but rather the figure ahead. Yu-Seong, who had parried Do-Jin''s sword with his spear, couldn''t help but be surprised by the tingling sensation in his wrist.

    <i>''This guy''s power...''?</i>

    It wasn''t inferior even to Yu-Seong, who had trained for as long as 250 years. On the contrary, there was even an inclination to push him down.

    <i>''Even if he''s the original protagonist, isn''t this a little ridiculous for just three years?''?</i>

    Along with his doubts, silver shes cutting through the rain flickered dozens of times in an instant and ripped apart the surroundings. Bushes split apart, apanied by a cloud of dust. The droplets of rain bouncing up danced like fairies amidst the sparks.

    "What the¡­?" Jin-Woo, unable to follow the fast-paced exchange with his eyes, shivered in fear.

    He was not the only one. Mi-Na and Ji-Ho also let out hollowughter.

    "That guy...was truly taking it easy on us, wasn''t he?"

    If Do-Jin had fought them in the same manner as he was swinging his sword toward Yu-Seong now, would anyone here have survived up until this moment? Woo-Jae firmly shook his head. Therefore, he felt another doubt.

    <i>¡®You''re supposed to desire my demise, considering me your sworn enemy.¡¯</i>

    So why did Do-Jin go easy on him?

    <i>¡®Or is this not the form of revenge you desired?¡¯</i>

    As Woo-Jae''s thoughts deepened, he narrowed his eyes and watched as Yu-Seong''s spear struck Do-Jin''s shoulder hard. At the same time, Do-Jin''s sword stabbed at Yu-Seong''s head.

    <i>Bang!</i>

    With a loud noise, Yu-Seong, who was forced to step back, touched his hot forehead while letting out a hollowugh. Hemented, "Hey, dude. I almost died there.¡±

    If it weren''t for the protective shield created by the aura at thest moment, his head would have been pierced by the sword.

    <i>''Doesn''t evenpare to the Demon King-transformed Noah, huh?''?</i>

    Furthermore, Do-Jin''s current state wasn''t stable. Continually muttering unintelligible soliloquies, he seemed to be forcibly controlling something.

    <i>¡®If all of that were to explode... I can''t even imagine the magnitude of it.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt cold sweat trickling down his back. With the chilly wind, he felt particrly cool.

    <i>''It would be dangerous to keep fighting here.¡¯</i>

    It wouldn''t matter where the battlefield was if he could overpower his opponent in one go. However, amazingly, Yu-Seong did not have the confidence that he couldpletely suppress Do-Jin''s power at once.

    <i>''If that power explodes inappropriately and envelops the people around, it would be dangerous.''?</i>

    Perhaps the name of the catastrophe that appeared in the center of Seoul could be Kim Do-Jin.

    <i>¡®The original protagonist turning into a catastrophe¡­¡¯</i>

    Thinking about how ridiculous the situation was, Yu-Seong blinked just as Do-Jin''s figure vanished before his very eyes. Immediately after, a hot and cold touch of metal rose from his shoulder.

    <i>Shkew-!?</i>

    "Ah..."

    Yu-Seong grimaced in pain, letting out a short groan, and tightly grasped Do-Jin''s sword with his left hand. Do-Jin, who was about to pull out the sword for the next attack, stopped as he was about to let go of the hilt.

    "Who said I''ll allow you to escape?"

    With a smirk, Yu-Seong, still with the sword lodged in his shoulder, lunged forward. The burning sensation heated his entire body, and his brain throbbed with pain, but Yu-Seong¡¯s senses became clearer than before. In that moment, he grabbed Do-Jin''s shoulder without hesitation and, extending his other hand, swallowed Do-Jin with a green magic circle.

    .

    "...?!"

    Do-Jin, with a shocked expression, tried to jump out of the magic circle, but he was hovering too close to avoid it.

    "Well, I''ll see you in a little while."

    And with that, Do-Jin was swallowed by the portal and disappeared.

    Right after that, Yu-Seong, pulling out the sword lodged in his shoulder with his own hand, grimaced in pain. "Guh... It hurts.¡±

    Although he had experienced quite a few injuries before, he never seemed to be able to get used to the pain.

    Cursing inwardly, Yu-Seong summoned the Green Wind Spirit Cat. The kitten, once small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, had now grown into a fully-grown cat. It swiftly leaped onto his shoulder, pressing its front paw against him and initiating the healing process.

    <i>¡®It hurts, but with my high regeneration and the aid of the Green Wind Spirit Cat, this level of injury isughable.¡¯</i>

    In fact, it wouldn''t be surprising for him to be called a troll or zombie man in any setting. Thanks to that, Yu-Seong, who had quickly recovered from his injury, was about to jump into another portal he had created when he was interrupted.

    "Wait a moment," Woo-Jae, who had been watching the rapidly changing situation, called out to Yu-Seong urgently.

    "Yes?"

    "Can I make one request?" Woo-Jae asked.

    Yu-Seong''s eyes naturally widened. Had Woo-Jae ever used the word <i>''request''</i> before? Rather, his father had mostly given him tests ormands.

    While staring at the bewildered Yu-Seong, Woo-Jae, whoseposure remained unshaken even in this crisis, said, "Don¡¯t die. And, if possible, do not kill Kim Do-Jin.¡±

    "Ah...." Letting out a brief sigh, Yu-Seong stared at Woo-Jae as he was momentarily lost for words.

    <i>''Don''t kill him?''?</i>

    Without a doubt, Yu-Seong had assumed that Woo-Jae would insist on killing Do-Jin if he posed a future obstacle. He was taken aback by this unexpected request.

    "Can you do it? There are things I need to tell that boy," Woo-Jae continued.

    At the continued question, Yu-Seong''s mind snapped back into focus.

    <i>''Things that need to be told.''?</i>

    There could be clues among the many gaps in the original novel''s plot that were not fully exined.

    "Of course," Yu-Seong answered.

    In fact, Yu-Seong had no intention of killing Do-Jin from the start. He nodded with his eyes shining.

    <i>''I hope that everyone can live in peace.''?</i>

    And, hopefully, they could all reach a happy ending.

    <i>''I will make it happen.''?</i>

    With this determination, Yu-Seong crossed over through space.

    ***

    Yu-Seong emerged in the middle of the vast East Sea through a portal in space.

    "Huh?"

    The sight of Do-Jin, who should have been before him, was nowhere to be seen. This led to a wave of confusion.

    <i>''I clearly threw him into the sea, so he should have surfaced by now...''?</i>

    Was he slightlyte? Yu-Seong¡¯s question went away instantly as Do-Jin, resembling a drenched puppy, emerged from the water''s surface.

    "Phew, I thought I made a mistake. How is it? It feels good here, doesn¡¯t it? No need to hold back at all," Yu-Seong said, attempting to initiate a conversation.

    <i>''There must be some kind of problem since he seems to have lost his mind halfway.''?</i>

    And if Do-Jin still had any sense left in him, he could potentially be reasoned with through dialogue. This was the method Yu-Seong chose because he didn''t want to reach a violent conclusion, even if they were fighting due to feelings of revenge.

    "Grrr¡­"

    However, the answer Yu-Seong received was a low growl, much like a beast''s.

    "...Are you really a dog now?" Yu-Seong clicked his tongue, transforming Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice back into a spear.

    <i>''If he won¡¯t talk...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong decided to make Do-Jin regain his senses, even if it required him to use force. After all, Do-Jin was not the only one who didn''t need to restrain his powers due to a change in location.

    "Let mend a few hits on you first," Yu-Seong said.

    As he made this decision and was about to charge at Do-Jin, he heard a voice filled with willpower and not just an animalistic growl.

    "Don¡¯t... interfere... with me."

    Yu-Seong paused with his spear in mid-air. With eyes wide open, he asked in surprise, "Kim Do-Jin. Can you hear my voice?"

    "Choi... Yu-Seong..."

    "Ah... That''s right. It''s me," Yu-Seong answered. Relieved, he grabbed Do-Jin¡¯s shoulder and said, "Snap out of it, Kim Do-Jin. Regardless of what oue you want, this isn''t it, right?"

    As if in agreement with Yu-Seong''s words, Do-Jin''s head drooped low. Then, he said, "If you... interfere... I will have to kill you too.¡±

    "What?"

    Along with his whisper, two thick horns sprouted from Do-Jin''s head and quickly pierced through Yu-Seong''s shoulder.

    "Guh...!" Yu-Seong groaned.

    Do-Jin then threw Yu-Seong into the air as he began to darken. A shadowy energy was seeping into his body.

    <i>''That is¡­?!''?</i>

    In fact, the dark energy flowing from Do-Jin was now quite familiar to Yu-Seong.

 Chapter 246

    <h4>Chapter 246 </h4>

    Demonic mana, the power that symbolized a demon, surged forth from Do-Jin like rampaging tentacles. It relentlessly attempted to ensnare Yu-Seong''s body.

    <i>''...?!''?</i>

    Yu-Seong let out a hollowugh as he felt his limbs being tied by the abruptly encroaching demonic mana.

    <i>''Did Kim Do-Jin fuse with a demon?''?</i>

    Having previously seen Noah in the United States, there was no room for doubt. With towering, sharp, and thick horns, as well as a red glow emitting from his eyes and tiger-like stripes all over his body, Do-Jin looked no different from a demon to anyone who saw him.

    "What on earth happened in the meantime?" Yu-Seong asked with a short sigh.

    "Kraaaah-!"

    Do-Jin, roaring like a beast, charged at him. Infusing strength into his arms and legs, Yu-Seong effortlessly broke free from the mana tentacles that had bound his body with his left hand.

    Once he seized hold of Do-Jin''s sword, Yu-Seong said, "You should wake up with a jolt.¡±

    "Kraaaah-!"

    Yu-seong¡¯s unhesitatingly swung fist collided with Do-Jin''s face, creating an explosive sound like a cannon firing, and sent the man hurtling toward the Pacific Ocean. Then, quickly chasing after him, Yu-Seong felt a slight remorse at the burning sensation in his fist.

    <i>''Darn... Despite his bad personality, his only redeeming feature is his face. Did I hit him too hard?''?</i>

    Do-Jin¡¯s handsome face might have been quite damaged, but it was alright.

    "Well first, a punch or two to help you regain your senses."

    In fact, the messed-up face could easily be fixed with a few treatments from Green Wind Spirit Cat.

    <i>''...Maybe it''s not even necessary since he''s a demon now?''?</i>

    As expected, Do-Jin''s face quickly returned to normal before he charged at Yu-Seong again.

    "With such a brute method..."

    Just as Yu-Seong was about to say the method was useless, Do-Jin, who had been in front of his eyes, disappeared. He instantly felt a burning heat from behind.

    "Oh...?"

    The moment Yu-Seong turned his head with a short exmation, a zing ck me swiftly obscured his vision. As the hot me seared his skin, he frowned slightly and unfolded his magic, Frost Shield, and stepped forward. As he cut through the mes, Do-Jin''s sword followed from behind.

    <i>¡®Are you trying to blind me and seize an opportunity?''</i>

    Unfortunately, Yu-Seong could easily discern all of Do-Jin''s intentions. With a snort, he dodged the sword and naturally threw another punch.

    ¡°...?!¡±

    The dark silhouette, which seemed to be charging with a sword, disappeared before his eyes as if it were a mirage.

    <i>''A clone?''?</i>

    Of course, it wasn''t a simple clone. If it were a clone of amonly seen level, there was no way Yu-Seong would have missed the hint.

    <i>''I definitely felt his presence until the moment I hit it...''?</i>

    Seeing through a high-level clone like this was difficult unless he opened his Third Eye.

    <i>¡®Kim Do-Jin, dude, you''re quite impressive, huh?¡¯</i>

    Then, Yu-Seong felt a cold touch at the back of his head. Swiftly ducking and swinging his arm in arge arc, his eyes dramatically widened in the next moment.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    With a loud explosion, Do-Jin''s face, which took a strong hit from Yu-Seong¡¯s elbow, contorted significantly. However, Do-Jin did not evade to lessen the impact, nor did he get pushed back. On the contrary, he leaned even further forward and opened his mouth wide to fiercely bite into Yu-Seong''s arm.

    "Uh¡­?!"

    Surprised, Yu-Seong quickly pulled his arm back, resulting in a chunk of his flesh being ripped off and causing Do-Jin to be thrown further back.

    <i>Munch, munch.</i>

    A cold smile tugged on Do-Jin''s lips as he continued to regenerate his facial skin while chewing on Yu-Seong''s flesh.

    "What on earth are you¡­?"

    Before Yu-Seong''s question could be finished, a small change urred to Do-Jin''s physique.

    <i>''His face...''?</i>

    Despite wearing a mask, long white hairs sprouted out from his cheeks. They were not human-like but resembling that of a tiger.

    "Grrrrrrr...."

    The subsequent low growling left Yu-Seong with no choice but to harden his expression further.

    <i>''There¡¯s a possibility he won¡¯t be able to turn back.''?</i>

    Finally, Yu-Seong couldprehend the reason why Do-Jin had grown stronger within a mere three-year period.

    <i>''So, the Demon King who fused with Do-Jin is G, the Demon King of Gluttony.''?</i>

    If Acedia, the Demon King of Sloth, had the ability to restrict the opponent¡¯s movement, and Avaritia, the Demon King of Greed, had the ability to take away all the mana in the vicinity, the power wielded by G, the Demon King of Gluttony, was none other than that of the Food God''s Devouring.

    <i>''The power to steal the memories or abilities of the opponent by eating them.''?</i>

    It differed from the residual abilities of Acedia or Avaritia. The moment he bit, even once, G, the Demon King of Gluttony, would obtain something from the opponent''s abilities and grow. Naturally, the stronger the opponent, the more dangerous this power was.

    <i>''This is troublesome.''?</i>

    If it were any other opponent, Yu-Seong would have chosen to obliterate them with a single strike to counteract this power of Gluttony. However, his opponent was Do-Jin and the option to kill was excluded. As a result, the problem was now unfolding right before his eyes.

    Do-Jin, who jumped through the void in one breath, charged forward. Following this, a demonic mana seemingly enveloped Yu-Seong''s whole body like the wind and disrupted his bnce.

    <i>¡®Wind Control?''?</i>

    As Yu-Seong swung his arm in surprise, Do-Jin fell away again and chewed on another part of his arm as he grinned.

    <i>Munch, munch.</i>

    With the eerie sound of chewing, this time, Do-Jin''s movements were iparably faster than before.

    <i>''Beast King''s Instinct.''?</i>

    Indeed, this was dangerous. If they continued in this state, there was a possibility that Yu-Seong would not be able to stop Do-Jin''s rampage.

    As if he knew what Yu-Seong was thinking, Do-Jin''s mouth twisted menacingly and released a beast-like roar. He dered coldly, "If you...want to stop me... Kill me.¡±

    "What?"

    "If you don''t kill me... I''ll kill you."

    At the same time, Do-Jin charged at Yu-Seong as if he were running on all fours. If Yu-Seong resisted this iing attack, he would be robbed of something again.

    <i>''Kill him?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong furrowed his brows deeply. Come to think of it, that sounded right. In the past, he had felt that Do-Jin''s power was necessary to protect this world. That was why Yu-Seong had spared Do-Jin despite feeling threatened by Do-Jin''s existence. However, was it still the case now?

    Watching Do-Jin approaching, Yu-Seong opened his Third Eye and shook his head inwardly.

    <i>''No.''?</i>

    Do-Jin was undoubtedly the original novel¡¯s protagonist and was destined to be responsible for the future of this world. However, history had already changed. In the original novel, there was no overpowering presence like Yu-Seong overshadowing Do-Jin. It was a statement that had to be repeated over and over, a point that needed to be firmly remembered.

    <i>''This world is no longer a novel.''?</i>

    And Yu-Seong was confident enough to believe that he had be strong enough to protect such a world. In other words, even if Do-Jin were not in this world, there might not be any problem at all. Therefore, Yu-Seong considered the possibility of killing him. Would there be any significant consequences if he did?

    <i>''Of course, there would be.''?</i>

    The blue light emanating from the Third Eye spread in all directions, slowing down the world¡¯s flow of time. Do-Jin, who was darting at a speed beyond sound, appeared peculiar within this slow-motion timeline.

    Yu-Seong walked slowly forward. Then, using his right hand, he gently pushed away Do-Jin''s face as the man attempted to bite while his left hand delivered light strikes to various parts of Do-Jin¡¯s body. Finally, with his right hand once again, he lightly grasped Do-Jin''s cor in a swift motion.

    "Guh-!" Do-Jin groaned.

    The blue light flowing from the Third Eye disappeared soon after, and the timeline of the world returned to its original state.

    <i>Thud, thud, thuuud!</i>

    Shockwaves, akin to a billowing windbag, erupted incessantly from behind Do-Jin¡ªmomentarily subsiding before surging forth once more. He was severely battered. This assault was of such magnitude that even the mighty Demon King would struggle to regenerate swiftly.

    <i>''After all, I stopped the flow of time itself.''?</i>

    Considering the number of continuous attacks within that span, it would inevitably take Do-Jin time to recover.

    While Do-Jin, who could do nothing but be suppressed,id beneath him, spitting blood and slumped down, Yu-Seong held onto Do-Jin¡¯s cor tightly and said calmly, "You won''t be able to move a finger for at least a minute.¡±

    "..."

    "You are conscious, right? Listen well, Do-Jin. I''m not going to kill you."

    It was no longer a matter of whether Do-Jin''s existence was needed or not in this world.

    "What I desire is happiness, and, to be honest, I, as an individual, ce a great value on human connections," Yu-Seong continued.

    Yu-Seong didn''t mind beingbeled as an odd or wed individual.

    "Didn¡¯t I mention it to you? I''m a novel reader who heard the story of this world from another world and learned about the future... In that world, there was nobody around me, Choi Yu-Seong."

    He had lived a reasonably routine life. He had lived thinking that he might eventually establish a harmonious family in a stable future, but he had never been able to get that close to anyone.

    "The truth is, I was scared. The idea of others discovering my true self was quite a challenging task for me."

    Indeed, Yu-Seong had a harsh life. In his initial world, he had been an orphan without a single friend. The way he lived, constantly striving to avoid being looked down upon by others, had not been conducive to receiving love from others. With that thought in mind, he had led his life in a certain way.

    "So, in the end, I had to meet someone with a false appearance. With that, can we truly respect and love each other as human beings? Not just as simple members of a corporate society, but as family or friends?" Yu-Seong chuckled bitterly and shook his head.

    He concluded, "In the end, I don''t want to reach a conclusion where we¡¯d both be unhappy. I am scared of being alone again.¡±

    "Grrrrr..." Do-Jin moaned in a low voice as he began to recover.

    Watching him, Yu-Seong continued to speak. "So, let me reiterate, I won''t kill you. And I won''t lose anyone around me. This ce, which I thought was a world inside a novel, is where I am living. It is a reality where people precious to me already exist."

    "Choi¡­ Yu-Seong¡­"

    "One of those precious people is you, Kim Do-Jin."

    Yu-Seong had phrased it simply, but he held Do-Jin in a different regard. The man was a presence that could not help but be special to Yu-Seong.

    In fact, the reason was simple. When reading a novel, the protagonist and the reader often blended together to achieve full immersion in the story. If an existence that was another <i>''me''</i>, providing an escape from theplex and frustrating reality, appeared before the reader¡¯s eyes in reality, how could it not be regarded as special?

    <i>''You can call me a foolish novel addict if you like.''?</i>

    For Yu-Seong, who had no one to share his true feelings with, the novel [Modern Master Returns] was a joyful adventure, and its protagonist ''Kim Do-Jin'' was a one-of-a-kind friend in life.

    "So¡­ How could I possibly kill you?"

    "I, I am¡­ I am...!"

    Yu-Seong continued speaking toward Do-Jin, who was beginning to tremble and slowly move his body.

    "You want to take revenge on my father, right? Isn''t the resentment toward the world that shattered your once blissful home still lingering in your heart?¡±

    Yu-Seong chuckled and threw Do-Jin into the air. As Do-Jin flew aimlessly toward the ground like a string that hade loose, it suddenly stopped in mid-air. It indicated that the paused time hade to an end.

 Chapter 247

    <h4>Chapter 247 </h4>

    Yu-Seong, while panting slightly, looked toward Do-Jin, who was slowly raising his head. He said, "Now, Kim Do-Jin. You have much to say, don''t you? Is it frustrating for you in your current state, being unable to speak properly? Then, ovee it. You''re not someone who would be defeated by a mere Demon King.¡±

    Slowly, Do-Jin''s beast-like body, which resembled a tiger, began to shrink back into a human form. A distinct human voice started to emerge from his vocal cords, which until now had only produced low growls.

    "Choi... Yu-Seong... I... revenge..." Do-Jin said.

    "On who?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Choi Woo-Jae...!" Do-Jin cried out in a loud voice, trembling greatly.

    "In such a state? Is this really your will?"

    "No..."

    With his head lowered, Do-Jin had blood trickling down his tightly clenched fist. He was inflicting pain on himself to awaken his consciousness. As Yu-Seong quietly watched him, the red glow in his eyes gradually faded and the horns that had sprouted from his head began to shrink.

    <i>''Just a little more...''?</i>

    The Do-Jin that Yu-Seong knew would be capable of oveing this pain anding back.

    In what seemed like defiance of such desperate hopes, Do-Jin''s red mask shook violently as it emitted a violet aura.

    "What?" Yu-Seong asked.

    - Seek revenge.

    Following this, the mouth of the red mask moved on its own, starting to voice words. Do-Jin, who had naturally been regaining his senses, had his eyes dyed red once again.

    <i>¡®That mask...is quite ominous.¡¯</i>

    Do-Jin tried to rush forward in desperation. Suddenly, a bright light, like a shbang, enveloped the view, and Do-Jin''s figure disappeared for a moment.

    - Could it be that you intend to forget your grudge? Are you nning to show mercy to the family of your enemy? Kim Do-Jin. Kill. Kill him!

    "Kaaaaaah-!" cried Do-Jin.

    What could be heard was no longer his own voice but a beastly roar of hatred. At the same time, he charged toward Yu-Seong and swung his sword.

    Gradually, Yu-Seong''s vision began to recover. He nced at Do-Jin''s red eyes while gripping his sword with his bare hands.

    <i>''A blood vein?''?</i>

    Beneath the red mask was blood, which flowed out like tears.

    "Kaaaaaah-!"

    Do-Jin, once again howling like a beast, forcefully pushed away a stunned Yu-Seong. He created some distance between them. Next, a ck dragon appeared behind Do-Jin as he held his sword high toward the sky.

    <i>''Antareus.''?</i>

    Antareus, who had inscribed a colossal magic circle, merged with Do-Jin.

    Behind Do-Jin, who had turned into a tiger bearing the horns of a demon, was now trying to take on the form of a dragon. His wings of ck mes burned and spread wide. Simultaneously, Do-Jin''s energy skyrocketed to more than twice what it had been.

    <i>¡®So you are finally serious now, huh?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong, with his Third Eye wide open, locked gazes with Do-Jin in mid-air.

    "Evil Annihtion sh," Do-Jin said.

    "What?" Yu-Seong eximed.

    Despite havingpletely lost his senses, Do-Jin, who had uttered not a beast''s roar but a human voice infused with clear intent, disappeared along with Yu-Seong''s response. Within the realm of supersonic speed, apanied by a piercing tinnitus that resonated in his head, Do-Jin''s sword barely grazed Yu-Seong''s shoulder.

    Observing the ck mes coloring the dark sky in the world seen through the Third Eye, Yu-Seong unconsciously halted in ce instead of backing up.

    <i>Shwishhh-!?</i>

    From his shoulder down to his waist, a silver streak of sword light passed diagonally. Blood soon scattered into the air.

    <i>''Ah... The smell of blood.''?</i>

    Amid the burning and sticky sensation that was somewhat unpleasant, Yu-Seong grabbed Do-Jin''s shoulder, which was drenched in blood. Actually, there was no need to move quickly. The tip of Do-Jin''s sword, which had swung diagonally, was rigidly still.

    Pointing his sword toward the blue sea, Do-Jin asked, "...W-Why...?¡±

    Looking into Do-Jin¡¯s eyes, which shed red energy, Yu-Seong responded with a snort ofughter. He said, "Suddenly, I thought about this. If I can''t kill you, can you possibly kill me?"

    "Such...idiocy..." Do-Jin said.

    Purple energy began to flow again from Do-Jin''s trembling mask. In one swift move, Yu-Seong reached out and gripped Do-Jin¡¯s red mask. He said with a grin, "Most importantly, isn''t the name of the skill Evil Annihtion sh?"

    Evil Annihtion sh referred to a sword that eradicated evil.

    "How could such a sword ever wound me?"

    From the beginning, what Do-Jin wanted to cut was the evil tormenting him. Hence, it could never reach Yu-Seong in the end. Following his earlierment, Yu-Seong harshly yanked off the red mask that seemed glued to Do-Jin''s face.

    "Kaaaaaah-!" With a scream, Do-Jin staggered.

    - How dare you, a mere human, touch me...!

    Ignoring the voice of the Demon King, G, which echoed from within the mask, Yu-Seong caught Do-Jin, who was falling toward the ground with a wavering consciousness, with one arm. He asked, "You okay?"

    Although there was no verbal response, he could clearly see the slow nod of Do-Jin¡¯s head.

    <i>''This guy¡­''?</i>

    Yu-Seong,ughing inwardly, looked at the red mask in his hand.

    - Do you know who I am? Release me, human!

    In fact, Yu-Seong did not pay much attention to the voice from the mask. Instead, he peered through his Third Eye at the entity observing him from behind the mask.

    Knowing that the other party must definitely be hearing his voice from beyond the mask, Yu-Seong dered, "Stop wasting spouting nonsense and wait. I wille to you and end your life.¡±

    With his warning, he put all his strength into the hand holding the mask.

    <i>Crunch-!?</i>

    - Aaaaah!

    Along with the sound of something shattering, the agonizing voice of Demon King G echoed in Yu-Seong¡¯s head. Then, the red mask shattered and fell into the sea.

    After confirming the demise of Demon King G, Yu-Seong looked at the sky, which was starting to calm down and stop pouring. From between the dark clouds, the bright sun began to peek through.

    <i>¡®Eveheim.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s gaze grew cold as he thought of the greatest evil in this world, the source of all the malevolence, anger, and resentment that had unfolded.

    <i>''You must die.''?</i>

    This thought was not only due to the promise with his transcendent being masters. As long as Eveheim existed in this world, Yu-Seong would never be able to find happiness. Instinctively realizing this fact, the two had be irreconcble beings.

    Returning home with Do-Jin in his arms, Yu-Seong''s eyes were filled with intense hostility toward someone for the first time.

    ***

    In the room echoed a cry mixed with a scream. It was as sharp as the grinding of metal.

    "Ugh..." With a short groan, a trickle of blood streamed from Eveheim''s mouth as he held his head.

    "Ha..." With a deep sigh, Eveheim sat down with a frown. His eyes drew intense wrinkles.

    "Ha ha..." Briefly chuckling in a hollow manner, Eveheim lightly tapped the desk in front of him with his forefinger. He muttered to himself, "Unbelievable. No matter how much power the other three friends have provided, how could it have reached such an extent?"

    Yu-Seong had entered the sanctuary of the transcendent beings and then returned. Although it was a rather obvious fact that the returnees always got stronger, Yu-Seong had clearly defied Eveheim''s expectations.

    "It''s a shame. It really is such a shame. I should have been the one to have Yu-Seong..."

    Eveheim thought he was right all along. There was a reason why, at some point, Yu-Seong had caught his eye instead of Do-Jin.

    "Ah, I should have acted more decisively. Foolishly hesitating..." Eveheim clicked his tongue several times, sighing regretfully and ruefully.

    He shook his head. "Well, there''s nothing to be done. It has already passed. It''s a shame that I couldn''t witness the battle between two individuals who perceived each other as enemies. However, if this is my trial, I must ept it. By the way..."

    Eveheim remembered thest moment when Yu-Seong had red at him through his Third Eye. Hemented, "He was quite angry. If he''s that upset, even I could be in danger. Hmm..."

    He let out a deep breath, stroking his chin.

    This was indeed the truly terrifying aspect of Eveheim. Indeed, he was undoubtedly the strongest in this world, and he himself was well aware of this fact. However, when he felt threatened by Yu-Seong, he immediately started contemting a solution. He was neither arrogant nor overconfident.

    <i>''I wascent and hesitant, and this has turned things around...''?</i>

    Thinking about a few options, Eveheim abruptly stood up from his seat. "I would love to prepare a grand show as you wait, but just in case, I need to make sure.¡±

    He felt a strong need to expedite the n he originally intended to take a considerable amount of time.

    "I need to summon Pride."

    Superbia, the Demon King of Pride, stood at the forefront among the Demon Kings. Objectively speaking, his power surpassed even that of Eveheim without his transcendent abilities. For this reason, the summoning itself was quite difficult.

    <i>''I''ll need quite a lot of blood...''</i>

    It required arge number of deaths. Of course, this was a burden for Eveheim. Even though the Demon King''s Worshipers were the most powerful criminal group, they could not handle all the resentment in the world. The problem was that this level of sacrifice was necessary to summon the Demon King of Pride.

    <i>''But there''s no choice¡­ Crisis is an opportunity.''?</i>

    Rising from his seat, Eveheim licked his lips.

    <i>''The original goal was to absorb the power of Pride and ascend to heaven...''?</i>

    In a way, the current situation was rather a good thing.

    <i>''Choi Yu-Seong seems to have a special love for this world.''?</i>

    Could he just watch when a Demon King of Pride started to wreak havoc? He would certainly have to stand in Eveheim¡¯s way. In that case, their battle would intensify.

    <i>¡®Fish in troubled waters, this is a phrase I quite like.¡¯</i>

    Eveheim, picturing a future he quite liked, picked up the phone and summoned the strongest forces of the Demon King''s Worshipers via a message.

    <i>''Hexagram Masters, Twelve Dark Kings.''</i>

    In fact, it was finally time to let loose the fierce sharks he had raised in the wide sea.

    ***

    As Do-Jin slowly regained consciousness, the first thing he recalled were the events he had experienced with Yu-Seong.

    <i>''I wish I could believe it was just a dream.''?</i>

    If not, there had been too many things that were embarrassingly real. No matter how many times Do-Jin thought about it, what he had experienced was indeed reality. As he opened his eyes and looked around, it was not difficult toe to this realization.

    <i>''...Damn it.''?</i>

    Do-Jin cursed under his breath, but his mood was not entirely bad. No, to be honest, it was rather good. But why? The voice of resentment that always tormented his mind was no longer heard. The voice of his dead father, ordering him to destroy the Comet and kill Woo-Jae, no longer followed him.

    Laughing bitterly at this miraculous turn of events, he slowly blinked and registered the ceiling of the hospital room. It was a rather unfamiliar view for him. When he shifted his gaze to the side, he saw a familiar figure looking out the window.

    At a nce, the man resembled Yu-Seong. However, it was not Yu-Seong. It could not be. The middle-aged man standing with his back turned was Woo-Jae, who was no different from a real enemy to Do-Jin and yet was the father of his friend Yu-Seong.

    "...Choi Woo-Jae," Do-Jin muttered.

    "You''re awake."

    In response to his voice, Woo-Jae turned to look at Do-Jin with gleaming eyes.

 Chapter 248

    <h4>Chapter 248 </h4>

    "You''ve changed so much that I hardly recognize you," Woo-Jae said.

    "Or is it that you tried to erase me from your memory?" Do-Jin responded.

    "I can''t deny that. After all, I didn''t always carry that thought in my mind.¡±

    With a disdainful snort, Do-Jin said, "You''re shameless.¡±

    "Still, I did think about you once a year or so."

    "...Are you trying to make me even angrier?"

    "Because I regretted it. If I''d been a bit stronger, I wouldn''t have let your father die like that."

    "Choi Woo-Jae!" Do-Jin yelled out and struggled to rise from his bed.

    However, his body, drained of strength, didn''t move so easily.

    "Listen. Don''t you want to know the truth?" Woo-Jae continued.

    "The truth! If you mean the truth about how you ruined our family and plunged us into the abyss, I know it better than anyone else!" Do-Jin shouted.

    "I admit I made mistakes. But why is it my fault that your family ended up a mess?"

    "Is that what you''re saying?! Because of you, my fathermitted suicide."

    "Suicide? Right. Let''s start from there. Your father, Kim Woo-Sung, was murdered," Woo-Jae said calmly.

    "What...?" Do-Jin''s eyes widened.

    "I don''t mean murder in the sense that I killed him. Although it was presented as a suicide at the time and subsequently buried, the incident was clearly a murder."

    "What do you mean¡­?"

    "An order came down from a very high ce to kill Kim Woo-Sung. I might challenge it now, but at that time, I didn''t have the strength to defy that absolute power. I had no choice but to turn a blind eye," Woo-Jae continued with a bitter smile on his face. "Your father, Kim Woo-Sung, was an exceptional man. I also sought the favor of the high authority man and made multiple attempts to persuade him."

    "That''s nonsense¡­" Do-Jin cried.

    Confronted with a situation far different from the truth he had known, Do-Jin began to deny all of Woo-Jae''s words.

    "So, the truth is this: Your father, Kim Woo-Sung, was extraordinary but not smart. He tried to live outside the rules set by the world, and those above us do not like such people."

    "But... If you had not ruined thepany..." Do-Jin said.

    "On the surface, that''s what it seemed like. However, that was a merger agreed upon by Kim Woo-Sung and I," Woo-Jae exined.

    "What...?"

    "Let me reiterate, Kim Woo-Sung was an extraordinary man. The moment things went wrong, he realized he could not protect Do-Jin Hynix to the end. He called me, who had been seeking him for years, and asked me to merge thepany with Comet instead."

    "But why¡­?"

    "In return for giving me thepany, he asked me to take care of his family. He already knew he was going to die," Woo-Jae said.

    "..." Do-Jin remained silent for a very long time.

    Were Woo-Jae''s words a lie to deceive him? Or were they, as they sounded, the truth? Either way, there was clearly a problem.

    "If what you''re saying is true, then why...didn''t you honor your promise?"

    "You might find it hard to believe, but I only remembered that promise less than six months ago."

    "What kind of nonsense is that?"

    "More precisely, I had forgotten that Kim Woo-Sung had a family. Something had been imnted in my mind. I only managed to resolve this issue after entering the Tower of Heaven and meeting a deity."

    Do-Jin, who kept widening his eyes without rest, clenched his fist. Noticing his reaction, Woo-Jae said, "It might be hard for you to believe. I''ll leave now, so take some time to think about it. I am not done with telling you the truth yet. Don''t you also need to know who the real enemy is?"

    With that, Woo-Jae started leaving the hospital room slowly.

    "Choi Woo-Jae!" Do-Jin, who had been staring at Woo-Jae''s retreating figure with burning eyes, yelled out.

    Just as Woo-Jae turned to meet Do-Jin''s gaze, Do-Jin found himself recalling his childhood and the past. He remembered the face of a young Woo-Jae who had rushed toward him amidst a copsing building and roaring mes. What was the desperate emotion that had surfaced on Woo-Jae¡¯s face then?

    <i>''I only thought it was an unpleasant dream.''?</i>

    The idea that Woo-Jae, of all people, would risk his life to save Do-Jin was unbelievable. That was why Do-Jin had regarded it as a dream. Even in his dream, he had been ming Woo-Jae with a voice filled with resentment and anger.

    However, now, it was a little different. In the dream, there was someone else behind Woo-Jae. It was a monster with purple eyes, wrapped in darkness. The figure Do-Jin had been yelling at wasn''t Woo-Jae, but that strange entity.

    <i>''Who are you? Just who are you¡­?''</i>

    Despite feeling a throbbing headache, Do-Jin said to Woo-Jae through gritted teeth, "If what you''ve said is a lie, I''ll never forgive you."

    Woo-Jaeughed derisively at the threat, which sounded like a fierce beast roaring. He then asked, "Well, do you intend to forgive me if what I speak is truth?"

    "That''s..."

    "Even forgetting is a sin. Oh, I realize I haven''t said the most important thing yet," Woo-Jae said.

    While standing still, he bent his waist toward Do-Jin.

    <i>''What...?''?</i>

    Woo-Jae bowed deeply before saying, "I''m sorry for forgetting."

    It was indeed a brief phrase and a simple bow. However, these were actions Do-Jin had never expected from someone like Woo-Jae.

    Woo-Jae, appearing to not care about Do-Jin''s surprised expression, turned around and opened the door to the ward. As he moved toward the pouring light while fully opening the door, another figure appeared. It was a middle-ageddy with gray hair and deep wrinkles across her face. She gave a slight bow as she hurriedly approached.

    Seeing thedy, Do-Jin¡¯s eyes bulged out in surprise. He hadn¡¯t seen her face in so long, but he had neither forgotten her nor found this encounter awkward. She was, after all, the only family he had left in this world.

    "Mom...?"

    "Do-Jin."

    His mother, who had been bedridden in the ward with a terminal illness and had been unable to be helped even by Do-Jin himself, was standing in front of him. She appeared to be healthy and smiling.

    "How did this...?"

    The moment he spat out the question, Do-Jin''s face, which had always been cool and cold, distorted and crumbled like that of a child. He hadn''t even imagined his mother, who had been unconscious in the ward, could walk on her own feet.

    "Do-Jin...!"

    Seeing his expression, his mother, Park Hye-Jung, couldn''t help but burst into tears and rushed forward with open arms.

    Do-Jin, who had been lying on the bed, could only stare nkly at his approaching mother. The moment he was in her arms, he couldn''t help but cry.

    <i>''It''s warm...''?</i>

    An incredible warmth wrapped around his whole body and heart. Before, he had thought all hope in this world had vanished. He had thought the only emotions left in his heart were revenge and resentment. However, that wasn''t the case.

    Longing, joy, dness, happiness¡ªall these emotions that were too overwhelming to be put into words filled Do-Jin''s heart. They washed away the malice that had frozen him with their tears.

    <i>''I too... I too...''?</i>

    He also deserved to be happy. He could be happy.

    <i>''Never...''?</i>

    He didn''t want to lose any of this ever again.

    ***

    Outside the ward, Yu-Seong was leaning against the wall. His eyes widened at the sudden sound of crying. Then, a bright smile spread across his face.

    <i>''So, that guy knows how to cry.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong hadn''t known because Do-Jin always wore a face that seemed like he wouldn''t shed a drop of blood even if stabbed with a knife every day. Thus, he found this sight to be a relief.

    <i>''Now it''s your turn to be happy.''?</i>

    Do-Jin was a man with exceptional mental strength. Therefore, making him fall, even if it was due to the extraordinary mind control of Eveheim, wouldn''t have been easy.

    In fact, Do-Jin had pushed back even the ritual of the Demon King, recognizing his own existence. Still, the reason he had been tainted by darkness and engulfed by malice was because there had been too much darkness deep inside Do-Jin''s heart.

    <i>''There won''t be a problem from now on.''?</i>

    Now, a rtively small light had taken a ce in Do-Jin''s heart. Of course, the darkness was still greater than the light, since the pain and anger over what he had lost over time could notpletely disappear. However, light, by its nature, asserted its existence powerfully even inplete darkness. No matter how deep the darkness, it was not easy to cover even a small light.

    <i>''And the light will gradually grow.''?</i>

    As time passed, much was bound to change. Yu-Seong also intended to assist with this transformation.

    <i>''Just as you did for me.''</i>

    If it was true what Gabriel had said, that Yu-Seong, who had been a total fool, had just brought back memories from another world, then it was indisputable that it was Do-Jin who had saved him from his downfall.

    <i>''I''vee this far because of that novel, after all.''?</i>

    He might have lived a life that would have ended in misery, being continuouslybeled a rascal until the very end. Yu-Seong had only made it this far because of Do-Jin''s tale. Therefore, Yu-Seong decided to be another source of light for Do-Jin, who was still full of darkness. The reason for this?

    "Do friends need reasons for such things?" Yu-Seong chuckled, muttering to himself as he cast a noise-cancetion spell in front of Do-Jin''s hospital room.

    Considering Do-Jin''s personality, he probably wouldn''t be pleased if anyone heard him crying.

    <i>''This way, he won''t be disturbed unnecessarily.''?</i>

    Just as Yu-Seong leaned against the wall once again, on the verge of getting lost in thought, his cell phone in his pocket vibrated loudly. He blinked. "Huh?"

    His eyes sparkled as he checked the cell phone.

    <i>''Jin Yu-Ri.''?</i>

    Finally, the few friends who had stood by the side of rascal Yu-Seong wereing back.

    ***

    Yu-Ri, Do-Yoon, Ye-Ryeong, and Jin-Hyuk had allpleted their promotion evaluation on the same day and came back. It was as if they had coordinated with one another.

    Upon returning home, Yu-Seong greeted the familiar faces he hadn''t seen in a while with a bright smile. He said, "We''re finally all back together. Hunting Team 8.¡±

    He also couldn''t help but be amazed.

    "What happened¡­? How did all four of you be SS-rank?"

    There were four SS-rank yers standing before him. It was surprising as, in the world, SS-rank yers were highly esteemed and held great value. No, to speak urately, it seemed as though two of them had even surpassed SS-rank.

    "Are Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk...EX-rank?"

    At the sensation of their immense strength, the four of them stared at one another with wide eyes. Their heads shook from side to side.

    "I didn''t say anything," Yu-Ri refuted.

    Jin-Hyuk then responded, "But you arrived first, didn''t you, noona?"

    "Are you doubting me?" Yu-Ri asked.

    "Well, not exactly..."

    Jin-Hyuk¡¯s gaze naturally shifted from Yu-Ri to Ye-Ryeong, who had contacted Yu-Seong right after Yu-Ri. He asked, "Hey shortie, did you say it?"

    "I might just end up killing you. Who are you calling a shortie again? And why would I even say that? I was also looking forward to surprising the boss," Ye-Ryeong said firmly.

    Naturally, the gazes of the three people turned to Do-Yoon, who until then had remained silent, arms folded.

    "...It wasn''t me," said Do-Yoon as he shook his head.

    Once again, the three nodded at him and remained in silent denial.

    "Of course, Do-Yoon oppa wouldn''t do that," Yu-Ryeong said.

    "Oppa does have tight lips," Yu-Ri said.

    "So, a guilty conscience needs no user. Shortie, you''re the culprit, aren¡¯t you?" Jin-Hyuk said.

    "All of you, enough." Yu-Seong, who had been enjoying the back-and-forth of the four, stepped in to mediate. He added, "It seemed like everyone wanted to surprise me with their growth without letting me know, but unfortunately, there was no culprit. I simply discovered it on my own."

    "But how did you do that?" Yu-Ri asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

    As far as they knew, Yu-Seong had been sealed with the Demon King for the past three years. Thus, it was difficult for them to ept this as truth. However, the reason was very simple.

    "Because I am just above EX-rank. You''ll understand when you see it."

    Observing the flustered expressions on the four individuals¡¯ faces, Yu-Seong confidently shrugged his shoulders. He sat arrogantly in the center of the sofa.

 Chapter 249

    <h4>Chapter 249 </h4>

    Indeed, a picture was worth a thousand words. Yu-Seong thought that showing once would be better than exining a hundred times. Thus, he led the four to a nearby training ground and proposed a four-on-one sparring session.

    "You''re really going to take us all on by yourself?" Jin-Hyuk asked in surprise.

    Yu-Seong nodded. "Yeah. But, since the training ground might not withstand our full power, we should spar at a level that allows us to gauge our skills appropriately, right?"

    The four of them nodded at the sight of Yu-Seong''s rxed smile. In fact, Yu-Seong had never made a meaningless suggestion so far. They believed that this time, too, there had to be a reason.

    "Understood."

    Along with Yu-Ri''s reply, the four began to gather their energy in front of Yu-Seong.

    Yu-Seong casually nodded and transformed his Pharaoh¡¯s Caprice into a spear. He said, "Come at me.¡±

    "I¡¯ll go."

    The first to act was Do-Yoon. His movement was as swift as a flickering light, befitting a Physical yer of the SS rank.

    <i>''But he¡¯s still underestimating me.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong felt it was time to give them a taste of his true power. With that thought, as Do-Yoon lunged at him, he swung his leg like a whip and hit Do-Yoon''s arm.

    <i>BANG!</i>

    Do-Yoon mmed into the training ground wall with a loud explosion. He trembled for a moment as blood trickled down from his mouth. He looked at Yu-Seong in surprise and said, "Sure enough... young master."

    That was all he managed to say before he fell unconscious.

    Seeing the one who had led the charge copse, the remaining three''s eyes widened in shock.

    <i>¡®Even though he hadn¡¯t transformed into a beast¡­¡¯</i>

    A Physical-type yer had been knocked out with just a single blow. It meant that if Yu-Seong hit the other three, who were all Psychic-type yers, they would go down instantly.

    <i>''Hmm... I did hit him a little too hard.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s determination to demonstrate his strength had indeed been quite intense. As a result, one person had been knocked out more swiftly than he had expected, but he didn''t particrly mind. After all, it put the remaining three on high alert.

    "So, shall we see how much each of you has improved?"

    With a smile, Yu-Seong charged toward the three.

    ***

    The sparring session took less than thirty minutes to wrap up. Unlike with Do-Yoon, Yu-Seong had been more controlled when facing the rest, but the fundamental skill gap was simply too wide.

    Yu-Seong gazed at the four individuals¡ªincluding Do-Yoon, who had regained consciousness and joined the spar once again¡ªwho were sprawled out in exhaustion.

    Standing tall with pride, Yu-Seong let out a brief sigh. "Still, I must admit I was surprised. You all did better than I expected.¡±

    .

    "...There''s no credibility in your words when you say that with such an expression, boss,¡± Ye-Ryeong muttered.

    Yu-Seong scratched his cheek with an awkward smile. "No, it''s not a joke... I should be considered an exception to the standard."

    In the first ce, Yu-Seong had been trained by three transcendent beings, who were among the strongest beings in the world, for the whole 250 years. No matter how talented the four werepared to Yu-Seong, it would not be easy to leap over 250 years in just three years. That was a given.

    "So what exactly happened?"

    The question from the always curious and truth-seeking Yu-Ri continued. The other three also naturally showed curiosity in their eyes.

    Yu-Seong, smiling and sitting down in front of them, began his story. "It''s going to be a fairly long story. The thing is, while you guys spent three years training, I spent a total of 250 years.¡±

    His subsequent exnation was the same as what he had told Woo-Jae and Helen. He told the truth, excluding the part about the transcendent beings. He also didn''t hide the existence of his master.

    "I knew from the start that you would be an amazing person, hyung!"

    At Jin-Hyuk''s excited words, Yu-Seong made an awkward expression and shook his head. He said, "I was just lucky. The truly amazing ones are the four of you. Thanks to you, I feel really relieved.¡±

    ¡°You seem to have a n, right?¡±

    At Yu-Ri''s inquiry, Yu-Seong nodded without hesitation and dered, "Yes. I n to eliminate the Demon King Worshipers from this world."

    Hearing Yu-Seong¡¯s deration, the four looked shocked. Despite his casual manner of speaking, it was a task no one had aplished until now.

    What kind of organization were the Demon King Worshipers? Indeed, they were infamous as the world''s worst andrgest criminal group. They were an immense organization with so much power that the whole world would have to unite against it as a single force. Could eradicating such a group be an easy task?

    Strangely enough, the thought that emerged in the minds of the four at that moment was that it might indeed be possible. Above all, even if it seemed impossible, they did not feel like backing down. This was because it was Yu-Seong who had brought up the topic.

    "Since you made up your mind to do it, hyung, we''ll definitely make it happen," Jin-Hyuk said.

    "I owe a lot to you, boss. Even if it''s difficult, we have to do it," Ye-Ryeong said with a radiant and encouraging smile.

    In fact, these two were essentially the greatest force immediately avable to Yu-Seong.

    <i>''It may be too early to judge based solely on a spar, but...''?</i>

    ording to Yu-Seong¡¯s guess, the two were nearly on par with a Hexagram Master. It meant they hadn''t just mindlessly raised their ranks over the past three years.

    <i>''They are pretty reliable.''?</i>

    Although they weren''t particrly tall, and their faces still showed signs of youth, they could no longer be seen as mere children.

    A pleased smile lingered on Yu-Seong''s face when Do-Yoon and Yu-Ri echoed theirpanions¡¯ sentiments.

    "We will devote ourselves to being more helpful to you, young master," Do-Yoon said.

    "What can I do when both of the oppas say they will? I''ll follow your lead," Yu-Ri said.

    The siblings'' abilities were, to speak objectively, a step behind Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk.

    <i>''But they''ve certainly surpassed the limitations from the original novel.''?</i>

    Alone, they would struggle, but if they joined forces, they could, like Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk, topple a Hexagram Master. More than anything, the trust Yu-Seong had in these two was iparable to any other individual.

    <i>''It''s not that I don''t trust others...but these two are definitely special.''?</i>

    The siblings even sacrificed their own lives in the original novel for the rascal known as Choi Yu-Seong. Remembering that, how could he not trust them?

    Seeing the four who affirmed his difficult decision, Yu-Seong said with a smile, "I appreciate your support, but... It feels awkward to say this... I suppose I need to exin the reason. It''s not that I want to be a hero."

    "You don''t really have to say it; we will follow your lead anyway..." Jin-Hyuk said.

    An unintentional smile slipped on Yu-Seong¡¯s face, and he nodded in response. He said, "Thank you. In truth, there isn''t much reason. I just thought that the Demon King Worshipers need to disappear for my own happiness."

    "That''s a very reasonable reason," said Yu-Ri.

    Then, everyone burst intoughter. To eliminate a criminal organization obstructing Yu-Seong¡¯s own happiness¡ªthere couldn''t be a more valid reason than this.

    <i>''In my personal opinion, my abilities are probably on par with Eveheim¡¯s. I may even have a slight advantage.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong¡¯s masters, the transcendent beings, had told him so. Thus, it was unlikely to be far off the mark. However, Eveheim surely would have a trick up his sleeve.

    <i>''And there are Hexagram Masters to assist with that trick.''?</i>

    There were also the Twelve Dark Kings and everyone else within the gigantic organization. The fortunate thing was that Yu-Seong had managed to take the life of Noah, one of the Hexagram Masters, faster and easier than expected.

    <i>''And then, there''s the people I have with me now...''?</i>

    Rachel, Helen, Bernard, Baek Cheol, Mi-Na, the four in front of him, and Do-Jin; adding them all up, Yu-Seong could reasonably believe that the power bnce was tilting slightly in his favor right now.

    <i>''The problem is that those Demon King Worshipers can now summon the Demon King quite easily.''?</i>

    Furthermore, they were even harnessing the power of the Demon King through summoning. If Yu-Seong had to consider the possibility of facing that as well, he felt somewhatcking in power.

    <i>''As for a solution to this...''</i>

    In fact, it wasn¡¯t like there was no solution. If Helen managed to create the training room she had mentioned before, and if they could utilize that space where mana was amplified and time could be extended, he should be able to further enhance everyone''s power.

    <i>''Helen said she would contact me as soon as it wasplete, so I guess I''ll have to wait a bit for this.''?</i>

    It might take a little time, but as long as the situation wasn''t too dire, they should eventually find a solution.

    <i>''In the meantime, my job will be to throw some obstacles in the way of the Demon King Worshipers to prevent Eveheim''s side from doing anything unnecessary.''?</i>

    Just as Yu-Seong was reaching a conclusion, a call came in on the cell phone in his pocket.

    <i>''Father?''?</i>

    It was a summons from Woo-Jae.

    ***

    When Yu-Seong visited his family home, he found three quite unfamiliar faces sitting in Woo-Jae''s office. There was a balding middle-aged man with a strong physique, as well as another middle-aged man and a young man, both with striking features and an aura that seemed capable of cutting through anything.

    <i>''Who are they? They don''t seem to be Korean.''?</i>

    As if to answer Yu-Seong''s thought, the robust elderly man seated there began to speak. He said, "Oh, you must be Choi Yu-Seong? I''ve heard a lot about you."

    His Japanese was easy to understand and casual. Understanding thenguage, but not feeling any need to respond in kind, Yu-Seong walked toward Woo-Jae. Seeing this, the robust man¡¯s eyes narrowed. He asked Woo-Jae, "Does your son not speak Japanese?"

    "Well... I''ve never heard him speak it before."

    Shrugging his shoulders, Woo-Jae looked at Yu-Seong.

    "I do speak it, but I didn''t feel like responding to a stranger who greets me in Japanese in Korea."

    Hearing Yu-Seong''s words, which were delivered in Korean, a broad smile stretched across Woo-Jae''s face as he said, "That¡¯s what he says, Chairman Takaku."

    The Japanese middle-aged man, Takaku, frowned deeply and said, "You¡¯re rumored to be a rather polite young man, but it seems I was mistaken."

    "Me? I''m better known by the name ''rascal,'' actually."

    The conversation kept switching back and forth between Japanese and Korean, but it nevertheless continued without a hitch.

    "Hmm... Very unpleasant. Is it your first time hearing my name?" asked Takaku.

    "I''m well aware. Takaku Ryuu. Aren''t you the Chairman of Issai, the biggest corporation in Japan?" Yu-Seong answered.

    "You know that, and you still talk to me in Korean? That¡¯s..." Takaku mumbled.

    "You''re also speaking Japanese even though you know Korean, aren''t you?"

    At Yu-Seong''s firm retort, Takaku''s face turned bright red, and he turned to Woo-Jae. He yelled, "Your son ispletely insane!"

    It was certainly not the kind of thing to say to a father with his son present. Angry, Yu-Seong was about to step in again when¡­

    "What can I do when a son known for being a rascal is acting like one?"

    "...Huh?"

    "Have you ever seen a rascal son listen to his father?" Woo-Jae asked.

    Of course not. If he had been obedient enough to listen to his father, Yu-Seong wouldn''t have been known as a rascal in the first ce. In other words, what Woo-Jae was saying was that he could do nothing to stop Yu-Seong.

    Thus, there was no response.

    "Actually, I quite enjoy being a rascal; this is kinda fun," Yu-Seong remarked with a casual shrug of his shoulders.

 Chapter 250

    <h4>Chapter 250 </h4>

    The atmosphere of the office, which had once been destroyed by Do-Jin and was quickly restored, was heating up. The heat was, of course, emanating from Chairman Takaku, whose face was glowing red with rage.

    Then, with an idea suddenly urring to Yu-Seong, he pped his hands and asked, "I''ve heard that you are also a yer, Chairman. I''m seriously worried about your health. Have you perhaps been to the hospital recently?"

    He was indeed pouring gasoline on the fire.

    The Chairman, unable to continue his tirade, grimaced while clutching the back of his neck with his left hand.

    <i>''If this goes on, that yangban might actually faint...''?</i>

    In truth, there had been no instance of a yer fainting.

    Meanwhile, a middle-aged Japanese man, who had been quietly observing the situation, looked at Woo-Jae with a sharp gaze and said, "A child is a mirror of their parents... Chairman, I wonder if you have other thoughts on that."

    "If I have to share my opinion¡­. I think he''s grown up quite well?" said Woo-Jae in Korean.

    The man frowned as he said coldly, "I don''t speak Korean. Please speak in Japanese."

    "Ah, right. You''re somewhatcking in education," Woo-Jae replied in Japanese as he snickered.

    Noticing that the man¡¯s frown deepened, Woo-Jae said, "Oh, I apologize for my mistake. I meant to say that in Korean. Please understand. Who do you think the son resembles?"

    "..." The man bit his lower lip and clenched his fist as he trembled slightly. His gaze was sharp enough to kill.

    "Enough, enough..." Chairman Takaku eventually raised a hand to intervene. He then asked, "We did not gather here to quarrel, did we?"

    His words, seemingly dering a ceasefire, subtly rxed Woo-Jae''sbative gaze.

    "So, why did you suddenly start a fight despite not being very eloquent? Tsk, tsk," Woo-Jae said.

    Chairman Takaku grasped the back of his neck once again but said nothing further. Recognizing the loss in engaging in this verbal battle, he wisely chose to remain silent. Then, shifting his gaze toward Yu-Seong, hemented, "I''ve heard you''re currently the most admired young yer in South Korea.¡±

    Yu-Seong, wearing a satisfied expression, nodded at the statement made in Korean. He then asked innocently, "Me? Wasn''t I sealed for three years?"

    "Well... I mean, excluding geniuses who''ve already reached world-ss, like Chae Ye-Ryeong and Yoo Jin-Hyuk," Takaku continued.

    Even though the pair¡¯s advancement to EX-rank was not yet public knowledge, these two were already referred to as <i>''world ss</i>''.

    <i>¡®Those kiddos really have grown so much.''?</i>

    The fact that they had be such powerful yers in their early twenties, powerful enough to slightly intimidate the prideful chairman of the top corporation in Japan, filled Yu-Seong with a strange sense of awe.

    "More than that, unlike them, you''re a chaebol, aren''t you?"

    "Does the origin even matter? It is the person who matters," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Family roots are the basis. It''s something you can''t easily change."

    "Is that so..." Yu-Seong partially agreed with Chairman Takaku''s statement. With a shrug, he added, "Rotten roots can''t be changed easily, indeed.¡±

    Chairman Takaku cleared his throat several times, feeling a subtle displeasure in Yu-Seong''s gaze. He asked, "Did your father tell you why I wanted to meet you?"

    "No. I didn''t particrly care..."

    Seemingly not wishing to continue the conversation, Chairman Takaku looked away from Yu-Seong and turned his gaze back to the middle-aged Japanese man.

    After a moment of silence, the man stood from his seat, bowed slightly in Yu-Seong''s direction, and introduced himself. "Nice to meet you. I''m Yamamoto Kyosuke."

    "It''s a pleasure to meet the renowned Nioh," Yu-Seong replied.

    As his opponent had shown some etiquette and admitted hisck of Korean proficiency, Yu-Seong responded in Japanese.

    <i>¡®I think it''s only appropriate to give a firm response to Chairman Takaku, since we started off on the wrong foot in the first ce¡­¡¯</i>

    At first, when Yu-Seong first entered the office, he hadn¡¯t noticed much. However, upon a closer look, he didn¡¯t struggle to recognize Chairman Takaku and the famous pride of Japan, Nioh. Why had theye here? The question naturally led to the fact that the young man apanying them both seemed to be of the same age as Yu-Seong.

    To be honest, Yu-Seong really had no idea who the young man was.

    <i>''Could he be a new figure who has emerged over thest three years?''?</i>

    Nioh, seeming to have sensed Yu-Seong''s questioning gaze, gave a nod to the young man.

    Despite the somewhat confusing situation, the young man, who had maintained an unchanging expression and firmly held his ground this entire time, stood up from his seat and said, "I am Takeda Yu-Shin, a disciple serving under Master Yamamoto Kyosuke.¡±

    Finally understanding that the young man was Nioh¡¯s disciple, Yu-Seong''s eyes widened.

    <i>''Ah,e to think of it, he was mentioned in the original novel but with not much detail.¡¯</i>

    He was introduced as a young genius from Japan, and he was expected to surpass Nioh and be a rising star in Asia.

    "I''m Choi Yu-Seong."

    After brief introductions were exchanged, Takeda Yu-Shin took his seat again. He spoke of embarking on his ninja journey, which perhaps exined the palpable weight of the way he carried himself.

    "Yu-Shin and you are of the same age."

    "Is that so? Is he 22? Or rather, 25?" Yu-Seong inquired, taking into ount the three years of being sealed which would make him 25.

    "If we consider Korean age... However, in Japan, he would be 23. So, if it''s alright to you, I arranged this meeting to foster a connection between you and Yu-Shin, and also to propose a friendly duel," Nioh said.

    "I see."

    Afterward, the silent Chairman Takaku stepped in to say, "Yu-Shin is currently the most prominent talent in our country. If you have a friendly duel with him, it would be a huge event.¡±

    "So what do you n to do?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "We want to broadcast it. It''s not going to be a regr or repeated event, but you have a NewTube channel, right?"

    "So you want to broadcast the duel live?"

    "I''ve heard that you even have a filming crew."

    After Yu-Seong''s disappearance, it was said that Park Jin-Hwan and Kim Jin-Young, the two reporters, had been anxiously waiting for his return.

    Listening to the man¡¯s statement, Yu-Seong could clearly read Chairman Takaku''s intentions. Chairman Takaku would grant him the rights to filming and broadcasting, as long as he agreed to a live broadcast of the duel between the two. Implicit in the Chairman¡¯s words was a clear message.

    <i>''So you are confident enough, huh?''?</i>

    In fact, it made sense. Takeda Yu-Shin, the yer, was hailed as a young genius of Japan. After all, he had already reached the rank of S at the age of 23. Although he might not have reached the level of Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong, he undeniably possessed remarkable talent.

    <i>''And recently, the status of Korean yers has risen quite a lot.''?</i>

    This was unsurprising with the sessive rise of super rookies like Do-Jin, Yu-Seong, Ye-Ryeong, Jin-Hyuk, and even Bernard who was activelypeting in the United States as a proud Korean.

    Naturally, being a neighboring country, Japan couldn''t avoid beingpared, and the nation sought a hero to uphold its pride. And who better to fulfill that role than Takeda Yu-Shin himself.

    <i>''It seems that I have been chosen as the opponent.''?</i>

    Upon reflection, the reason was almostughable.

    <i>''A former genius from a South Korean conglomerate family.''?</i>

    Moreover, Yu-Seong was popr enough to create a significant buzz. This was a superficial reason that could be easily spected, and as for the most important reason¡­

    <i>''Because I am the easiest to beat.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong had technically been on a three-year hiatus. Inparison, dealing with externally renowned SS-ranked yers like Ye-Ryeong, Jin-Hyuk, Bernard, and the others would prove to be a daunting challenge. Furthermore, Do-Jin was recently reported missing. Hence, the Japanese opted for Yu-Seong, who had recently reappeared. Although there might have been some criticism from around, winning could help them win their pride back.

    <i>''It''s a pretty sharp calction, but...''?</i>

    They had picked the wrong opponent. Perhaps having the same thought, Woo-Jae¡¯s lips soon curved up into a smile as he asked, "So you''re saying that you''ll give us all the filming and broadcasting rights in return for a public duel?"

    "Yes, since we are the ones asking for a favor here," Chairman Takaku said with a snake-like smile.

    Woo-Jae casually nodded in response. He said, "It''s not a bad proposal.¡±

    There was no chance of him losing, which was why Woo-Jae wouldn''t simply let an opportunity like this slip away. Yu-Seong firmly believed that was the reason why.

    "However, just doing the duel itself would be boring, so how about we ce a bet between us?" Woo-Jae asked.

    "A bet?"

    After a brief look of contemtion crossed Chairman Takaku''s eyes, he asked, "How much are we betting?"

    Indeed, it was a confrontation between two chaebol chairmen. It was nonsensical to wager a small amount.

    "10 billion dors."

    "...What?"

    The suggested amount was over 10 trillion won in Korean currency, and Chairman Takaku''s official personal assets amounted to around 60 trillion won. Subtracting 10 trillion from that would inevitably cause him to feel a burden. It was as if a chunk of his assets would be shaved off.

    "Why? Are you scared?" Woo-Jae asked.

    "Hmm..."

    "If you feel burdened by the amount, let''s make a deal. Along with one billion dors¡­ I am aware that you have investments in several businesses within the North American region."

    "...And?"

    "Give me five of the businesses of my choosing."

    "Isn''t that too much?"

    Any business which had secretly been invested in by Chairman Takaku, a conglomerate leader, would most likely have a significantly higher future value. Besides, Woo-Jae''s proposal made the Chairman wonder if there was something he was missing, leading him to feel a chill of doubt.

    "Isn''t it better than betting 10 billion dors right away?"

    "Hmm..."

    "If you''re scared, don''t do it. After all, we have nothing to lose.¡±

    Woo-Jae had no intention of letting go of his advantage in this situation.

    <i>¡®Is this what they refer to as an unseennd grab?¡¯</i>

    It was a battle among the conglomerates. There were no guns or swords, but someone would inevitably have to bleed. Observing this situation, Yu-Seong had this bizarre scene in his mind.

    "If I lose, there''s no need for resentment, right? I''ll dly give you 10 billion dors," Woo-Jae dered, releasing the final arrow he had prepared to seal the deal.

    "...What?"

    "If you''re still scared, there''s nothing I can do."

    At this point, from a rational point of view, Chairman Takaku was well aware that Woo-Jae''s disy of confidence was not without reason. Nevertheless, the lure of the prey unting its tail before him was too tempting¡ªa staggering 10 billion dors and the chance to forge a Japanese hero. If Chairman Takaku sessfullypleted this deal and returned to his homnd, the status of the entire corporation would rise, and it was needless to say that additional ie would be significantly generated.

    Moreover, wasn''t Yu-Seong, the chosen opponent, who had been missing for the past three years? Chairman Takaku''s gaze turned toward Nioh, Kyosuke.

    Kyosuke nodded, his expression calm and his arms crossed, indicating he had confidence.

    After deep contemtion, Chairman Takaku nodded his head in agreement. "...Alright."

    Once decided, Woo-Jae did not drag the conversation out. He said firmly, "Let''s write the contract now. When should we set the date?"

    "We''re ready anytime."

    "Let''s schedule it for two weeks from now," interjected Yu-Seong, who had been silently listening.

    In reality, it wouldn''t matter if they fought right away. The need for time was for one reason only.

    "We should have that much time to advertise and make more profits in various ways."

    "We have to allow betting within legal limits since it''s going to be a celebrated event."

    The conversation between the father and son continued before Chairman Takaku, who had been watching them, said, "Then we will take our leave now. Please send the contract by email."

    Since all profits from video broadcasting and betting had been transferred to the Comet Group, there was no room for Chairman Takaku to intervene.

    ¡°Take care.¡± Woo-Jae gently waved his hand.

    Just as the three were about to rise from their seats to depart, Takeda Yu-Shin, who had been observing Yu-Seong, said, "I will win."

    He tried his best to remain calm, but there seemed to be an angry undercurrent, likely a result of witnessing the disrespect shown toward his esteemed Chairman Takaku and Kyosuke.

    Taking in the young man¡¯s demeanor, Yu-Seong nodded his head in response. "Good luck."

    With a frown on his face, Takeda Yu-Shin and the other two Japanese men exited the office.

 Chapter 251

    <h4>Chapter 251 </h4>

    Finally, only Yu-Seong and Woo-Jae were left in the office. At that moment, Yu-Seong posed the most important question. He asked, "Since I joined the game, what''s my share?"

    "Hmm," Woo-Jae responded, a twisted smile forming on his lips.

    After a grunt, he said, "I''m the one who arranged the deal. Just take the broadcasting andpetition fees. They should fill your pockets quite nicely."

    "But it wouldn''t have been easy without my provocation, would it?"

    "I''llmend you for shaking the opponent emotionally."

    "Give me half."

    "No. Where did you learn such a crooked...thief''s mindset¡­?"

    "I learned it from you, Father. Didn''t you negotiate like that just now?"

    "I''ve never done that."

    "Alright. I''ll give up on the cash. Instead, allow me to choose three businesses."

    "Impossible!"

    For some reason, Woo-Jae made that exmation with a joyous smile on his face.

    With a simr smile on his own face, Yu-Seong firmly said, "Then, two businesses and 300 million dors."

    ¡°Do you know the saying, ''six of one, half a dozen of the other¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Alright. One business and 200 million dors. But, I should have priority when choosing the business. I won''t yield on this."

    "Hmm..." Woo-Jae let out a short groan, crossed his arms, and showed a contemtive expression.

    Finally, showing a grin on his face, he said firmly, "Let''s draft a contract. Even in financial transactions between a father and son, rity is crucial."

    "That''s exactly what I want as well."

    And so, two contracts were quickly signed.

    ***

    Upon returning home, Yu-Seong asked Yu-Ri and the Hidden Team to investigatepanies in the US that had been invested in by the Issai Group or under Chairman Takaku''s name.

    <i>''If my memory serves me correctly...''?</i>

    Vision Technology was the ce where a brilliant scientist, soon to develop the artificial Awakening Stone and astonish the world, belonged. Among the entities set to gain substantial profits as the primary investor was Issai Group, and this was a detail that Yu-Seong had recalled from the original novel.

    <i>''The future has changed a lot, but thankfully, the artificial Awakening Stone has not been developed yet. Thus, thepany might not seem valuable at this time...''?</i>

    In fact, Vision Technology was a truly promisingpany with a substantial core. From the beginning, Yu-Seong had this fact in mind when negotiating with Woo-Jae, so he naturally had a clear goal in mind.

    And the next day, when Yu-Seong learned that the thirdrgest investor in Vision Technology was currently Chairman Takaku of the Issai Group, he immediately broke into a bright smile.

    <i>¡®Indeed, while I am currently the thirdrgest investor, if I generate some profit from my personal assets and take this gamble, there''s a chance I could be thergest shareholder, couldn''t I?¡¯</i>

    This was only possible because no one was valuing thepany highly just yet.

    <i>''I can''t miss this.''?</i>

    Finally, an opportunity hade. The more money one had, the better.

    <i>''I can track down the Demon King Worshipers, as well as increase my forces.''?</i>

    Wasn''t this the most significant realization Yu-Seong recently had while living in this society?

    As he spent the afternoon seated in a chair on his mansion¡¯s front yard, contemting Vision Technology, which would soon be under his control, and secretly brimming with anticipation, a guest arrived at his front door.

    "Kim Do-Jin?"

    As soon as Yu-Seong, who had sensed something, called out his name, Do-Jin responded from the front entrance, "Can Ie in?"

    "Don''t be formal, it is so unlike you. Come in."

    Slowly opening the door, Do-Jin walked into the mansion.

    "Your expression has changed a lot."

    "Has it?"

    "Yeah. It''s brighter. You look good."

    "...Maybe." Do-Jin, who awkwardly acknowledged that change in him, narrowed his eyes. He thenmented, "You''ve changed a lot too."

    "Really?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "You¡¯re usually immersed in training around this time, or you¡¯d be in a dungeon."

    Do-Jin¡¯s observation was not wrong. If it had been Yu-Seong from three years ago, he wouldn''t have taken a break even at this very moment, since he would be striving relentlessly for even the slightest growth.

    "Now, I''m not at a stage where I can grow from that..."

    "How about the Tower of Heaven?"

    "It''s the same over there. Anyway, this is a good time to take a decent rest, right?"

    "I¡¯m finding this change hard to understand. What on earth happened during the past three years?"

    Curiosity red in Do-Jin''s eyes, especially since he had directly experienced Yu-Seong''s abnormal growth.

    "I trained really hard. It''s annoying to repeat the story that I''ve already talked about until my mouth hurts, but since it''s you, I''ll tell you the story. Sit down first."

    As Yu-Seong pointed to a chair on the opposite side, Do-Jin nodded and sat down. Yu-Seong''s exnation that followed was quite long, and Do-Jin, maintaining silence, asionally nodded and listened carefully.

    "Your masters..."

    "I''ve had that question many times, but I can''t see them now."

    "No, I mean, what''s their connection with Eveheim?"

    "...seems like I¡¯ve misunderstood you."

    "I''ve heard the story several times while I was brainwashed by him. Green, Gabriel, Bak Ok-Rye... The transcendent beings, am I right?" Do-Jin asked.

    "Correct," acknowledged Yu-Seong, who did not vehemently deny it.

    "He seemed quite scared of the three. But you are saying that you became their disciple."

    "Correct."

    Do-Jin, who came closer than others to the core of the story, nodded and asked, "I''m going to ask you two things. Can you answer honestly?"

    "Sure."

    "First, how strong are you now?"

    "...That''s a tough question to answer honestly. Maybe, incredibly?"

    "Weren''t you also not at your best when fighting with me?" Do-Jin inquired.

    "If I had to give an estimation..." Yu-Seong narrowed his eyes and spread out five fingers. He said, "Half. In other words, about 50 percent."

    In reality, it could have been just 30 percent. However, noticing Do-Jin''s oddly distressed expression, Yu-Seong deliberately exaggerated the figure.

    "Didn''t we agree not to lie?"

    "Did you catch on?"

    "I''ve experienced Eveheim. If he¡¯s worried about them, then I should expect that you are far ahead."

    "Haha..."

    "Should I consider it about 30 percent?" Do-Jin said.

    "Roughly."

    "If the three masters are unavable, wouldn''t it be alright if you teach me?" Do-Jin said.

    "...What?" Yu-Seong''s eyes naturally widened at the unbelievable statement that hade from the prideful Do-Jin.

    "Don''t get me wrong. I''m not admitting that I¡¯ve lost to you. If we learn the same thing, of course, I would be stronger. For an experiment..."

    "You don''t need to beat around the bush with your excuses. Anyway, okay."

    "...Really?"

    "There''s nothing so great about it. In fact, Master Green said something about this before."

    In fact, there should be a total of seven transcendent beings. Among them, there were currently four vacancies. Yu-Seong thought it wasn''t a bad idea for Do-Jin to fill one of those spots.

    "Thank you."

    "No need for thanks."

    "I mean, I''m grateful in many ways. Even about my mother..."

    "That is something my father should take credit for.¡±

    "Choi Woo-Jae?"

    "Yes. As soon as he found out your identity, he started an investigation. And he also spent a lot of money for her treatment."

    "..."

    Deep conflict shed across Do-Jin''s eyes. He felt conflicting feelings of hatred and gratitude for Woo-Jae. Yu-Seong patiently waited for him to sort out his emotions. After all, this wasn''t something that could be resolved merely by telling him to do so.

    "Let me move on to the second question. You once mentioned that this world is a story from a novel."

    "Let''s get the statement right. I said I have memories of reading a novel with the same settings and characters. And you didn''t believe it."

    "Can you tell me the details of the story?"

    "So you''re finally ready to hear the story." Yu-Seong let out a shortugh before beginning to tell the long story again.

    The conversation that had started in the afternoon continued without a break until it was already sunset. Like before, Do-Jin, after silently listening to the story, closed his eyes and deeply furrowed his brows.

    He muttered, "...Honestly, I don''t want to believe your words."

    "It isn¡¯t the most pleasant thing to believe, I guess.¡±

    Imagine that someone suddenly approached to reveal that you were actually a character from a novel, and not just any character, but the protagonist. In reality, there would be only a few who would take such news positively. It would feel like you had be a puppet moving on threads, like a Marite, ording to a predetermined destiny. How would Do-Jin ept this fact?

    <i>''Helen said that was also fate.''?</i>

    After learning some secrets of the universe from Gabriel, Yu-Seong had made the decision to believe in the existence of both worlds as true. Specifically, he hade to believe that the Yu-Seong existing in both worlds had always indeed been himself.

    <i>''Should I try to persuade him?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was being cautious in case Do-Jin''s mental state could be shaken.

    "It doesn''t matter. If there''s something like fate, all I need to do is ovee it."

    At Do-Jin''s calm and very characteristic words, Yu-Seong involuntarily burst outughing. "Puhahaha!"

    "Why are youughing?"

    "Well, it''s very like you... And you sound like you have Middle School Syndrome."

    "...Middle School Syndrome?" Do-Jin''s face suddenly turned red as he thought about the meaning of the phrase.

    "You''ve changed many fates with that mindset, haven''t you?"

    "Rather than that... I just didn''t want to be unhappy ording to predetermined fate. Most of all, I haven¡¯t said out loud that ''I''ll ovee the fate...'' with such a strict, solemn, and serious expression like you have."

    Do-Jin''s face became even redder at Yu-Seong''s words, which were delivered in a deliberately lowered voice.

    "...I''ll kill you. Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Unfortunately, that is an impossible task with your current skill."

    "I''ll assassinate you."

    "Oh, I''ll cheer for you."

    Do-Jin clenched his fist as he was at a loss for words due to Yu-Seong''s excessively mischievous attitude. He growled, "Let''s see if you can still say that on the day training ends.¡±

    "Try hard. I won''t be standing still either."

    After shooting another re at Yu-Seong, who shrugged his shoulders with augh, Do-Jin¡¯s gaze finally calmed down. His expression, which had been unknowingly joyful to the point of showing a smile, also returned to a more neutral one.

    "So... Was there anything else in the novel you read?"

    "What?"

    "Perhaps about my real enemy?"

    mes zed in Do-Jin''s eyes, a reflection of the darkness that still lingered within him despite his newfound glimpse of light.

    "You''ve already heard some of the truth from my father, haven''t you?"

    "...That was true?"

    For Do-Jin, it was hard to believe Woo-Jae. However, he could trust Yu-Seong. Considering the father-son rtionship between the two, it was rather peculiar for Do-Jin to ask Yu-Seong such a question.

    <i>''I understand him. There isn¡¯t the luxury of time for him to be troubled by such thoughts.''?</i>

    Therefore, Yu-Seong decided to answer confidently.

    "That''s right. The one who killed your father is not mine."

    In fact, this detail did not appear in the original novel. Therefore, initially, Yu-Seong had also been confused about how to solve this problem. However, now he knew the truth.

    <i>¡®Since Master Gabriel told me.''?</i>

    The excessive intervention of Eveheim in the world had always been a subject that greatly diforted the transcendent beings. Therefore, they couldn''t possibly have been unaware of the truth.

    "So really...."

    "Yes. Eveheim. He''s the one who killed your father. He also killed my mother."

    Do-Jin smiled bitterly, then he sighed deeply and nodded his head. He said, "Without knowing the full truth, we¡¯ve been pointing swords at each other. But we actually share amon enemy.¡±

    Finally, the gears that had been twisted began to move in the right direction.

    1. ¡¯?2?¡¯ is a term used in Japan and Korea to describe the distinctive behaviors disyed by certain adolescents. It epasses indulging in grandiose fantasies, believing in possessing special powers, and exhibiting an inted sense of self-importance

 Chapter 252

    <h4>Chapter 252 </h4>

    "Hold on, let''s get one thing straight. Technically, you were the only one pointing the sword. I was scared to death at first," Yu-Seong confessed.

    At this, Do-Jin avoided his gaze and awkwardly coughed. He said, "...I never seriously intended to kill you.¡±

    "Even after threatening to kill me just a moment ago?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "That was the first time."

    "You have no conscience."

    Yu-Seong chuckled and was about to click his tongue when he felt a vibration on the desk. He picked up his phone, and his eyes lit up. "Helen?"

    - The Time Spell Zone has beenpletely created.

    There was no need to ask what that meant. In fact, Helen had already exined to Yu-Seong what she was researching: <i>''The training room that simultaneously amplifies mana and expands time.''?</i>

    However, the research had concluded much faster than Yu-Seong had expected.

    "It seems the Philosopher''s Stone did its job quite well," Yu-Seong said.

    - Yes, it''s all thanks to you. Now, one month''s time can be expanded to five years.

    "Wow!" Yu-Seong couldn''t help but exim in admiration.

    While somewhat inferior to the time expansion technique of his mentor, Gabriel, it still boasted impressive efficiency.

    "That''s incredible, Helen. You''ve made the discovery of the century."

    - But there are still some problems.

    "Even so, it''s a great achievement. What''s the problem?"

    - Only two people can enter at a time. And I suspect that the maximum usage time is around three months. I''m not sure what might happen if you stay longer.

    "Oh... So the maximum training efficiency is about fifteen years," Yu-Seong replied.

    Even so, it was a tremendous aplishment. Reflecting on the growth of his colleagues over the past three years in his absence, it became clear that this would be an enormous catalyst for their growth.

    Naturally, Yu-Seong''s gazended on Do-Jin, who was listening in on the phone call with an excited look.

    "Ah, Helen. Have you decided who will be the first to enter the Time Spell Zone?" Yu-Seong asked.

    - First, Bernard Yoo and Rachel are scheduled to go in tomorrow...

    Helen seemed to have decided to stay outside, being the developer, just in case.

    <i>''Bernard Yoo and Rachel, huh...''?</i>

    Indeed, it was certainly an excellent pair. However, right next to Yu-Seong was someone with even greater potential.

    "I''m sorry, but could we change the order?" asked Yu-Seong.

    - Eh? You''re not thinking of going in, are you?

    "No, it''s someone else."

    - Someone else... Could it be...?

    "Right, Kim Do-Jin has returned," Yu-Seong responded.

    Across the line, a brief silence followed before Helen chuckled wryly.

    - Certainly, he would be better than Rachel, that malicious woman. Do you think you can make it by 6 am tomorrow, our time?

    "Of course."

    After all, with a few teleportation spells, they could reach America in no time.

    - Alright. See you tomorrow then. Pass on the message to Kim Do-Jin as well.

    After the call ended, Do-Jin said to Yu-Seong, "It would have been better if we went in together.¡±

    "The Time Spell Zone?"

    "Since you did promise to help me, after all."

    "Right. But, do I really need to be right beside you to teach you?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "I do need you to be right beside me," Do-Jin answered.

    "Why is that?"

    "Well, of course..."

    "Don''t tell me you''re going to forget everything I''ve taught you so soon?" Yu-Seong asked, eyes wide in surprise.

    Do-Jin, who had momentarily closed his mouth at Yu-Seong¡¯s question, sighed before continuing, "It''s not that... What if I encounter a problem or have any difficulties?"

    "Anyway, there is no definitive answer. We''re different people, after all."

    "Hmm..."

    "In the first ce, what I can teach you is basically limited to the Beast King''s Instinct and my knowledge of magic."

    Ultimately, Do-Jin was a swordsman, and Yu-Seong was a spearman. From the start, the weapon techniques they could learn from each other were bound to be limited. Hence, Yu-Seong imparted the Beast King''s Instinct that wasn''t influenced by the weapon.

    <i>¡®Master Bak Ok-Rye suggested that I would learn more quickly through experiencing strikes, taking into ount myck of naturalbat talent. But¡­¡¯</i>

    Wouldn''t Do-Jin learn faster if Yu-Seong just taught him the principles? After all, Do-Jin''sbat talent was on a monstrous level. The same applied to his magic knowledge.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin himself is already a formidable mage, after all.''</i>

    Yu-Seong merely would have to share some of the transcendent knowledge and wisdom of Green.

    <i>''And then, what¡¯s left is the Time Adjustment I learned from Master Gabriel...''?</i>

    No matter how much of a genius Do-Jin was, it was not something he could learn in just 15 years. It was probably better for Do-Jin to find his own path.

    Convinced by this argument, Do-Jin finally nodded in agreement. He said, "So, in the end, it''s up to me to figure it out.¡±

    "That''s right. Unlike me, you''ve already established a solid foundation. Great, let''s meet upter. I''ll prepare the secret manual in the meantime," Yu-Seong said.

    "Okay. And when Ie back in three months..."

    "I didn¡¯t forget. Let''s finish everything."

    The same name crossed both their minds.

    "I appreciate it, Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Don¡¯t mention it. See youter." Yu-Seong chuckled, shrugged his shoulders, and stood up from his seat to head inside the house.

    In fact, the content was quite extensive and time was of the essence. And about 16 hourster, after seeing Do-Jin off into the Time Spell Zone, Yu-Seong returned to Korea and looked at his watch.

    <i>''Three months, huh...''?</i>

    What would Do-Jin look like when he returned?

    <i>''He will be impressive. After all, he¡¯s the protagonist of the original novel.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but look forward to it.

    ***

    As Yu-Seong awaited Do-Jin''s return, time seemed to fly by. Before he knew it, the day of the live broadcast duel between Takeda Yu-Shin, Japan''s top prospect, and Korea''s rising star, Yu-Seong, had finally arrived.

    This too was an event that Yu-Seong had been anticipating.

    <i>''If I win this, my wealth will skyrocket.''?</i>

    However, he wasn¡¯t the only one. Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young, dedicated reporters for Yu-Seong''s NewTube channel, had also been eagerly awaiting this day.

    "How long has it been since west filmed you, sir?"

    "You still look remarkable as always."

    To their words, Yu-Seong greeted them with a weing smile. He said, "I look forward to working with you today.¡±

    Although this reunion after three years held some awkwardness, both of the reporters reacted as professionals.

    "Of course. We will capture your amazing appearance," Jin-Young replied with a vibrant voice.

    Jin-Hwan also nodded. However, with a faint concern hidden in his eyes, he asked, "Are you really okay?"

    Unable to hold back his emotion, he had to ask Yu-Seong that question.

    Yu-Seong tilted his head in response and asked, "What do you mean¡­ Ah, you''re talking about the duel?"

    "Yes. After all, you''ve had a three-year hiatus."

    It was a widely known fact that Takeda Yu-Shin was an S-rank yer. On the other hand, Yu-Seong was publicly known as an A-rank, albeit with rumors suggesting he had skillsparable to S-rank.

    "Those guys will deeply regret it. They have no idea who hyung is, yet they dared to challenge him to a fight."

    The person who answered Jin-Hwan''s question was Jin-Hyuk, who hade to the shooting location with Yu-Seong.

    Wearing dark sunsses, a deep cap, and even a mask, Jin-Hyuk was now being hailed as one of the strongest forces in Korea and was enjoying immense poprity. Thus, this get up wasn''t an unexpected sight.

    "Is it really to that extent?"

    "Absolutely. My brother is much stronger than both me and that shortie!" Jin-Hyuk said.

    At Jin-Hyuk''s boastful words, both Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young widened their eyes.

    "What?"

    Could that even be possible? During Yu-Seong''s three-year hiatus, Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young had filmed more videos with Jin-Hyuk and Ye-Ryeong than anyone else. Naturally, they had seen the pair evolve into the strongest yers in Korea. Therefore, it was hard for them to believe that Yu-Seong, who had taken a three-year hiatus, could be stronger than the duo known as the strongest couple.

    Finally, Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young blinked at each other and settled on a shared thought.

    <i>''Jin-Hyuk probably said that out of admiration for boss.¡¯</i>

    It was a statement that seemed to be heavily, if not overly, embellished. However, it was also true that seeing Yu-Seong''s reliable presence, much like it was three years ago, reassured them greatly.

    "On the inte and in the media, many people are predicting your defeat, sir. We hope that you prove them wrong this time."

    "Losing to Japan in such a game is uneptable."

    Yu-Seong nodded at their words of encouragement.

    "Of course."

    "I bet 10 billion won on you, hyung," Jin-Hyuk said.

    "You made that much money?" Yu-Seong asked.

    "Hehe... If it''s for Hyung, I can give it all. It''s my entire fortune."

    "..."

    Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel strange at Jin-Hyuk''s nervousughter.

    <i>''Of course, I''ll obviously win, but...''?</i>

    The audacity to bet that much money was still quite remarkable.

    "Tsk, you little brat." Yu-Seong affectionately stroked Jin-Hyuk''s head, and they shared a smile before continuing their brief conversation.

    Just then, everything was ready at the private arena they had prepared for filming. Simultaneously, a luxury Japanese car appeared as if the protagonist had arrived, and three people got out.

    <i>''Chairman Takaku, Nioh Yamamoto Kyosuke, and Takeda Yu-Shin.''?</i>

    They entered with confident expressions and nced at Yu-Seong before heading to their waiting area to prepare.

    "They seem unpleasant. Are they ring at hyung? Maybe I should poke their eyes out after the match?"

    At Jin-Hyuk''s words, which sounded too serious to be a joke, Yu-Seong stiffened his expression. He murmured, "Who told you to say such a scary thing?"

    "Ah, what? Uh... I''m sorry."

    "I appreciate your concern, but I''d rather not have you be a criminal or a viin."

    Now, if Jin-Hyuk took the wrong path, he could really be a Catastrophe rank viin.

    "Of course!"

    Although he seemed a bit dejected, Jin-Hyuk quickly perked up again. Looking at him, Yu-Seong unknowingly broke into a broad smile.

    "It¡¯s ready over there," one of the filming staff ran over and reported to Yu-Seong.

    "I''m ready too."

    In fact, all Yu-Seong needed to do was put on some protective gear, so there wasn''t much preparation required.

    Then, exactly 30 minutester, at the scheduled broadcast time, the lights on the camera turned on, and a worldwide live broadcast began. At that moment, the number of viewers skyrocketed.

    Upon seeing the number, Jin-Young couldn''t help but express his astonishment. "It''s already over 100,000?"

    "What? The broadcast hasn''t even been on for a minute yet!"

    Despite being a long-awaited Korea-Japan yers match and a battle for national pride, the rate at which the numbers were increasing was tremendous.

    <i>''Over 1 million.''</i>

    The event unfolded less than three minutes after the broadcast started on a stage thatcked grand introductions or shy preparations.

    <i>''Really astounding.¡¯</i>

    Jin-Hwan unknowingly marveled inwardly as both yers began their entrance.

    ***

    Truthfully, it wasn''t a show prepared with grandeur.

    <i>''Also, considering contingencies, we didn''t even ept general audience members.''?</i>

    From Yu-Seong''s perspective, he was naturally heading toward an effortless victory.

    <i>''I''ve even bet on myself.''?</i>

    Already envisioning the sweet taste of increasing wealth, Yu-Seong entered the arena.

    Simultaneously, Takeda Yu-Shin, who had also entered from the other side,mented with a sharp glint in his eyes. "What a shabbier stage than expected."

    "Why? You don''t like it?"

    "I did expect more, being that you''re from Korea''s top conglomerate family."

    "That''s my father, not me. Besides, I consider even such a stage to be excessive." Yu-Seong chuckled and shrugged his shoulders.

    "What?"

    "You know. The main event willst barely a minute, don''t you think?"

    In response to Yu-Seong''s taunt, Takeda Yu-Shin, infuriated enough to have a vein pulsating on his forehead, let out a coldugh. He threatened, "I will kill you, you insolent fool."

    "Good luck. It will still be tough though."

    As their mutual mind games ended, the actual match began with a powerful whistle. Then, Takeda Yu-Shin explosively approached Yu-Seong at an incredible speed.

    "Die!"

    The Bokken he had drawn from his robe shone a sharp silver, seemingly aiming to slice Yu-Seong''s shoulder. However, Takeda Yu-Shin''s offensive ended there.

    <i>Thwack-!?</i>

    With a dull thud, his once sharp nose broke into a mess, and a few teeth flew into the air, glittering under the dazzling lights. His body, not obeying hismands, simply toppled backward.

    <i>''What happened?''?</i>

    Watching the somewhat discordant scene, Yu-Seong''s voice rang out toward Takeda Yu-Shin who was falling backward.

    "Well, it seems luck wasn''t on your side. You worked hard, my promising friend from Japan."

 Chapter 253

    <h4>Chapter 253 </h4>

    Having achieved S-rank in a short period of time, Takeda Yu-Shin had boasted that he would be the leader of the next generation of Japanese yers. However, he copsed at a single strike from Yu-Seong. Neither those who watched the scene with their own eyes nor those who saw it through the cameras for the broadcast could believe it. They all had the same question.

    "What did I just see?" Chairman Takaku posed the question.

    However, Nioh Kyosuke, the master who had personally trained Takeda Yu-Shin, found himself unable to provide an answer. He had no choice but to be silent because the match had ended in a split second.

    Even more perplexing was the fact that everyone had clearly witnessed Yu-Seong''s attack during this confrontation. In other words, his movements were not so swift or shy that even ordinary people, not just the yers, could clearly see how Yu-Seong moved.

    Rather, the drones equipped with special cameras for capturing the yers'' actions had, in fact, missed the movements of Takeda Yu-Shin. His movements appeared to linger like an afterimage, while Yu-Seong stood there, seemingly dazed, before calmlyunching a straight punch.

    It didn''t make sense, but absurdly, the situation ended with Takeda Yu-Shin, who was hit by that slow punch, spinning about five times in mid-air and dropping onto the floor with a thud.

    To the eyes of ordinary people, the current situation appeared as if Takeda Yu-Shin had rushed toward Yu-Seong at a mad speed, only to self-destruct on Yu-Seong''s fist.

    Chairman Takaku''s expression hardened as he requested a camera review, suspecting the presence of an unforeseen trap or overlooked movement. However, ultimately, nothing changed.

    "...By any chance, are you performing some sort of act with Takeda Yu-Shin to defect to Korea?" asked Takaku.

    "You know very well that we would never," Kyosuke replied, scrunching up his face in response to Chairman Takaku''s question.

    "But how could the fight end like this?" Chairman Takaku asked sharply before his gaze shifted toward Yu-Seong.

    Afternding that single light blow that brought down Takeda Yu-Shin, Yu-Seong strolled out of the ring, sat on a chair, andfortably watched the live chat of the NewTube broadcast. He wore a smile the entire time.

    Enraged, Chairman Takaku clenched his fist and nced at his phone, which was ringing in real time. The government in power was in aplete mess.

    <i>''I must somehow salvage this situation.''?</i>

    It wasn''t merely a matter of losing a simple bet with Woo-Jae. Returning to Japan in such a state would not be favorable. Chairman Takaku had traveled all the way to Korea and provoked a confrontation with the intention of elevating the honor of his nation. However, instead, he had aplete downfall and criticism would cling to him like an indelible price tag for the remainder of his life

    Naturally, Chairman Takaku''s gaze turned toward Kyosuke. He then asked, "Could you exin what just happened?"

    "My best assumption is that Yu-Shin was caught off guard..." Kyosuke replied.

    "You misunderstood my question. Could you have avoided the same situation?"

    Kyosuke''s eyes sharpened at Chairman Takaku¡¯s question. "Chairman, if I understand correctly..."

    "Given how things have turned out, doesn''t someone need to rectify the situation?"

    Kyosuke was a source of pride for Japan and the proud master of Takeda Yu-Shin. It wouldn¡¯t be the best decision in many aspects, not to mention, from Kyosuke¡¯s perspective, it wouldn¡¯t be worth it.

    After all, if Japan''s top yer defeated the rising star of Korea, it would just portray him as a small-minded individual who couldn''t control his emotions in a fair fight, intervening solely to get revenge for his disciple. Furthermore, if he were to lose, it would undeniably mark his downfall.

    In recent times, he had managed to reach the previously deemed unreachable SS rank, a milestone he had considered unattainable and openly dered as such. As a result, the reputation of the current Nioh within Japan soared. Carrying that prestigious title, what would happen if the best yer from Japan were to be defeated, not by the Korean Sword Master, but by Yu-Seong, who was merely a promising star?

    <i>''That¡¯s ridiculous.''?</i>

    Such a thing could never happen. Kyosuke, who erased the worst assumption that popped up in his mind, looked at Chairman Takaku.

    "For the sake of our homnd," said Takaku firmly.

    At his solemn words, Kyosuke couldn''t help butugh inwardly.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s simply a desperate struggle for his own survival¡­¡¯</i>

    Takaku himself was the one who orchestrated this show within Japan and engaged in negotiations with politicians. Although Takaku presented a superficial pretext of serving the nation, the primary motive behind involving Kyosuke was for his own protection.

    "...Understood," Kyosuke, rather than making a long speech, lightly replied and nodded.

    "I''ll speak with Choi Yu-Seong. You can go and prepare."

    Kyosuke didn''t respond. Instead, he turned his back on Chairman Takaku to check on his disciple''s condition.

    <i>''At least I need to ascertain exactly how he was defeated.''?</i>

    His disciple, Takeda Yu-Shin, was quite a robust man, so it was hard to simply believe he had been caught off guard.

    If Kyosuke was not aware, he would face defeat. He didn''t underestimate his opponent just because he was a promising yer.

    ***

    When the scheduled main event ended too disappointingly, the chat section of the New Tube broadcast ignited for a different reason.

    While that was going on, Chairman Takaku approached Yu-Seong with a proposal for a second match; Yu-Seong¡¯s response was very simple.

    "10 billion dors."

    "...What?"

    For a moment, Yu-Seong''s face ovepped with Woo-Jae''s in Chairman Takaku''s eyes.

    "Why should I fight for free?"

    "But..."

    "Then let''s forget about it. Even if I stop at this point, I only have things to gain."

    With a cunning grin, Yu-Seong managed to provoke Chairman Takaku. He left the man gritting his teeth in frustration inwardly.

    "Fine. 10 billion dors. If you lose, you''re responsible for it," Takaku said with a nod.

    "That''s obvious. Shall we start with the contract?" asked Yu-Seong.

    "You don''t trust me?"

    "Is trust important when money is involved?"

    Again, Chairman Takaku ground his teeth.

    <i>¡®He appears to be just a kid¡­ but he truly takes after his father.¡¯</i>

    Just like when he had initially refused Woo-Jae''s proposal, Chairman Takaku couldn''t ignore the fact that 10 billion dors was an enormous sum of money. The stakes were high, and he couldn''t afford to back down any further.

    <i>''At this point, it¡¯s do or die.''?</i>

    The opponent was not just anyone; it was Kyosuke, the best yer in Japan. In fact, there was no one else more trustworthy than him. With this in mind, a new contract was drafted, and Woo-Jae, as an authorized representative, joined them via a video call. And so, the announcement of the second event match followed¡ªthe duel between Inoue Kyosuke and Choi Yu-Seong.

    The NewTube chat room, which was already lively, began to heat up for a different reason. A new betting period was opened for the next hour.

    <i>¡®Perhaps it''s because the first match didn''t make much of an impression?¡¯</i>

    Surprisingly, there were more predictions of Nioh¡¯s victory. As a result, Yu-Seong''s selection came with significantly higher betting odds.

    Yu-Seong shrugged his shoulders.

    <i>''Well, this is favorable for me.''?</i>

    He and his acquaintances had all ced their bets on Yu-Seong, ensuring that there would be no losers. It seemed like a deal with no loss. With that in mind, Yu-Seong once again stepped onto the battlefield.

    On the opposing side, Kyosuke stood fully equipped in his battle suit, his silence contrasting with Takeda Yu-Shin''s demeanor. He focused his sharp eyes on Yu-Seong, and it wasn''t until the match began that he finally spoke. "When a lion hunts its prey, it gives its all."

    Kyosuke started casting Ninjutsu, uttering a spell-like chant to himself.

    <i>¡®Oh, is that Ninjutsu, which is known to be used only by Japanese yers?''?</i>

    Indeed, Takeda Yu-Shin had been too excited, rushing in and getting knocked down without a chance to utilize Ninjutsu. On the contrary, Kyosuke initiated his attack, showcasing his pride in the skill of Ninjutsu. With each swift execution of the techniques, the surroundings underwent real-time transformations.

    Firstly, a dense curtain of fog-like mist enveloped the area, encroaching upon Yu-Seong''s vision and even infiltrating his nostrils.

    <i>''Poison?''?</i>

    The moment he started to feel dizzy, a smile rose to Yu-Seong''s lips.

    "Fire Release,"manded Kyosuke in a soft voice.

    Red mes exploded in front of his eyes, covering the world like fireworks.

    <i>''He added fuel to the poison fog and cloud.''?</i>

    This was something Yu-Seong knew yet couldn''t avoid. He blocked the attack by extending one hand and casting a shield magic.

    <i>''Using magic makes the poison spread faster.''?</i>

    Kyosuke seized the opportunity without hesitation, causing his figure to vanish from sight. In the next moment, a chilling sensation crawled up Yu-Seong''s spine.

    Kyosuke''s skillful maneuvers, speed, andbat mastery were truly deserving of his title as Japan''s best yer. It was unexpected to witness his relentless assault without taking the time to assess the situation, especially considering it was their first encounter.

    <i>¡®Did he mean that, like a lion hunting its prey, he was giving his all?¡¯</i>

    Inwardly, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel a momentary admiration and nodded. Everything appeared to be in order, but unfortunately, there was one crucial detail that was incorrect.

    "I''m not prey," said Yu-Seong with a chuckle.

    Then, with astonishing speed and precision, he caught Kyosuke''s flying sword with his bare hand, effortlessly stopping its trajectory. In a disy of nonchnce, he dropped the sword to the ground amidst the swirling poison fog and clouds. With a powerful swing, he unleashed his spear, infused with the force of wind, in a wide arc.

    <i>Whoosh-!?</i>

    With a resounding crash, the once stark white poison fog surged upwards, rapidly dissipating into the sky. The previously obscured arena suddenly came into clear view, revealing every detail that was once impossible to discern even an inch ahead.

    "Considering there are spectators, they should be aware of what''s happening."

    Kyosuke, having realized that the Ninjutsu he had used disappeared with a single spear move, was about to join his hands again in bewilderment. However, Yu-Seong, without any hesitation, threw his spear at him.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    Amidst the reverberating impact sound that had be all too familiar, Kyosuke was struck in the forehead by the spinning spear. The force of the blow caused him to stagger backward, his face instantly drenched in a torrent of blood.

    Pale and unconscious, Kyosukey sprawled on the ground. Standing over him, Yu-Seong calmly retrieved his spear and directed his gaze toward the pale-faced Chairman Takaku.

    "Ten billion dors. Arigatou gozaimasu."

    At that moment, Yu-Seong could genuinely express his gratitude in Japanese, thenguage that Chairman Takaku held dear.

    ***

    With two victories, Yu-Seong, who had already garnered attention after his return, suddenly became a star. Moreover, he made a considerable amount of money.

    <i>''In addition to NewTube revenue, the money I won from betting, and what I''m scheduled to receive from my father...''?</i>

    There was also the ten billion dors he had obtained from Chairman Takaku.

    <i>''I''ve be wealthy.''?</i>

    With just one strike, Yu-Seong had ascended to a position that could be regarded as a global tycoon, surpassing even the immense backing of Woo-Jae. However, what brought even greater joy to Yu-Seong was something entirely different.

    <i>''I didn''t think it was a big deal, but my Star Factor is increasing drastically because of this.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s already tremendous physical abilities, which had reached the realm of a Transcendent being, were further amplified by the additional percentage effects of the Star Factor. It was indeed a surprise for Yu-Seong to discover that he had be approximately 20% more powerful than his original strength as a result of this minor event.

    <i>''I haven''t been able to feel it for a while, but indeed, gaining strength through training is slower than gaining skills.''?</i>

    It might have appeared as a minor event, but for Yu-Seong, who was gearing up to face his most formidable opponent, it held tremendous significance.

    Additionally, a new development urred that provided Yu-Seong with a substantial advantage. The Sword Master, widely acknowledged as the strongest in South Korea, officially proimed Yu-Seong as the "strongest."

    <i>¡®I mean, wasn''t Kim Do-Jin the one who defeated you years ago? Why would you say I¡¯m the strongest? I feel?</i>so<i>?</i>grateful<i>.¡¯</i>

    Thanks to that, the visible increase in the effectiveness of his Star Factor was apparent to Yu-Seong. He couldn''t help but feel that rank and level held less significance now. The benefits he was witnessing firsthand brought immense happiness.

    Naturally, the world was filled with questions. What had he experienced during the past three years? Yu-Seong, previously referred to as a hero sacrificed to be sealed with the Demon King, was now being portrayed as a master who had undergone rigorous mental training during his time in sealing.

    <i>''Well, they aren¡¯t wrong.''?</i>

    Regardless, it was a positive oue. As various spections circted, Yu-Seong relished in the news of his story spreading worldwide. In the meantime, another two months flew by swiftly.

    1. ¤¢¤ê¤¬¤È¤¦¤´¤¶¤¤¤Þ¤¹ means thank you in Japanese

 Chapter 254

    <h4>Chapter 254 </h4>

    For the past two months, Yu-Seong has been quite busy. He hadn''t exactly been training or entangled in any incidents, but strangely enough, he had a lot to do.

    <i>''First of all, I managed to monopolize Vision Technology stocks....''</i>

    It was possible because he had made an offer that no otherpany could refuse and absorbed all the stocks they had quietly ced.

    <i>''Even the stubborn ones who wouldn''t sell eventually came around when the price increased by about five times.''?</i>

    As a result, an astonishing amount of one billion dors was invested in the venture. Additionally, Yu-Seong contributed an additional 500 million dors to expedite thepany''s development. In the blink of an eye, a total of 1.5 billion dors was spent.

    However, considering Yu-Seong''s worth exceeded 10 billion dors, it didn''t pose much of a strain.

    <i>''It''s still a bargain, after all. If I didn''t have the stocks handed over by Chairman Takaku, it would have cost twice as much.''?</i>

    More importantly, this investment had the potential to return not just tenfold, but even a hundredfold in size. Since it was a guaranteed return rather than mere consumption, there was no reason to hold back.

    Naturally, amidst all these developments, Yu-Seong had the opportunity to engage in discussions with Ellis, a brilliant American scientist who would soon be a developer of the Artificial Awakening Stone. The results, in fact, were quite promising.

    <i>''When I gave her a hint about the Artificial Awakening Stones from the original novel during our meeting, she seemed to grasp the concept quickly...''?</i>

    The money he had invested appeared to have the potential for a quicker andrger return than he had initially anticipated. Moreover, having earned Ellis'' favor, he no longer had to worry about her being lured away by anotherpany.

    And while these events unfolded, Yu-Seong held firm in his confidence about one thing.

    <i>¡®I''ll be rolling in money in no time.¡¯</i>

    He might even surpass his father, Woo-Jae, to be known as the richest man in Korea.

    <i>''Though I''m not sure how much hidden money he has...''?</i>

    However, with this much, wouldn''t he still be rolling in the dough without having to inherit the Comet Group?

    <i>¡®But then¡­ I reached this point thanks to the backing of the Comet in the first ce.''</i>

    Regardless, he went on to invest 8 billion dors into the growth and recruitment of his Hidden Team.

    <i>''In the end, I have only about 500 million dors left.''?</i>

    It was a bold move, but he believed it was a necessary one.

    <i>''The Demon King Worshipers are a global crime organization and also an Isted Unit organization</i><i>.''?</i>

    To confront this formidable enemy, Yu-Seong''s side needed to strengthen their forces. It wasn''t just a matter of recruiting a small number of elites, but rather, gathering arge group of individuals with some talent. Additionally, recruiting and supporting such individuals came with considerable costs.

    <i>¡®As they are risking their lives fighting the Demon King Worshipers, I should at least provide them with a living allowance.¡¯</i>

    He decided to allocate 8 billion dors to support equipment, personnel recruitment, and operating expenses all at once.

    <i>¡®The total amount reaches 30 billion dors.¡¯</i>

    Significantly, out of the total amount, 12 billion dors was generously supported by Woo-Jae. Yu-Seong had sought his assistance in the eradication of the Demon King Worshipers, and Woo-Jae, fueled by his grudge against Eveheim, had agreed to support him.

    <i>''He probably saw it as beneficial in various ways. After all, the roots of Eveheim lead back to the Rothschild...''?</i>

    Woo-Jae harbored the life goal of using the Comet name to surpass the Rothschild and Rockefeller families.

    Among the world''s most renowned families, the Rothschilds had undeniable connections with the Demon King Worshipers, particrly with Eveheim. If Yu-Seong seeded in dismantling the Demon King Worshipers, it would undoubtedly have a profound impact, reaching the roots of the Rothschild family.

    <i>''Well, whatever other matters are there, it''s for Father to figure out.''?</i>

    Woo-Jae and Yu-Seong¡¯s interests coincided in many ways, going beyond their familial rtionship. Furthermore, Helen provided an additional 10 billion dors in aid.

    <i>''I knew Helen was wealthy, but she indeed gave a significant amount in support.''?</i>

    Not only that, but she also introduced her personal acquaintances to the Hidden Team.

    As a result, thanks to Helen''s influence, the team led by Jenny experienced an exponential expansion, growing to more than a hundred times its original size since Yu-Seong first became aware of it.

    <i>''At this point, it''s impossible to keep it a secret.''?</i>

    As a result, even though Woo-Jae became aware of the existence of the Hidden Team, he appeared indifferent toward it. Yu-Seong, being chosen as the next chairman of Comet, already held significant personal power, which made Woo-Jae''sck of concern understandable.

    Moreover, Baek Cheol, the former captain of the guards who had once protected Ji-Ho, was enlisted as a crucial member to support Jenny on the Hidden Team. This opportunity arose when Baek Cheol, deeply moved by Ji-Ho''splete recovery in health and strength, feltpelled to repay his kindness by pledging his loyalty to Yu-Seong.

    <i>''He''s extremely dependable.''?</i>

    Perhaps it was because Jenny and Baek Cheol both had some experience leading an organization. Coupled with therge amount of money invested, the newly reformed Hidden Team aplished quite a lot over the past two months.

    <i>''Collecting information on the activities of the Demon King Worshipers, carrying out interference operations, and so forth.''?</i>

    Indeed, the results were significant. It was now certain that substantial hitches had urred in Eveheim''s ns.

    <i>''Not that everything could be stopped...''</i>

    In that situation, Yu-Seong managed to uncover another major pattern of the Demon King Worshipers.

    <i>''All operations are only taking ce in the major cities of each country where the Tower of Heaven exists.''?</i>

    The only exception to this was Seoul, South Korea. It seemed likely due to their awareness of Yu-Seong''s existence.

    <i>''Or they could be waiting for an opportunity.''?</i>

    Either way, it became clear that Eveheim was scheming something.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong had focused on real-world work for one month of the past two months. As for the remaining one month, he had devoted it to the Tower of Heaven.

    <i>''It would be great if we could discover some changes within.''?</i>

    Thanks to this, Yu-Seong managed to conquer up to the 50th floor of the tower. Although he learned nothing about Eveheim''s ns in the process, there was a distinct turning point.

    <i>''From the 30th floor of the tower, we could directly encounter gods.''?</i>

    As a result, on the 30th floor, Yu-Seong had the opportunity to personally meet Loki, Cu Chinn, and Scathi, who all revealed an astonishing secret to him.

    <i>¡®The time for the gods to depart from this world is fast approaching.¡¯</i>

    They said it was something akin to fate. When a world was approaching a certain end, the gods followed the flow of that world and returned to the ster path. However, this didn''t mean that all of Yu-Seong''s ties with them were ending.

    <i>''They said, once the Transcendent Gate ispletely constructed, we can meet again.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong felt that he hade remarkably close to that distant realm, the world of stars where the gods resided. As a result, he did not feel profound regret about the separation.

    <i>''Besides, we''re not parting immediately...''</i>

    In addition, there was one more thing Yu-Seong had done in the tower.

    <i>''I engraved the souls of Cu Chinn and Scathi into Loki''s avatar.''?</i>

    Of course, Loki had resisted fiercely before Yu-Seong managed to convince her. The reason had been the same as why he didn''t necessarily summon Loki to Earth at the moment.

    <i>''This power could be a secret weapon in the fight against Eveheim.''?</i>

    Indeed, the power passed down to Yu-Seong by the three transcendent beings was undoubtedly enormous. However, Eveheim already knew about all three of these powers. After all, he himself was a transcendent being, so there was no way he had no idea.

    <i>''I also know what Eveheim''s ability is, but...''?</i>

    He had probably given up transcending and gained something new instead. Or rather, he was trying to obtain it. In case of emergency, Yu-Seong also needed to hide a secret weapon.

    <i>''If I reveal it even once to the world, Eveheim might notice it.''?</i>

    He might be being overly cautious, but considering who his opponent was, Yu-Seong had to prepare for the worst.

    <i>''Moreover, I shouldn''t need to rely on the powers of other gods.''?</i>

    Thus, it was perfectly fine for him to save a secret weapon.

    While pondering these various thoughts, Yu-Seong''s eyes widened as he checked the newly delivered activity report of the Hidden Team.

    <i>''Wait, there¡¯s been an unusually high number of incidents in London over the past week?¡¯</i>

    Ennd was the homnd of the Rothschild family he had previously mentioned. In other words, it could mean that Eveheim was moving directly.

    <i>''What should I do?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong fell into brief contemtion.

    <i>''It could be a trap.''?</i>

    From now on, even a small movement could trigger an irreversible major incident.

    <i>''It would be best if we could ascertain Eveheim''s exact location...''?</i>

    Biting his lower lip, Yu-Seong moved his gaze toward the calendar.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo still have a week left before they leave the training room...''?</i>

    At that moment, it was a delicate period where relocating himself and leaving his seat unupied seemed risky. However, disregarding such a significant development, even if it might be a trap, was equally challenging.

    <i>''What if it''s a ploy to set off a major event¡­?''?</i>

    After much thought, Yu-Seong got up from his seat. "Let''s make a move."

    In fact, if he was afraid of a trap and remained idle, he would never reach the end.

    <i>''I''ve known for a long time that I can''t cover the sky with one hand.''?</i>

    That was why he had made many people his allies. Even if Eveheim were to cause an incident, there were plenty of people in Korea who could buy Yu-Seong some time.

    <i>''Above all... There''s no need to overthink it.''?</i>

    Eveheim wasn''t the only one who could hide or deceive his whereabouts.

    Yu-Seong picked up the phone and started talking with Yu-Ri. "I need a disguise-type yer who is good at acting. Yes. A trusted individual. How many days do you think it¡¯ll take? Cost is not a problem. One day? Great."

    Yu-Seong hung up the phone and let out augh.

    <i>''As expected, having a group of talented people and pouring a lot of money in saves time.''?</i>

    Finally, the preparations he had been making all this time were shining through.

    <i>''Let''s y hide and seek, Eveheim.''?</i>

    Now, not only did heck the intention to lose, but he was also confident that he would not lose.

    ***

    As night fell over the city, Eveheim, sitting in a quiet and empty bar, filled his ss with sweet whiskey. His eyes shimmered with a purple light.

    <i>''By now, Choi Yu-Seong must have figured out my signature.''?</i>

    Truly, it was indeed his intention to drive incidents toward London, Ennd, to beckon Yu-Seong. In addition, as expected, Yu-Seong would likely move to London without watching over this situation.

    <i>''That''s the best scenario.''?</i>

    If Eveheim could create a disturbance in Seoul that would shake Yu-Seong to his core at that moment, it would be much easier to reach his desired conclusion.

    <i>''Even if a direct fight breaks out, it''s always easier to deal with the unstable side...''?</i>

    However, Eveheim found it hard to be entirely sure that Yu-Seong would move himself.

    "Upon closer examination, he seems to be pretty audacious if left alone."

    The whole point of causing incidents all over the world through the Demon King Worshipers was to provoke Yu-Seong. However, without much disturbance, Yu-Seong had poured a significant amount of money into operating arge organization, which easily thwarted the incidents.

    In this invisible war, Eveheim hade to realize that Yu-Seong was more cautious than expected. Therefore, while Eveheim could make predictions, it was hard to be certain.

    <i>''If I invade Seoul while Choi Yu-Seong is still there, the risk is too high.''?</i>

    Indeed, Seoul was Yu-Seong''s backyard, so to speak. Not only was there Yu-Seong, whom Eveheim regarded as someone he needed to be vignt against, but there were also far too many others capable of dealing with the Hexagram Master or the Twelve Dark Kings.

    1. Isted Unit organization refers to a structure where members operate independently, having limited knowledge of each other''s roles, and following instructions from a single or very few superiors.

 Chapter 255

    <h4>Chapter 255 </h4>

    "Moreover, it seems that Helen is up to something in the United States,¡± Eveheim muttered.

    Helen, known as the Miraculous Alchemist, initially had some connection with the Demon King Worshipers due to various objectives. However, she now appeared to havepletely sided with Yu-Seong and had invented something extraordinary.

    The problem was that even Eveheim could not ess the new invention she had made.

    <i>¡®Also, gaining information is not easy¡­¡¯</i>

    This was primarily because the Hidden Team fully aligned their actions with Yu-Seong''s intentions. The exact amount of money Yu-Seong was investing remained unclear, but it appeared to be substantial.

    Whenever Demon King Worshipers were involved, the Hidden Team would emerge as guardians of justice, disrupting their ns and making it challenging for them to proceed smoothly. Naturally, in response, Eveheim had also been pouring in a considerable amount of money, but a very simple physical limit had been reached.

    <i>¡®It¡¯s because there are far more ordinary saints than viins.¡¯</i>

    In this world, regardless, there were more ordinary people than viins. And among ordinary people, those who would be viins were extremely rare. No matter how much money one had, it could not be used if there weren''t enough people.

    Grimacing, Eveheim tilted his whiskey ss. He could only click his tongue at the suffocating reality.

    <i>¡®That little kiddo has grown this much.¡¯?</i>

    He shouldn''t let his guard down. It was no longer just a matter ofpetition on that level. Before he realized it, Yu-Seong''s level had caught up to his own or even overwhelmed him.

    Even the ns Eveheim had envisioned from long ago were not going as nned. Thus, Eveheim decided to gamble by openly provoking Yu-Seong.

    In this situation, Eveheim had two things to consider.

    "Should I take a decisive advantage from here..."

    This was another gamble. Betting on the certainty that Yu-Seong was not in Korea, he could seize the opportunity.

    "Or should I y it safe and flush him out..."

    In fact, this choice was safer than taking a gamble. From Eveheim''s perspective, whether Yu-Seong was in Ennd or anywhere in Europe, he would still be able to confront him at his home base. All Eveheim had to do was choose one option from the two avable choices.

    <i>¡®After all, it will be quite easy to read Choi Yu-Seong''s movements¡­¡¯</i>

    All he needed was a big move prepared for this moment. Eveheim, licking his lips with the tip of his tongue, looked up at the ceiling while supporting his forehead. No matter what he chose, this would be thest decision to be made.

    <i>¡®It''s a showdown, Choi Yu-Seong.¡¯</i>

    Eveheim''s purple eyes shone brightly.

    ***

    In fact, to deceive the opponent, one must not do it half-heartedly. Yu-Seong decided that the only person who would know the main outline of this operation would be Yu-Ri. Additionally, he called Jin-Hwan and Jin-Young to film several dungeon hunting videos in a single day.

    "Please keep the fact that I''ve attacked several dungeons today a secret for a while. Also, change the dates on the videos."

    The two didn''t know why, but they decided to follow Yu-Seong''s instructions.

    With the help of Woo-Jae, Yu-Seong also directly contacted the Association Chairman and had the records deleted.

    With all the necessary preparationsplete, the next day, Yu-Seong opened a portal to head to Ennd.

    "Are you really going alone?" Yu-Ri, who was standing right behind him, asked.

    "Yeah."

    "But you said it could be a trap," Yu-Ri said.

    "That''s why I''m going alone. If Eveheim targets Seoul when I''m away, it''ll be the worst-case scenario."

    Even though he had prepared an borate deception, Yu-Seong couldn''t afford to becent. It was wise to assume that Eveheim also had a backup n prepared.

    <i>¡®In that case, it''s better to go alone and appear solo.¡¯</i>

    This decision was aimed at enticing Eveheim, who wouldn''t want to miss the opportunity to capture his prey that had entered his territory alone. For Yu-Seong, the most undesirable situation was Eveheiming to Seoul.

    <i>¡®I can''t know what choice Eveheim will make.¡¯</i>

    Therefore, the ideal situation would be after Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo emerge from the training room. Most of Yu-Seong''s ns up until now had been based on after the two of them came out of the room. However, he couldn''t simply ignore this situation, especially when he had been openly provoked like this.

    <i>¡®Right. When has the world ever gone my way?¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong looked around at the people standing before him. He waved his hand and said, "I''ll be back."

    "This isn''t going to be another situation where we can''t see you for years, is it?"

    They seemed anxious due to the incident from before, but Yu-Seong confidently nodded in response. He reassured them, saying, "I promise."

    There would absolutely not be a situation likest time.

    "We''ll see each other again in a few days."

    With a firm promise made to everyone, Yu-Seong flung himself into the portal.

    ***

    If he exerted himself, he could open portals continuously and reach Ennd in less than an hour. However, Yu-Seong made a conscious decision to take a bit more time. Once he entered a nearby area in Europe through the portal, he chose to board a flight instead.

    <i>¡®The portal magic emitsrge magical waves and could easily be detected if I''m not careful.¡¯</i>

    That would render all the work he had done in Korea meaningless, wouldn''t it? With a temporarily prepared fake ID, he boarded a ne and crossed over to Ennd. For Yu-Seong, using appearance modification and illusion magic to enter and leave countries was as easy as eating a meal.

    <i>¡®I''ll approach quietly and find out for sure.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong mused while working out his n. Then, an unexpected breaking news appeared on the massive TV at the airport.

    <i>''What?''?</i>

    The Tower of Heaven in Moscow, Russia, had copsed. The Tower had never shaken or even trembled in the face of any mana device or threat. And yet, the fact that it had now copsed made Yu-Seong jump up from his seat.

    <i>¡®Eveheim!¡¯</i>

    In the original novel, there hadn¡¯t been an event where the Tower of Heaven had copsed. However, Yu-Seong wasn¡¯tpletely clueless about how that could happen. He had heard about it from Loki.

    In each major city on Earth where the Towers of Heaven suddenly descended, there existed characters that could be called ''administrators.'' Although they mostly lived in secrecy, performing NPC roles, their deaths would result in catastrophic events leading to the copse of the tower.

    <i>''And the moment the Tower copses, the mana that maintained the Tower would explode.''</i>

    It would be simr to a nuclear explosion and inevitably, countless lives would be lost.

    Therefore, Yu-Seong had instinctively jumped up from his seat suddenly, but, there hadn¡¯t been any reports of a massive explosion or numerous casualties. From the perspective of the hastily reporting helicopter, no explosion could be seen.

    <i>''What''s going on?''?</i>

    It was a situation different from what he''d heard. Where had the mana that had resided in the fallen Tower of Heaven disappeared to? Beyond the thick dust visible beyond the camera, Yu-Seong noticed something ck writhing, and he soon found the answer.

    <i>''No way, Eveheim you...!''?</i>

    Then, something ck rose high into the sky, piercing and shattering the helicopter, causing the camera screen to darken instantly. A tremendous scream erupted from the mouth of the reporter who had been broadcasting the breaking news.

    Amidst immense chaos, a bone-chilling and hair-raising voice echoed from beyond the microphone.

    [Wait for me, humans. Finally, our era ising, and I, Luxuria, will engulf the world.]

    The sinisterughter of Luxuria, the Demon King of Lust, threw the entire airport into a panic. Seeing the situation, Yu-Seong clenched his teeth.

    <i>''Demon King Worshipers have known how to summon the Demon King for a very long time.''?</i>

    The only thing that had stopped them was that it was difficult for them to gather sufficient mana to summon the Demon King. That was why they had been gathering dark mana from mass murders. At least, that had been the assumption; Yu-Seong had been wrong.

    <i>''From the beginning, Eveheim was nning to bring down the Tower of Heaven!''?</i>

    Eveheim had nned to summon the Demon King by using the massive mana explosion. Yu-Seong finally understands the reason for the unusually high activity of the Demon King Worshipers in cities where the Tower of Heaven was located.

    Realizing the truth, Yu-Seong''s entire body was covered in goosebumps in an instant.

    <i>''Moscow is just the beginning. From the very start, Eveheim has been trying to...''</i>

    Eveheim had been preparing until now for this one big move.

    Yu-Seong hurriedly opened his smartphone,unching the Inte news page.

    <i>''Shanghai, China, too...!''?</i>

    With the copse of the Tower of Heaven in Shanghai, a Demon King descended. It looked like a sea dragon as it dove into the ocean, yet, its size was so colossal that its face soared up, piercing through the clouds.

    As the dragon unleashed a savage roar and breathed out, a tenth of Shanghai vanished in a blink. Surprisingly, it happened in less than 10 seconds.

    <i>''Invidia, the Demon King of Envy!''?</i>

    Recognizing the opponent¡¯s identity, the next news article caught Yu-Seong''s eye. In the center of Paris, France, a demon with the face of a dragon on a red blood field appeared, and thousands of monsters started pouring out from the dungeon.

    <i>''Ira, the Demon King of Wrath...''?</i>

    Among the Seven Demon Kings of the Apocalypse, the second in rank had also made an appearance.

    If Yu-Seong simply left this situation as it was, all of Europe would turn into a massive battlefield. Moreover, the mana collected from this ughter would eventually summon Superbia, referred to as the strongest and the worst among the Demon Kings. If four Demon Kings, including Superbia, descended upon the world all at once, then even Yu-Seong wouldn¡¯t be able to guarantee victory.

    <i>''Eveheim, you madman. If you can''t have your way, then are you intending to destroy the entire world?''?</i>

    Heat surged to the tips of his hair, anger threatening to override his reason, but Yu-Seong couldn''t afford to act recklessly. Especially in such times, he had to calmly assess the situation. Yu-Seong losingposure and bing agitated was exactly what Eveheim greatly favored.

    <i>''I want to rush to Shanghai, which could potentially be a threat to the Korean Penins but...''?</i>

    In fact, Paris was the more urgent concern. Moreover, Yu-Seong was currently stepping foot in Europe.

    <i>¡®I have to trust my colleagues.¡¯</i>

    There were also many powerful yers in China. If they had just a bit more power to support them, they could indeed take down Invidia, who had descended upon Shanghai. Making his decision, Yu-Seong quickly picked up the phone.

    - Yu-Seong oppa.

    Yu-Seong nodded in response to Yu-Ri¡¯s voice.

    "I want all members of Hunting Team 8 to go to Shanghai."

    - And what about Moscow?

    While it was also far from the Korean Penins, it was still in Asia.

    <i>''And Russia has a rtively weak awakened force.¡¯</i>

    As if to soothe his worry, a message popped up on his phone.

    <i>''Helen?''?</i>

    The message said that both she and Rachel were heading to Moscow.

    Despite feeling relieved, Yu-Seong knew that such a force would still be insufficient. The demon king, Luxuria, who had descended upon Moscow, was ranked third after Superbia and Ira.

    "I''m counting on you. Please, stay alive," he said.

    - Of course. See you alive.

    After hanging up the phone, Yu-Seong was about to call the next person when he was interrupted by a ringing.

    "Ji-Ho hyung-nim," he began.

    - I suddenly had a vision this morning and was able to foresee that this situation would happen. I am currently on my way to Moscow with Mi-Na and Captain Baek.

    "Ah... Thank you." Yu-Seong let out a small sigh of relief without realizing it.

    <i>''If it''s Helen and Rachel, Ji-Ho hyung-nim, Mi-Na noona, and Captain Baek Cheol...''?</i>

    Then, finally, it was enough to give him relief. Now, Yu-Seong could focus on Ira, the Demon King of Wrath, who had descended upon Europe with a clear mind.

 Chapter 256

    <h4>Chapter 256 </h4>

    Yu-Seong knew his people were good, but he hadn¡¯t thought they would anticipate and move wlessly ording to his n.

    <i>¡®I must be blessed.¡¯</i>

    While his knowledge from reading the original novel certainly had a role in gathering exceptional people, he was still lucky and felt grateful toward those around him.

    Just as he was feeling a bit relieved by the situation, Yu-Seong remembered something else and sent everyone a message, <i>¡®Aside from the Demon King, there may be a Hexagram Master among them. Exercise caution. As absurd as it may sound, they might merge.¡¯</i>

    Despite the seemingly illogical nature of the statement, the recipients of the message simply acknowledged the warning and expressed their gratitude.

    "Really, I''m the one who¡¯s truly grateful," Yu-Seong said.

    The immense crisis at hand had been ultimately instigated by Evheim, who stood against Yu-Seong. It was due to this situation that Yu-Seong found himself with no alternative but to feel a sense of gratitude.

    <i>''No, Eveheim would eventually end up doing so anyway¡­''?</i>

    In a way, they could express mutual gratitude towards each other. As Yu-Seong gathered his thoughts, he discreetly left the airport, ensuring his identity remained hidden. He swiftly slipped into a tranquil alley devoid of CCTV cameras and people, promptly opening a portal that transported him to Paris.

    <i>''There''s no time to waste.''?</i>

    In the present moment in Paris, a dungeon break was unfolding, resulting in chaotic scenes with rampant monsters and the Demon King wreaking havoc. This dire situation led to the real-time loss of dozens, or even hundreds, of lives. There was a genuine risk that Eveheim might discover Yu-Seong''s location the moment he crossed the portal.

    However, despite the dangers involved, Yu-Seong feltpelled to proceed. After all, he believed he had no other viable options.

    <i>''Rather than considering this and that, action is needed.''?</i>

    In addition, trust was needed.

    <i>''Father is still in Seoul.''?</i>

    Moreover, it wasn''t solely about Yu-Seong''s actions. The cunning old man would certainly not remain idle and oblivious to the unfolding situation. Without a doubt, he was likely furiously voicing his concerns over the phone, rummaging through his confidential files in his office, making preparations for an emergency, and mobilizing both yers and the military to respond.

    <i>''He has quite a few connections in Japan.''?</i>

    Somehow, it would work out.

    <i>''Let''s be resolute.''?</i>

    Like others, Yu-Seong made the choice to have faith in his own influence. It was something he had always known deep within. A single hand could not obscure the sky, but when dozens, hundreds of hands united, they could collectively repel the immense evil embodied by Eveheim. Yu-Seong had to maintain unwavering belief and discard any doubts that arose.

    <i>''Both in myself and my colleagues.''?</i>

    With his resolve firmly in ce, Yu-Seong threw himself through the portal.

    ***

    In the once renowned city of art and culture, Paris, France, the air was now filled with the savage roars of monsters and the piercing screams of its terrorized inhabitants. Within this chaos, death, fear, and hatred converged, fueling the creation of mana.

    Above the darkened throne, amidst the ruins of the Louvre Museum, Ira, the Demon King of Wrath, raised his hand with a leisurely smile. With a flick of his wrist, a low-rank demon materialized and obediently followed hismand, emitting a piercing screech as it lunged into the crowd of humans desperately attempting to escape.

    As the low-rank demon ruthlessly ended a human life, Ira, sensing the surge of mana coursing through him, exhibited a gleaming smile of satisfaction.

    [At this rate, I can use all my power before Superbia arrives.]

    Constantly relegated to the second rank, he had always existed in the shadow of others. Hindered by a name that carried a hint of unpleasantness, the opportunity he had long awaited had finally presented itself.

    [The moment he is summoned as sloppily as I was, I will seize the opportunity to take his life.]

    And by absorbing Superbia¡¯s mana, the being known as the strongest and worst of all time, Ira would be able to escape the sorrow of being second in rank forever.

    Just as he was fueling his ambition with determination, a group of yers fell. They had been fervently fighting in a city filled with screams and agony but ultimately sumbed to the relentless chaos. The air echoed with pleas for salvation and desperate voices calling out to God.

    [Oh, the yers¡¯ mana are particrly sweet¡­]

    Thanks to that, the power coursing through Ira''s body instantly increased by more than half.

    [I should eat them up first.]

    With his goal set, Ira''s eyes glowed as he propelled himself forward. With this much power recovered, there was no reason for him to wait.

    [A little faster¡­]

    As Ira rushed through the air with desperation, a green portal suddenly appeared before him. And upon seeing the man who emerged from it, Ira''s eyes sparkled.

    [You?]

    The man was truly extraordinary, surpassing not only ordinary humans but also standing unmatched among the countless yers in the city. Most notably, there was a distinct aura about him, a scent that set him apart from the rest.

    [So you''ve killed a Demon King before.]

    In a swift and decisive response, the man wielded a gleaming silver spearhead that shed before Ira¡¯s eyes. Simultaneously, bolts of lightning descended from the sky, enveloping Ira''s crimson form. Razor-sharp winds also tore through his entire body, gathering momentum to sever his formidable horns.

    [Aargh-!]

    In the midst of the chaos, Ira unleashed a piercing scream intertwined with a fierce howl. Brilliant mes erupted from his body, swiftly countering the onught of lightning and wind, pushing them back with raw intensity.

    ¡°Mmph.¡± With a determined grunt, Yu-Seong extended his Aqua Shield magic, creating a protective barrier.

    Stepping backward, he swung his spear, its de enveloped by the shield. He was poised for a defensive maneuver.

    <i>''Ira of Wrath possesses the power of Fire.''?</i>

    In truth, Fire had poorpatibility with Yu-Seong¡¯s ability. Although Yu-Seong had reached the level of being called a Grand Mage through Green, his core was Thunder and Wind.

    <i>''Even though I suppressed it to a certain extent with the characteristic of transcendence....''?</i>

    When utilizing attribute series other than his own, Yu-Seong found himself only able to tap into roughly a third of his full power. This limitation stemmed from the inherent nature of those attributes.

    Of course, it could be argued that Thunder and Wind were effective against Fire, and indeed, it wouldn¡¯t be entirely incorrect to assume so given their shared destructive nature. In fact, in a direct power struggle, Thunder and Wind might even hold an advantage.

    <i>''However, that would result in Paris bing aplete mess.''?</i>

    Despite the ongoing loss of lives, there were still individuals bravely fighting to save as many as they could. However, if the sh between Yu-Seong and Ira''s powers urred at the heart of the chaos, it could potentially engulf everyone in its devastating wake, leading to further casualties.

    <i>''I need to lure him¡­''?</i>

    Fortunately, his opponent was Ira, Demon King of Wrath. He was known for his formidablebat power and had a reputation for having an exceedingly intense personality. Also, his emotions often took precedence over his reasoning.

    ¡°To think I had some expectations as you are ranked second among the Demon Kings¡­ You''re not as impressive as I thought.¡±

    At Yu-Seong''s words, Ira''s eyes narrowed as he was cautiously scouting around. A venomous smirk arose on his lips.

    [That human who summoned me to this world mentioned it earlier. A particrly cunning one wille, so I shouldn¡¯t fall for his words.]

    ¡°...¡±

    The one who had given the advice was probably the Demon King Worshiper, the Hexagram master.

    <i>¡®Damn, this move is not going to work.¡¯?</i>

    Yu-Seong inwardly clicked his tongue as he realized this.

    [I don¡¯t remember his name. The nerve of a human advising a Demon King¡­It annoyed me so much I wanted to swallow him whole, but he ran away.]

    "Eveheim?"

    [No, that''s not it.]

    "Then it must be James or Talia."

    [Oh, James. That''s right. That was the name.]

    The human and the Demon King exchanged a brief but meaningful exchange of questions and answers, their expressions revealing a shared understanding. Truly, their intentions toward each other appeared to be unmistakably clear.

    <i>''Ira is still notplete.''?</i>

    Ira wanted to buy more time to recover his mana, because he was well aware that Yu-Seong was not an easy opponent. On the other hand, Yu-Seong was contemting how to lure him. Neither would easily fall for the other''s scheme, knowing the other''s intentions.

    While pretending to converse, Yu-Seong drew a magic circle with his opposite hand, dropping a powerful star-shaped magic bullet on the monsters and demons attacking humans.

    <i>''Star Fall.''?</i>

    This Grand Magic boasted a powerful force. It was very useful as it could identify targets. However, it had one drawback.

    <i>''The consumption of mana is immense, as expected.''?</i>

    While looking at Yu-Seong, Ira asked with a stifled smile.

    [What use will that be?]

    "You never know."

    Yu-Seong maintained a nonchnt demeanor, though his eyes sparkled with intrigue, carefully concealing his growing impatience. Amidst their conversation, he had noticed a distinct peculiarity in Ira''s dragon-like visage that set him apart from other demons.

    "But you, where have your horns, the symbol of demons, gone?"

    The original novel briefly described the deep sense of inferiority harbored by the Demon King Ira toward Superbia. A single challenge and subsequent defeat had resulted in the loss of his horns, a symbol of pride for demons. Since then, gued by enduring humiliation, Ira dedicated himself to rigorous self-discipline, eventually attaining the position of second in rank among all Demon Kings. However, the wound inflicted upon him remained, a perpetual Achilles'' heel.

    [What¡­?]

    A reaction was finally received.

    "Could it be...you lost your horns to Demon King of Pride? Like a fool? How embarrassing!" Yu-Seong snickered and withdrew his spear. "What''s the point of fighting with someone like you and wasting my strength? I''ll be going."

    The moment Yu-Seong turned his back, Ira gritted his teeth and spewed out a massive me.

    Yu-Seong swiftly twirled his spear, creating wind to split the me, then tilted his head. "Are you angry?"

    [I have no reason to listen to the words of a lowly human in the first ce.]

    "Well, why don''t you chase me then?" Yu-Seong provoked Ira before soaring high into the sky.

    Ira quickly followed him. Even at that moment, his mana was rapidly recovering.

    <i>''70 percent. That''s enough to tear apart a single human without any problem, even if it''s special!''?</i>

    Consumed by anger, Ira''s sanity was gradually eroding. He tore through the atmosphere, ascending above the clouds, with a flickering me seemingly engulfing the world at the corner of his mouth.

    From above, Yu-Seong tightened his grip on the spear as he observed this ominous sight as Ira chased after him. He prepared himself for the impending sh.

    <i>''I can''t push myself any further.''?</i>

    Ascending beyond the atmosphere, Yu-Seong was met with a severeck of breathable air. He had to rely on his mana topensate for the oxygen deprivation.

    The time hade to decide the oue of their battle. A prolonged fight was not an option. Undoubtedly, Demon King Ira shared the same sentiment. As if to confirm this, a colossal me erupted from Ira''s mouth, staining the sky crimson.

    [Burn to death, human!]

    However, Yu-Seong''s choice upon seeing the approaching hellfire was already determined.

    <i>''Activate the Extreme Prity of the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art.''</i>

    Yu-Seong decided to fight him with power.

    <i>RUMBLE-!?</i>

    As lightning coursed through Yu-Seong''s entire body, the surrounding area momentarily darkened. In response to him, the raging wind began to disperse and divert the approaching hellfire, sending it soaring higher into the sky toward the expanse of space.

    Yu-Seong seized the moment without hesitation. He activated his Third Eye, causing time to slow down, and pushed his own movements to their maximum eleration. In this state, his attack resembled a bolt of lightning descending from the heavens, propelling his human form close to the speed of light. Even a Demon King like Ira would find it impossible to evade.

    Thebined force of Ok-Rye''s heavenly punishment and the power of Yu-Seong''s Magic Spear converged, resulting in a devastating strike of annihtion.

    <i>''Ultimate kill, One sh of the Wind-Thunder Dragon God.''?</i>

    A supersonic strike tore through the world, descending from the sky to the ground like a divine punishment. The tip of Yu-Seong''s spear pierced through the body of Demon King Ira, causing his once-red skin to burn and decay into ckness.

    With a gaze that moved slowly, Ira whispered a faint murmur toward Yu-Seong, who had already descended to the ground like a deity.

    [Mon...ster...]

    <i>Swoosh-!</i> It was the moment when the enraged Demon King Ira met a fruitless extinction.

    <i>***</i>

    <i>Thuuud-!?</i>

    With a thunderous roar that reverberated through the heavens and the earth, Yu-Seong descended to the ground. The lightning bolts and the powerful gusts of wind emanating from his strike dispersed the horde of rampaging monsters.

    Although he had restrained his strength to minimize damage while piercing through Ira, the Demon King of Wrath, the impact was still immense. In a single blow, he annihted the second-ranked Demon King and skillfully controlled his power to sweep away the horde of monsters, achieving a monumental oue.

    After such a feat, Yu-Seong nted his spear firmly into the ground and released a deep breath, his knee bent in exhaustion. "Phew..."

    Next, he looked around. The demons that appeared due to Ira''s summoning were turning into ck dust and scattering. Even the horde of monsters, having realized the death of the Demon King, fell into a panic. They did not know what to do, and began to retreat back to the dungeon.

    <i>''I''ve won.''?</i>

    It was quite an effortless victory. Even if Ira was not in a fully recovered state, there was definitely a variable here.

    <i>''More than I thought...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was stronger than he thought. Despite just having pulled off such an enormous feat, he still had plenty of mana and strength left.

    <i>''Is it the power of the skill?''?</i>

    Yu-Seong could not help but let out a hollowugh inwardly.

 Chapter 257

    <h4>Chapter 257 </h4>

    Initially, Yu-Seong believed that it would be impossible for him to defeat Eveheim with his own strength.

    <i>''After all, Eveheim achieved transcendence much faster than I did.''</i>

    Even though Eveheim had shed his transcendence to meddle in this world, the situation was the same for Yu-Seong.

    <i>''I thought I might be at a disadvantage in terms of sheer power...''</i>

    Perhaps it was due to his exceptionally potent skills that formed the core of his being, but once he left the sanctuary of the transcendent beings, hisbat abilities had surpassed even his own expectations.

    <i>''Even if an enemy like the current one were to appear, there would be no issue.''</i>

    The problemy in his inability to devise a more efficient way to harness this overwhelming power.

    <i>''I must transcend the teachings of my masters and think outside the box...''</i>

    What would be a good method? Lost in contemtion, Yu-Seong observed as a stream of yers, soldiers, and mercenaries swiftly counterattacked the retreating monsters, their voices echoing as they passed by him.

    "H¨¦ros, H¨¦ros!"

    Stirred by their calls for a hero, Yu-Seong scanned his surroundings. From a distant and elevated vantage point, he witnessed the ongoing battle. They all knew. They knew where this dreadful disaster had originated and who had halted it. It was impossible not to.

    "You''re our hero! You''re the Korean, Choi Yu-Seong, right?"

    An elderly man with white hair approached Yu-Seong, extending his arms and speaking. Yu-Seong gently embraced the old man and nodded.

    "Do you know me?" Yu-Seong inquired.

    "Of course. Aren''t you the Grand Star who recently vanquished Nioh from Japan? Oh, my apologies for not introducing myself earlier. I am Gabriel, the president of the France yer Association."

    Surprised by the unexpected moniker "Grand Star" bestowed upon him by Gabriel, Yu-Seong shook his hand once more and nodded in acknowledgment.

    "I won''t forget you, Gabriel."

    "Don''t mention it. In fact, none of us will ever forget this act of kindness. With the Grand Star, Mr. Choi Yu-Seong, Korea is now and forever an ally of France."

    Observing Gabriel, whose eyes sparkled with a promise to never forget this favor, Yu-Seong scratched the back of his head and let out an awkwardugh.

    "I''m truly grateful. However, I''m not in a situation where I can engage in a lengthy conversation right now," Yu-Seong spoke as he hurriedly pulled out his phone.

    In fact, the situation globally was in chaos. He needed to quickly check on the situation in Seoul and determine whether he should return immediately.

    "Oh, I got carried away in the excitement of meeting a hero. Feel free to contact me anytime. We in France won''t forget, and we''ll be waiting."

    Gabriel bowed his head and was about to leave. At that moment, the clear sunlight, as if heralding a new dawn, started shining down from the blue sky, and a purple light shed. Simultaneously, a figure materialized in the air. Yu-Seong, who had just finished his brief conversation with Gabriel and was texting Woo-Jae on his phone, immediately tensed up.

    "Eveheim?"

    However, it wasn''t his physical body. Yu-Seong gazed at the blurry, ghost-like avatar and flew straight up into the sky, fixing his gaze on it.

    - Choi Yu-Seong.

    Staring at Eveheim, who projected his voice like a loudspeaker, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but let out a hollowugh.

    "Ha, you came all the way here but I guess you¡¯re afraid? Why else would youe in this form?¡± Yu-Seong taunted.

    It was clearly a provocation. Hadn''t it been recorded in The Art of War? The Provocation Stratagem¡ªinciting emotions in someone to manipte their actions¡ªhad proven effective against Ira, the Demon King of Wrath. However, Yu-Seong''s current adversary was none other than Eveheim, who possessed a wealth of skill and experience.

    - I''ve been watching your battles from a distance. I saw how you overwhelmed Ira, the Demon King of Wrath, on your own. How could I not be afraid? Haha¡­

    Eveheim''s avatar chuckled as he spoke, and Yu-Seong clicked his tongue in response, emanating his aura around him.

    <i>¡®No matter how powerful Eveheim is, he couldn''t create an avatar like this from such a remote location in Europe.¡¯</i>

    Perhaps Eveheim was closer than Yu-Seong had initially believed. As Yu-Seong patiently waited for an opportunity, Eveheim''s avatar carried on speaking.

    - Don''t do anything useless. Do you think someone as timid as I would reveal myself without taking proper precautions? It might be better for you to concentrate on our conversation.

    "Well said. Sure, let''s have a conversation. What is your exact aim, Eveheim? Why do you insist on plunging the world into chaos?" Yu-Seong said.

    - Didn''t your masters tell you?

    At Eveheim¡¯s surprised expression, Yu-Seong furrowed his brows. He said, "Yes, I did hear something. There''s an asshole who wants to reach the heavens by surpassing transcendence."

    - Tsk tsk, how can you say it like that? What''s so bad about a man having ambitions?

    "If transcendental beings exert consistent effort, they can ascend to divinity in no time. However, didn''t you discard transcendence because youcked the confidence to pursue it?"

    Yu-Seong''s provocation briefly silenced Eveheim.

    - I''ve told you repeatedly that your simplistic provocation stratagem won''t work. My intentions extend beyond mere godhood. I aspire to stand shoulder to shoulder with the beings who exist far away in the universe.

    "And you decided to sacrifice many people to achieve that?"

    - What''s wrong with a little sacrifice for a big purpose?

    "So I was right. You desired to achieve the status of a Great God, yetcked the confidence to generate that power on your own. Therefore, you made the choice to sacrifice the world."

    - My existence is frail indeed.

    "That''s not a noble purpose. It''s simply selfishness driven by your desires," Eveheim stated.

    From this point onwards, it no longer remained a mere simplistic provocation strategy. It transformed into what ismonly referred to as "Blitzing with Fact," where the truth was presented as it stood.

    A bitter smile appeared on Eveheim''s face.

    - Then, let me ask you this. If you know your limits and realize that no matter how hard you try, you can''t reach that level, should you give up your dreams?

    "How am I supposed to determine that? Don''t talk nonsense. Let''s make one thing clear. No matter how grand your dream is, what you''re doing now is trampling on the dreams of countless others."

    - Their dreams are insignificant.

    "Who decides whether a person''s dream is great or insignificant?"

    - It depends on the scale of the dream. I will ascend to the highest point in the sky. I shall be the embodiment of this world, extending my influence. In the end, it will benefit all.

    "So, why do you decide this on your own... No, forget it."

    Yu-Seong shook his head with a disgusted gaze. "You''ve just gone mad, Eveheim. You couldn''t stand the reality that your ability couldn''t satisfy your greed, so your mind just snapped!"

    Eveheim, hearing Yu-Seong''s blunt insults, let out a deep sigh with a bitter smile on his lips.

    - I had hoped that I could persuade you to join me in this cause, but that seems like a foolish thought.

    "Anyway, your purpose remains unchanged, and it''s certain that you''ve done all this for such a petty reason," Yu-Seong stated.

    In fact, Yu-Seong already knew that there could be no justification for such mass ughter. Nevertheless, the reason he engaged in this conversation with Eveheim was simple.

    "So, you''re saying that your petty selfishness was the sole reason for killing my mother and Kim Do-Jin''s father?"

    - The more chaotic the world gets, the more karma umtes. It''s the same reason why the gods in the sky give powers to the yers.

    Karma heightened the gods'' power and abilities. Eveheim sought to gather that karma in his realm, desiring to im it all for himself.

    "At least the gods didn''t sow chaos," Yu-Seongmented.

    Yu-Seong had discovered numerous secrets of this world. The emergence of dungeons and monsters was an inevitable fate for this realm. And while the gods arrived with the intention of acquiring karma, they didn''t elerate or disrupt the natural course.

    - ...I suppose this approach doesn¡¯t work either. That''s why it''s not enjoyable to engage in conversation with a friend who knows too much.

    After ring at Eveheim¡¯s avatar, Yu-Seong¡¯s eyes sparkled as he shrugged his shoulders. He said, "I''ve finally found you."

    - What...?

    "You''re still in London."

    The aspect that worried Yu-Seong the most upon Eveheim''s initial arrival was nothing out of the ordinary.

    <i>''What if he''s just drawing attention while using another Hexagram Master to strike Seoul?''?</i>

    If Eveheim acted boldly, he might resort to such a strategy. However, Eveheim, who had revealed his avatar, was undoubtedly in Europe. And apanying him were five entities supporting him. They were the remaining Hexagram Masters, excluding Noah, who was already deceased.

    <i>''If it were the Twelve Dark Kings, there wouldn''t be this much energy.''?</i>

    The purpose behind Yu-Seong''s initiation of the conversation was to determine the opponent''s precise whereabouts and situation using pursuit magic.

    "You truly are a coward. You didn''t even have the guts to take a risk at the final moment," Yu-Seong remarked.

    In response to his taunting, Eveheim''s face disyed an unusual contortion for the first time.

    - You could say that I''m thorough.

    "No, you have been a coward right from the beginning. The reason you couldn''tunch an attack on Seoul and why you refrained from dispatching the Hexagram Masters, whom you should have trusted, to other locations, was simply due to your fear.¡±

    - Hmm... I admit it.

    Eveheim chuckled and nodded.

    - But, I didn''t lose.

    Then, he turned to Yu-Seong with a smirk.

    - Look. I summoned the Demon Kings, causing great chaos in this world. Many people have died, and many more will die.

    "Aren''t you underestimating my friends too much? Do you think things will go as you nned?"

    In fact, Yu-Seong could confidently assert that with the personnel dispatched to Shanghai and Moscow, they would be able to thwart the two Demon Kings.

    - Most importantly, this ensures my safety. Even though you know that I am in London, the fact that you can''t get here is proof enough.

    With that, Eveheim, as if recalling something, spoke with a broad smile on his face.

    - Although, I''m curious about one more thing. Why do you think the Demon Kings are the only cards in my hand?

    "What?"

    As Eveheim''s avatar waved at the startled Yu-Seong, the news began to broadcast like a TV screen. A massive terrorist attack had erupted in Washington, USA, leading to the copse of the Tower of Heaven. While no Demon King had appeared, countless demons were emerging, apanied by a dungeon break, causing panic and screams of fear among the people.

    - My friends are originally called Demon King Worshipers. Hehe.

    A victorious smile spread across Eveheim''s face. It was true that he hadn''t originally targeted Seoul. Yu-Seong''s statement was correct. As he had mentioned, Eveheim was a coward who had to n for contingencies.

    That''s why he had orchestrated chaos in North America, far away from the other situations he had instigated.

    - It seems I''m the winner of this round, after all. Well, how about it? You should hurry and save America, Choi Yu-Seong, the great hero.

    At Eveheim''s confident deration, Yu-Seong dropped his head as if in despair.

    "Heh... Hahaha..."

    But what slipped out from his lips wasughter.

    - What...?

    Surprised by the unexpected reaction, Eveheim voiced his question.

    "Who do you think the people who have been facing the Demon King Worshipers are?" Yu-Seong asked.

    Following that, the TV news announced the arrival of unexpected saviors, bringing wee news. Almost 20,000 yers suddenly materialized in Washington as reinforcements. Leading the charge was Jenny, the blonde leader of the Hidden Team. Eveheim''s eyes widened in astonishment at the unexpected appearance of the crowd.

    - What...? Then, what about Seoul now...?

    From the beginning, the reason Eveheim hesitated to attack Seoul was due to the presence of the Hidden Team, this formidable group.

    "I''m not a coward like you." Yu-Seong, watching Eveheim''s confusion, grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

 Chapter 258

    <h4>Chapter 258 </h4>

    When three Demon Kings descended simultaneously, the decision to evacuate Seoul posed a challenging gamble for Yu-Seong as he organized personnel. Therefore, he had initially nned to relocate the Hidden Team to Seoul in case of emergencies.

    However, just before departing for Paris at the eleventh hour, he received a crucial message from Woo-Jae.

    - Don''t worry about me, no matter what you do. Did you really think your father wouldn''t be prepared for a situation like this?

    After Woo-Jae''s initial arrogant statement, the subsequent messages that followed were truly shocking. In Seoul, yers from various countries were gathering, including Japan, despite strained rtions, and India, known to have the second-highest number of yers after China.

    Additionally, formidable yers from South American countries such as Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina were also present. Among them were the top-ranking members of various guilds, including yers with S-rank or higher rankings.

    <i>''...What on earth has Father been preparing all this time?''?</i>

    In fact, Yu-Seong had anticipated that Woo-Jae would gather yers and soldiers from various locations, but the scale of the gathering exceeded Yu-Seong''s imagination.

    Flustered, Yu-Seong inquired about the situation only to discover that, despite operating under different names and corporations, all of them were funded by amon source known as ''Comet.'' In other words, Woo-Jae had not only formed a guild in Korea but had also established global organizations capable of seamlessly joining the Comet Guild whenever needed.

    Naturally, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but acknowledge the incredible and terrifying nature of Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®So, he had been concealing this immense force all along, disguised under the pretense of contingency nning.¡¯</i>

    In some ways, the most terrifying character within the context of this world might not have been Eveheim, but rather Woo-Jae.

    <i>¡®If it weren''t for me causing him to be defeated by Kim Do-Jin in the original novel, he would have gone on to create an even more astonishing history.¡¯</i>

    Having a dependable backup alleviated the fear of moving forward. Consequently, Yu-Seong could issue continuous orders to the Hidden Team, which had a substantial number of personnel stationed in the United States and the UK, where the activities of the Demon King Worshipers had recently been most rampant.

    The objective was to sustain control and stability in those regions, and the oue was a direct result of those tireless efforts.

    "This seems like a clear victory for me," Yu-Seong said.

    - ¡­

    For the first time, Yu-Seong beheld Eveheim''s visage, twisted and contorted like that of a wrathful demon. As Yu-Seong stared into Eveheim''s distorted face, his mind instinctively pondered what Eveheim would ultimately choose in the climactic moments.

    "You''d be wise not to meddle with the members of the Hidden Team in London," Yu-Seong remarked, his voice resolute. "Once the Hexagram Masters disperse, I will personally focus solely on you, activating teleportation swiftly."

    - While you''re dealing with me, won''t many people end up losing their lives?

    "Don''t be arrogant. I know you well, Eveheim," Yu-Seong stated firmly.

    As a matter of fact, there was no longer a necessity to rely on the original novel.

    "You''re a coward who prioritizes your own life above all else," Yu-Seong added.

    It was clear that Eveheim couldn''t afford to risk his own life by engaging in a confrontation. Yu-Seong''s observation was indeed urate.

    - You''re right, Yu-Seong. I hate to admit it, but I have lost to you in our game so far.

    However, Eveheim was a bit more of a coward than Yu-Seong had initially presumed.

    - So, I had prepared this kind of measure just in case.

    Once again, as Eveheim extended his hand, the holographic map of London unfurled, disying the entire city. Numerous red dots were scattered across its expanse, indicating various locations. It was evident to Yu-Seong at first nce.

    "Seems like the locations of the Hidden Team members. However... I did mention that a hostage threat wouldn''t be effective, didn''t I?" Yu-Seong remarked.

    - You better listen to it until the end, as I''m currently not in a very good mood.

    With Eveheim''s stern voice, another wave of his hand revealed arge hexagonal magic circle set up around London city.

    - This is a spell that I have personally constructed, investing a significant amount of time into its creation. The instant I snap my fingers, the entirety of London will be obliterated.

    "You... What...?"

    Only then did Yu-Seong''s eyes widen in realization of Eveheim''s true intention.

    - Here''s a proposal, Choi Yu-Seong: Enter this location alone. If you refuse, I will detonate the entire city.

    In truth, Eveheim''s target wasn''t solely the members of the Hidden Team. He posed a threat to the lives of the entire poption of London. In such a scenario, countless individuals would face death, including even the Demon King Worshipers who followed him.

    "You''re truly insane..." Yu-Seong''s eyes reflected his bewilderment as he clenched his teeth.

    <i>''London is definitely a trap.''?</i>

    How many diverse methods could the cowardly Eveheim have secretly deployed within his territory? Just the thought of it caused an imminent headache.

    - From my perspective, it is irrelevant whether you retreat from this situation. Theplete annihtion of a city as significant as London would undoubtedly unleash unimaginable chaos.

    Furthermore, the ensuing chaos would eventually transform into vast karma, umting within this world.

    - With the umted karma, I will unleash the most devastating Catastrophe upon this world, affecting it in its entirety.

    "...Superbia, Demon King of Pride."

    Eventually, chaos would beckon even greater chaos.

    Yu-Seong felt dizzy as he pictured that horrific disaster in his head.

    <i>''He wouldn¡¯t be taken down easily.''?</i>

    Watching Yu-Seong gritting his teeth, Eveheim''s avatar slowly blurred out with a wicked smile.

    - The choice is yours, Choi Yu-Seong.

    After Eveheim disappeared, all that remained before him was the Parisian sky. Yu-Seong had no option but to clench his fist and grit his teeth.

    <i>''That bastard...''?</i>

    At this moment, a single thought emerged in his mind.

    <i>''What if he is just lying?''?</i>

    Arge-scale magic capable of obliterating all of London¡ªessentially, from Eveheim''s perspective, it meant he was willing to destroy his very own stronghold. In reality, such a decision was not something that the inherently cowardly Eveheim would typically arrive at.

    <i>''But just in case it''s real...''?</i>

    Now, the tide had shifted. Eveheim, too, possessed a profoundprehension of Yu-Seong. Regardless of whether it was a ruse, Yu-Seong found himselfpelled to yield to it, fully aware of the truth. While Yu-Seong did not regard himself as a hero, hecked the ruthlessness to idly witness the sacrifice of countless lives that he could have rescued. As a result, any variables or irregrities would prove ineffective.

    <i>¡®From the very onset, upon observing the anomalous situation unfolding in London, I embarked on the journey here. He must have possessed unwavering confidence that I would indeede.¡¯</i>

    Yu-Seong sighed heavily and thought.

    <i>¡®I''m sorry, Kim Do-Jin. I had intended to join you once you arrived, but¡­¡¯</i>

    Now, even if Yu-Seong had to face Eveheim alone, he was determined to stop him.

    <i>''I have to confront this head-on.''?</i>

    With resolve in his heart, Yu-Seong opened the portal, signaling the beginning of his ultimate battle, and fearlessly plunged into London.

    From a distance, Eveheim observed the emergence of the green portal in the London sky and nodded his head in acknowledgment.

    "You had no other choice," he remarked, acknowledging the inevitability of Yu-Seong''s decision. In truth, even for Eveheim, employing London as bait was a desperatest resort.

    <i>''Thinking about the money and time I''ve poured into this country, it''s such a pity.''?</i>

    However, the threat of London''s destruction from the beginning was not to be taken lightly. It was a n that Eveheim had meticulously prepared for an extended period, intended for employment in the direst of circumstances.

    <i>¡®I had expected the adversary to be Superbia, but¡­¡¯</i>

    However, in the face of Yu-Seong, who proved to be significantly more formidable and meticulous than Eveheim had anticipated, he found himselfpelled to resort to this strategy.

    <i>''If I don''t take him down, there will be no next time.''?</i>

    Above all, Eveheim''s instincts were screaming.

    <i>''This is thest chance.''?</i>

    His instincts told him that this was his final opportunity to eliminate Yu-Seong. Also, there was evidence to back up this instinct.

    <i>''Kim Do-Jin and Bernard Yoo haven''t been seen for the past few months.''?</i>

    Based on the experiences thus far, there was a strong likelihood that Yu-Seong was preparing something. Eveheim was particrly wary of the growth potential exhibited by both individuals. Given this situation, no matter how he contemted it, prolonging the time appeared to be an unfavorable choice.

    <i>''I will stake everything and end it here.''?</i>

    It was around this time that Eveheim''s eyes shone coldly. A divine form appeared beyond the green portal. It was Yu-Seong.

    "You''re here!" Eveheim eximed.

    Without hesitation, he extended his arms wide, and simultaneously, vibrant purple mana erupted from six buildings situated across the city of London. The mana intertwined through the empty air, creating a colossal magic circle that hovered above Yu-Seong''s head.

    As the immense surge of mana materialized before him, Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in sheer astonishment.

    <i>¡®You didn''t think all I had in London was a mere self-destructive magic circle, did you?¡¯</i>

    Eveheim harbored an unwavering confidence that Yu-Seong would be incapable of evading the mana cannon fueled by the energy harnessed from the six purple mana stones.

    <i>''Because the moment he dodges, countless citizens of London will die.''?</i>

    Indeed, in a swift response, Yu-Seong activated a defensive skill, wielding his spear to erect a formidable barrier that sessfully intercepted the onught of the colossal mana cannon.

    <i>''It''s fine.''?</i>

    Eveheim never entertained any doubts that Yu-Seong would be incapable of withstanding an attack of such magnitude. After all, Yu-Seong had directly confronted Ira, the Demon King of Wrath, disying his unwavering resolve and formidable strength.

    <i>¡®This is what¡¯s important.¡¯</i>

    While Yu-Seong valiantly blocked the onught of the swirling mana cannon, Eveheim extended both hands behind him, the purple aura enveloping him like repulsive tentacles.

    Confronting the relentless mana cannon from the front, Yu-Seong found himself facing an attack that did not appear to pose an immediate threat. After a moment of hesitation, Yu-Seong reluctantly prepared himself and epted the blow.

    Observing this, Eveheim chuckled with sadistic delight.

    <i>''Is he trying to tie up both my arms with this?''?</i>

    At the very moment that Eveheim, exultant with his initial strike, wore a triumphant smile, Yu-Seong swiftly dispelled all the descending mana cannons. With his back turned toward Eveheim, he locked eyes with fiery determination and shouted vehemently, his voice resounding through the air.

    "Eveheim-!"

    "Come, my adversary."

    Responding with a radiant smile, Eveheim outstretched his arms wide. Simultaneously, Yu-Seong descended like lightning, hurtling toward the very building upon which Eveheim stood.

    ***

    Upon arriving in London, Yu-Seong was immediately met with a relentless barrage of mana cannons, and he could feel the foreign energy clinging to his back. Nothing came easy for him in this dire situation.

    <i>''For now, the second one is the problem...''?</i>

    Eveheim¡¯s purple aura had prated Yu-Seong¡¯s body, disrupting his senses beyond the realm of his five senses and reaching into his sixth sense. It was one of the abilities that Eveheim was proud of¡ªSensory Distortion.

    <i>¡®Adding Perception Distortion to this.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was certain that Eveheim stood right before his eyes, but suddenly, his figure vanished from sight. If his senses remained intact, he wouldn''t have fallen for a deception of this caliber. However, he had lost track of Eveheim''s movements, akin to ying a game of chess without a Rook and Cannon.

    <i>''I need to quickly drive out this nuisance...''?</i>

    Was it due to the fact that his adversary was none other than Eveheim himself? Even the Chakra, which wielded a power several times greater than ordinary mana, struggled to easily dispel Eveheim''s skill.

    Topound matters, five opponents materialized simultaneously before him, each emanating a formidable energy. Although the visual distortion caused by the Sensory Distortion made it challenging to discern their individual faces, deducing their identities proved rtively straightforward.

    "Hexagram Masters."

    The man on the far left nodded. "I didn''t expect to see you again under these circumstances.¡±

    At the sight of the man pounding his chest like a gori, Yu-Seong smiled and said, "So you''re Jackson."

    Simrly, Yu-Seong could discern the distinctive aura of the woman, who sat upon a broomstick like a cat, licking her hand, even though her face remained unseen to him.

    "And you''re Olivia..."

    Simrly, the other Hexagram Masters, such as Talia, Jacob, James, and others, were all revealing their unique characteristics.

    "Amazing. You''re the first one to distinguish opponents beyond standing still from the Sensory Distortion of Godfather," Talia said.

    Indeed, she was right. This was no easy feat. And to add one more thing, Yu-Seong actually didn''t think this level was a major problem.

    <i>''Although my physical condition is somewhat messed up...''?</i>

    At present, Yu-Seong possessed a sensory organ surpassing his already impable five senses.

    <i>''The Final Form of Third Eye. Open the Eyes of God.''?</i>

    Fearlessly surrendering his sight and shutting his eyes, a divine blue eye, radiating with brilliance, emerged on Yu-Seong''s forehead and illuminated the world.

 Chapter 259

    <h4>Chapter 259 </h4>

    Yu-Seong had believed that he was fully aware of the extraordinary power of his skillposition as a yer. However, during his training as a transcendent being, this belief waspletely shattered, and the reason for it was quite simple.

    <i>''I really had no understanding of the true power of Chakra.''?</i>

    The mere thought that it was just a more efficient way to use power than mana was foolish. The God''s Chakra, passed down from Shiva, the Destruction God, was literally the power originally wielded by a ''god.''

    <i>''I had some idea, but...''?</i>

    As the levels of the God''s Chakra increased, its power began to generate an absurdly massive force.

    <i>''Even at present, in my current state, the realm of God''s Chakra has only reached the 6th stage.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong believed he had attained immense power, but his God''s Chakra had not yet reached the 7th stage. It was only at his current 6th stage that theplete unsealing of the power of the Third Eye was achieved. In essence, this marked the opening of the Eyes of God.

    Although the Eyes of God were perceived through the eyes, they were not merely a concept of vision. They did not belong to the somewhat instinctive sixth sense either. If one were to describe it, it would be the seventh sense¡ªa transcendent new sense that surpassed the five senses and even instinct itself.

    Consequently, Yu-Seong began to perceive an extensive amount of information.

    <i>''The flow of mana, the movement...''?</i>

    Even amidst his distorted senses, Yu-Seong could precisely pinpoint Talia''s imminent ice magic and absorb it with a mere touch of his hand. Moreover, he redirected the discharged energy in the opposite direction, effectively halting the movements of the five Hexagram Masters who were converging upon him from all sides.

    Simultaneously, he absorbed and dispersed the poisonous mist emitted by Jacob through his palm. However, this was far from the end of his remarkable abilities.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    Jackson, who had braved the blizzard and the poisonous mist to approach Yu-Seong, was forcefully propelled into the sky, unable to endure the shockwave unleashed by the punch he had delivered.

    <i>- He absorbed my ability and discharged it back?!</i>

    <i>- That''s impossible. Can that guy use all abilities?</i>

    <i>?- He¡¯s quite good!</i>

    Subsequently, the thoughts of the Hexagram Masters began to reverberate. Yu-Seong could read the stream of their thoughts and consciousness, perceive the flow of mana, and replicate skills using his Third Eye, ultimately reflecting them back. All of these extraordinary abilities were activated by a single skill: the God''s Chakra.

    <i>''It''s enough.''?</i>

    Despite his blurred senses and perception, Yu-Seong found sce in this state. In fact, it was even more advantageous for him. The Beast King''s Instinct, originally reliant on the six senses, naturally progressed and evolved as a result of the seventh sense.

    <i>¡®The Wild God¡¯s Instinct.¡¯</i>

    Surpassing the instinct of a king, the instinct of a god awakened within Yu-Seong. His spear soared toward James, leaving him stunned by the sudden twist of events. In an instant, the spear was about to pierce through James'' head. In that unfathomable moment, beyond rationality, Yu-Seong sensed his opponent''s demise through his seventh sense.

    However, a distortion in space urred, causing the spear intended for James to instead move to impale Yu-Seong''s back.

    Swiftly turning to catch the spear and activating the Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, Yu-Seong roared, "Eveheim-!"

    Beyond the senses, Eveheim had even distorted the fabric of space itself, twisting the divine certainty. While Yu-Seong felt a twinge of regret for missing a valuable opportunity, everything remained under control.

    <i>''If youe out like that...''?</i>

    Now, James hade to his senses and quickly chose to flee. In the midst of all this, the only one standing somewhat stupidly was none other than Jacob.

    <i>''His poison could be dangerous.''</i>

    As Yu-Seong''s body faded away, a thunderous sound reverberated through the air. Startled, Jacob hastily dispersed the poisonous mist surrounding him, just as Eveheim''s Spatial Distortion started to engulf Yu-Seong''s form.

    In an instant, the flow of time decelerated,gging even behind the speed of the Spatial Distortion.

    <i>''If you use space, Eveheim...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong had the power to manipte time, which was passed down from Gabriel. Proving this, only Yu-Seong''s spear moved quickly in the dyed time, and it shattered Jacob''s skull.

    <i>Bang-!?</i>

    The only thing imed by the Spatial Distortion was the lifeless body of the infamous Hexagram Master.

    Although most of his senses remained restricted, Yu-Seong, standing beneath the somewhat damp London night sky with his radiant blue eye, dered confidently, "Here, today, the Demon King''s Worshipers will meet their end."

    ***

    Positioned nearly 10km away from the battlefield, Eveheim exerted various restrictions on Yu-Seong''s movements. While doing so, he couldn''t help but feel goosebumps creeping up his spine and forehead.

    ¡°Gabriel, Green, Bak Ok-Rye¡­ What kind of monster did they create?¡±

    Words of disbelief spilled from his mouth as Eveheim exerted his utmost distortion ability toward Yu-Seong, even rewinding the transcendent power that thetter had previously cast aside. After all, it was impossible to freely utilize the power of Spatial Distortion in a state outside of transcendence.

    Naturally, there was a distinct penalty for such actions, as the intervention of a transcendent being in the world clearly vited the rules. Therefore, Eveheim was prepared to abstain from using his abilities for at least ten years following this battle. He believed that this was the only way to contend with Yu-Seong, who had unlocked the Eyes of God.

    <i>''Even with such determination¡­''</i>

    Eveheim found himself losing ground as Yu-Seong went on a rampage, having sessfully dealt with Jacob and now turning his attention toward James, who began to panic once again. This unexpected turn of events truly caught them off guard.

    <i>''The weakness of that monster is his retained humanity.''?</i>

    In a way, this fact could be considered as Yu-Seong''s greatest strength. If he had forsaken his own humanity, he would have inadvertently entered the realm of transcendence, resulting in the limitation of his immense power.

    <i>''No matter how cowardly, it can''t be helped.''?</i>

    Finally, Eveheim realized that the only path to victory was by exploiting Yu-Seong''s vulnerability as a human. With great force, he created a breach in the barrier he had set up as a contingency n.

    - All Masters, start city warfare.

    In response to themand, all Hexagram Masters descended upon the city without a hint of surprise. Jackson''s destructive punch, a symbol of devastation, reduced a towering building of over 20 stories to rubble with a single strike.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    As buildings started copsing like dominoes, Yu-Seong''s focus shifted from hunting down the Hexagram Masters like the god of death, to rescuing the screaming and despairing people from the sudden disaster. He utilized magic to halt the crumbling structures andunched them into the air.

    However, the Hexagram Masters seized this opportunity without hesitation. As James summoned demonic Beasts that unleashed havoc and carnage upon the innocent, Yu-Seong''s hands grew busier, and his vulnerability increased.

    It was at this moment that Talia''s Freezing skill finally found its mark. Yu-Seong''s expression hardened as his ankle instantly froze, and in that split second, a colossal ck sword, materialized by Olivia, swung toward him.

    Reacting swiftly, Yu-Seong unleashed a defensive skill, but among the Hexagram Masters, Olivia ranked as the second most powerful, second only to Eveheim.

    <i>''If I were in perfect condition, the oue might have been different, but...''?</i>

    Having already shed with Ira, the second-ranked Demon King of Wrath within the hierarchy, Yu-Seong would find it challenging to ward off her attack.

    <i>''If my Mana Distortion skill is added to that...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s face turned pale as his defensive skill crumbled in an instant.

    <i>''This fool, I''ve finally caught him¡­!''?</i>

    From a distance, a smirk crept onto Eveheim''s face as he observed the unfolding events.

    ***

    A multitude of thoughts raced through Yu-Seong''s mind as he fixed his gaze on the approaching sword of ck mana.

    <i>''If I were to ignore the sacrifices of the people here and absorb the mana...''?</i>

    Perhaps, he could fend off the strike of that sword. However, it would mean abandoning arge number of people.

    <i>''No, there is still another way.''?</i>

    If he were to summon the souls of the gods residing within the dragon''s body, it could potentially offer a chance for a counterattack. However, he hesitated, uncertain if it was the right moment to unleash this power.

    His senses, tinged with the seventh sense, seemed to whisper to him: <i>''Not yet.''?</i>

    Trusting his unwavering intuition, Yu-Seong stared wide-eyed at the sword rapidly closing in. And then, almost like a deception, Olivia''s de, poised to sever his throat at any moment, abruptly halted.

    - What are you doing, Olivia?!

    Eveheim''s voice, filled with bewilderment, resounded through the Eyes of God.

    "...Can you hear me?" Olivia''s voice followed.

    "Of course." Yu-Seong nodded in response.

    Then, a deep smile surfaced on Olivia''s face. She said, "You''re cool. More so than Godfather.¡±

    "...I don''t think it''s the appropriate time for a sudden confession, considering the present circumstances," Yu-Seong stated.

    Just then, a barrage of attacks from the other Hexagram Masters descended upon Yu-Seong and Olivia. It was the result of Eveheim''s confusedmand to eliminate both of them.

    However, Olivia single-handedly deflected all the iing attacks by summoning numerous ck fists. It was truly a remarkable sight, even from Yu-Seong''s perspective.

    <i>''This girl... She didn''t unleash her full power when she faced me.''?</i>

    She may not be on Eveheim''s level, but there was no denying that she was an incredibly formidable fighter, capable of overpowering the other Hexagram Masters.

    "Why were you concealing your skills?" Yu-Seong inquired.

    "I wasn''t exactly hiding them. I simply didn''t feel the need to fight seriously," Olivia replied.

    "It would be appreciated if you could remove the sword aimed at my neck before engaging in conversation."

    "But if the circumstances were different, you wouldn''t have listened, would you?"

    Indeed, Olivia was correct. Yu-Seong nodded in agreement.

    "Keep it brief; get to the point. The situation isn''t favorable," Yu-Seong stated.

    "You''re so naive. Just because a few others might die, it doesn''t mean you''ll be harmed, does it?"

    "It does hurt. It shatters my heart."

    "That''s intriguing."

    "What''s the purpose of this conversation?"

    "Be my puppet. Then, I''ll assist you," Olivia proposed.

    "Your puppet?" Yu-Seong couldn''t help but let out a dry chuckle.

    "Yes. Obey mymands, engage with me, be intimate with me..." Olivia''s face slightly flushed as she lowered her head, seemingly embarrassed.

    With her body trembling faintly, she asked, "You understand, don''t you?"

    In response to her strangely ufortable suggestion, Yu-Seong furrowed his brows. "I have no idea."

    "If you don''tprehend, I''ll teach you. Just answer me. Do you desire to belong to me?"

    Olivia¡¯s voice, filled with mana, dug deep into Yu-Seong''s mind. In the face of this far from amusing proposition, his reply was simple.

    "You''re talking nonsense. Whether it''s you or Eveheim, all Demon King Worshipers arepletely deranged," Yu-Seong retorted.

    Indeed, one only needed to look at Rachel to see the truth of that statement.

    "Is that so? You won''t be my puppet?" Olivia questioned.

    "Go to hell," Yu-Seong said, his smile radiant.

    Upon Yu-Seong''s curse, Olivia''s previously slightly flushed face turned crimson. It was the same shade of red, yet the emotions it conveyed were distinctly different¡ªanger.

    Seething with fury to the point where her face contorted, Olivia shouted, "What a shame. Then you''ll just have to die!"

    Just as the colossal sword was on the verge of descending upon Yu-Seong''s neck, a streak of silver lightning, triggering a sense of familiarity from a previous encounter, struck directly in front of him. It intercepted the colossal mana sword, halting its advance.

    <i>Zzzt-!?</i>

    The surge of mana rippled outwards in all directions like a powerful current, creating a resounding sh. Within moments, Olivia''s body, unable to withstand the tremendous force, was forcefully propelled backward.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    Amidst the billowing dust cloud, Yu-Seong caught sight of a dependable man in a white coat, nonchntly brushing off his silver sword, his back facing him.

    "...Took you long enough. Why the dy?" Yu-Seong remarked, sporting a smile.

    The response was straightforward.

    "Choi Yu-Seong belongs to me."

    "You''re crazy. Wasn''t that what you said before? What does that even imply? It will lead to misunderstandings," Yu-Seong remarked.

    It was a scene he had witnessed and heard once before, yet the emotions it stirred within him were entirely different. Disregarding the furious Olivia with nonchnce, the handsome man casually turned his head, revealing his profile, and smirked.

    "It means that if he is to meet his end, I will be the one to end him," the man replied.

    "You bastard," Yu-Seong retorted.

    Though he uttered those words, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but feel relieved.

    "Kim Do-Jin."

    The two men, sharing the same sentiment, exchanged smiles.

 Chapter 260

    <h4>Chapter 260 </h4>

    In fact, the sudden appearance of Do-Jin was something Yu-Seong had not anticipated at all.

    "I thought it would take at least another week," Yu-Seongmented.

    "Hele sent a drone into the training center and contacted me. Since the training was over and I was just refining my skills, there was no reason to hesitate," Do-Jin exined.

    "Ah...?"

    While humans were limited to entering in groups of no more than two, machines were not bound by such restrictions. Yu-Seong had never conceived of such a method and felt depressed as he came to this realization.

    "Hmph," Do-Jin scoffed nonchntly, then nced at Olivia, who had discarded her sword and was seething with anger.

    "Let''s put a pause on the conversation for now," Do-Jin proposed.

    "Yes, there''s a lot to sort out," Yu-Seong agreed. He chuckled and nodded, his Eyes of God radiating a gentle glow as he lowered his spear.

    The two men, each holding their weapon, stood back-to-back, presenting an impable image from any angle. Yu-Seong couldn''t help but admire the resolute energy emanating from Do-Jin.

    <i>''This guy...''?</i>

    He had grown unimaginably strongerpared to three months ago. It was a remarkable transformation befitting the protagonist of the original novel, a true genius.

    Perhaps the unwavering bond between the two men further provoked Olivia''s anger. Her face contorted even more as she questioned them. "What''s going on with you two? Making me feel jealous... What exactly is your rtionship?"

    "Do you not see it?" Do-Jin snorted and leaned forward slightly as he spoke. He then dered, "We''re friends.¡±

    "Friends," Yu-Seong echoed simultaneously,unching himself toward the other Hexagram Master who disyed a tense expression in mid-air.

    <i>sh-!?</i>

    Two beams of light diverged, each moving in opposite directions. From the mirage-like silhouette, a bolt of lightning and a fiery ze emerged, showcasing their formidable energy. They were poised to incinerate their respective adversaries with unyielding force.

    <i>Crash-!?</i>

    With a resounding boom, Olivia, who had been forcefully pushed back, swung her dark mana-infused sword fiercely toward Do-Jin, as if intent on cleaving him in two. She yelled in frustration, "So annoying!"

    Several gigantic ck hands emerged from behind her, relentlessly pounding on Do-Jin''s body without discrimination.

    <i>BOOM, BOOM, BOOM-!?</i>

    The air seemed to detonate, with the sound echoing continuously. Do-Jin, maintaining an indifferent expression, was cleaved in half by the force of Olivia''s mana sword, dissipating into nothingness.

    Even in the face of such a tragic scene, Olivia remained unwavering, swinging her arm harshly as she turned her back.

    <i>Thud-!?</i>

    Witnessing Do-Jine to a sudden halt, Olivia wore a smirk on her face. She asked, "Did you think I''d fall for such a clumsy trick?"

    .

    Do-Jin responded with a mockingugh. "You don''t think I purposely avoided slicing it, do you?"

    "What...?"

    "I thought dying in mes would be fitting for you."

    Subsequently, magic circlesposed of pentagrams materialized simultaneously on both of Do-Jin''s ck eyes.

    "What the... How could you use magic like¡­?"

    Olivia''s words could not reach their conclusion. From the ends of her short hair to the hem of her clothes, mes erupted and quickly covered her figure.

    "Kyaaaa-!" she screamed as she frantically shook her head, trying to shake off the me with her mana.

    Unfortunately, the me that Do-Jin had ignited was not so easily extinguished.

    <i>''Heart Fire.''?</i>

    The me of resentment, once consuming Do-Jin''s mind, was now under his control, unfolding as his most potent power. As a result, there were only two ways to extinguish that me: either shatter Do-Jin''s spirit or confront it with a heart stronger and more ruthless than his own.

    Unfortunately, Olivia seemed to fit into neither of those positions.

    "Ahhhhhhh-!"

    Unable to endure, the dying ck witch extended her arm toward Do-Jin. Words didn''te out, but the eyes engulfed by the consuming mes conveyed a clear message.

    "You want to live?"

    Do-Jin was uncertain if his voice was heard, but Olivia''s head frantically nodded up and down. Looking at her, he then asked, "Have you ever listened to the plea of someone dying even once?"

    At Do-Jin''s response, Olivia''s violet pupils quivered as she opened her eyes wide.

    "If you lived by killing so many people, you should have anticipated your own death," Do-Jin said.

    With a brief click of his tongue, Do-Jin''s sword left a trail of silver light as it swiftly cleaved through Olivia''s neck. Minimizing the time of agony toward death was the greatest act of mercy Do-Jin could offer to Olivia.

    "...I''ve also be much softer, it seems."

    Briefly ncing at Olivia''s face, who had given up everything and closed her eyes in herst moments, Do-Jin''s gaze turned skyward. Up there, Yu-Seong, who had ughtered all the remaining three Hexagram Masters, was slowly descending to the ground.

    "Have you finished here as well?" Yu-Seong queried, swiping the blood smeared on his face away with the back of his hand.

    In response, Do-Jin smirked, gave a slight nod, and replied, "...And you have grown cold.¡±

    "What are you talking about?" Yu-Seong retorted.

    "Just an observation."

    "You know, for some reason, that annoys me."

    Despite Yu-Seong''s piercing gaze, Do-Jin merely mped his mouth shut, evading his look.

    "Hmm, anyhow. The energy of Eveheim that was obstructing me earlier has dissipated," Yu-Seong continued.

    This fact had enabled him to take down three Hexagram Masters more swiftly than he had anticipated.

    "I actually thought he had fled, but..."

    However, that was not the case. From afar, Yu-Seong could sense the collision of two potent energies. Thoughcking whenpared to Eveheim, another considerably firm energy had joined this battlefield.

    "Bernard Yoo was headed that way. He mentioned he''d buy us some time," Do-Jin exined.

    Havingpleted his training, Bernard Yoo also appeared noticeably stronger, unexpectedly able to hold his ground against Eveheim.

    "Both of you must have put in a lot of effort," Yu-Seong said.

    "I had a hard time leading him," Do-Jin said.

    Disying his usual arrogance, Do-Jin took a moment to steady his breathing before stepping forward. He suggested, "We should go and assist him. Things could be dangerous if any more time pses.¡±

    "Oh, hold on a moment." Yu-Seong halted Do-Jin and quickly shook his head. "There''s still something I need to do."

    "But didn''t all the Hexagram Masters perish?"

    "It''s that important of a matter."

    Responding briefly to Do-Jin''s question, Yu-Seong stared into the distance. As Do-Jin had stated, Bernard Yoo''s situation was precarious, hanging by a thread. However, he could still hold on. It appeared as though Bernard Yoo''s robust energy signaled as such.

    <i>''I believe in you.''?</i>

    Internally replying, Yu-Seong began to tell Do-Jin what needed to be done.

    Having heard everything, Do-Jin was visibly taken aback and nodded in understanding. "We''ll need to move quickly then.¡±

    "Otherwise, our friend might be in danger," Yu-Seong remarked.

    Naturally, their pace elerated.

    ***

    Eveheim, who had believed he could finally seize Yu-Seong this time around, despite the somewhat shaky circumstances, was left with no choice but to rage at the abrupt appearance of multiple variables.

    <i>"Olivia, that girl, acted on her own, and now she has caused a mess!"</i>

    Due to the slight dy, significant variables named Do-Jin and Bernard had entered the battlefield, throwing a wrench in Eveheim''s ns. Moreover, Bernard, who had previously seemed weak enough to be squashed by a finger at any moment, was now skillfully blocking Eveheim''s attacks.

    "Is that the best you can do? Can''t you give it more effort?" smirked Bernard, his face pale but determined.

    Eveheim''s attacks were thwarted by two colossal arms, which radiated a faint orange glow, crossed in the shape of an X right in front of Bernard. Despite Eveheim''s attempts to distort various senses and manipte space, his efforts were in vain.

    Bernard poured all his power into defending, unwavering in his resolve to obstruct Eveheim''s path. Even when asionally struck by an attack, he stood his ground, bleeding but undeterred.

    It felt like facing an imprable wall. Impatience began to creep onto Eveheim''s face, who had initially thought that he could easily overpower Bernard and return to assisting the Hexagram Masters once he appeared.

    "Give up, damn it!" shouted Eveheim in frustration.

    A mana cannon, embodying both fury and desperation, appeared to envelop Bernard''s body.

    "Aaaarghhh-!"

    Despite Eveheim''s heavy blow tearing through his skin, causing blood to flow and leaving his body in a ragged state, Bernard endured with a loud scream.

    Just as Eveheim involuntarily sighed at the frustrating resilience of his opponent, a massive herd of buffalo sprang out and charged forward.

    "Super-! Buffalo Rush!" yelled Bernard, his voice filled with determination.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    Eveheim''s casual gesture could have effortlessly neutralized the attack, but Bernard, who had finally managed to counter it, chuckled as he raised his severely injured hand.

    "Hey, are you really the leader of the Demon King Worshipers?" Bernard taunted, employing a clear strategy to divert Eveheim''s attention from Yu-Seong and Do-Jin.

    Despite being aware of the tactic, Eveheim, already caught in a distorted state where half of his sanity had slipped away, couldn''t resist falling for the provocation.

    "How dare a brat that came out of nowhere..." Eveheim muttered through clenched teeth. He reached out into the air, and space unfolded, revealing a fluttering purple cloak that wrapped around his body.

    <i>''I didn''t intend to use my transcendence against such a brat, but...''?</i>

    As mentioned before, relinquishing his transcendence had ced a burden on Eveheim, making it challenging to reactivate it. His original n had been to reserve it for the ultimate enemies, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, when they stood before him.

    However, with no other viable options left, he had to unleash his full power for a brief period. Eveheim, now adorned in a purple cloak and a helmet with demonic horns, extended his palm.

    "Yes, I see that you''re desperate for death," he sneered.

    <i>Sizzle, sizzzzle-!?</i>

    The mana light sphere taking shape in front of Eveheim''s palm crackled with electric sparks. When confronted with a formidable barrier, it was only natural that breaking through it would take time.

    "I will pierce through you with a single strike," Eveheim proimed.

    With a cluster of mana resembling a colossal missile formed, a twisted smile yed on Eveheim''s lips. Bernard, too, felt the imminent danger creeping in.

    <i>''This might be too much for me...''</i>

    Bernard''s thoughts raced as he realized he was about to be impaled.

    <i>''My friends, why are you guys so slow¡­?''?</i>

    Despite the fear of death gripping a piece of his heart, Bernard refused to step back. He challenged, "Come... I will block you once more."

    In truth, Bernard felt a sense of achievement. His talent was exceptional, but he recognized his shoringspared to his two friends. Having spent countless hours in the training room with Do-Jin only intensified this realization.

    A massive wall loomed before Bernard, a barrier that his friends did not encounter. The moment heid eyes on it, Bernard understood what he needed to do.

    <i>¡®If I cannot break through, then I will be the wall myself.¡¯</i>

    This unwavering determination was the best contribution he could make for his two friends.

    As he strengthened his resolve, a colossal purple mana cannon wasunched toward Bernard. In a single breath, it pierced through the mana barrier he had erected, engulfed his entire body, and carried him away.

    The pain was excruciating; it was as if every bone and inch of flesh was being torn apart. However, even amidst such agony, Bernard maintained a bright smile and inwardly cried out, "I will never yield!"

    He refused to give in. Though he may fracture, he would not be broken.

    Bolstering his fiery determination, two robust hands came to support him from behind.

 Chapter 261

    <h4>Chapter 261 </h4>

    Simultaneously, mana began to surge throughout Bernard''s entire body. This mana construct formed an even more formidable barrier, gradually morphing into an impregnable fortress that defied all attempts at pration.

    <i>Kaboom-!</i>

    Even the full strength unleashed by Eveheim, who had transcended his limits, was effortlessly blocked by Bernard without so much as a tremor. A smile spread across Bernard''s lips as he turned his gaze toward his two friends, who had yed a part in shaping him into an invincible fortress.

    "Why were you sote¡­? I almost died, you know," Bernard said.

    As the green catnded on his head, Bernard felt itsforting presence. Exhausted, he began to copse, but Yu-Seong swiftly caught him.

    "I had something I needed to take care of. Thank you for holding out," Yu-Seong replied with a smile.

    "...That''s enough for me to know. Now, I''m going to rest," Bernard said with a smirk.

    After ensuring Bernard was in a safe position, Yu-Seong shifted his attention to Eveheim. The sensation of facing Eveheim, who was restrained by the tip of Do-Jin''s sword, invigorated Yu-Seong.

    "So, we finally meet again, Eveheim."

    "...Though this isn''t exactly a pleasant encounter."

    Eveheim, suppressed by thebined force of the two men who had suddenly appeared before him and realizing his failure to defeat Bernard, let out a hollowugh. It was a fact he already knew, but now he was truly cornered.

    He epted his defeat and offered his apuse. "You truly are amazing. To have pushed me this far.¡±

    "Is that meant to be apliment? It doesn''t quite feel that way," replied Yu-Seong.

    "Haha..." Eveheim let out a hollowugh as his eyes darted around restlessly.

    <i>''First, I need to get out of here...and start over again.''?</i>

    It would take a very long time, but the only thing waiting for him if he endured the current situation would be death.

    <i>''I can''t let that happen.''</i>

    Indeed, he harbored ambitions that set him apart from the insignificance of others. Falling in a ce like this was simply not an option.

    As Eveheim lifted his hand with determination shining in his eyes, a magic circle materialized within Do-Jin''s line of sight, heading toward Eveheim''s outstretched palm. The moment the fiery mes attempted to engulf his hand, Eveheim''s transcendence distorted the space around him.

    Seizing the opportunity, Eveheim created another magic circle above his palm and smirked, uttering, "Let''s meet again next time."

    However, as Eveheim infused his mana into the magic circle, an unintentional questioning sound escaped him amidst the serene scenery that surrounded him. "Hmm...?"

    It was because the self-destructive magic of London, the ultimate measure that would have plunged the entire city into catastrophe, failed to activate. Bewildered, Eveheim continued pouring mana into the magic circle, unaware that Yu-Seong and Do-Jin wereughing at his futile efforts. Regardless of his attempts, the result remained unchanged.

    "How on earth...?" Eveheim, btedly realizing the situation, asked in a trembling voice.

    "You idiot."

    "Why do you think we were sote?"

    In fact, even without receiving an answer from Do-Jin and Yu-Seong, Eveheim already understood the situation. He muttered, "You dismantled the magic circle¡­ in such a short time?"

    It was a grand magic spell that he had spent decades crafting. How could a magic circle, into which he had poured so much effort, blood, and sweat, vanish within such a short period?

    "Why are you thinking so hard? You already know the answer, don''t you? Setting up the dominoes may be challenging, but..."

    Knocking them down was as simple as flicking a finger. True, Eveheim had meticulously prepared for such an eventuality, but Yu-Seong''s magical abilities were only slightly inferior to his own. And when Do-Jin''s abilities were added to the mix...

    "This guy is even better at magic than you, you know?"

    It was not without reason that Do-Jin possessed ''Genius'' as his Special Skill. His growth during the training sessions had surpassed even Yu-Seong''s wildest imagination.

    <i>''I thought I had be extremely strong, but...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong sensed the potential danger that could arise if they were to engage in a direct confrontation. On the other hand, while Eveheim was undeniably formidable, he struggled to handle Yu-Seong alone.

    "It''s over, Eveheim," Do-Jin dered coldly, taking deliberate steps forward toward Eveheim.

    "This can''t... This can''t be happening."

    With a flustered expression, Eveheim ceased pouring mana into the self-destruct magic circle, realizing the futility of his efforts. He then attempted to open a spatial door behind him, seeking refuge in a ce where the two friends couldn''t follow.

    "Where do you think... Dispel!"

    However, Yu-Seong''s Spell Cancetion magic unfolded, causing the spatial portal to seal shut on its own.

    One of them approached like the grim reaper, ready to take Eveheim¡¯s life, while the otherpletely blocked his escape route.

    "It''s not a check, it''s checkmate, Godfather," Yu-Seong said, suddenly appearing behind Eveheim and pointing his spear.

    There was no way to escape, and there was no possibility of winning the fight.

    "Haha, hahahaha, hahahahahaha-!" Eveheim, confronted with this harsh reality, burst into insaneughter.

    .

    "Did the heavens fear that I would ascend to the lofty universe?!"

    "What nonsense. Your dream was simply crushed because it was too grandiose for you."

    "That can''t be!"

    In response, Eveheim snorted withughter, his eyes twitching in agitation.

    <i>''He was a madman to begin with, so it''s not strange if he''s gonepletely insane.''?</i>

    Although Yu-Seong desired to swiftly defeat Eveheim, he chose to wait for a simple reason¡ªYu-Seong believed that Do-Jin also held a grudge and wanted to unleash his anger upon Eveheim, just like himself.

    "Eveheim."

    However, that was merely Yu-Seong''s assumption.

    "I''m finally killing my sworn enemy," Do-Jin dered with a sly grin.

    With those words, it was over. Do-Jin''s sword cut into Eveheim''s neck. At the same time, Yu-Seong''s spear, which had reflexively reacted, unleashed a lightning bolt that pierced through Eveheim''s heart.

    Immediately, Eveheim''s corpse copsed onto the ground in front of Do-Jin and Yu-Seong, who had withdrawn their weapons simultaneously.

    Naturally facing each other, Yu-Seong asked curiously, "Was that all you wanted to say?"

    "One never knows what this kind of guy might do if left alive for too long..."

    Indeed, it was a choice befitting the protagonist of a cool novel. Yu-Seong was about to apud in admiration.

    "Choi Yu-Seong, Kim Do-Jin!"

    With Bernard¡¯s urgent voice, the gaze of the two naturally fell onto the corpse of Eveheim that had copsed on the ground.

    "I may be dying... but I cannot let it end like this," Eveheim said, a smile in his eyes, despite his decapitated body.

    Simultaneously, as Yu-Seong and Do-Jin continued their attack, Space Distortion spread, causing Eveheim''s corpse to vanish into thin air.

    "I dedicate my remaining breath and soul in longing..." Eveheim''s voice echoed, even though his physical form was gone.

    High above in the sky, Eveheim floated lightly, bleeding, as he retrieved a stone from his chest. Witnessing this, Yu-Seong''s eyes widened in shock.

    Recognizing the nature of the brilliantly shining mana stone, radiating in seven colors, Yu-Seong shouted, "The Philosopher''s Stone!"

    Come to think of it, the original novel never stated that there was only one Philosopher''s Stone in the world.

    <i>''There was another one!''?</i>

    Yu-Seong was filled with despair. What kind of disaster had the Philosopher''s Stone once brought to Pyongyang?

    Since Eveheim was a human and not a demon, Yu-Seong had never thought that Eveheim could survive even after being decapitated. He attempted to rush in, wielding his Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, but the destructive wave of mana emanating from the Philosopher''s Stone, which was soaked in Eveheim''s blood, instantly repelled Yu-Seong.

    The same happened to Do-Jin. The mes emanating from his eyes and the transcendent sword were unable to reach Eveheim, who floated with his body and head separated, as the rampaging mana pushed them back.

    Despite the progress Bernard had made in his recovery thanks to the Green Wind Spirit Cat, his efforts were in vain.

    <i>Boom-!?</i>

    A heavy roar shook the earth and the sky, as a powerful surge of mana pressed down on the shoulders of the three men.

    "Argh-!" Yu-Seong groaned as he forced himself to his knees and lifted his gaze to the sky. His expression was one of dismay, rendering him speechless.

    "Oh my¡­"

    The sky had turned pitch ck. The once-illuminated surroundings were now devoid of any light, enveloping the entire world in darkness.

    Of course, Yu-Seong was capable of inducing a simr effect. If he unleashed the lightning bolt to its extreme, the entire sky would be covered in dark clouds. However, the nature of this darkness was different.

    <i>''Pure mana.''?</i>

    Indeed, the sky was engulfed in an overwhelming expanse of pitch-ck mana. Its sheer magnitude was so immense that every corner, visible through Yu-Seong''s Eyes of God, appeared devoid of light. At the center, like the eye of a storm shrouded in mana, the body of Eveheim was being drawn into the Philosopher''s Stone.

    However, that was not the end of it. The bodies of the defeated Hexagram Masters, whom Do-Jin and Yu-Seong had vanquished, were also being pulled toward the Philosopher''s Stone. Emitting a seven-colored light, the stone absorbed them, transforming into a deep ck hue.

    [Since everything I had umted has crumbled, if I cannot possess it, I must destroy it.]

    [I will seek revenge.]

    [I will bring ruin to this world-!]

    Starting with Eveheim, the voices of the deceased Hexagram Masters reverberated throughout the world like thunder.

    "We must put an end to this." Do-Jin stood up and, with those resolute words, leaped into the sky. The immense storm of mana pushed against him, but he exerted all his strength to forge ahead.

    Yu-Seong, unwavering in his belief that this catastrophe must not fully unleash upon the world, followed suit. Both he and Do-Jin did not entertain doubts about their ability to draw nearer. They simply pressed forward.

    <i>Kwaaah-!?</i>

    The tempestuous storm of mana raged, morphing into a de-like form, threatening to carve through their very beings.

    In that critical moment, disying his superhuman endurance, Bernard rose from his position and leaped into the sky. With both arms extended, he summoned a protective barrier to shield them from the onught.

    <i>Bang-!</i>

    The weakened barrier crumbled with a resounding crash, yet this fleeting opening granted the two men a chance to advance further. However, it was not only them who experienced transformations during this time.

    A colossal demon, slowly materializing from the depths of the Philosopher''s Stone,menced itsughter.

    [Finally¡­ I am¡­]

    Having devoured the foulest of flesh, Superbia¡ªthe Demon King of Pride and the mightiest among all demon kings¡ªsought to descend upon Earth. Yu-Seong, Do-Jin, and Bernard felt the looming peril instinctively.

    <i>¡®If we don''t stop that, it will be the end.¡¯</i>

    Superbia, the Demon King of Pride, poised to descend upon this world, would manifest as an entity utterly distinct from the previous Demon Kings. It had assimted Eveheim, who had achieved transcendence, merging with the Philosopher''s Stone. Moreover, it had sacrificed the Hexagram Masters, renowned as the most formidable beings, to augment its power.

    <i>''Aplete state Demon King... No, even beyond that.''?</i>

    The power of distortion wielded by the Demon King of Pride captivated Yu-Seong''s gaze, evoking a sense of terror. He understood that their sole chance to vanquish the swiftly materializing demon, which fed on the ck mana, might lie in this very moment.

    <i>''No, it is definitely now.''</i>

    The moment of decision had arrived. Yu-Seong''s eyes met Do-Jin''s, and they shared a silent conversation. It was time to embark on the final battle.

    With unwavering determination, Yu-Seong shouted, "Loki-!"

    <i>BOOM-!?</i>

    From the ruptured ck sky, a bolt of vibrant purple lightning pierced through and struck the earth below. As the smoke and dust cleared, a colossal dragon emerged with its wings unfolding like the petals of a blooming flower. It unleashed a resounding roar that reverberated through the air, shaking the very foundations of the surroundings.

    <i>Roarrr-!</i>

    The dragon''s thunderous roar echoed across the battlefield. Resembling a cataclysm in motion, it unfurled its majestic wings and it took to the sky, positioning itself between Yu-Seong and Do-Jin.

    With its mighty jaws wide open, the dragon uttered words that resonated through the air.

    -I have, no...!

    Summoned under the name Loki, theposite voice echoed through the air, representing the three contracted gods¡ªLoki, a Joke-loving Prankster; Cu Chinn, the Cnn¡¯s Hound; Scathi, the Oldest Hunter. Each god''s essence merged together, resonating as a unified entity. High above in the sky, their voices intertwined with determination as they called out to the darkened heavens.

    - Ta-da! ¡®We¡¯ have appeared!

    <Author''s Note>

    The conclusion of the novel is imminent. I appreciate the readers who have apanied me on this journey, in spite of my potentiallycking writing skills. I''ve updated the character profiles of Choi Yu-Seong and Kim Do-Jin, as requested by some in the past. Here they are:

    <Choi Yu-Seong¡¯s Profile>

    Height: 179cm

    Weight: 68kg

    Hair color: Brown

    Eye color: Brown tinged with ck

    Favorite colors: Green, brown, blue, and white

    Characteristics: Hisplexion is fair and wless, radiating a sense of purity. His eyes, thoughcking in vibrancy, possess a gentle and endearing quality, resembling those of an adorable puppy. This effect is further enhanced by his slightly droopy eyelids, adding to his overall charm.

    <Kim Do-Jin¡¯s Profile>

    Height: 183cm

    Weight: 73kg

    Hair color: ck

    Eye color: Deep ck

    Favorite colors: Red, ck, gray, and gold

    Characteristics: His gaze exudes a rugged determination, reflecting a hardened spirit. With his slightly weathered, sun-kissed skin, he possesses a wild and untamed appearance, akin to that of a spirited stallion. If one were to liken him to an animal, he would bear a closer resemnce to a wolf rather than a docile pup.

 Chapter 262

    <h4>Chapter 262 </h4>

    The time hade for the gods to depart from this world.

    When Yu-Seong had initially heard this tale from Loki at the Tower of Heaven, he had believed it to be one of Loki''s cruel jokes. However, when he saw Scathi and Cu Chinn nodding their heads in agreement, he had been left with no choice but to ept the undeniable truth.

    And so, he asked a question.

    <i>''Then, does this mean we can''t meet ever again?''?</i>

    They had said it would be difficult for a while for them to meet. When he had heard this response, Yu-Seong had smiled broadly.

    <i>''At least it''s not goodbye forever.''?</i>

    That was enough for him.

    Furthermore, the three gods had entrusted their final strength to Yu-Seong before they had departed from this world. To be more precise, they had bestowed it upon Loki, the dragon who had formed a contract with Yu-Seong.

    <i>¡®In the final, most critical moment, when this power is truly needed¡­¡¯</i>

    They had left him after telling him to shout out the name of the dragon when he needed the power.

    And so, at this moment where Yu-Seong was feeling the dire need for the gods'' power, he raised his voice.

    In response, Loki, who had assimted the power of the three gods, broke free from the juvenile dragon form and descended as a fully realized dragon.

    Simultaneously, Cu Chinn soared into the air, carrying Yu-Seong and Do-Jin on his shoulders as he shouted.

    - We can only lend you our strength once!

    The dragon, radiating a purple glow, opened its huge mouth, revealing its terrifying teeth.

    <i>Vroooooom-!?</i>

    As the world vibrated with a rumbling noise, swirling masses of blue, red, and purple mana converged in front of the dragon''s mouth like a vortex.

    Then, Scathi¡¯s voice followed right after.

    - If we open the way, the hunt is your responsibility, my beautiful and handsome friends.

    Loki''s voice concluded, and Cu Chinn and Scathi responded in unison to Loki''s final remark.

    - Just in case, if you happen to die even after all of our efforts, we will pray for your peaceful rest.

    - Stop jinxing us!

    - Why must you be annoying to the very end?

    Despite the dire and serious situation, Yu-Seong couldn''t help but burst into heartyughter at the banter of the gods echoing in his head. "Hahaha...!"

    "No need to worry. There''s no need for all of you to pray for our peaceful rest." Do-Jin''s confident voice followed, apanied by a subtle smile.

    And at that moment, the immense energy gathering in the dragon''s mouth reached its climax. It was the calm before the storm, and a final statement shattered the brief silence.

    - It''s about time we got going.

    It was Cu Chinn.

    - Please take good care of Choi Yu-Seong, Kim Do-Jin.

    Scathi requested.

    - I''ll miss you both.

    Loki ended, and with her final words, a massive tricolored beam pierced the ck sky, leaving the atmosphere and heading toward space.

    <i>Ka-Bang-!</i>

    With a thunderous noise, the purple dust scattered like flower petals, and the colossal dragon transformed into a small white dragon, being sucked into subspace.

    "See you again, everyone."

    With thosest words to the departed three gods, Yu-Seong gazed straight ahead. The immense darkness that had once engulfed the entire sky hadrgely dissipated. In its ce, a rtivelyrge sphere of ck mana remained floating in mid-air; it gathered to shield itself from the power of the three gods.

    <i>''It''s shrunk considerably, but it''s still big.''?</i>

    Looking at that huge sphere, which seemed as if it would need hundreds of people with their arms spread out to surround it, Yu-Seong briefly smacked his lips.

    <i>''Would have been nice if it ended just now...''?</i>

    Despite possessing enough power to obliterate a small country, it was impossible to absorb all the darkness that had enveloped the world. However, that was not a concern. From the very beginning, the three gods, who were mere avatars transferring their souls, understood the limitations of their powers and had paved the way for the two men.

    "Now, all that remains is..."

    "Our part. Let''s stay focused."

    Yu-Seong and Do-Jin exchanged words as they fixed their gaze upon the ck sphere shielding the Philosopher''s Stone like a shell. The profound darkness appeared imprable from the outside, but that was not a problem.

    Thanks to the efforts of the three gods, the ckened sky had cleared, and the sun had emerged once again. Amidst the dark spheres, there existed a space where sunlight brilliantly prated. Although it was rapidly shrinking, both Yu-Seong, with his Eyes of God activated, and Do-Jin, who unleashed his Eye of Insight, did not miss this critical moment.

    <i>''Right now...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong''s Eyes of God emitted a radiant blue light, causing time to slow down around them. At the same time, Do-Jin''s eleration Magic propelled them forward with incredible force. In the blink of an eye, within the fleeting instant, the two men boldly dived into the sphere of darkness.

    ***

    Within the sphere, in contrast to the outside world where light had returned, darkness still prevailed. As Yu-Seong and Do-Jin ventured further into the darkness, their presence illuminated the surroundings. Before themy the shattered Philosopher''s Stone, which had expanded in size through its absorption of darkness. Around it, ck mana swirled uncontrobly, voraciously drawing in energy as if intent on devouring everything in the world.

    <i>''We need to destroy that to end this.¡¯</i>

    As their minds synchronized, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin''s eyes shimmered withprehension.

    In an instant, the Philosopher''s Stone, entwined with the pulsating ck mana, underwent a metamorphosis. It transformed into a predatory creature, possessing four legs and razor-sharp, jagged ws. However, its countenance held a familiarity that struck both Yu-Seong and Do-Jin.

    "Eveheim?"

    [Why¡­? Why...has this happened?]

    With its head twisted grotesquely to the side, Eveheim emitted a voice that blended a low growl with a beastly sound. Yu-Seong and Do-Jin immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

    The entity, initially destined to embody Superbia, had undergone a grotesque transformation into an iprehensible life form due to the inflicted damage on the Philosopher''s Stone.

    [I... I only... wanted to be... a little more... special...]

    Purple tears dripped from Eveheim¡¯s eyes as it turned its gaze toward Yu-Seong.

    [Answer me... Choi Yu-Seong...]

    "...It seems its consciousness hasn''tpletely disappeared?"

    [I said¡­ Answer¡­me¡­!]

    With the forceful voice, a wave of energy erupted, striking Yu-Seong''s body with great intensity. Reacting swiftly, he crossed his arms to block the attack, narrowly avoiding injury. Yu-Seong''s expression hardened with determination in response to the threat he faced.

    <i>''The power in just the voice was this intense....''?</i>

    It had transformed into a twisted and grotesque creature, wielding tremendous power. If it had been in itsplete form, the unimaginable destructive force it could unleash would be catastrophic.

    "I''ll give you the answer, Eveheim. You were merely dreaming a dream that exceeded your capabilities," dered Do-Jin resolutely. Meanwhile, his ming sword swung down from behind Eveheim, who had taken the form of a lion. Eveheim quickly conjured a long tail to block the attack, once again contorting its face 180 degrees.

    [Capabilities...?]

    Seeing its confused face and sensing that its power had weakened slightly, Yu-Seong''s eyes shed.

    <i>''This creature....''?</i>

    As expected, it was unstable. There was no reason to miss this opportunity.

    "Yes. You were never worthy to ascend to the heights of the heavens," said Yu-Seong.

    [Why?]

    With a roar, Eveheim, its face contorted, stamped its four feet and cried out.

    <i>Thud-!</i>

    Eveheim''s back sprouted wings that were reminiscent of a dragon; it unleashed another wave of energy that scattered in all directions. Yu-Seong and Do-Jin, who had been poised for an opening, were forcefully knocked off their feet by this formidable force. Even with their considerable physical strength, resisting such power was a daunting challenge.

    Naturally, Do-Jin shot Yu-Seong a fierce nce, silently conveying their need for a strategic response.

    <i>''I''m sorry, I didn''t realize this would happen.''?</i>

    Yu-Seong, slightly sweating due to Eveheim''s somewhat evolved form, proceeded with his speech. "Because you were merely an ordinary human."

    [Ordinary? Me...? That can''t...be...]

    There was no rule or pattern to the weakening of the power surge, but Yu-Seong keenly seized the opportunity and intensified his assault.

    "Don''t delude yourself into thinking you''re exceptional, Eveheim. You''ve existed for a considerable time, observing countless individuals. Through their triumphs and failures, you must have intuitively grasped it. Why do humans falter?"

    [Greed...]

    The energy plummeted abruptly as Yu-Seong delivered his statement. His face tinged with determination as he nced at Do-Jin.

    "Hmph..." Do-Jin snorted and averted his gaze.

    "Indeed. It is often greed that taints everything."

    [I... I was greedy?]

    "Yeah. Like many people, you made a mistake."

    [I... couldn''t... possibly...]

    Shedding purple tears, Eveheim red at Yu-Seong as if to kill him.

    "I¡¯m telling the truth. The only difference between you and others is the magnitude of your mistake."

    [What¡­did I do wrong?]

    "You attempted to sacrifice others, no, the world, for your own greed."

    It was inherent in human nature to be driven by greed. Yu-Seong, like anyone else, desired a fulfilling life and happiness. It was amon principle. However, on this path, one should not inflict pain and sacrifice upon others.

    In stark contrast, Eveheim sought to fulfill its own ambitions by causing harm not only to individuals but to entire families, societies, and the world. At this stage, that greed became malevolent.

    "So, the reason you have reached this point is simple. You were driven by greed and became a viin."

    [I...was bad?]

    The face of Eveheim, which had been rotating 180 degrees continuously, finally came to a stop. Upside down, its eyes facing the ground, purple tears cascaded from its head like a waterfall.

    "You knew, didn''t you? You were thinking that it was eptable tomit evil deeds as long as they served your ultimate goal. Why? Because as a selfish being, you believed your dreams were more important than the value of all other lives. And now, what do you see? Look at the state you''re in," Yu-Seong said.

    Eveheim''s momentum had considerably weakened, and its pupils darted around as it examined its own condition.

    Its form was unrecognizable¡ªit was a beastly shape that was grotesque and ck. Eveheim''s eyes widened as it beheld the drastic transformation, far different from the self-image it remembered.

    [This is me? Impossible. I... I just wanted to achieve my dream...!]

    Looking at Eveheim with sober eyes, Yu-Seong exhaled a short breath, then dered, "You¡¯re being stupid, Eveheim. Don''t you get it yet? This monstrous form that now surrounds you is the embodiment of your original sin."

    [Pride...?]

    "Yes. Arrogance."

    With that cold promation, the end of Yu-Seong''s spear pointed toward Eveheim, who began to melt into a pitiful and hideous carcass.

    [Aarrgghh-!]

    Eveheim''s bestial cry echoed simultaneously.

    [I didn''t want...to be like this...!]

    "Everyone you''ve hurt would have thought the same. No one wanted to lose their family, to die, to scream in sorrow."

    [Forgive... Forgive me... Give me another chance...to make things right...]

    "Eveheim, you fool. It''s already over."

    Finally, Yu-Seong''s spear pierced through Eveheim''s head.

    <i>Thud-!?</i>

    With a burst of sound, Eveheim''s face contorted in despair and was swallowed up by the darkness.

    [I... I am...]

    Thus, Eveheim disappeared from this world without even leaving itsst words properly. However, the darkness hadn''tpletely receded yet.

 Chapter 263

    <h4>Chapter 263 </h4>

    [Grrrrrrr-!]

    The darkness had notpletely receded, for the Demon King, the self-proimed symbol of Pride, still lingered.

    [What a shame... If I had absorbed him, I would have gained even more power...]

    Superbia, the Demon King of Pride who was named the strongest and worst among them all, said, stretching with gleaming red eyes.

    [Frail human, you''ve ruined everything.]

    The beast, with a lion''s head, a snake''s tail, and griffin wings, looked at Yu-Seong and spoke.

    "I haven¡¯t ruined <i>everything</i> yet," snorted Yu-Seong, as lightning bolts began to sh around him.

    <i>Boooom-!</i>

    With the resounding thunder, the world started to brighten with a blue light. On the opposite side, a me erupted fiercely, repelling the darkness.

    "After all, you''re still alive, aren¡¯t you?" Yu-Seong said coldly, his voice infused with a sneer.

    [Kekeke... Your bravery is quite impressive, but do you honestly believe that you can defeat me¡ªthe Demon King of Pride¡ªin this realm of darkness, feeble human?]

    As Superbia chuckled in response and pped his wings, a massive number of demons, wrapped in a clinging aura, began to rise from the darkness. What was astonishing was that each of them emitted an aura simr to that of the Demon King.

    [This is my world, my territory. In this realm, where everything that exists is indistinguishable from myself, you hold no hope.]

    "No," said Yu-Seong.

    Even as he sensed the overwhelming malice and hostility closing in on him, Yu-Seong remainedposed and widened his Eyes of God.

    "That''s not for you to decide," continued Do-Jin, smiling.

    Do-Jin threw his sword into the air and climbed onto it. Simultaneously, purifying mes zed around his outstretched arms.

    "Antareus!" shouted Do-Jin.

    In response to his call, the ck dragon intensified the mes, repelling the rushing demons. Beside him, Yu-Seong''s aura from the Eyes of God started pushing back the surrounding flow. In this world, it seemed that only two individuals had achieved true freedom¡ªDo-Jin and Yu-Seong. The two men, each gripping a spear and a sword, exchanged nces before they began chanting their magic incantations.

    <i>''Wind Thunder Dragon God Art, advanced.''?</i>

    Lightning shed all around Yu-Seong as he advanced. Right beside him, Do-Jin''s mes, as if unwilling to be left behind, encircled Yu-Seong''s body. Simultaneously, an immensely powerful magic expanded, enveloping the entire space that was shrouded in darkness. Yu-Seong widened his eyes and gazed at Do-Jin.

    <i>''This is the skill I''ve been preparing to defeat you.''?</i>

    The corners of Do-Jin''s lips twitched.

    <i>''Super Space Transition...?''?</i>

    The Super Magic, far surpassing the limitations of humans, engulfed the two as they soared through space at nearly the speed of light, granting them the ability to manipte space itself. In that moment, Yu-Seong felt a fleeting rift as the two individuals, transcending space and even the flow of time, entered the realm of light and pierced through the darkness.

    <i>''This is the speed of light.''?</i>

    The lightning continued to sh and the mes burned fiercely, piercing through the bewildered darkness. After a considerable amount of time had psed...

    <i>BOOM-!?</i>

    [How could I... Just like this...?]

    The thunderous sound was apanied by the disbelieving voices of the Demon King.

    <i>Thuuud-!?</i>

    Simultaneously, the swirling darkness surrounding them rapidly copsed, giving way to a surge of light. As the darkness fully receded, Superbia, with both eyes fixed on the sun, wore a bitter smile upon his lips.

    [Was this... My pride as well...?]

    <i>Psssh-!?</i>

    Shards of darkness scattered throughout the city, disintegrating upon contact with the sun. Truly, everything had reached its conclusion.

    <i>''Finally...''?</i>

    Yu-Seong, surpassing his own limits in an incredibly short time, had attained a state of ultra transcendence. He gazed at Do-Jin.

    "Finally, it''s over, Choi Yu-Seong," Do-Jin said, his voice drained.

    With that exhausted voice, the two of them descended toward the ground together. They hoped for a safending, but theycked the strength to even twitch a finger. However, neither of them worried about death or pain.

    "These guys...!" Bernard eximed loudly, rushing over and swiftly catching the two individuals in each arm.

    With a cool smile gracing his face, he eximed, "What''s over? The real battle begins now!"

    "...Have you been listening this whole time?"

    As if moved to tears, Bernard''s eyes glistened with slight redness. Hended and said, "Hahaha. Anyway, both of you did well. You made it. I believed in you, but still..."

    "Wasn''t I amazing?" Yu-Seong asked, struggling to stand on his own as soon as they touched the ground.

    "To be honest, you were quite impressive," Do-Jin replied, stepping forward with a simr demeanor.

    Theirpetitive spirit appeared unyielding even until the very end.

    "But let''s be honest, you wouldn''t have made it this far without me," Bernard chuckled and remarked.

    Soon, all three of them burst intoughter at their audacity.

    "By the way, what happened to the other areas?" Yu-Seong, regaining his senses, searched his pockets for his cell phone. Unfortunately, it was in ruins from the intense battle.

    "Do we need to go and see for ourselves...?" Yu-Seong murmured to himself, attempting to gather mana, but it refused to respond.

    Do-Jin, facing a simr situation despite having utilized mana, let out a bitterugh and said, "...Same here."

    While it could have been a bewildering situation, they were not overly concerned as the mana circuits within their bodies remained intact.

    "I think it''s because we''ve pushed ourselves beyond our limits," Yu-Seong said.

    "Looks like we won''t be able to use mana for at least a week," Do-Jin remarked.

    Bernard''s eyes narrowed as he quietly listened to their conversation.

    "So, if we were to fight now, I could beat both of you?" he remarked, emphasizing his point by clenching his fists that still overflowed with mana, and bursting intoughter.

    "Try calling me ¡®hyung-nim¡¯," Bernard said.

    "Stop talking nonsense."

    The only one to respond was Yu-Seong. From the start, Do-Jin turned his gaze away as if he hadn''t heard a thing.

    "...Anyway, all of our phones are broken. How are we going to..."

    Yu-Seong''s concern was short-lived.

    "Our savior ising.¡±

    Just as Do-Jin had mentioned, while looking into the distance, a helicopter carrying the sunlight on its back and fiercely rotating its propeller approached. Before long, the helicopter descended slowly to the ground, its strong gusts of wind whipping the hair of the three.

    "Are you Mr. Choi Yu-Seong?" a white, middle-aged man from the helicopter asked.

    "Yes, I am," Yu-Seong replied.

    "Mr. Gabriel from the France yer Association has sent us. We''ve been briefed on the situation. After France, you''ve also saved Ennd," the man said, his grin widening.

    In response to the man''s words, Yu-Seong wore an awkward smile and asked, "What about Shanghai or Moscow?"

    "The situations there have been resolved. Oh, and of course, in a positive direction," the man assured him.

    Truth be told, as Yu-Seong looked at the man approaching them with a bright expression, he had a hunch. However, he still desired confirmation and posed a question.

    Once the confirmation was given, Yu-Seong''s legs unknowingly weakened, causing him to stagger. If it hadn''t been for the swift support of Do-Jin and Bernard, he would have surely copsed on the spot.

    "Thank you both," Yu-Seong expressed his gratitude.

    "Don''t mention it."

    "If you''re grateful, you could at least treat us to a meal."

    Upon hearing the words from the two men who grinned, Yu-Seong let out a deep sigh of relief once again.

    <i>''It''s really over.''?</i>

    Certainly, it wasn''t meant in a negative sense. They had sessfully vanquished all the Demon Kings, dismantled the Demon King Worshipers, and averted the predicted world destruction.

    Yu-Seong no longer had to worry about his own mortality or the impending doom of the world he had grown to cherish.

    <i>''I have plenty of money... enough people...''?</i>

    All that remained was for Yu-Seong to enjoy the rest of his life happily. With the support of Do-Jin and Bernard, Yu-Seong boarded the helicopter. Upon seeing him, the middle-aged man expressed awe and spoke.

    "Though it may be a bitte to say, it''s an honor to have you, the Grand Star, here."

    Truly, it signaled the end of everything. No, it was the moment when a new life began.

    <strong>Epilogue:</strong>

    Half a year had passed since the global emergency known as the Demon King Advent incident. The most significant change on Earth, without a doubt, was the heightened "awareness."

    Although the incident had been resolved, the death toll exceeded initial expectations.

    Countries that had once been cautiously optimistic were awakened to the harsh reality of dungeons and monsters and realized that they could lead to dreadful catastrophes. The countries expanded the workforce of the yer Association and implemented stricter operational policies for dungeon management.

    But the greatest change of all was the increased vignce against viins.

    During an interview, Yu-Seong, known as the Grand Star and the savior of Earth, revealed that the Demon King Advent incident had originated from the nefarious criminal organization known as the Demon King Worshipers. He emphasized the importance of global cooperation to prevent the resurgence of such organizations. Yu-Seong''s influential voice mobilized the World yer Association, as well as the private guilds that were driven by profit, to actively fight against viins.

    A new world had emerged where even viins, once considered a "necessary evil" like underground criminal organizations, could no longer show their faces in public with ease. As a result, the public''s perception of yers, who were once seen as potential threats if they misused their powers, underwent a significant improvement. Observing the overall stability of the world, Yu-Seong pondered.

    "This phenomenon won''tst forever."

    "Viins have a tendency to resurface even after being eradicated, so there''s only so much we can do. You can''t bear the responsibility alone," retorted Do-Jin, d in a stylish ck tuxedo.

    Yu-Seong buttoned up his crisp white shirt as he responded.

    "I never intended to shoulder all the responsibility in the first ce."

    "Isn''t it ironic that someone like you is speaking of world peace and eradicating viins at every official event?" Do-Jin asked, his tone cold.

    "Not at all. Besides, won''t other people work hard even if I don''t?" Yu-Seong replied with a cunning idea.

    "But eventually, there will be people who will be dissatisfied with your attitude," Do-Jin warned.

    "There probably are already. They just can''t express it openly," Yu-Seong acknowledged.

    That was the nature of fame. When you were at the height of poprity, everyone seemed to adore and trust you, but it also naturally bred envy and jealousy.

    And the moment Yu-Seong made even a minor mistake that tarnished his image, those dark emotions would pounce, as if they had been waiting for the perfect moment to tear at his heart and soul. This was precisely what Do-Jin was worried about.

    "And you will still hope for a stable world when that timees," Do-Jin remarked.

    "Absolutely. As long as I reside in this world, instability cannot be favorable to me," Yu-Seong affirmed.

    "So..."

    "And I also understand your concerns," Yu-Seong reassured.

    After buttoning up all his buttons, he walked over to pick up a white jacket that hung on the other side of the room. His outfit contrasted with Do-Jin''s tuxedo. He smiled and turned around.

    He then said, "But don''t worry. I have no intention of shouldering that responsibility. I''m not that remarkable of a person. I may act like a hero, but I''m not a real hero. My role ends here. What happens after this is up to the remaining people."

    "What about those who won''t easily let go of you?"

    "Do you think I''d be swayed by them?"

    "A little bit," Do-Jin answered.

    Yu-Seong¡¯s expression turned awkward at Do-Jin''s frank words. He put on his jacket and stood in front of the mirror as he spoke, "Hmm. This pure white suit surprisingly suits me well.¡±

    "Not as much as mine looks on me, though."

    "Yeah, ck suits you better."

    Yu-Seongughed and rebutted Do-Jin''s confidence, smoothed hispel with his hand, and continued speaking.

    "I admit I might be shaken a bit, but I''ll be put right back on track."

    "By who?"

    "By you."

    "...You''re burdening me with a tiresome task."

    "If you don''t like it, won''t other peoplee and help?"

    At Yu-Seong''s confident words, Do-Jin slightly frowned, crossed his arms and legs, and sighed.

    "Well, I have no choice. I''ll take on that role," he reluctantly agreed.

    Yu-Seong chuckled and nced at Do-Jin through the mirror, nodding his head. "Thanks. Anyways, whose idea was it to dress up this grandly for a party?"

    In fact, the party nning had been fully arranged for the day they safely returned to Seoul. Thanks to Bernard, who loved to party more than anyone, he insisted that it was absolutely essential tomemorate the new beginning. However, due to various issues and arrangements that each had to sort out, half a year had passed, and only now had they reached this situation.

    "I believe it was Bernard who set the dress code," Do-Jin remarked.

    Shaking his head, Yu-Seong approached the door. "The problem is with the people who agreed to it. And to top it all off, it''s just at our ce," he said.

    "Now that we''vee this far, what''s the point ofining?" Do-Jin responded.

    Yu-Seong sighed. "I know."

    The two men, continuing their banter, left the room together and walked through the somewhat tranquil house. As they crossed the long corridor that traversed therge house, Yu-Seong suddenly looked out the window at the many people waiting for them outside.

    <i>''Jin Yu-Ri, Jin Do-Yoon.''?</i>

    The two people who first caught Yu-Seong''s eyes nodded with bright smiles on their faces. What if those two, who had stood by his side from the beginning, hadn''t been there? Perhaps he would have been running around on his own to build everything from the ground up and might have died somewhere.

    <i>''I''ve harbored too much resentment and was ipetent...''?</i>

    Once again, an overwhelming sense of gratitude filled him for the presence of the two individuals. Ye-Ryeong and Jin-Hyuk followed closely behind, waving their hands with vibrant energy. They mouthed the words <i>''Boss''</i> and <i>''Yu-Seong hyung!''</i> loudly, evoking a sense of peculiarity within him.

    .

    <i>''If I had to put it into words...''?</i>

    Yes, he felt proud. The individuals who might have originally been shrouded in darkness andbeled as cmities were now able to greet others with bright smiles. Yu-Seong, feeling a sense of happiness, waved his hand back at them. Right in front of him, Bernard suddenly appeared and gestured for them to hurry.

    "I¡¯ming, I¡¯ming," Yu-Seong spoke with a smirk.

    Then he continued walking, taking steps forward. As he moved further along, he noticed other figures in the outside scenery looking at him.

    <i>''Helen, Rachel, and Jenny.''?</i>

    From the retired Helen in the world of yers to Rachel, who had surprisingly abstained from killing people in recent times, and Jenny, who surprisingly fit in well with the other two women, Yu-Seong also found the feeling of looking at the three women to be peculiar.

    <i>''Well, I get it with Jenny... But to think I would be this close with the other two.''?</i>

    Especially in Rachel''s case, it was an unbelievably incredible situation considering their initial rtionship, which he had thought was that of arch-enemies.

    <i>''...Perhaps I am still not that close with her?''?</i>

    When he saw Rachel''s seemingly smirking gaze, chills ran down his spine. However, when Helen and Jenny, standing on either side, shouted something and jabbed her in the ribs, she immediately concealed her expression and feigned surprise.

    <i>''I need to always be careful around Rachel, even if not the others.''?</i>

    Chuckling, Yu-Seong passed by them as well and continued a bit further, where this time his family awaited him.

    <i>¡®Ji-Ho hyung-nim, Mi-Na noo-nim.''?</i>

    Witnessing Ji-Ho, who had regained his strength and now stood on his own, stirred such profound emotions within Yu-Seong that he found himself overwhelmed. Standing behind Ji-Ho, Baek Chul also wore a wide smile; it was a marked contrast to the previous shadows on his face.

    <i>''It seems like Mi-Na noo-nim is doing well these days, too...''</i>

    With the operation to suppress viins in full swing, the Comet Guild took the lead, surpassing other groups. Although Mi-Na found herself somewhat forcibly in the position of Guild Master, she was overjoyed as she was able to do the work she loved: hunting down viins. Among the viins, Mi-Na was even referred to as a Catastrophe, a testament to her extraordinary performance that was difficult to put into words.

    <i>¡®And Jin-Woo hyung-nim is here too.''?</i>

    Surprisingly, even Woo-Jae had managed to make his way to this location. He wasn''t dressed in the typical suit attire, but there he was, appearing in person at a ce where one wouldn''t expect to find him. He had always considered it all just a game yed by the kids, but now he stood among them, acknowledging the significance of the moment.

    <i>''He must be extremely busy these days but...''?</i>

    Thanks to the exploits of Yu-Seong and his party, the stock price of the Comet Group had skyrocketed, making it the top-performingpany in the world.

    Woo-Jae was fullymitted to solidifying the Comet Group''s reputation as the best for generations toe, with a legacy that would endure for thousands of years. He was rarely seen in the country due to his global business ventures, but when he heard about this party, he had personally made the effort toe all the way to Korea.

    <i>''...Maybe he came to nag me.''?</i>

    Truth be told, Woo-Jae''s recent gaze toward Yu-Seong had not been very approving. Woo-Jae had been eager to involve him in variouspany affairs and get him ustomed to the corporate world, but Yu-Seong had been subtly avoiding such obligations. The reason behind this was quite simple.

    <i>¡®I''ve worked hard, so I want to have a little fun. After all, I''ve even captured the Demon King and saved the world. I believe I deserve at least this much, don''t you think?¡¯</i>

    Unable to challenge Yu-Seong''s confident stance, Woo-Jae observed him closely, his gaze piercing and contemtive, wondering when his own respite woulde to an end.

    <i>''I''m still far from done, Father. Sorry.''?</i>

    With a hidden smile, Yu-Seong continued his journey, moving closer and closer to the front door. Alongside his family, there were members from various guilds, including Baek Ah-Rin from Eclipse. Even Do-Jin''s mother, who had made a full recovery and now shared warm greetings with Woo-Jae, was among the attendees. All eyes were on Yu-Seong, a testament to the strong bonds and happiness that connected them all, creating a sense of unity and fulfillment.

    <i>''This is my life...''?</i>

    It was the story of Yu-Seong''s life, one that had unfolded in unexpected directions and would continue to do so, and that was perfectly alright.

    <i>''Even if there''s something I can''t do alone... All these people are here to help me.''?</i>

    There was a time when he had tried to build a fence by himself. However, now he realized that a fence was something people made by holding hands and connecting with each other. After traversing the lengthy corridor, Yu-Seong arrived at the shoe rack and proceeded to put on his new pair of white shoes. Now, as he stepped out into the bright sunlight, everyone would be ready to wee a new beginning.

    "Whoa..."

    Just as Yu-Seong was exhaling a short breath and grabbing the door handle, Do-Jin spoke up while putting on his ck shoes right next to him.

    "Choi Yu-Seong."

    "Hm?"

    "Don''t...mble."

    "What?"

    "I said, don''t tremble."

    "Am I...trembling?"

    Yu-Seong''s gaze suddenly turned to his hand gripping the door handle. In fact, Do-Jin was right. He was trembling incredibly. But why?

    As if knowing all the reasons, Do-Jin, who was standing next to him, also sped the door handle and said, "Don''t be afraid. The happiness you are experiencing won''t shatter like a lie. It''s real."

    "Ah..."

    "And even if someone tries to break it, don''t worry." Slightly blushing, Do-Jin turned the doorknob together with Yu-Seong. He said reassuringly, "I, I mean, all of us will protect you."

    At that very moment, unknown to Do-Jin, a wave of emotion engulfed Yu-Seong''s heart, causing teardrops to form at the corners of his eyes. However, it wasn''t sadness or fear that prompted these tears. He had never understood what it meant to cry tears of joy before, but now, it felt like he finally did.

    "Thank you, Kim Do-Jin."

    <i>¡®Thank you, everyone.¡¯</i>

    As he gazed at Yu-Seong''s beaming smile, Do-Jin, with a strange quirk at the corners of his mouth, spoke.

    "I have caused a lot of trouble... from the very beginning until now."

    Letting out a deep sigh, Do-Jin repeatedly furrowed his brows, rxing them, and then furrowing them once more as he continued, "I''m not sure what words to use to express this feeling... but yes, I should be the one saying thank you, Yu-Seong."

    Gradually, a bright smile spread across Do-Jin''s face, a smile that Yu-Seong had never seen before, not even described in the original novel.

    "Thanks to you, I was able to find happiness."

    With those calm words, all Yu-Seong could do was nod and smile. At the same time, Yu-Seong and Do-Jin flung the door open with all their might. Bright and radiant light fell upon the two of them, and then the door closed.

    <The End>

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